The manufacturing of Stress Corrosion Crack (SCC) on Inconel 600 tube

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bae, Seunggi; Bak, Jaewoong; Kim, Seongcheol; Lee, Sangyul; Lee, Boyoung

2014-01-01

The Stress Corrosion Crack (SCC), taken a center stage in recently accidents about nuclear power plants, is one of the environmentally induced cracking occurred when a metallic structure under tensile stress is exposed to corrosive environment. In this study, the SCC was manufactured in the simulated corrosive environmental conditions on Inconel 600 tube that widely applied in the nuclear power plants. The tensile stress which is one of the main factors to induce SCC was given by GTAW welding in the inner surface of the specimen. The corrosive environment was simulated by using the sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and sodium sulfide (Na 2 S). In this study, SCC was manufactured in the simulated corrosive environmental conditions with Inconel 600 tube that widely applied in the nuclear power plants. 1) The SCC was manufactured on Inconel 600 tube in simulated operational environments of nuclear power plants. In the experiment, the welding heat input which is enough to induce the cracking generated the SCC near the welding bead. So, in order to prevent the SCC, the residual stress on structure should be relaxed. 2) The branch-type cracking was detected

SCC in acidic, neutral, and alkaline environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1996-01-01

This group considered the following: (1) What features characterized SCC in the different environments? (2) What are the phenomenological correlations that presently describe SCC and how good are these? (3) What modeling is now available for all or some part of the subject? (4) What are the elements and sub-elements for an ideal model which would adequately describe the subject? and (5) What work has yet to be done to organize an adequate model?

Characteristics of SCC with Fly Ash and Manufactured Sand

Science.gov (United States)

Praveen Kumar, K.; Radhakrishna

2016-09-01

Self compacting concrete (SCC) of M40 grade was designed. The binder in SCC consists of OPC and fly ash in the ratio of 65:35. River sand was replaced by manufactured sand (M-sand) at replacement levels of 20,40,60,80 and 100%. An attempt was made to evaluate the workability and strength characteristics of self compacting concrete with river sand and manufactured sand as fine aggregates. For each replacement level, constant workability was maintained by varying the dosage of superplasticizer. T50 flow time, V Funnel time, V-funnel T5 time as well as compressive, split tensile and flexural strength of SCC were found at each replacement level of M-sand. They were compared to SCC with river sand. Results indicate favourable use of M-sand in preparation of Self Compacting Concrete.

Assessment of and proposal for a mechanistic interpretation of the SCC of high nickel alloys in lead-containing environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Staehle, R.W.

2002-01-01

The SCC of Alloys 600 and 690 in lead-containing solutions, 'lead stress corrosion cracking' (PbSCC) is quite aggressive on tubing in conditions of operation of steam generators (SG) in pressurized water reactors (PWR). Lead dissolved in water can produce PbSCC at concentrations of Pb as low as 0.1 ppm in these alloys. PbSCC is perhaps the most generally aggressive of the environmental species that occur in SGs. This discussion considers the occurrence of Pb in SGs and the PbSCC that can result. The dependencies of PbSCC on the variables of pH, potential, species, alloy composition, alloy structure, temperature and stress are reviewed. Also, important features of the mechanism of PbSCC are assessed. The most significant question related to PbSCC is why more is not occurring in view of the low thresholds for the PbSCC and the ubiquity of the Pb. While there are usually no common specific sources for Pb in most secondary systems, Pb concentrates on surfaces of tubing efficiently over long times. Regardless, it appears that extensive PbSCC does not occur because it is immobilized by forming stable compounds with other species such as sulfur, carbon, phosphorous and silica. Pb is also immobilized by forming stable adsorbed states with oxides such as magnetite and hematite. The possibility of releasing Pb to produce PbSCC increases as water chemistry produces more pure systems and as chemical cleaning is used. Contrary to the common assumption that PbSCC is TGSCC, that of Alloy 600MA is generally IGSCC; only the sensitized (SN), stress relieved (SR) and thermally treated (TT) conditions of Alloys 600 and 690 sustain TGSCC in Pb-containing solutions. In view of the prevailing IGSCC produced by Pb in MA materials, the possibility of all IGSCC in SGs being due to Pb should be considered where crevice environments are in the nominally neutral range. TGSCC that is observed in SGs can be produced by other, although not widely appreciated, environments. The mechanism of PbSCC

Developments in SCC Mitigation by Electrocatalysis

Science.gov (United States)

Andresen, Peter L.; Kim, Young J.

SCC is strongly influenced by water chemistry parameters, especially when crack chemistry can be concentrated from differential aeration or thermal gradients or boiling. Mitigation of the effects of the high corrosion potential associated with oxidants is markedly and efficiently accomplished by electrocatalysis, which requires that there be a stoichiometric excess of reductants over oxidants. Mechanisms and criteria for effective SCC mitigation are summarized, with particular focus on the critical location for the catalyst in a crack and experimental support for these concepts. Optimization of electrocatalysis by OnLine NobleChem- is described, for example where Pt is injected at levels of 0.002 to 0.05 ppb in the reactor water.

Evaluation of the Frequencies for Canister Inspections for SCC

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stockman, Christine [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Bryan, Charles R. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2016-02-02

This report fulfills the M3 milestone M3FT-15SN0802042, “Evaluate the Frequencies for Canister Inspections for SCC” under Work Package FT-15SN080204, “ST Field Demonstration Support – SNL”. It reviews the current state of knowledge on the potential for stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of dry storage canisters and evaluates the implications of this state of knowledge on the establishment of an SCC inspection frequency. Models for the prediction of SCC by the Japanese Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry (CRIEPI), the United States (U.S.) Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), and Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) are summarized, and their limitations discussed.

EFFECTS OF LASER SHOCK PEENING ON SCC BEHAVIOR OF ALLOY 600

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abhishek Telang; Amrinder Gill; S.R.Mannava; Vijay K. Vasudevan; Dong Qian; Sebastien P. Teysseyre

2013-08-01

In this study, the effects of laser shock peening (LSP) on stress corrosion cracking (SCC) behavior of Alloy 600 in tetrathionate solution were investigated. The degree of sensitization was quantified using double loop electrochemical potentiokinetic reactivation (DLEPR) tests. The sensitized Alloy 600 was demonstrated to be susceptible to intergranular SCC in tetrathionate solution. Following LSP, residual stresses and the amount of plastic strain introduced in Alloy 600 were characterized. The effects of LSP on SCC susceptibility of Alloy 600 in tetrathionate solution were evaluated by slow strain rate tests and constant load tests. Results indicate a significant increase in resistance to crack initiation and decreased susceptibility to SCC after LSP.

SCC of Alloy 600 in PWR steam generator tubes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pascali, R.; Buzzanca, G.; Quaglia, G.M.; Ronchetti, C.

1986-01-01

The studies reported in this paper concern the evaluation of Alloy 600 and 690 behaviour in chemical agressive conditions simulating the concentration film on heat exchanging tube. The corrosion tests have been performed to evidence the influence of metallurgical conditions and different heats. Various devices for reproducing dead areas and steam blanketing have been designed and tested, such as, umbrellas, rings, thin deposits, etc. A system to reproduce the S.G. areas with thick deposits has been designed successively and set up in a previous series of tests, in boiling water at 56 kg/cm/sup 2/, 270 0 C and heat flux 45 W/cm/sup 2/. Caustic SCC tests have been carried out in adiabatic conditions also using small autoclaves

Determination of I-SCC crack propagation rate of zircaloy-4

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Woo-Seog, Ryu

2002-01-01

Threshold stress intensity (K ISCC ) and propagation rate of iodine-induced SCC in recrystallized and stress-relieved Zircaloy-4 were determined using a DCPD method. Dynamic system flowing Ar gas through iodine chamber at 60 deg C provided a constant iodine pressure of 1000 Pa during test. The SCC curves of crack velocity vs. stress intensity showed the typical SCC curves that are composed of stages I, II and III. The threshold K ISCC at 350 deg C was about 9 and 9.5 MPa √m for the stress- relieved Zircaloy-4 and the recrystallized Zircaloy-4, respectively. The plateau velocity in the stage II at 350 deg C was 4-8x 10 -4 mm/sec in the range of 20-40 MPa√m. In comparison with recrystallized Zircaloy-4, stress-relieved Zircaloy-4 had a lower threshold stress intensity factor and a little higher SCC velocity, indicating that SRA Zircaloy-4 was more sensitive to SCC in respect of velocity. The fracture mode in recrystallized Zircaloy was mostly a transgranular fracture with river pattern. An intergranular mode and the flutting were scarcely observed. (author)

Metazoan Scc4 homologs link sister chromatid cohesion to cell and axon migration guidance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

V.C. Seitan (Vlad); P.A. Banks (Peter); S. Laval (Steve); N.A. Majid (Nazia); D. Dorsett (Dale); A. Rana (Amer); J. Smith (Jeremy); A. Bateman (Alex); S. Krpic (Sanja); A. Hostert (Arnd); S.M. Rollins; H. Erdjument-Bromage (Hediye); P. Tempst (Paul); C.Y. Benard (Claire); S. Hekimi (Siegfried); S.F. Newbury (Sarah); T. Strachan (Tom)

2006-01-01

textabstractSaccharomyces cerevisiae Scc2 binds Scc4 to form an essential complex that loads cohesin onto chromosomes. The prevalence of Scc2 orthologs in eukaryotes emphasizes a conserved role in regulating sister chromatid cohesion, but homologs of Scc4 have not hitherto been identified outside

Analysis of SCC initiation/propagation behavior of stainless steels in LWR environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saito, Koichi; Kuniya, Jiro

1999-01-01

This paper presents a method to analyze initiation and propagation behavior of stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of stainless steels on the basis of a new prediction algorithm in which the initiation period and propagation period of SCC under irradiation conditions are considered from a practical viewpoint. The prediction algorithm is based on three ideas: (1) threshold neutron fluence of radiation-enhanced SCC (RESCC), (2) equivalent critical crack depth, and (3) threshold stress intensity factor for SCC (K ISCC ). SCC initiation/propagation behavior in light water reactor (LWR) environments is analyzed by incorporating model equations on irradiation hardening, irradiation-enhanced electrochemical potentiokinetic reactivation (EPR) and irradiation stress relaxation that are phenomena peculiar to neutron irradiation. The analytical method is applied to predict crack growth behavior of a semi-elliptical surface crack in a flat plane that has an arbitrary residual stress profile; specimens are sensitized type 304 stainless steels which had been subjected to neutron irradiation in high temperature water. SCC growth behavior of a semi-elliptical surface crack was greatly dependent on the distribution of residual stress in a flat plane. When residual stress at the surface of the flat plane was relatively small, the method predicted SCC propagation did not take place. (author)

Usefulness of SCC-antigen for diagnosis and monitoring recurrence and effectiveness of therapies of squamous cell carcinoma of the lung

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mino, Naoko; Iio, Atsushi; Ata, Mariko; Murase, Kenya; Kataoka, Masaaki; Ito, Hisao; Ishine, Masahiro; Kawamura, Masashi; Hamamoto, Ken

1987-01-01

The serum levels of SCC antigen (squamous cell carcinoma related antigen) were measured in 111 patients with primary lung cancer to assess its clinical usefulness for diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma and for monitoring recurrence and effectiveness of therapies. Serum SCC antigen level in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the lung was 5.9 ± 10.4 ng/ml, which was high (p < 0.05) compared with those in normal controls (1.6 ± 0.5 ng/ml), patients with other types of lung cancer (2.4 ± 2.9 ng/ml) or benign disease (1.8 ± 1.1 ng/ml). Studies at various clinical stages of squamous cell carcinoma of the lung showed, however, that the SCC antigen levels were high only in the advanced stages (III and IV), whereas not so high in the earlier stages. These results confirmed that SCC antigen is a relatively specific marker to squamous cell carcinoma in the lung, as reported in the uterine cervix and the esophagus. The SCC antigen levels decreased after operation and more markedly after radiotherapy in dose-dependent manner, corresponding to the reduction of the tumor size. On the other hand, the SCC antigen levels were extremely high in the recurrence. It was concluded that SCC antigen is a useful marker for monitoring recurrence or effectiveness of the therapies of SCC of the lung, although not so for its early diagnosis. (author)

Comparison of ANN and RKS approaches to model SCC strength

Science.gov (United States)

Prakash, Aravind J.; Sathyan, Dhanya; Anand, K. B.; Aravind, N. R.

2018-02-01

Self compacting concrete (SCC) is a high performance concrete that has high flowability and can be used in heavily reinforced concrete members with minimal compaction segregation and bleeding. The mix proportioning of SCC is highly complex and large number of trials are required to get the mix with the desired properties resulting in the wastage of materials and time. The research on SCC has been highly empirical and no theoretical relationships have been developed between the mixture proportioning and engineering properties of SCC. In this work effectiveness of artificial neural network (ANN) and random kitchen sink algorithm(RKS) with regularized least square algorithm(RLS) in predicting the split tensile strength of the SCC is analysed. Random kitchen sink algorithm is used for mapping data to higher dimension and classification of this data is done using Regularized least square algorithm. The training and testing data for the algorithm was obtained experimentally using standard test procedures and materials available. Total of 40 trials were done which were used as the training and testing data. Trials were performed by varying the amount of fine aggregate, coarse aggregate, dosage and type of super plasticizer and water. Prediction accuracy of the ANN and RKS model is checked by comparing the RMSE value of both ANN and RKS. Analysis shows that eventhough the RKS model is good for large data set, its prediction accuracy is as good as conventional prediction method like ANN so the split tensile strength model developed by RKS can be used in industries for the proportioning of SCC with tailor made property.

Influence of deformation on SCC susceptibility of austenitic stainless steel in PWR primary water

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kaneshima, Yoshiari; Totsuka, Nobuo; Nakajima, Nobuo [Institute of Nuclear Safety System Inc., Mihama, Fukui (Japan)

2001-09-01

Slow strain rate tests (SSRT) were carried out to evaluate the SCC susceptibility of four types of austenitic stainless steels (SUS304, SUS316, SUS304L and SUS316L) in PWR primary water. The influence of deformation on SCC susceptibility of SUS316 was studied. All types of stainless steel were susceptible to SCC, and the SCC susceptibility varied depending on the steel type. The comparison of the SSRT results and tensile test in air based on the reduction of area measurement showed that the SCC susceptibility increased with increasing the degree of deformation. For explaining the influence of deformation on SCC susceptibility, it is necessary to evaluate both intergranular and transgranular fractures. (author)

Crystal Structure of the Cohesin Gatekeeper Pds5 and in Complex with Kleisin Scc1

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Byung-Gil Lee

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Sister chromatid cohesion is mediated by cohesin, whose Smc1, Smc3, and kleisin (Scc1 subunits form a ring structure that entraps sister DNAs. The ring is opened either by separase, which cleaves Scc1 during anaphase, or by a releasing activity involving Wapl, Scc3, and Pds5, which bind to Scc1 and open its interface with Smc3. We present crystal structures of Pds5 from the yeast L. thermotolerans in the presence and absence of the conserved Scc1 region that interacts with Pds5. Scc1 binds along the spine of the Pds5 HEAT repeat fold and is wedged between the spine and C-terminal hook of Pds5. We have isolated mutants that confirm the observed binding mode of Scc1 and verified their effect on cohesin by immunoprecipitation and calibrated ChIP-seq. The Pds5 structure also reveals architectural similarities to Scc3, the other large HEAT repeat protein of cohesin and, most likely, Scc2.

Multi-scale analysis of deformation behavior at SCC crack tip (3) (Contract research)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaji, Yoshiyuki; Miwa, Yukio; Tsukada, Takashi; Hayakawa, Masao; Nagashima, Nobuo

2008-08-01

In recent years, incidents of the stress corrosion cracking (SCC) were frequently reported that occurred to the various components of domestic boiling water reactors (BWR), and the cause investigation and measure become the present important issue. By the Japan nuclear energy safety organization (JNES), a research project on the intergranular SCC (IGSCC) in nuclear grade stainless steels (henceforth, IGSCC project) is under enforcement from a point of view to secure safety and reliability of BWR, and SCC growth data of low carbon stainless steels are being accumulated for the weld part or the work-hardened region adjacent to the weld metal. In the project, it has been an important subject to guarantee the validity of accumulated SCC data. At a crack tip of SCC in compact tension (CT) type specimen used for the SCC propagation test, a macroscopic plastic region is formed where heterogeneity of microstructure developed by microscopic sliding and dislocations is observed. However, there is little quantitative information on the plastic region, and therefore, to assess the data of macroscopic SCC growth rate and the validity of propagation test method, it is essentially required to investigate the plastic region at the crack tip in detail from a microscopic viewpoint. This report describes a result of the research conducted by the Japan Atomic Energy Agency and the National Institute for Materials Science under contract with JNES that was concerned with a multi-scale analysis of plastic deformation behavior at the crack tip of SCC. The research was carried out to evaluate the validity of the SCC growth data acquired in the IGSCC project based on a mechanistic understanding of SCC. For the purpose, in this research, analyses of the plastic deformation behavior and microstructure around the crack tip were performed in a nano-order scale. The hardness measured in nano, meso and macro scales was employed as a common index of the strength, and the essential data necessary

Evaluating the SCC resistance of underwater welds in sodium tetrathionate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

White, R.A.; Angeliu, T.M.

1997-01-01

The susceptibility of welds to stress corrosion cracking (SCC) is enhanced by the surface residual tensile stresses generated by the typical welding process. However, underwater plasma transferred arc (PTA) welding has been shown to produce compressive surface residual stresses, an encouraging result if repairs of cracked boiling water reactor (BWR) components are to be made without further endangering them to SCC. This program was designed to verify that underwater PTA welds are resistant to SCC and to determine if underwater PTA welding could mitigate SCC in potentially susceptible welds. This was achieved by exposing various welds on solution annealed (SA) and SA + thermally sensitized 304 stainless steel at 25 C in a solution of 1.5 gm/liter of sodium sulfide added to 0.05M sodium tetrathionate, titrated to a pH of 1.25 with H 2 SO 4 . The autogeneous welds were produced using gas tungsten arc (GTA) and plasma transferred arc (PTA) welding under atmospheric conditions, and PTA welding underwater. After 1 hour of sodium tetrathionate exposure, GTA and air PTA welds exhibited SCC while the underwater PTA weld heat affected zones were more resistant. Underwater PTA welds bisecting a GTA weld eliminated the cracking in the GTA weld heat affected zone under certain conditions. The lack of IG cracking in the region influenced by the underwater PTA weld is consistent with the measurement of compressive surface residual stresses inherent to the underwater welding process

Stochastic model of texture dependence of iodine SCC susceptibility of a zircaloy-2 alloy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hirao, Keiichi; Yamane, Toshimi; Nakajima, Shinichi; Node, Shunsaku; Fujisawa, Takashi; Minamino, Yoritoshi

1991-01-01

Effects of textures on statistical parameters of tensile elongations in stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of zircaloy-2 using a slow strain rate test (SSRT) method have been investigated by Weibull distribution method based on stochastic process theory. The SCC is analyzed by assuming a probabilistic state transition model. Tensile directions of test pieces were prepared parallel, 45deg and perpendicular to rolling direction of the sheet. The test pieces in evacuated silica tubes were annealed at 1073K for 7.2x10 3 s, and then quenched into ice water. The annealed pieces with tilt angle α between tensile direction and a basal plane {0001} were 0, 18 and 25deg respectively. The tensile elongations of zircaloy-2 in SCC using the SSRT method are found to obey the single Weibull distribution with location parameters, and the SCC phenomena can be described by the Weibull distribution based on the stochastic process. The values of scale parameter η decrease with the tilt angle α, and the SCC susceptibility can be indicated by the values of scale parameter η. The texture dependence of the values of shape parameters m shows the changes of corrosion process in iodine solution and deformation system in air which are observed in the SSRT. The mechanism of decrement in the SCC susceptibility changes with the tilt angle α. The SCC under SSRT method is found to obey the model of probabilistic state transition. The constant load SCC process which obey the model of probabilistic state transition, is found to be effective for estimation of accelerated SCC condition. (author)

Durability Indicators Comparison for SCC and CC in Tropical Coastal Environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Calado, Carlos; Camões, Aires; Monteiro, Eliana; Helene, Paulo; Barkokébas, Béda

2015-03-27

Self-compacting concrete (SCC) demands more studies of durability at higher temperatures when subjected to more aggressive environments in comparison to the conventional vibrated concrete (CC). This work aims at presenting results of durability indicators of SCC and CC, having the same water/binder relations and constituents. The applied methodologies were electrical resistivity, diffusion of chloride ions and accelerated carbonation experiments, among others, such as microstructure study, scanning electron microscope and microtomography experiments. The tests were performed in a research laboratory and at a construction site of the Pernambuco Arena. The obtained results shows that the SCC presents an average electrical resistivity 11.4% higher than CC; the average chloride ions diffusion was 63.3% of the CC; the average accelerated carbonation penetration was 45.8% of the CC; and the average open porosity was 55.6% of the CC. As the results demonstrated, the SCC can be more durable than CC, which contributes to elucidate the aspects related to its durability and consequent prolonged life cycle.

Effect of surface grinding on chloride induced SCC of 304L

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhou, Nian, E-mail: nzh@du.se [Department of Material Science, Dalarna University, SE-79188 Falun (Sweden); KTH, SE-10044 Stockholm (Sweden); Pettersson, Rachel [KTH, SE-10044 Stockholm (Sweden); Jernkontoret, SE-11187 Stockholm (Sweden); Lin Peng, Ru [Department of Management and Engineering, Linköping University, SE-58183 Linköping (Sweden); Schönning, Mikael [Corrosion Department, Avesta Research Centre – Outokumpu Stainless AB, SE-774 22 Avesta (Sweden)

2016-03-21

The effect of surface grinding on the stress corrosion cracking (SCC) behavior of 304L austenitic stainless steel in boiling magnesium chloride has been investigated. SCC tests were conducted both without external loading and with varied levels of four-point bend loading for as-delivered material and for specimens which had been ground parallel or perpendicular to the loading direction. Residual stresses due to the grinding operation were measured using the X-ray diffraction technique. In addition, surface stress measurements under applied load were performed before exposure to evaluate the deviation between actual applied loading and calculated values according to ASTM G39. Micro-cracks initiated by a high level of tensile residual stress in the surface layer were observed for all the ground specimens but not those in the as-delivered condition. Grinding along the loading direction increased the susceptibility to chloride induced SCC; while grinding perpendicular to the loading direction improved SCC resistance. Surface tensile residual stresses were largely relieved after the initiation of cracks.

Effect of surface grinding on chloride induced SCC of 304L

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou, Nian; Pettersson, Rachel; Lin Peng, Ru; Schönning, Mikael

2016-01-01

The effect of surface grinding on the stress corrosion cracking (SCC) behavior of 304L austenitic stainless steel in boiling magnesium chloride has been investigated. SCC tests were conducted both without external loading and with varied levels of four-point bend loading for as-delivered material and for specimens which had been ground parallel or perpendicular to the loading direction. Residual stresses due to the grinding operation were measured using the X-ray diffraction technique. In addition, surface stress measurements under applied load were performed before exposure to evaluate the deviation between actual applied loading and calculated values according to ASTM G39. Micro-cracks initiated by a high level of tensile residual stress in the surface layer were observed for all the ground specimens but not those in the as-delivered condition. Grinding along the loading direction increased the susceptibility to chloride induced SCC; while grinding perpendicular to the loading direction improved SCC resistance. Surface tensile residual stresses were largely relieved after the initiation of cracks.

SCC growth behavior of stainless steel weld heat-affected zone in hydrogenated high temperature water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamada, Takuyo; Terachi, Takumi; Miyamoto, Tomoki; Arioka, Koji

2010-01-01

It is known that the SCC growth rate of stainless steels in high-temperature water is accelerated by cold-work (CW). The weld heat-affected-zone (HAZ) of stainless steels is also deformed by weld shrinkage. However, only little have been reported on the SCC growth of weld HAZ of SUS316 and SUS304 in hydrogenated high-temperature water. Thus, in this present study, SCC growth experiments were performed using weld HAZ of stainless steels, especially to obtain data on the dependence of SCC growth on (1) temperature and (2) hardness in hydrogenated water at temperatures from 250degC to 340degC. And then, the SCC growth behaviors were compared between weld HAZ and CW stainless steels. The following results have been obtained. Significant SCC growth were observed in weld HAZ (SUS316 and SUS304) in hydrogenated water at 320degC. The SCC growth rates of the HAZ are similar to that of 10% CW non-sensitized SUS316, in accordance with that the hardness of weld HAZ is also similar to that of 10% CW SUS316. Temperature dependency of SCC growth of weld HAZ (SUS316 and SUS304) is also similar to that of 10% CW non-sensitized SUS316. That is, no significant SCC were observed in the weld HAZ (SUS316 and SUS304) in hydrogenated water at 340degC. This suggests that SCC growth behaviors of weld HAZ and CW stainless steels are similar and correlated with the hardness or yield strength of the materials, at least in non-sensitized regions. And the similar temperature dependence between the HAZ and CW stainless steels suggests that the SCC growth behaviors are also attributed to the common mechanism. (author)

Pre-radiotherapy and post-radiotherapy serial serum Squamous Cell Carcinoma antigen (SCC) and CarcinoEmbryonic Antigen (CEA) in the monitoring of squamous cell carcinoma of uterine cervix

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yun, Hyong Geun; Park, Choong Hak [College of Medicine, Dankook Univ., Chunan (Korea, Republic of)

1999-03-01

To evaluate the significance of squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) as tumor markers in uterine cervix carcinoma. In 22 patients with histologically proven primary squamous cell carcinoma of uterine cervix, tumor volume was checked either by using MRI (in 20 patients) or ultrasound (in 2 patients). Pre-treatment serum SCC levels were checked in 22 patients and CEA levels in 21 patients. After curative radiotherapy, post-treatment SCC and CEA were checked regularly. SCC was raised in 68.2% and CEA was raised in 19.0% before treatment. The coefficient of correlation between tumor volume and pre-reatment SCC was 0.59382 when one extremely deviated case was excluded. And there was no correlation between tumor volume and CEA. After the treatment, SCC was raised in 9.1% and CEA was raised in 4.8%. In further follow up measurement, raise of SCC was associated with clinical relapse or persistence of disease. The specificity of raised SCC level in association with recurrent or persistent disease was 93.8%. The sensitivity in association with recurrent or persistent disease was 100%. The positive predictive values was 85.7%. The median lead time for recurrence was 1.2 months. Both SCC and CEA were good tumor markers for monitoring treatment effect in patients with raised pre-treatment levels. But the sensitivity of pretreatment CEA was low, while that of pretreatment SCC was high. And there was no additional gain by adding CEA measurements to SCC measurements.

Pre-radiotherapy and post-radiotherapy serial serum Squamous Cell Carcinoma antigen (SCC) and CarcinoEmbryonic Antigen (CEA) in the monitoring of squamous cell carcinoma of uterine cervix

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yun, Hyong Geun; Park, Choong Hak

1999-01-01

To evaluate the significance of squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) as tumor markers in uterine cervix carcinoma. In 22 patients with histologically proven primary squamous cell carcinoma of uterine cervix, tumor volume was checked either by using MRI (in 20 patients) or ultrasound (in 2 patients). Pre-treatment serum SCC levels were checked in 22 patients and CEA levels in 21 patients. After curative radiotherapy, post-treatment SCC and CEA were checked regularly. SCC was raised in 68.2% and CEA was raised in 19.0% before treatment. The coefficient of correlation between tumor volume and pre-reatment SCC was 0.59382 when one extremely deviated case was excluded. And there was no correlation between tumor volume and CEA. After the treatment, SCC was raised in 9.1% and CEA was raised in 4.8%. In further follow up measurement, raise of SCC was associated with clinical relapse or persistence of disease. The specificity of raised SCC level in association with recurrent or persistent disease was 93.8%. The sensitivity in association with recurrent or persistent disease was 100%. The positive predictive values was 85.7%. The median lead time for recurrence was 1.2 months. Both SCC and CEA were good tumor markers for monitoring treatment effect in patients with raised pre-treatment levels. But the sensitivity of pretreatment CEA was low, while that of pretreatment SCC was high. And there was no additional gain by adding CEA measurements to SCC measurements

Durability Indicators Comparison for SCC and CC in Tropical Coastal Environments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlos Calado

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Self-compacting concrete (SCC demands more studies of durability at higher temperatures when subjected to more aggressive environments in comparison to the conventional vibrated concrete (CC. This work aims at presenting results of durability indicators of SCC and CC, having the same water/binder relations and constituents. The applied methodologies were electrical resistivity, diffusion of chloride ions and accelerated carbonation experiments, among others, such as microstructure study, scanning electron microscope and microtomography experiments. The tests were performed in a research laboratory and at a construction site of the Pernambuco Arena. The obtained results shows that the SCC presents an average electrical resistivity 11.4% higher than CC; the average chloride ions diffusion was 63.3% of the CC; the average accelerated carbonation penetration was 45.8% of the CC; and the average open porosity was 55.6% of the CC. As the results demonstrated, the SCC can be more durable than CC, which contributes to elucidate the aspects related to its durability and consequent prolonged life cycle.

Effect of dissolved oxygen on SCC of LP turbine steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maeng, W. Y.; Lee, J. H.; Kim, W. C.

2002-01-01

Slow Strain Rate Tests (SSRT) were carried out to investigate the effect of dissolved oxygen on Stress Corrosion Cracking (SCC) susceptibility of 3.5NiCrMoV steels used in discs of Low-Pressure (LP) steam turbines in electric power generating plants. The influence of dissolved oxygen on cracking in water was studied; for this purpose, specimens were strained to fracture at 150 .deg. C in water environments with various amounts of dissolved oxygen. The maximum elongation of the turbine steel decreased with increasing dissolved oxygen. Dissolved oxygen significantly affected the SCC susceptibility of turbine steel in water. The increase of the SCC susceptibility of the turbine steel in a higher dissolved oxygen environment is due to the non protectiveness of the oxide layer of the turbine steel surface and the increase of corrosion current

Rehabilitation of the gas pipeline that had a rupture in service caused by SCC (Stress Corrosion C raking); Rehabilitacion al servicio de un gasoducto que ha sufrido una ruptura en servicio por SCC

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Silva, Fernando; Carzoglio, Eduardo; Hryciuk, Pedro [TGN - Transportadora de Gas del Norte S.A. (Argentina). Depto. de Integridad

2003-07-01

TGN had a rupture in service on Gasoducto Troncal Norte. After initial evaluation of the causes of the rupture it was concluded that it had been caused by Stress Corrosion Cracking (SCC). Subsequent investigation in the area of the rupture revealed that colonies of cracks, typical of SCC were found in pipes located near the rupture. In order to put back in service the pipeline in a safety condition, SCC mitigation activities were performed. A decision was made to conduct a hydro test along approximately 30 kilometers of pipe. The stages of the works, the problems faced and the solutions found are dealt with, as well as the conclusions reached upon completion of the works which allowed a better understanding of SCC phenomenon. The methodology for the identification of those areas susceptible to SCC is also described. (author)

Influence of startup oxidizing transients of IGA/SCC in PWR steam generators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gorman, J.A.; McIlree, A.R.; Gaudreau, T.; Bjornkvist, L.; Andersson, P.-O.

1998-01-01

There is a considerable amount of evidence oxidizing conditions during and following startups are an important factor in the intergranular corrosion/stress corrosion cracking (IGA/SCC) of mill annealed alloy 600 steam generator tubes. This evidence includes plant data that indicate that the growth of IGA/SCC correlates better in some cases with numbers of startups than with time at power, laboratory tests in several plausible crevice environments that show that small amounts of copper oxides accelerate the rate of IGA/SCC, laboratory tests that show that elevating the electrochemical potential (ECP) increases the rates of IGA/SCC in many chemical environments, and laboratory tests that show that copper oxides, hematite, and other oxidized corrosion products can raise the ECP of several solution chemistries into aggressive ranges. Some preliminary data also exist that show that some amounts of oxidized species are produced during typical layup and startup conditions, but data for the subsequent reduction of these oxides are largely lacking. The purpose of this paper is to review the available evidence, to arrive at conclusions regarding the probable importance of oxidizing conditions during startup on occurrence of IGA/SCC, and to identify needed research to better quantify the situation. (author)

Multi-scale analysis of deformation behavior at SCC crack tip (2). (Contract research)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaji, Yoshiyuki; Miwa, Yukio; Tsukada, Takashi; Hayakawa, Masao; Nagashima, Nobuo

2007-03-01

This report describes a result of the research conducted by the Japan Atomic Energy Agency and the National Institute for Materials Science under contract with Japan Nuclear Energy Safety Organization (JNES) that was concerned with a multi-scale analysis of plastic deformation behavior at the crack tip of stress corrosion cracking (SCC). The research was carried out to evaluate the validity of the SCC growth data acquired in the intergranular SCC (IGSCC) project based on a mechanistic understanding of SCC. For the purpose, in this research, analyses of the plastic deformation behavior and microstructure around the crack tip were performed in a nano-order scale. The hardness measured in nano, meso and macro scales was employed as a common index of the strength, and the essential data necessary to understand the SCC propagation behavior were acquired and analyzed that are mainly a size of plastic deformation region and a microstructural information in the region, e.g. data of crystallografy, microscopic deformation and dislocations at the inside of grains and grain boundaries. In this year, we analyzed the state of plastic deformation region at the crack tip of IGSCC under various conditions and investigated relationship between crack growth behavior and stress intensity factor. Especially, we investigated in detail about two different hardened specimens used in the SCC growth tests in the IGSCC project. (J.P.N.)

The clinical significance of follow up SCC levels in patients with recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Young Min; Park, Sung Kwang; Cho, Heung Lae; Lee, Kyoung Bok; Kim, Ki Tae; Kim, Ju Ree; Sohn, Seung Chang

2002-01-01

To investigate the clinical usefulness of a follow-up examination using serum squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC) for the early detection of recurrence in patients treated for cervical squamous cell carcinoma. 20 patients who were treated for recurrent cervical squamous cell carcinoma between 1997 and 1998, who had experienced a complete remission after radiotherapy and who underwent an SCC test around the time when recurrence was detected, were included in this study. The levels of SCC were measured from the serum of the patients by immunoassay and values less than 2 ng/mL were regarded as normal. The sensitivity of the SCC test for use in the detection of recurrence, the association between the SCC values and the recurrence patterns and the tumor size and stage, and the temporal relation between the SCC increment and recurrence detection were evaluated. The SCC values were above normal in 17 out of 20 patients, so the sensitivity of the SCC test for the detection of recurrence was 85%, and the mean and median of the SCC values were 15.2 and 9.5 ng/mL, respectively. No differences were observed in the SCC values according to the recurrence sites. For 11 patients, the SCC values were measured over a pero id of 6 months before recurrence was detected, and the mean and median values were 13.6 and 3.6 ng/mL, respectively. The SCC values of 7 patients were higher than the normal range, and the SCC values of the other 4 patients were normal but 3 among them were above 1.5 ng/mL. At the time of diagnosis, the SCC valuess were measured for 16 of the 20 recurrent patients, and the SCC values of the patients with a bulky tumor (≥ 4 cm) or who were in stage IIb or III were higher than those of the patients with a non-bulky tumor or who were in stage Ib or IIa. The SCC test is thought to be useful for the early detection of recurrence during the follow up period in patients treated for cervical squamous cell carcinoma. When an effective salvage treatment is developed in

Elucidating the iodine stress corrosion cracking (SCC) process for zircaloy tubing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nagai, M.; Shimada, S.; Nishimura, S.; Amano, K.

1984-01-01

Several experimental investigations were made to enhance understanding of the iodine stress corrosion cracking (SCC) process for Zircaloy: (1) oxide penetration process, (2) crack initiation process, and (3) crack propagation process. Concerning the effect of the oxide layer produced by conventional steam-autoclaving, no significant difference was found between results for autoclaved and as-pickled samples. Tests with 15 species of metal iodides revealed that only those metal iodides which react thermodynamically with zirconium to produce zirconium tetraiodide (ZrI 4 ) caused SCC of Zircaloy. Detailed SEM examinations were made on the SCC fracture surface of irradiated specimens. The crack propagation rate was expressed with a da/dt=C Ksup(n) type equation by combining results of tests and calculations with a finite element method. (author)

Modeling of SCC initiation and propagation mechanisms in BWR environments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hoffmeister, Hans, E-mail: Hans.Hoffmeister@hsu-hh.de [Institute for Failure Analysis and Failure Prevention ISSV e.V., c/o Helmut Schmidt University of the Federal Armed Forces, D-22039 Hamburg (Germany); Klein, Oliver [Institute for Failure Analysis and Failure Prevention ISSV e.V., c/o Helmut Schmidt University of the Federal Armed Forces, D-22039 Hamburg (Germany)

2011-12-15

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer We show that SSC in BWR environments includes anodic crack propagation and hydrogen assisted cracking. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Hydrogen cracking is triggered by crack tip acidification following local impurity accumulations and subsequent phase precipitations. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer We calculate effects of pH, chlorides, potentials and stress on crack SCC growth rates at 288 Degree-Sign C. - Abstract: During operation of mainly BWRs' (Boiling Water Reactors) excursions from recommended water chemistries may provide favorite conditions for stress corrosion cracking (SCC). Maximum levels for chloride and sulfate ion contents for avoiding local corrosion are therefore given in respective water specifications. In a previously published deterministic 288 Degree-Sign C - corrosion model for Nickel as a main alloying element of BWR components it was demonstrated that, as a theoretically worst case, bulk water chloride levels as low as 30 ppb provide local chloride ion accumulation, dissolution of passivating nickel oxide and precipitation of nickel chlorides followed by subsequent local acidification. In an extension of the above model to SCC the following work shows that, in a first step, local anodic path corrosion with subsequent oxide breakdown, chloride salt formation and acidification at 288 Degree-Sign C would establish local cathodic reduction of accumulated hydrogen ions inside the crack tip fluid. In a second step, local hydrogen reduction charges and increasing local crack tip strains from increasing crack lengths at given global stresses are time stepwise calculated and related to experimentally determined crack critical cathodic hydrogen charges and fracture strains taken from small scale SSRT tensile tests pieces. As a result, at local hydrogen equilibrium potentials higher than those of nickel in the crack tip solution, hydrogen ion reduction initiates hydrogen crack propagation that is enhanced with

The effect of molybdenum addition on SCC susceptibility of stainless steels in oxygenated high temperature water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akashi, Masatsune; Kawamoto, Teruaki

1978-01-01

The effect of molybdenum addition on the SCC susceptibility of sensitized stainless steel in oxygenated high temperature water has been studied through the creviced bent beam SCC test (CBB test) and A262E intergranular corrosion test. The molybdenum addition improved the SCC susceptibility of sensitized stainless steels in oxygenated high temperature water not only by delaying the sensitization at lower temperatures but also by increasing the material resistance to the SCC under a given degree of sensitization. These laboratory test results reveal that the molybdenum addition is quite beneficial for improving the SCC susceptibility of stainless steel pipe weld joints in boiling water reactor environment. (auth.)

Structure of the Pds5-Scc1 Complex and Implications for Cohesin Function

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kyle W. Muir

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Sister chromatid cohesion is a fundamental prerequisite to faithful genome segregation. Cohesion is precisely regulated by accessory factors that modulate the stability with which the cohesin complex embraces chromosomes. One of these factors, Pds5, engages cohesin through Scc1 and is both a facilitator of cohesion, and, conversely also mediates the release of cohesin from chromatin. We present here the crystal structure of a complex between budding yeast Pds5 and Scc1, thus elucidating the molecular basis of Pds5 function. Pds5 forms an elongated HEAT repeat that binds to Scc1 via a conserved surface patch. We demonstrate that the integrity of the Pds5-Scc1 interface is indispensable for the recruitment of Pds5 to cohesin, and that its abrogation results in loss of sister chromatid cohesion and cell viability.

Effect of overload on SCC growth in stainless steels in high temperature water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xue, He; Peng, Qunjia; Shoji, Tetsuo

2009-01-01

By incorporating the film slip-dissolution/oxidation model and the elastic-plastic finite element method (EPFEM), the effect of the overload on stress corrosion cracking (SCC) growth rate of stainless steel in high temperature water is discussed in this paper. Results show that SCC growth rate of a 20% cold worked 316L stainless steel in high temperature water decrease in the overload affected zone ahead of the growing crack tip. Therefore, a reasonable overload could availably reduce the SCC growth rate during a certain in-service period. (author)

Fundamental and clinical evaluation of ''SCC RIABEAD'' kit for immunoradiometric assay of squamous cell carcinoma related antigen

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koizumi, Mitsuru; Endo, Keigo; Nakajima, Kotoko

1987-01-01

A commercial ''SCC RIABEAD'' kit for immunoradiometric assay of squamous cell carcinoma related antigen (SCC antigen) was fundamentally and clinically evaluated. Laboratory performance was satisfactory for intra-assay and inter-assay reproducibility, recovery, and dilution, with rapid and simple measurement techniques. Seropositivity for SCC antigen was significantly higher for squamous cell carcinoma of the liver and uterine cervix than the other histology types. In the case of cervical squamous cell carcinoma, it increased with progressing disease. Post-treatment serum levels of SCC antigen returned to negative. SCC antigen is considered to be a useful tumor marker for these diseases. There was a good correlation between the measurement values obtained from the present and conventional (SCC RIAKIT) assays. The present assay remarkably decreased false-positive cases of pulmonary benign diseases. The results showed a ''SCC RIABEAD'' to be a favorable kit for immunoradiometric assay of SSC antigen, as compared with conventional assay kit. (Namekawa, K.)

Associations between pathogen-specific clinical mastitis and somatic cell count patterns

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Haas, de Y.; Veerkamp, R.F.; Barkema, H.W.; Gröhn, Y.T.; Schukken, Y.H.

2004-01-01

Associations were estimated between pathogen-specific cases of clinical mastitis (CM) and somatic cell count (SCC) patterns based on deviations from the typical curve for SCC during lactation and compared with associations between pathogen-specific CM and lactation average SCC. Data from 274 Dutch

Prediction of the impact of flow induced inhomogeneities in Self Compacting Concrete (SCC)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Spangenberg, Jon; Roussel, N.; Hattel, Jesper Henri

2010-01-01

SCC is nowadays a worldwide used construction material. However, heterogeneities induced by casting may lead to variations of local properties and hence to a potential decrease of the structure’s load carrying capacity. The heterogeneities in SCC are primarily caused by static and dynamic segrega...

Improvement of life time of SCC in type 304 stainless steel by ultrasound irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tokiwai, Moriyasu; Kimura, Hideo

1985-01-01

It is well known that the susceptibility to stress corrosion cracking (SCC) is controled by compressive stress such as shot-peening treatment. In this study, the effects of ultrasound irradiation to type 304 stainless upon SCC were investigated. The main findings are as follows; (1) Ultrasound irradiation produces the high level compressive stress on the surface of metals. This compressive stress was induced by the cavitation phenomenon. (2) In U-bent specimen, the initial tensile stress was mitigated and converted to compressive stress by ultrasound irradiation. (3) Type 304 stainless steel was subjected to SCC test using sodium thyosulfate solution. It was definitely demonstrated that the ultrasound irradiation was effective for the mitigation of SCC life time. (4) Ultrasound irradiation time was one of the most important factors in irradiation conditions. (author)

Investigation of plastic zones near SCC tips in a pipeline after hydrostatic testing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Jian; Elboujdaini, M.; Gao, M.; Revie, R.W.

2008-01-01

Stress corrosion cracking (SCC) is an important failure mechanism for oil and gas pipelines. In the past, hydrostatic testing has been frequently used to assess and mitigate stress corrosion cracking. It is commonly agreed that an effective hydrostatic test not only eliminates critical crack-like flaws, but also blunts the sub-critical crack tip thereby suppressing further SCC propagation. However, little study has been done on the plastic deformation that results from the high stress intensity at the crack tip due to hydrostatic testing pressure and its possible role in subsequent SCC propagation. In this study, microstructural details were examined of an API 5L X52 SCC-containing pipe removed from field service. Plastic deformation generated by the hydrostatic testing pressure was revealed by using high-resolution imaging of a focused ion beam (FIB) microscope. The existence of the microscopic plastic zones around some crack tips suggests that caution should be taken when setting up pipeline hydrostatic tests

Investigation of plastic zones near SCC tips in a pipeline after hydrostatic testing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li Jian [Materials Technology Laboratory, Natural Resources Canada, 568 Booth Street, Ottawa, Ont., K1A 0G1 (Canada)], E-mail: jili@nrcan.gc.ca; Elboujdaini, M [Materials Technology Laboratory, Natural Resources Canada, 568 Booth Street, Ottawa, Ont., K1A 0G1 (Canada); Gao, M [Blade Energy Partners, 16225 Park Ten Place, Suite 450, Houston, TX 77084 (United States); Revie, R W [Materials Technology Laboratory, Natural Resources Canada, 568 Booth Street, Ottawa, Ont., K1A 0G1 (Canada)

2008-07-15

Stress corrosion cracking (SCC) is an important failure mechanism for oil and gas pipelines. In the past, hydrostatic testing has been frequently used to assess and mitigate stress corrosion cracking. It is commonly agreed that an effective hydrostatic test not only eliminates critical crack-like flaws, but also blunts the sub-critical crack tip thereby suppressing further SCC propagation. However, little study has been done on the plastic deformation that results from the high stress intensity at the crack tip due to hydrostatic testing pressure and its possible role in subsequent SCC propagation. In this study, microstructural details were examined of an API 5L X52 SCC-containing pipe removed from field service. Plastic deformation generated by the hydrostatic testing pressure was revealed by using high-resolution imaging of a focused ion beam (FIB) microscope. The existence of the microscopic plastic zones around some crack tips suggests that caution should be taken when setting up pipeline hydrostatic tests.

SCC susceptibility of cold-worked stainless steel with minor element additions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakano, Junichi; Nemoto, Yoshiyuki; Tsukada, Takashi; Uchimoto, Tetsuya

2011-01-01

To examine the effects of minor elements on stress corrosion cracking (SCC) susceptibility of low carbon stainless steels with a work hardened layer, a high purity type 304 stainless steel was fabricated and minor elements, Si, S, P, C or Ti, were added. A work hardened layer was introduced by shaving on the surface of stainless steels. The specimens were exposed to a boiling 42% MgCl 2 solution for 20 h and the number and the length of initiated cracks were examined. SCC susceptibility of the specimen with P was the highest and that of the specimen with C was the lowest in all specimens. By magnetic force microscope examination, a magnetic phase expected to be a martensitic phase was detected near the surface. Since corrosion resistance of martensite is lower than that of austenite, the minor elements additions would affect SCC susceptibility through the amount of the transformed martensite.

CEA, SCC and NSE levels in exhaled breath condensate--possible markers for early detection of lung cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Zou, Yingchang; Wang, Lin; Zhao, Cong; Hu, Yanjie; Xu, Shan; Ying, Kejing; Wang, Ping; Chen, Xing

2013-12-01

Lung cancer (LC) is the leading cause of cancer-related death. The sensitive and non-invasive diagnostic tools in the early stage are still poor. We present a pilot study on the early diagnosis of LC by detecting markers in exhaled breath condensate (EBC). EBC samples were collected from 105 patients with LC and 56 healthy controls. We applied chemiluminescence immunoassay to detect CEA (carcinoembryonic antigen), SCC (squamous cell carcinoma) antigen and NSE (neuron specific enolase) in EBC and serum. Concentrations of markers were compared between independent groups and subgroups. A significantly higher concentration level of each marker was found in patients with LC than healthy controls. The areas under curve of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were 0.800, 0.771, 0.659, 0.679, 0.636 and 0.626 for EBC-CEA, serum-CEA, EBC-SCC, serum-SCC, EBC-NSE and serum-NSE, respectively. Markers in EBC had a higher positive rate (PR) and were more specific to histologic types than markers in serum. In addition, multivariate analysis was performed to evaluate the association of presenting markers with the stages of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). EBC-CEA showed the best predictive characteristic (p tumor markers in EBC may have a better diagnostic performance for LC than those in serum. With further investigation on the combination of markers in EBC, detection of EBC could probably be a novel and non-invasive method to detect NSCLC earlier.

NDE to Manage Atmospheric SCC in Canisters for Dry Storage of Spent Fuel: An Assessment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Meyer, Ryan M. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Pardini, Allan F. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Cuta, Judith M. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Adkins, Harold E. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Casella, Andrew M. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Qiao, Hong [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Larche, Michael R. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Diaz, Aaron A. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Doctor, Steven R. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

2013-09-01

This report documents efforts to assess representative horizontal (Transuclear NUHOMS®) and vertical (Holtec HI-STORM) storage systems for the implementation of non-destructive examination (NDE) methods or techniques to manage atmospheric stress corrosion cracking (SCC) in canisters for dry storage of used nuclear fuel. The assessment is conducted by assessing accessibility and deployment, environmental compatibility, and applicability of NDE methods. A recommendation of this assessment is to focus on bulk ultrasonic and eddy current techniques for direct canister monitoring of atmospheric SCC. This assessment also highlights canister regions that may be most vulnerable to atmospheric SCC to guide the use of bulk ultrasonic and eddy current examinations. An assessment of accessibility also identifies canister regions that are easiest and more difficult to access through the ventilation paths of the concrete shielding modules. A conceivable sampling strategy for canister inspections is to sample only the easiest to access portions of vulnerable regions. There are aspects to performing an NDE inspection of dry canister storage system (DCSS) canisters for atmospheric SCC that have not been addressed in previous performance studies. These aspects provide the basis for recommendations of future efforts to determine the capability and performance of eddy current and bulk ultrasonic examinations for atmospheric SCC in DCSS canisters. Finally, other important areas of investigation are identified including the development of instrumented surveillance specimens to identify when conditions are conducive for atmospheric SCC, characterization of atmospheric SCC morphology, and an assessment of air flow patterns over canister surfaces and their influence on chloride deposition.

SCC: Semantic Context Cascade for Efficient Action Detection

KAUST Repository

Heilbron, Fabian Caba; Barrios, Wayner; Escorcia, Victor; Ghanem, Bernard

2017-01-01

in videos. Existing approaches have mitigated the computational cost, but still, these methods lack rich high-level semantics that helps them to localize the actions quickly. In this paper, we introduce a Semantic Cascade Context (SCC) model that aims

SCC susceptibility of cold-worked stainless steel with minor element additions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nakano, Junichi, E-mail: nakano.junnichi@jaea.go.jp [Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Shirakatashirane 2-4, Tokai-mura, Naka-gun, Ibaraki-ken 319-1195 (Japan); Nemoto, Yoshiyuki, E-mail: yoshiyuki.nemoto@oecd.org [OECD Nuclear Energy Agency, Le Seine St-Germain, 12, boulevard des Iles, F-92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux (France); Tsukada, Takashi, E-mail: tsukada.takashi@jaea.go.jp [Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Shirakatashirane 2-4, Tokai-mura, Naka-gun, Ibaraki-ken 319-1195 (Japan); Uchimoto, Tetsuya, E-mail: uchimoto@ifs.tohoku.ac.jp [Tohoku University, Aoba-ku, Sendai-shi, Miyagi-ken 980-8577 (Japan)

2011-10-01

To examine the effects of minor elements on stress corrosion cracking (SCC) susceptibility of low carbon stainless steels with a work hardened layer, a high purity type 304 stainless steel was fabricated and minor elements, Si, S, P, C or Ti, were added. A work hardened layer was introduced by shaving on the surface of stainless steels. The specimens were exposed to a boiling 42% MgCl{sub 2} solution for 20 h and the number and the length of initiated cracks were examined. SCC susceptibility of the specimen with P was the highest and that of the specimen with C was the lowest in all specimens. By magnetic force microscope examination, a magnetic phase expected to be a martensitic phase was detected near the surface. Since corrosion resistance of martensite is lower than that of austenite, the minor elements additions would affect SCC susceptibility through the amount of the transformed martensite.

Estimation of radiative forcing and chore length of shallow convective clouds (SCC) based on broadband pyranometer measurement network

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, H.

2017-12-01

We presented a method to identify and calculate cloud radiative forcing (CRF) and horizontal chore length (L) of shallow convective clouds (SCC) using a network of 9 broadband pyranometers. The analyzing data was collected from the SCC campaign during two years summers (2015 2016) at Baiqi site over Inner Mongolia grassland. The network of pyranometers was operated across a spatial domain covering 42.16-42.30° N and 114.83-114.98° E. The SCC detection method was verified by observer reports and cameras, which showed that the detection method and human observations were in agreement about 75 %. The differences between the SCC detection method and human observations can be responsible for following factors: 1) small or dissipating clouds can be neglected for the value of 1 min of temporal resolution of pyranometer; 2) human observation recorded weather conditions four times every day; 3) SCC was indistinguishable from coexistence of SCC and Cirrus (Ci); 4) the SCC detection method is weighted toward clouds crossing the sun's path, while the human observer can view clouds over the entire sky. The deviation of L can be attributed to two factors: 1) the accuracy of wind speed at height of SCC and the ratio of horizontal and vertical length play a key role in determine values of L; 2) the effect of variance of solar zenith angle can be negligible. The downwelling shortwave CRF of SCC was -134.1 Wm-2. The average value of L of SCC was 1129 m. Besides, the distribution of normalized cloud chore length agreed well with power-law fit.

SCC modification by use of amorphous nano-silica

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Quercia Bianchi, G.; Spiesz, P.R.; Hüsken, G.; Brouwers, H.J.H.

2014-01-01

In this study two different types of nano-silica (nS) were applied in self-compacting concrete (SCC), both having similar particle size distributions (PSD), but produced through two different processes: fumed powder silica and precipitated silica in colloidal suspension. The influence of nano-silica

Relation between the mechanical properties and SCC behavior of the alloys used in high temperature water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsubota, M.; Katayama, Y.; Kanazawa, Y.

2007-01-01

It was shown in the previous reports that carbon and low alloy steels, martensitic stainless steels and cold worked austenitic stainless steels have shown high SCC susceptibility in the highly hardened condition. Those steels had similar critical hardness for SCC (HV300-340), over which the materials showed SCC susceptibility, even though the hardening process was different. Hardening processes applied for the alloys were as follows: (1) Martensitic transformation: Carbon and low alloy steels and martensitic stainless steels. (2) Alpha-prime decomposition (precipitation hardening): martensitic stainless steels. (3) Cold work: austenitic stainless steels. The relationship between the mechanical properties and SCC susceptibility of the alloys is discussed and summarized in the present paper. (author)

Application of tumor markers SCC-Ag, CEA, and TPA in patients with cervical precancerous lesions.

Science.gov (United States)

Farzaneh, Farah; Shahghassempour, Shapour; Noshine, Bahram; Arab, Maliheh; Yaseri, Mehdi; Rafizadeh, Mitra; Alizadeh, Kamyab

2014-01-01

To determine the potential clinical utility of tumor markers CEA, TPA, and SCC-Ag for early detection of cervical precancerous lesions. A case-control study was carried out on 120 women (46 patients with histologically confirmed cervical precancerous lesions and 74 healthy controls). The significance of serum selected tumor markers in early detection of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) were assessed. Of the case group, the rates of CIN I, II, III, was 69.6%, 23.9%, and 6.5%, respectively. According to the manufacturer's cut-off values of 2 ng/ml, 5 ng/ml, and 70 U/ml for SCC-Ag, CEA and TPA tests, in that order, SCC-Ag test had a sensitivity of 13%, but CEA and TPA tests could not distinguish between case and control groups. The diagnostic sensitivities were highest at cut-off values of 0.55 ng/ml for SCC-Ag, 2.6 ng/ ml for CEA, and 25.5 U/ml for TPA which were 93%, 61%, and 50%, respectively. However, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was the largest for SCC-Ag (0.95 vs. 0.61 and 0.60 for CEA and TPA, respectively). Moreover, there was a highly significant direct correlation between SCC-Ag concentration and the degree of cervical precancerous lesions (r=0.847, ptumor marker in Iranian patients with CIN and it needs to be more evaluated by studies with larger populationa.

Form Filling with SCC in a Vertical Form

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thrane, Lars Nyholm

2004-01-01

This paper presents the results obtained from two different vertical form filling experiments with SCC that have been completed as part of the experimental work in an ongoing Ph.D project. The project is carried out at the Danish Technological Institute in collaboration with the Technical...

Inducement of IGA/SCC in Inconel 600 steam generator tubing during unit outages

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Durance, D.; Sedman, K. [Bruce Power, Tiverton, Ontario (Canada); Roberts, J. [CANTECH Associates Ltd., Burlington, Ontario (Canada); King, P. [Babcock and Wilcox Canada, Cambridge, Ontario (Canada); Gorman, J. [Dominion Engineering, Reston, VA (United States); Allen, R. [Kinectrics, Inc., Toronto, Ontario (Canada)

2008-07-01

The degradation of Unit 4 SG tubing by IGA/SCC has limited both the operating period and end of life predictions for Unit 4 since restart in late 2003. The circumferential IGA/SCC has been most significant in SG4 with substantial increases in both initiation and growth rates from 2005 through the spring of 2007. A detailed review of the occurrence of circumferential OD IGA/SCC at the RTZ in the HL TTS region of Bruce 4 steam generator tubes has led a conclusion that it is probable that the IGA/SCC has been the result of attack by partially reduced sulfur species such as tetrathionates and thiosulfates during periods of low temperature exposure. It is believed that attack of this type has mostly likely occurred during startup evolutions following outages as the result the development of aggressive reduced sulfur species in the TTS region during periods when the boilers were fully drained for maintenance activities. The modification of outage practices to limit secondary side oxygen ingress in the spring of 2007 has apparently arrested the degradation and has had significant affects on the allowable operating interval and end of life predictions for the entire unit. (author)

Inducement of IGA/SCC in Inconel 600 steam generator tubing during unit outages

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Durance, D.; Sedman, K.; Roberts, J.; King, P.; Gorman, J.; Allen, R.

2008-01-01

The degradation of Unit 4 SG tubing by IGA/SCC has limited both the operating period and end of life predictions for Unit 4 since restart in late 2003. The circumferential IGA/SCC has been most significant in SG4 with substantial increases in both initiation and growth rates from 2005 through the spring of 2007. A detailed review of the occurrence of circumferential OD IGA/SCC at the RTZ in the HL TTS region of Bruce 4 steam generator tubes has led a conclusion that it is probable that the IGA/SCC has been the result of attack by partially reduced sulfur species such as tetrathionates and thiosulfates during periods of low temperature exposure. It is believed that attack of this type has mostly likely occurred during startup evolutions following outages as the result the development of aggressive reduced sulfur species in the TTS region during periods when the boilers were fully drained for maintenance activities. The modification of outage practices to limit secondary side oxygen ingress in the spring of 2007 has apparently arrested the degradation and has had significant affects on the allowable operating interval and end of life predictions for the entire unit. (author)

The effect of form pressure on the air void structure of SCC

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Mikkel Vibæk; Hasholt, Marianne Tange; Geiker, Mette Rica

2005-01-01

The high workability of self-compacting concrete (SCC) invites to high casting rates. However, casting walls at high rate may result in large pressure at the bottom of the form and subsequently compression of the air voids. This paper deals with the influence of hydrostatic pressure during setting...... on the air void structure of hardened, air entrained SCC. The subject was examined through laboratory investigations of SCC with two different amounts of air entrainment. The condition in the form was simulated by using containers making it possible to cure concrete under various pressures corresponding...... to the bottom of castings of 0, 2, 4, and 6 meters height. The laboratory investigations were supplemented with data from two full-scale wall castings. The air void structure of the hardened concretes was determined on plane sections. The results indicate that the pressure related changes of the air void...

Study of the SCC Behavior of 7075 Aluminum Alloy After One-Step Aging at 163 °C

Science.gov (United States)

Silva, G.; Rivolta, B.; Gerosa, R.; Derudi, U.

2013-01-01

For the past many years, 7075 aluminum alloys have been widely used especially in those applications for which high mechanical performances are required. It is well known that the alloy in the T6 condition is characterized by the highest ultimate and yield strengths, but, at the same time, by poor stress corrosion cracking (SCC) resistance. For this reason, in the aeronautic applications, new heat treatments have been introduced to produce T7X conditions, which are characterized by lower mechanical strength, but very good SCC behavior, when compared with the T6 condition. The aim of this study is to study the tensile properties and the SCC behavior of 7075 thick plates when submitted to a single-step aging by varying the aging times. The tests were carried out according to the standards and the data obtained from the SCC tests were analyzed quantitatively using an image analysis software. The results show that, when compared with the T7X conditions, the single-step aging performed in the laboratory can produce acceptable tensile and SCC properties.

Characteristics of SCC crack propagation in 22Cr-5. 5Ni-3Mo duplex stainless steel weldment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Choong Un; Kang, Choon Sik

1988-02-01

The characteristics of SCC crack propagation in duplex stainless steel weldment made by SMAW, GTAW and GMAW processes were investigated in 42% MgCl/sub 2/ 142 deg C boiling solution. From these experiments, it could be concluded that the structure anisotropy of ..gamma.. phase as well as the phase ratio played an important role in SCC resistance. GTA and GMA weld metal showed higher SCC resistance than base metal because of randomly distributed ..gamma.. phase. The crack in weld metal had same opportunity of receiving keying effect as that in base metal, but it had less possibility of intersecting ..gamma.. phase. The SCC resistance of the SMA weld metal and the HAZ was lower than that of the base metal because their phase ratio deviated from the proper phase ratio.

Serviceability and Prestress Loss Behavior of SCC Prestressed Concrete Girders Subjected to Increased Compressive Stresses at Release

Science.gov (United States)

2009-08-01

There are limited measurements documented in the literature related to long-term prestress losses in self-consolidated concrete (SCC) members. Recorded test data has shown variations in mechanical property behavior of SCC compared to conventional HSC...

An application of the recrystallization method for the observation of plastic strain distribution around SCC cracks in sensitized SUS 304 stainless steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tokiwai, Moriyasu

1981-01-01

Various types of stress corrosion cracking (SCC) testing methods have been developed since the SCC was discovered in type 304 stainless steel of BWR cooling pipes. With regard to the countermeasures for SCC, it is essential to evaluate the SCC susceptibility under the simulated or accelerated testing conditions. Among various acceleration SCC tests, the slow strain rate technique (SSRT) test has been used most widely. The SCC susceptibility, in almost cases, has been evaluated not on the base of the crack behavior but of the reduction of stress or strain under the corrosive environment. It is well known that the intensively deformed zone (plastic zone) is formed at the crack tip in fatigue and creep phenomena, but such plastic zone related with the resistance of crack extention has not been studied in SCC phenomenon. The objective of this study is to confirm the existence of the plastic zone at tips of SCC cracks by the application of the recrystallization method. The shape and the distribution of the plastic zone was measured by use of optical and scanning electron microscope in sensitized specimens SSRT tested in high temperature water containing various concentrations of dissolved oxygen. Results obtained are discussed in relation to the susceptibility of SCC. (author)

Porosity of Self-Compacting Concrete (SCC) incorporating high volume fly ash

Science.gov (United States)

Kristiawan, S. A.; Sunarmasto; Murti, G. Y.

2017-02-01

Degradation of concrete could be triggered by the presence of aggressive agents from the environment into the body of concrete. The penetration of these agents is influenced by the pore characteristics of the concrete. Incorporating a pozzolanic material such as fly ash could modify the pore characteristic of the concrete. This research aims to investigate the influence of incorporating fly ash at high volume level on the porosity of Self-Compacting Concrete (SCC). Laboratory investigations were carried out following the ASTM C642 for measuring density and volume of permeable pores (voids) of the SCC with varying fly ash contents (50-70% by weight of total binder). In addition, a measurement of permeable voids by saturation method was carried out to obtain an additional volume of voids that could not be measured by the immersion and boiling method of ASTM C642. The results show that the influence of fly ash content on the porosity appears to be dependent on age of SCC. At age less than 56 d, fly ash tends to cause an increase of voids but at 90 d of age it reduces the pores. The additional pores that can be penetrated by vacuum saturation method counts about 50% of the total voids.

SCC of cold-worked austenitic stainless steels exposed to PWR primary water conditions: susceptibility to initiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Herms, E.; Raquet, O.; Sejourne, L.; Vaillant, F.

2009-01-01

Heavily cold-worked austenitic stainless steels (AISI 304L and 316L types) could be significantly susceptible to Stress Corrosion Cracking (SCC) when exposed to PWR nominal primary water conditions even in absence of any pollutants. Susceptibility to SCC was shown to be related with some conditions such as initial hardness, procedure of cold-work or dynamic straining. A dedicated program devoted to better understand the initiation stage on CW austenitic stainless steels in PWR water is presented. Initiation is studied thanks to SCC test conditions leading to an intergranular cracking propagation mode on a CW austenitic stainless steel which is the mode generally reported after field experience. SCC tests are carried out in typical primary water conditions (composition 1000 ppm B and 2 ppm Li) and for temperature in the range 290 - 340 C. Material selected is 316L cold-worked essentially by rolling (reduction in thickness of 40%). Initiation tests are carried out under various stress levels with the aim to investigate the evolution of the initiation period versus the value of applied stress. SCC tests are performed on cylindrical notched specimens in order to increase the applied stress and allow accelerated testing without modify the exposure conditions to strictly nominal hydrogenated PWR water. Respective influences of cyclic/dynamic conditions on SCC initiation are presented and discussed. Dedicated interrupted tests help to investigate the behaviour of the crack initiation process. These SCC tests have shown that crack initiation could be obtained after a very short time under dynamic loading conditions on heavily pre-strained austenitic stainless steels. Actual results show that the most limiting stage of the cracking process on CW 316L seems to be the transition from slow transgranular propagation of surface initiated cracks to intergranular fast propagation through the thickness of the sample. The duration of this stage during crack initiation tests is

Multiple nano elements of SCC--transition from phenomenology to predictive mechanistics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Staehle, R.W.

2009-01-01

Full text of publication follows: Predicting the occurrence and rate of stress corrosion cracking in materials of construction is one of the most critical pathways for assuring the reliability of light water nuclear reactor plants. It is the general intention of operators of nuclear plants that they continue performing satisfactorily for times of 60 to 80 years at least. Such times are beyond existing experience, and there are no bases for choosing credible predictions. Present bases for predicting SCC rely on anecdotal experience for predicting what materials sustain SCC in specified environments and on phenomenological correlations using such parameters as K (stress intensity), 1/T (temperature), E(corr) (corrosion potential), pH, [x] a (concentration), other established quantities, and statistical correlations. While these phenomenological correlations have served the industry well in the past, they have also allowed grievous mistakes. Further, such correlations are flawed in their fundamental credibility. Predicting SCC in aqueous solutions means to predict its dependence upon the seven primary variables: potential, pH, species, alloy composition, alloy structure, stress and temperature. A serious prediction of SCC upon these seven primary variables can only be achieved by moving to fundamental nano elements. Unfortunately, useful predictability from the nano approach cannot be achieved quickly or easily; thus, it will continue to be necessary to rely on existing phenomenology. However, as the nano approach evolves, it can contribute increasingly to the quantitative capacity of the phenomenological approach. The nano approach will require quite different talents and thinking than are now applied to the prediction of SCC; while some of the boundary conditions of phenomenology must continue to be applied, elements of the nano approach will include accounting for at least, typically, the following multiple elements as they apply at the sites of initiation and at

SCC crack growth rate of cold worked 316L stainless steel in PWR environment

Science.gov (United States)

Du, Donghai; Chen, Kai; Yu, Lun; lu, Hui; Zhang, Lefu; Shi, Xiuqiang; Xu, Xuelian

2015-01-01

Many component failures in nuclear power plants were found to be caused by stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of cold worked austenitic steels. Some of the pressure boundary component materials are even cold worked up to 35% plastic deformation, leaving high residual stress and inducing high growth rate of corrosion crack. Controlling water chemistry is one of the best counter measure to mitigate this problem. In this work, the effects of temperature (200 up to 325 °C) and dissolved oxygen (0 up to 2000 μg/L) on SCC crack growth rates of cold worked austenitic stainless steel type 316L have been tested by using direct current potential drop (DCPD) method. The results showed that temperature affected SCC crack growth rates more significantly in oxygenated water than in deaerated water. In argon deaerated water, the crack growth rate exhibited a peak at about 250 °C, which needs further verification. At 325 °C, the SCC crack growth rate increased rapidly with the increase of dissolved oxygen concentration within the range from 0 up to 200 μg/L, while when dissolved oxygen was above 200 μg/L, the crack growth rate followed a shallower dependence on dissolved oxygen concentration.

IGA/SCC propagation rate measurements on alloy 600 steam generator tubing using a side stream model boiler

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takamatsu, H.; Matsueda, K.; Matsunaga, T.; Kitera, T.; Arioka, K.; Tsuruta, T.; Okamoto, S.

1993-01-01

IGA/SCC crack propagation rate measurements using various types of IGA/SCC predefected ALloy 600 tubing were tested in model boilers, a side stream model boiler at Ohi Unit 1 and similar model boilers in the laboratory. Types of IGA/SCC predefects introduced from the outside of the tubing were as follows. (1) Actual IGA/SCC predefect introduced by high temperature caustic environments; (2) Longitudinal predefect by electrodischarge machining (EDM) method, and then crack tip fatigue was introduced to serve as the marker on the fractured surface (EDM slit + fatigue). IGA/SCC crack propagation rate was measured after the destructive examination by Cr concentration profile on fracture surface for (1), and observation of intergranular fractured surface propagated from the marked fatigue was employed for (2) and (3) after the model boiler tests. As for the water chemistry conditions, mainly AVT (high N 2 H 4 ) + boric acid (5-10ppm as B in SGs) treatment for both model boilers, and some of the tests for the model boiler in the laboratory employed AVT (high N 2 H 4 ) without boric acid. The results of IGA/SCC crack propagation rate measurements were compared with each other, and the three methods employed showed a good coincidence with the rate of ca. 1 x 10 -5 mm/Hr for AVT (high N 2 H 4 ) + boric acid treatment condition, in the case that crack tip boron intensity (B/O value by IMMA analysis) of more than 1 was observed

Curcumin inhibits oral squamous cell carcinoma SCC-9 cells proliferation by regulating miR-9 expression

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xiao, Can [Department of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123 (China); Department of Stomatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215006 (China); Wang, Lili; Zhu, Lifang [Department of Stomatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215006 (China); Zhang, Chenping, E-mail: zhang_cping@163.com [Department of Head and Neck Tumors, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital Affiliated Shanghai JiaoTong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011 (China); Zhou, Jianhua [Department of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123 (China)

2014-11-28

Highlights: • miR-9 expression level was significantly decreased in OSCC tissues. • Curcumin significantly inhibited SCC-9 cells proliferation. • miR-9 mediates the inhibition of SCC-9 proliferation by curcumin. • Curcumin suppresses Wnt/β-catenin signaling in SCC-9 cells. • miR-9 mediates the suppression of Wnt/β-catenin signaling by curcumin. - Abstract: Curcumin, a phytochemical derived from the rhizome of Curcuma longa, has shown anticancer effects against a variety of tumors. In the present study, we investigated the effects of curcumin on the miR-9 expression in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and explored the potential relationships between miR-9 and Wnt/β-catenin pathway in curcumin-mediated OSCC inhibition in vitro. As the results shown, the expression levels of miR-9 were significantly lower in clinical OSCC specimens than those in the adjacent non-tumor tissues. Furthermore, our results indicated that curcumin inhibited OSCC cells (SCC-9 cells) proliferation through up-regulating miR-9 expression, and suppressing Wnt/β-catenin signaling by increasing the expression levels of the GSK-3β, phosphorylated GSK-3β and β-catenin, and decreasing the cyclin D1 level. Additionally, the up-regulation of miR-9 by curcumin in SCC-9 cells was significantly inhibited by delivering anti-miR-9 but not control oligonucleotides. Downregulation of miR-9 by anti-miR-9 not only attenuated the growth-suppressive effects of curcumin on SCC-9 cells, but also re-activated Wnt/β-catenin signaling that was inhibited by curcumin. Therefore, our findings would provide a new insight into the use of curcumin against OSCC in future.

Curcumin inhibits oral squamous cell carcinoma SCC-9 cells proliferation by regulating miR-9 expression

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xiao, Can; Wang, Lili; Zhu, Lifang; Zhang, Chenping; Zhou, Jianhua

2014-01-01

Highlights: • miR-9 expression level was significantly decreased in OSCC tissues. • Curcumin significantly inhibited SCC-9 cells proliferation. • miR-9 mediates the inhibition of SCC-9 proliferation by curcumin. • Curcumin suppresses Wnt/β-catenin signaling in SCC-9 cells. • miR-9 mediates the suppression of Wnt/β-catenin signaling by curcumin. - Abstract: Curcumin, a phytochemical derived from the rhizome of Curcuma longa, has shown anticancer effects against a variety of tumors. In the present study, we investigated the effects of curcumin on the miR-9 expression in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and explored the potential relationships between miR-9 and Wnt/β-catenin pathway in curcumin-mediated OSCC inhibition in vitro. As the results shown, the expression levels of miR-9 were significantly lower in clinical OSCC specimens than those in the adjacent non-tumor tissues. Furthermore, our results indicated that curcumin inhibited OSCC cells (SCC-9 cells) proliferation through up-regulating miR-9 expression, and suppressing Wnt/β-catenin signaling by increasing the expression levels of the GSK-3β, phosphorylated GSK-3β and β-catenin, and decreasing the cyclin D1 level. Additionally, the up-regulation of miR-9 by curcumin in SCC-9 cells was significantly inhibited by delivering anti-miR-9 but not control oligonucleotides. Downregulation of miR-9 by anti-miR-9 not only attenuated the growth-suppressive effects of curcumin on SCC-9 cells, but also re-activated Wnt/β-catenin signaling that was inhibited by curcumin. Therefore, our findings would provide a new insight into the use of curcumin against OSCC in future

Effects of temperature on SCC propagation in high temperature water injected with hydrogen peroxide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakano, Junichi; Sato, Tomonori; Kato, Chiaki; Yoshiyuki, Kaji; Yamamoto, Masahiro; Tsukada, Takashi

2012-09-01

To understand the stress corrosion cracking (SCC) behaviour of austenitic stainless steels (SSs) in the boiling water reactor (BWR) coolant environment, it is significant to investigate the effect of hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) produced by the radiolysis of water on SCC under the various water chemistry and operational conditions. At the start-up or shut-down periods, for example, the conditions of radiation and temperature on the structural materials are different from those during the plant normal operation, and may be influencing on SCC behaviour. Therefore, the effect of temperature on SCC in high temperature water injected with H 2 O 2 was evaluated by SCC propagation test at the present study. Oxide films on the metal surface in crack were examined and the thermal equilibrium diagram was calculated to estimate the environmental situation in the crack. On the thermally sensitized type 304 SS, crack growth tests were conducted in high temperature water injected with H 2 O 2 to simulate water radiolysis in the core. Small CT type specimens with a width of 15.5 mm and thickness of 6.2 mm were machined from the sensitized SS. SCC growth tests were conducted in high temperature water injected with 100 ppb H 2 O 2 at 453 and 561 K. To minimize H 2 O 2 decomposition by a contact with metal surface of autoclave, the CT specimen was isolated from inner surface of the autoclave by the inner modules made of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and PTFE lining was also used for the inner surface of inlet and sampling tubes. Base on the measurement of sampled water, it was confirmed that 80-90 % of injected H 2 O 2 remained around the CT specimen in autoclave. Constant load at initial K levels of 11-20 MPam 1/2 was applied to the CT specimens during crack growth tests. After crack growth tests, CT specimens were split into two pieces on the plane of crack propagation. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) examination and laser Raman spectroscopy for outer oxide layer of oxide

A quantitative prediction model of SCC rate for nuclear structure materials in high temperature water based on crack tip creep strain rate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, F.Q.; Xue, H.; Zhao, L.Y.; Fang, X.R.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Creep is considered to be the primary mechanical factor of crack tip film degradation. • The prediction model of SCC rate is based on crack tip creep strain rate. • The SCC rate calculated at the secondary stage of creep is recommended. • The effect of stress intensity factor on SCC growth rate is discussed. - Abstract: The quantitative prediction of stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of structure materials is essential in safety assessment of nuclear power plants. A new quantitative prediction model is proposed by combining the Ford–Andresen model, a crack tip creep model and an elastic–plastic finite element method. The creep at the crack tip is considered to be the primary mechanical factor of protective film degradation, and the creep strain rate at the crack tip is suggested as primary mechanical factor in predicting the SCC rate. The SCC rates at secondary stage of creep are recommended when using the approach introduced in this study to predict the SCC rates of materials in high temperature water. The proposed approach can be used to understand the SCC crack growth in structural materials of light water reactors

The clinical significance of serum SCC-Ag combined with CD105 in patients with cervical cancer during the early stage diagnosis

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Ru-Chan Ma

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Objective: To invest the clinical significance of serum SCC-Ag combined with CD105 in early diagnosis of cervical cancer to provide new ideas for early diagnosis and clinical treatment of cervical cancer. Methods: A total of 74 cases cervical cancer patients were selected as cervical cancer group, and 52 cases uterine fibroids patients were selected as normal cervical group, serum samples were collected in the early morning fasting condition, SCC-Ag and CD105 were checked by ELISA method, SCC-Ag and CD105 of two groups were analyzed by t-test, and to compare SCC-Ag and CD105 in different TMN staging, lymph gland metastasis and non-lymph gland metastasis in patients with cervical cancer, the correlation analysis was used by Pearson correlation analysis method. Results: These results came from ELISA method, comparing with normal cervical group, the SCC-Ag and CD105 of cervical cancer group increased, the difference was statistically significant. Comparing with Ⅰ period of TMN staging, SCC-Ag and CD105 of Ⅱ period increased, Ⅲ, Ⅳ period increased, the difference was statistically significant. Comparing with Ⅱ period, SCC-Ag and CD105 of Ⅲ, Ⅳ period increased, the difference was statistically significant. Comparing with non-lymph gland metastasis, SCC-Ag and CD105 of lymph gland metastasis increased in cervical cancer with surgical treatment, the difference was statistically significant. According to Pearson correlation analysis, SCC-Ag and CD105 were positively correlated. Conclusion: SCC-Ag and CD105 in patients with cervical cancer increase highly, it has important clinical value that of serum SCCAg combined with CD105 in the early diagnosis of cervical cancer, especially it has clinical guiding significance to staging and lymph gland metastasis of cervical cancer, and it is worthy of clinical reference.

Environmental mitigation for SCC initiation of BWR core internals by hydrogen injection during start-up

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dozaki, K.; Abe, A.; Nagata, N.; Takiguchi, H.

2004-01-01

Hydrogen injection into the reactor water has been applied to many BWR power stations. Since hydrogen injected accelerates recombination of oxidant generated by water radiolysis, oxidant concentration, such as dissolved oxygen concentration in reactor water can be reduced. As the result of the reduction of oxidant concentration, Electrochemical Corrosion Potential (ECP) at the surface of structural material can be lowered. Lowered ECP moderates Stress Corrosion Cracking (SCC) sensitivity of structural materials, such as stainless steels. As usual, hydrogen injection system begins to work after the plant start-up is finished, when the condition of normal operation is established. Accordingly, Hydrogen Water Chemistry (HWC) does not cover all the period of plant operation. As far as SCC crack growth is considered, loss of HWC during plant start-up does not result in significant crack growth, because of duration of plant start-up is much shorter than that of plant normal operation, when HWC condition is being satisfied. However, the reactor water environment and load conditions during a plant start-up may contribute to the initiation of SCC. It is estimated that the core internals are subjected to the strain rate that may cause susceptibility to SCC initiation during start-up. Dissolved oxygen (DO) and hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) has a peak, and ECP is in high levels during start-up. Therefore it is beneficial to perform hydrogen injection during start-up as well in order to suppress SCC initiation. We call it HWC During Start-up (HDS) here. (orig.)

SCC life estimation based on cracks initiated from the corrosion pits of bolting material SCM435 used in steam turbine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Itoh, Hitomi; Ochi, Mayumi; Fujiwara, Isao; Momoo, Takashi

2003-01-01

Life estimation was performed for the stress corrosion cracking (SCC) that occurs in deaerated and wet hot pure steam at the bottoms of the threads of bolts made of SCM435 (equivalent to AISI 4137) used in steam turbine. SCC is believed to occur when corrosion pits are formed and grow to critical size, after which SCC is initiated and cracks propagate until the critical fracture toughness value is reached. Calculations were performed using laboratory and field data. The results showed that, for a 40mm diameter bolt with 0.2% offset strength of 820MPa, the critical crack depth for straight-front cracks was 5.4mm. The SCC life depends on the lubricant used; the SCC life estimated from this value is approximately 70,000 hours when graphite is used as a lubricant. (author)

SCC of 2304 Duplex Stainless Steel-Microstructure, Residual Stress and Surface Grinding Effects.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Nian; Peng, Ru Lin; Schönning, Mikael; Pettersson, Rachel

2017-02-23

The influence of surface grinding and microstructure on chloride induced stress corrosion cracking (SCC) behavior of 2304 duplex stainless steel has been investigated. Grinding operations were performed both parallel and perpendicular to the rolling direction of the material. SCC tests were conducted in boiling magnesium chloride according to ASTM G36; specimens were exposed both without external loading and with varied levels of four-point bend loading. Residual stresses were measured on selected specimens before and after exposure using the X-ray diffraction technique. In addition, in-situ surface stress measurements subjected to four-point bend loading were performed to evaluate the deviation between the actual applied loading and the calculated values according to ASTM G39. Micro-cracks, initiated by grinding induced surface tensile residual stresses, were observed for all the ground specimens but not on the as-delivered surfaces. Loading transverse to the rolling direction of the material increased the susceptibility to chloride induced SCC. Grinding induced tensile residual stresses and micro-notches in the as-ground surface topography were also detrimental.

SCC of 2304 Duplex Stainless Steel—Microstructure, Residual Stress and Surface Grinding Effects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nian Zhou

2017-02-01

Full Text Available The influence of surface grinding and microstructure on chloride induced stress corrosion cracking (SCC behavior of 2304 duplex stainless steel has been investigated. Grinding operations were performed both parallel and perpendicular to the rolling direction of the material. SCC tests were conducted in boiling magnesium chloride according to ASTM G36; specimens were exposed both without external loading and with varied levels of four-point bend loading. Residual stresses were measured on selected specimens before and after exposure using the X-ray diffraction technique. In addition, in-situ surface stress measurements subjected to four-point bend loading were performed to evaluate the deviation between the actual applied loading and the calculated values according to ASTM G39. Micro-cracks, initiated by grinding induced surface tensile residual stresses, were observed for all the ground specimens but not on the as-delivered surfaces. Loading transverse to the rolling direction of the material increased the susceptibility to chloride induced SCC. Grinding induced tensile residual stresses and micro-notches in the as-ground surface topography were also detrimental.

SCC of 2304 Duplex Stainless Steel—Microstructure, Residual Stress and Surface Grinding Effects

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Nian; Peng, Ru Lin; Schönning, Mikael; Pettersson, Rachel

2017-01-01

The influence of surface grinding and microstructure on chloride induced stress corrosion cracking (SCC) behavior of 2304 duplex stainless steel has been investigated. Grinding operations were performed both parallel and perpendicular to the rolling direction of the material. SCC tests were conducted in boiling magnesium chloride according to ASTM G36; specimens were exposed both without external loading and with varied levels of four-point bend loading. Residual stresses were measured on selected specimens before and after exposure using the X-ray diffraction technique. In addition, in-situ surface stress measurements subjected to four-point bend loading were performed to evaluate the deviation between the actual applied loading and the calculated values according to ASTM G39. Micro-cracks, initiated by grinding induced surface tensile residual stresses, were observed for all the ground specimens but not on the as-delivered surfaces. Loading transverse to the rolling direction of the material increased the susceptibility to chloride induced SCC. Grinding induced tensile residual stresses and micro-notches in the as-ground surface topography were also detrimental. PMID:28772582

Finite-Element Investigation of the Structural Behavior of Basalt Fiber Reinforced Polymer (BFRP- Reinforced Self-Compacting Concrete (SCC Decks Slabs in Thompson Bridge

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Lingzhu Zhou

2018-06-01

Full Text Available The need for a sustainable development and improved whole life performance of concrete infrastructure has led to the requirement of more durable and sustainable concrete bridges alongside accurate predictive analysis tools. Using the combination of Self-Compacting Concrete (SCC with industrial by-products and fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP, reinforcement is anticipated to address the concerns of high carbon footprint and corrosion in traditional steel-reinforced concrete structures. This paper presents a numerical investigation of the structural behavior of basalt fiber-reinforced polymer (BFRP-reinforced SCC deck slabs in a real bridge, named Thompson Bridge, constructed in Northern Ireland, U.K. A non-linear finite element (FE model is proposed by using ABAQUS 6.10 in this study, which is aimed at extending the previous investigation of the field test in Thompson Bridge. The results of this field test were used to validate the accuracy of the proposed finite element model. The results showed good agreement between the test results and the numerical results; more importantly, the compressive membrane action (CMA inside the slabs could be well demonstrated by this FE model. Subsequently, a series of parametric studies was conducted to investigate the influence of different parameters on the structural performance of the deck slabs in Thompson Bridge. The results of the analyses are discussed, and conclusions on the behavior of the SCC deck slabs reinforced by BFRP bars are presented.

SCC growth behavior of cast stainless steels in high-temperature water. Influences of corrosion potential, steel type, thermal aging and cold-work

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamada, Takuyo; Terachi, Takumi; Miyamoto, Tomoki; Arioka, Koji

2011-01-01

Recent studies on crack growth rate (CGR) measurement in oxygenated high-temperature pure water conditions, such as normal water chemistry (NWC) in BWRs, using compact tension (CT) type specimens have shown that stainless steel weld metal are susceptible to stress corrosion cracking (SCC). On the other hand, the authors reported that no significant SCC growth was observed on stainless steel weld metals in PWR primary water at temperatures from 250degC to 340degC. Cast austenitic stainless steels are widely used in light water reactors, and there is a similarity between welded and cast stainless steels in terms of the microstructure of the ferrite/austenite duplex structure. However, there are a few reports giving CGR data on cast stainless steels in the BWRs and PWRs. The principal purpose of this study was to examine the SCC growth behavior of cast stainless steels in simulated PWR primary water. A second objective was to examine the effects on SCC growth in hydrogenated and oxygenated water environments at 320degC of: (1) corrosion potential; (2) steels type (Mo in alloy); (3) thermal-aging (up to 400degC x 40 kh); and (4) cold-working (10%). The results were as follows: (1) No significant SCC growth was observed on all types of cast stainless steels: aged (400degC x 40 kh) of SCS14A and SCS13A and 10% cold-working, in hydrogenated (low-potential) water at 320degC. (2) Aging at 400degC x 40 kh SCS14A (10%CW) markedly accelerated the SCC growth of cast material in high-potential water at 320degC, but no significant SCC growth was observed in the hydrogenated water, even after long-term thermal aging (400degC x 40 kh). (3) Thus, cast stainless steels have excellent SCC resistance in PWR primary water. (4) On the other hand, significant SCC growth was observed on all types of cast stainless steels: 10%CW SCS14A and SCS13A, in 8 ppm-oxygenated (high-potential) water at 320degC. (5) No large difference in SCC growth was observed between SCS14A (Mo) and SCS13A. (6) No

Potential of utilizing asphalt dust waste as filler material in the production of sustainable self compacting concrete (SCC)

Science.gov (United States)

Ismail, Isham; Shahidan, Shahiron; Bahari, Nur Amira Afiza Saiful

2017-12-01

Waste materials from many industries are widely used in the production of sustainable green concrete. Utilizing asphalt dust waste (ADW) as a filler material in the development of self-compacting concrete (SCC) is one of the alternative solutions for reducing environmental waste. SCC is an innovative concrete that does not require vibration for placing and compaction. However, there is limited information on the effects of utilizing ADW in the development of SCC. Therefore, this research study examines the effects of various w/b ratios (0.2, 0.3 and 0.4) and differing amounts of ADW (0% to 50%) on the rheological properties of fresh state concrete. The compressive strength of the SCC was tested only for 7 and 28 days as preliminary studies. The results revealed that mixtures MD730, MD740 and MD750 showed satisfactory results for the slump flow, J-Ring, L-Box and V-Funnel test during the fresh state. The compressive strength values obtained after 28 days for MD730, MD740 and MD750 were 35.1 MPa, 36.8 MPa and 29.4 MPa respectively. In conclusion, the distribution of materials in mixtures has significant effect in achieving rheological properties and compressive strength of SCC.

Self-compacting concretes (SCC: comparison of methods of dosage

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B. F. Tutikian

Full Text Available The composition of a self-compacting concrete (SCC should be defined to fulfills a number of requirements, such as self-compactibility, strength and durability. This study aims to compare three methods of dosage for SCC with local materials, so as to determine which one is the most economical and rational, thus assisting the executor in making a decision and enabling economic and technical feasibility for its application. The methods used in the experimental program were: Nan Su et al., which was developed in 2001 [1]; Repette-Melo, which was proposed in 2005 [2]; and Tutikian & Dal Molin, which was developed in 2007 [3]. From the results obtained in the experimental program, it was observed that the method which presented the lowest cost and highest compressive strength at the ages of 7, 28 and 91 days was Tutikian & Dal Molin, while the one which reached the lowest chloride ion penetration, best compactness and highest elasticity modulus was Repette-Melo. In tests carried out in the fresh state, all tested methods yielded mixtures which comply with the self-compactibility levels required by ABNT NBR 15823:2010 [4].

Characterization of SCC crack tip and hydrogen distribution in alloy 600

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fujii, Katsuhiko; Nakajima, Nobuo; Fukuya, Koji [Institute of Nuclear Safety System Inc., Mihama, Fukui (Japan); Hatano, Yuji [Toyama Univ. (Japan)

2001-09-01

In order to identify the mechanism of primary water stress corrosion cracking (SCC), direct observations of SCC crack tip microstructure and hydrogen distribution in alloy 600 were carried out. A new technique has been developed to prepare electron transparent foils including the crack tip using focused-ion beam (FIB) micro-processing technique. Cr-rich oxide and metal-Ni phase were identified in the crack tip and grain boundary ahead of the crack. >From the fact that similar microstructure was observed in the surface oxide layer, it is suggested that the oxidation mechanism is identical at the crack tip region and the surface. It became clear that the crack tip region and the oxidized grain boundary don't work as strong trapping sites of solute hydrogen under unloaded condition, because a homogeneous hydrogen distribution around the crack tip region was detected by tritium microautoradiography. (author)

Human papillomavirus (HPV) and Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OP-SCC) of the Head and Neck: a Growing Epidemic

Science.gov (United States)

Bauman, Jessica; Wirth, Lori

2015-01-01

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is now considered a major causative agent in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OP-SCC). The incidence of HPV+ OP-SCC is increasing dramatically, is higher in men, and is now more common than cervical cancer in the United States. HPV+ OPSCCs usually present as locally advanced, stage IV cancers, requiring intensive treatment with surgery, chemotherapy, and/or radiation that can cause tremendous morbidity. HPV vaccination is predicted to prevent HPV+ OP-SCC because over 90% are caused by vaccine-type HPV. However, current vaccination rates are not yet high enough to be effective at preventing HPV-associated malignancies at a population level. PMID:27132327

The Effect of Adding PET (Polyethylen Terephthalate) Plastic Waste on SCC (Self-Compacting Concrete) to Fresh Concrete Behavior and Mechanical Characteristics

Science.gov (United States)

Aswatama W, K.; Suyoso, H.; Meyfa U, N.; Tedy, P.

2018-01-01

To study the effect PET waste plastics on SCC then PET plastic waste content for SCC is made into 2.5%; 5%; 7.5%; and 10%. As reference concrete is made SCC with 0% PET level. The results on all fresh concrete test items indicate that for all PET waste levels made are meeting the criteria as SCC. The effect of adding PET to fresh concrete behavior on all test items shows that the filling ability and passing ability of concrete work increases with increasing of PET. However, the increase in PET will decrease its mechanical properties. The result of heat test shows that the mechanical properties of concrete (compressive strength, splitting, and elastic modulus) after heating at 250°C temperature has not changed, while at 600°C has significant capacity decline. To clarify the differences between SCC before and after heating, microstructure analysis was done in the form of photo magnification of specimen using SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope).

Effects of nano-silica (NS) additions on durability of SCC mixtures

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Quercia Bianchi, G.; Spiesz, P.R.; Brouwers, H.J.H.; Andrade, C; Gulikers, JJW; Polder, R

2015-01-01

In this study, three different types of nano-silica were applied in self-compacting concrete (SCC), one produced by the controlled dissolution of the olivine mineral and two having similar particle size distributions (PSD), but produced through two different processes: fumed powder nano-silica and

SCC growth behavior of stainless steel weld metals in high-temperature water. Influence of corrosion potential, weld type, thermal aging, cold-work and temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamada, Takuyo; Terachi, Takumi; Miyamoto, Tomoki; Arioka, Koji

2009-01-01

Recent studies on crack growth rate measurement in oxygenated high-temperature pure water conditions, such as normal water chemistry in boiling water reactors, using compact tension type specimens have shown that weld stainless steels are susceptible to stress corrosion cracking. However, to our knowledge, there is no crack growth data of weld stainless steels in pressurized water reactor primary water. The principal purpose of this study was to examine the SCC growth behavior of stainless steel weld metals in simulated PWR primary water. A second objective was to examine the effect of (1) corrosion potential, (2) thermal-aging, (3) Mo in alloy and (4) cold-working on SCC growth in hydrogenated and oxygenated water environments at 320degC. In addition, the temperature dependence of SCC growth in simulated PWR primary water was also studied. The results were as follows: (1) No significant SCC growth was observed on all types of stainless steel weld metals: as-welded, aged (400degC x 10 kh) 308L and 316L, in 2.7 ppm-hydrogenated (low-potential) water at 320degC. (2) 20% cold-working markedly accelerated the SCC growth of weld metals in high-potential water at 320degC, but no significant SCC growth was observed in the hydrogenated water, even after 20% cold-working. (3) No significant SCC growth was observed on stainless steel weld metals in low-potential water at 250degC and 340degC. Thus, stainless steel weld metals have excellent SCC resistance in PWR primary water. On the other hand, (4) significant SCC growth was observed on all types of stainless steel weld metals: as-weld, aged (400degC x 10 kh) and 20% cold-worked 308L and 316L, in 8 ppm-oxygenated (high-potential) water at 320degC. (5) No large difference in SCC growth was observed between 316L (Mo) and 308L. (6) No large effect on SCC growth was observed between before and after aging up to 400degC for 10 kh. (7) 20% cold-working markedly accelerated the SCC growth of stainless steel weld metals. (author)

Casticin impairs cell growth and induces cell apoptosis via cell cycle arrest in human oral cancer SCC-4 cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Chou, Guan-Ling; Peng, Shu-Fen; Liao, Ching-Lung; Ho, Heng-Chien; Lu, Kung-Wen; Lien, Jin-Cherng; Fan, Ming-Jen; La, Kuang-Chi; Chung, Jing-Gung

2018-02-01

Casticin, a polymethoxyflavone, present in natural plants, has been shown to have biological activities including anti-cancer activities. Herein, we investigated the anti-oral cancer activity of casticin on SCC-4 cells in vitro. Viable cells, cell cycle distribution, apoptotic cell death, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and Ca 2+ production, levels of ΔΨ m and caspase activity were measured by flow cytometric assay. Cell apoptosis associated protein expressions were examined by Western blotting and confocal laser microscopy. Results indicated that casticin induced cell morphological changes, DNA condensation and damage, decreased the total viable cells, induced G 2 /M phase arrest in SCC-4 cells. Casticin promoted ROS and Ca 2+ productions, decreases the levels of ΔΨ m , promoted caspase-3, -8, and -9 activities in SCC-4 cells. Western blotting assay demonstrated that casticin affect protein level associated with G2/M phase arrest and apoptosis. Confocal laser microscopy also confirmed that casticin increased the translocation of AIF and cytochrome c in SCC-4 cells. In conclusion, casticin decreased cell number through G 2 /M phase arrest and the induction of cell apoptosis through caspase- and mitochondria-dependent pathways in SCC-4 cells. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Assessment and management of SCC in a liquid pipeline: case study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cazenave, Pablo; Tandon, Samarth; Gao, Ming; Krishnamurthy, Ravi [Blade Energy Partners, Houston, Texas (United States); Peverelli, Romina (PIMS of London, London (United Kingdom)); Moreno Ochoa, Carlos (Pemex Refinacion, Cd de Mexico, (Mexico)); Diaz Solis, Esau (Pemex Refinacion, Cd de Mexico, (Mexico))

2010-07-01

A 30-inch crude oil pipeline system was built between Nuevo Teapa to Venta de Carpjo from 1978 to 1980. It is owned by Pemex; its total length is 570 km, and it has strategic importance in Mexico's refining capability. In this oil pipeline, various degrees of external and internal corrosion have been found, and recent incidents occurred as a result of stress corrosion cracking (SCC). This paper presents an approach for managing high pH SCC in such a pipeline: it includes a comprehensive verification excavation plan, a strict in-ditch NDT investigation protocol, statistical models to determine the probability of detection and identification, sizing tolerance analyses, and an assessment methodology that is backed up by the material testing program. All the results provided by the application of the approach lead to the development of integrity management strategies. An integrity management plan is established and refined before the next inspection.

Latest SCC Issues of core shroud and recirculation piping in Japanese BWRs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okamura, Yuichi; Sakashita, Akihiro; Fukuda, Toshihiko; Yamashita, Hironobu; Futami, Tsuneo

2003-01-01

This paper reports that a high incidence of stress corrosion cracking (SCC) cracks have been found in the core Shroud and PLR piping of several Japanese BWR plants. The results of investigations show the cracks to be of SCC type in 316L stainless steel and with different characteristics from the type in 304 stainless steel. The cracks on the shroud surface were mainly verified near the shroud ring weld line and core region weld line, and the crack shape could be classified into two types: one type was circumferential cracking in the shroud ring, and the other was isolated occurrences of radial cracking in the core region. The structural integrity of those shrouds with cracks was evaluated under a conservative assumption and confirmed to be adequate. A relatively large error was identified in measuring the crack depth in the PLR piping. (author)

PCI/SCC failure behavior of KWU/CE fuel rods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kikuchi, Akira

1983-10-01

The Over Ramp (Studsvik Over Ramp-STOR) project is an international power ramping irradiation program for studying PCI/SCC failure behavior of PWR-fuel rods. The project had its activities for about three years (Apr., 1977 - Dec., 1980) as the cooperation works of twelve participants composing nine countries. The present report introduces the irradiation data on the KWU/CE fuel rods in the project and discusses the failure behavior of PWR-fuel rods. (author)

Mucins CA 125, CA 19.9, CA 15.3 and TAG-72.3 as tumor markers in patients with lung cancer: comparison with CYFRA 21-1, CEA, SCC and NSE.

Science.gov (United States)

Molina, Rafael; Auge, Jose Maria; Escudero, Jose Miguel; Marrades, Ramon; Viñolas, Nuria; Carcereny, Emilio; Ramirez, Jose; Filella, Xavier

2008-01-01

Tumor marker serum levels were prospectively studied in 289 patients with suspected, but unconfirmed, lung cancer and in 513 patients with lung cancer [417 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients and 96 small cell lung cancer (SCLC) patients]. In patients with benign disease, abnormal serum levels were found for the following tumor markers: CEA (in 6.6% of patients); CA 19.9 (6.2%); CA 125 (28.7%); NSE (0.7%); CYFRA (8.7%); TAG-72.3 (4.2%); SCC (3.5%), and CA 15.3 (3.5%). Excluding patients with renal failure or liver diseases, tumor marker specificity improved with abnormal levels in 0.5% for NSE, 0.9% for SCC, 2.8% for CEA, CA 15.3 and TAG-72.3, 3.8% for CA 19.9, 4.2% for CYFRA and 21.4% for CA 125. Excluding CA 125, one of the markers was abnormal in 15% of patients without malignancy. Tumor marker sensitivity was related to cancer histology and tumor extension. NSE had the highest sensitivity in SCLC and CYFRA and CEA in NSCLC. Significantly higher concentrations of CEA, SCC, CA 125, CA 15.3 and TAG-72.3 were found in NSCLC than in SCLC. Likewise, significantly higher CEA (p tumors. Using a combination of 3 tumor markers (CEA, CYFRA 21-1 in all histologies, SCC in squamous tumors and CA 15.3 in adenocarcinomas), a high sensitivity may be achieved in all histological types. Tumor markers may be useful in the histological differentiation of NSCLC and SCLC. Using specific criteria for the differentiation of SCLC and NSCLC, the sensitivity was 84.2 and 68.8%, the specificity was 93.8 and 99.7%, the positive predictive value was 98.3 and 98.5% and the negative predictive value was 57.7 and 93.3%, respectively. Copyright 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Mechanical and corrosion properties of Ni-Cr-Fe Alloy 600 related to primary side SCC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Begley, J.A.; Jacko, R.J.; Gold, R.E.

1987-01-01

The two-fold objective of the program is to provide the mechanical property data required for the development of a strain rate damage model for environmentally assisted cracking of Inconel 600 and to evaluate critical damage model parameters in primary water environments by conducting a series of stress corrosion tests. The test program includes mechanical property tests at 20 0 C, 316 0 C and strain rate tests to determine critical strain rate SCC parameters in primary water environments. Data are presented from slow strain rate tensile tests, stress relaxation tests and creep tests. A short discussion of the Gerber-Garud Strain Rate Damage Model is included to provide the background rationale for the test program. Utilitarian aspects of the Strain Rate Damage Model and the test program data are presented. Analysis of accelerated stress corrosion testing at high temperatures, and the contribution of thermally activated inelastic deformation to apparent activation energies for stress corrosion cracking is emphasized

LAFD: TA-3 NISC & SCC Facility Familiarization Tour, OJT #53356

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rutherford, Victor Stephen [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Norman, Rich [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Montoya, Gene [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Blumberg, Paul A. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); McCurdy, Patrick B. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2017-10-24

Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL, the Laboratory, or the Lab) conducts familiarization tours for Los Alamos County Fire Department (LAFD) personnel at the Strategic Computing Complex (SCC), TA-03-2327, and the Nonproliferation & International Security Complex (NISC), TA-03-2322. These tours are official LANL business; their purpose is to orient the firefighters to the SCC and the NISC so that they can respond efficiently and quickly to a variety of emergency situations. The tour includes ingress and egress of the buildings, layout and organization of the buildings, evacuation procedures, and areas of concern to emergency responders within these buildings. LAFD firefighters have the training, skills, and abilities to perform these emergency responder tasks; other LANL personnel who have the required clearance level cannot perform these tasks. This handout provides details of the information, along with maps and diagrams, to be presented during the familiarization tours. The report will be distributed to the trainees at the time of the tour. A corresponding checklist will also be used as guidance during the familiarization tours to ensure that all required information is presented to the LAFD personnel.

Characterization of SCC crack tips and surface oxide layers in alloy 600

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fujii, Katsuhiko; Fukuya, Koji [Inst. of Nuclear Safety System Inc., Mihama, Fukui (Japan)

2002-09-01

In order to investigate the mechanism of primary water stress corrosion cracking (SCC), direct observation of microstructures of SCC crack tips and surface oxide layers in alloy 600 were carried out. A focused-ion beam (FIB) micro-processing technique was applied to prepare electron transparent foils including the crack tip and the surface oxide layer without any damage to those microstructures. Transmission electron microscopy and analysis were used to characterize the crack tips and surface oxide layers. Cr-rich oxides and a metal-Ni phase were identified in the crack tips and grain boundaries ahead of the crack tips independent of dissolved hydrogen concentrations. >From the fact that the Cr-rich oxides and metal-Ni phase were observed in the inner surface oxide layer, the same oxidation mechanism as the surface is proposed for the crack tip region and internal oxidation accompanying selective Cr oxidation is suggested as the mechanism. (author)

Asphalt dust waste material as a paste volume in developing sustainable self compacting concrete (SCC)

Science.gov (United States)

Ismail, Isham; Shahidan, Shahiron; Bahari, Nur Amira Afiza Saiful

2017-12-01

Self-compacting concrete (SCC) mixtures are usually designed to have high workability during the fresh state through the influence of higher volumes of paste in concrete mixtures. Asphalt dust waste (ADW) is one of disposed materials obtained during the production of asphalt premix. These fine powder wastes contribute to environmental problems today. However, these waste materials can be utilized in the development of sustainable and economical SCC. This paper focuses on the preliminary evaluations of the fresh properties and compressive strength of developed SCC for 7 and 28 days only. 144 cube samples from 24 mixtures with varying water binder ratios (0.2, 0.3 and 0.4) and ADW volume (0% to 100%) were prepared. MD940 and MD950 showed a satisfactory performance for the slump flow, J-Ring, L-Box and V-Funnel tests at fresh state. The compressive strength after 28 days for MD940 and MD950 was 36.9 MPa and 28.0 MPa respectively. In conclusion, the use of ADW as paste volume should be limited and a higher water binder ratio will significantly reduce the compressive strength.

A Review of Root Causes of SCC Phenomena in BWR/RBMK: An Overview of Radiation-Induced Long Cell Action Relevant to SCC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Genn Saji

2004-01-01

The author suggests a new hypothetical mechanism: radiation-induced 'long cell action' may cause electrolytic corrosion. In this mechanism, SCC (stress corrosion cracking) results from auto-catalytic growth of cracks in crevice water chemistry that is kept acidic by a combination of hydration of cations released from crack tips. The acidic chemistry is maintained by radiation-induced 'long cell action' in pits which are maintained by a trans-passive corrosion process under a stress field. The pivotal point of the thesis is 'long cell action' which appears not to have been investigated in the nuclear community. It is because the reactor water used in BWR/RBMK systems has a very low electrical conductivity. For 'long cell action' to take place, there must be an unknown ion transport mechanism. One potential mechanism can be the high flow rate of the reactor water, carrying ionic species from the anode to the cathode. The other is the effective removal of ferrous ions by deposition as crud, which enhanced by the decomposition of H 2 O 2 . There are also some surprising similarities between SCC in the reactor systems and the basic mechanism of underground corrosion by long cell action. In this mechanism, the 'long cell action' is induced by a difference in availability of oxygen inside the soil. Conduction of electrons through an electric conductor over a long distance plays a significant role as they are released by dissolution of metallic ions and sucked up from the metal surface. (author)

SCC growth behaviors of austenitic stainless steels in simulated PWR primary water

Science.gov (United States)

Terachi, T.; Yamada, T.; Miyamoto, T.; Arioka, K.

2012-07-01

The rates of SCC growth were measured under simulated PWR primary water conditions (500 ppm B + 2 ppm Li + 30 cm3/kg-H2O-STP DH2) using cold worked 316SS and 304SS. The direct current potential drop method was applied to measure the crack growth rates for 53 specimens. Dependence of the major engineering factors, such as yield strength, temperature and stress intensity was systematically examined. The rates of crack growth were proportional to the 2.9 power of yield strength, and directly proportional to the apparent yield strength. The estimated apparent activation energy was 84 kJ/mol. No significant differences in the SCC growth rates and behaviors were identified between 316SS and 304SS. Based on the measured results, an empirical equation for crack growth rate was proposed for engineering applications. Although there were deviations, 92.8% of the measured crack growth rates did not exceed twice the value calculated by the empirical equation.

Clinical diagnostic significance of combined detection of serum and pleural effusion levels of CEA, NSE, CYFRA21-1, SCC-Ag in patients with lung cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bian Baoxiang; Hu Nan; Wu Fenglei; Yang Chengxi

2008-01-01

Objective: To appraise the clinical diagnostic significance of combined detection of serum and chest fluid levels of CEA, NSE, CYFRA21-1 and SCC-Ag in patients with lung cancer. Methods: Serum and pleural effusion contents of CEA, NSE, CYFRA21-1 and SCC-Ag were determined with RIA in 54 patients with lung cancer and 35 patients with benign lung disorders. Results: The serum and pleural effusion contents of CEA, NSE, CYFRA21-1 and SCC-Ag in patients with lung cancer were significantly higher than those in patients with benign lung disorders (P<0.01). The contents of CEA, NSE, CYFRA21-1 and SCC-Ag in patients pleural effusion were significantly higher than those in patients serum (P<0.01). For combined detection of CEA, NSE, CYFRA21-1 and SCC-Ag in serum and pleural effusion, the positive rate was 83.33% and 92.59% respectively. Conclusion: Combined detection of CEA, NSE, CYFRA21-1 and SCC-Ag contents in serum and pleural effusion can increase the positive rate of lung cancer diagnosis. (authors)

Distinguishing effect of buffing vs. grinding, milling and turning operations on the chloride induced SCC susceptibility of 304L austenitic stainless steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumar, Pandu Sunil; Acharyya, Swati Ghosh; Rao, S.V. Ramana; Kapoor, Komal

2017-01-01

The study compares the effect of different surface working operations like grinding, milling, turning and buffing on the Cl – induced stress corrosion cracking (SCC) susceptibility of austenitic 304L stainless steel (SS) in a chloride environment. SS 304L was subjected to four different surface working operations namely grinding, milling, turning and buffing. The residual stress distribution of the surface as a result of machining was measured by X-ray diffraction. The Cl – induced SCC susceptibility of the different surface worked samples were determined by testing in boiling magnesium chloride as per ASTM G36 for 3 h, 9 h and 72 h. The surface and cross section of the samples both pre and post exposure to the corrosive medium was characterized using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The study revealed that grinding, milling and turning operations resulted in high tensile residual stresses on the surface together with the high density of deformation bands making these surfaces highly susceptible to Cl – induced SCC. On the other hand buffing produces compressive residual stresses on the surface with minimal plastic strain, making it more resistance to Cl – induced SCC. The study highlights that the conventional machining operations on 304L SS surfaces should be invariably followed by buffing operation to make the surfaces more resistance to SCC. - Highlights: • Grinding, milling and turning lead to tensile residual stresses and plastic strain. • Buffing leads to compressive residual stresses on the surface and minimal strain. • Grinding, milling and turning make 304L SS surface susceptible to SCC. • Buffed 304L SS surface is immune to SCC. • Grinding, milling, and turning operations should be followed by buffing operation.

Distinguishing effect of buffing vs. grinding, milling and turning operations on the chloride induced SCC susceptibility of 304L austenitic stainless steel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kumar, Pandu Sunil [School of Engineering Sciences and Technology, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad 500046 (India); Acharyya, Swati Ghosh, E-mail: swati364@gmail.com [School of Engineering Sciences and Technology, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad 500046 (India); Rao, S.V. Ramana; Kapoor, Komal [Nuclear Fuel Complex, Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India, Hyderabad 500062 (India)

2017-02-27

The study compares the effect of different surface working operations like grinding, milling, turning and buffing on the Cl{sup –} induced stress corrosion cracking (SCC) susceptibility of austenitic 304L stainless steel (SS) in a chloride environment. SS 304L was subjected to four different surface working operations namely grinding, milling, turning and buffing. The residual stress distribution of the surface as a result of machining was measured by X-ray diffraction. The Cl{sup –} induced SCC susceptibility of the different surface worked samples were determined by testing in boiling magnesium chloride as per ASTM G36 for 3 h, 9 h and 72 h. The surface and cross section of the samples both pre and post exposure to the corrosive medium was characterized using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The study revealed that grinding, milling and turning operations resulted in high tensile residual stresses on the surface together with the high density of deformation bands making these surfaces highly susceptible to Cl{sup –} induced SCC. On the other hand buffing produces compressive residual stresses on the surface with minimal plastic strain, making it more resistance to Cl{sup –} induced SCC. The study highlights that the conventional machining operations on 304L SS surfaces should be invariably followed by buffing operation to make the surfaces more resistance to SCC. - Highlights: • Grinding, milling and turning lead to tensile residual stresses and plastic strain. • Buffing leads to compressive residual stresses on the surface and minimal strain. • Grinding, milling and turning make 304L SS surface susceptible to SCC. • Buffed 304L SS surface is immune to SCC. • Grinding, milling, and turning operations should be followed by buffing operation.

Report D : self-consolidating concrete (SCC) for infrastructure elements - creep, shrinkage and abrasion resistance.

Science.gov (United States)

2012-08-01

Concrete specimens were fabricated for shrinkage, creep, and abrasion resistance : testing. Variations of self-consolidating concrete (SCC) and conventional concrete were : all tested. The results were compared to previous similar testing programs an...

Monitoring Conditions Leading to SCC/Corrosion of Carbon Steel in Fuel Grade Ethanol

Science.gov (United States)

2011-02-11

This is the draft final report of the project on field monitoring of conditions that lead to SCC in ethanol tanks and piping. The other two aspects of the consolidated program, ethanol batching and blending effects (WP#325) and source effects (WP#323...

An Investigation of the Mechanism of IGA/SCC of Alloy 600 in Corrosion Accelerating Heated Crevice Environments - Topical Report Phase I 8/18/1999 - 8/31/2000

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lumsden, Jesse

2000-01-01

The crevice formed by the tube/tube support plate (T/TSP) intersection in a pressurized water reactor (PWR) steam generator is a concentration site for nonvolatile impurities (referred to as hideout) in the steam generator water. The restricted mass transport in the small crevice volume prevents the species, which concentrate by a thermal/hydraulic mechanism during the generation of steam, from quickly dispersing into the bulk water. The presence of a porous scale corrosion product on the surface of the tube and deposits of corrosion products in the crevice further restrict mass transport. The concentrated solutions and deposits in T/TSP crevices have been correlated with several forms of corrosion on the OD of steam generator tubes including intergranular attack/stress corrosion cracking (IGA/SCC), pitting, and wastage. The rate and type of corrosion are dependent on pH, specific anions, and the electrochemical potential. Careful water chemistry control and other remedial measures have essentially stopped all forms of secondary side corrosion except IGA/SCC. Crevice chemistries in an operating steam generator cannot be measured directly because of their inaccessibility. In practice, computer codes (MULTEQ, Molar Ratio Index, etc.) based upon hypothesized chemical reactions and thermal hydraulic mechanisms are used to predict crevice chemistry. The Rockwell program provides an experimental base to benchmark crevice chemistry models and to benchmark crevice chemistry control measures designed to mitigate IGA/SCC. The objective of this program is to develop an understanding of the corrosion accelerating mechanisms, particularly IGA/SCC, in steam generator crevices. The important variables will be identified, including the relationship between bulk water chemistry and corrosion accelerating chemistries in a crevice. An important result will be the identification of water chemistry control measures needed to mitigate secondary side IGA/SCC in steam generator tubes. The

Genetic associations for pathogen-specific clinical mastitis and patterns of peaks in somatic cell count

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Haas, de Y.; Barkema, H.W.; Schukken, Y.H.; Veerkamp, R.F.

2003-01-01

Genetic associations were estimated between pathogen-specific cases of clinical mastitis (CM), lactational average somatic cell score (LACSCS), and patterns of peaks in somatic cell count (SCC) which were based on deviations from the typical lactation curve for SCC. The dataset contained test-day

Case series

African Journals Online (AJOL)

abp

14 janv. 2013 ... actuel, l'âge avancé à la mise en hémodialyse, le sexe féminin, l'excès pondéral, et l'abord vasculaire. Le SCC est une complication fréquente de l'hémodialyse chronique. L'amélioration de la qualité de dialyse permettrait de réduire le risque de survenue du SCC. Pan African Medical Journal. 2013 ...

Stress corrosion cracking of Alloy 82 in hydrogenated steam at 400 C: influence of microstructural and mechanical parameters on initiation of SCC cracks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chaumun, Elizabeth

2016-01-01

In Pressurize Water Reactors (PWR), Stress Corrosion Cracking (SCC) is the mean degradation mode of components pieced together by welding. Nickel based alloys are, among others, used in dissimilar metal welding (DMW). International report showed only 3 cracking cases in Alloy 82 out of 300 cracking cases concerned on nickel based alloys DMW in primary water circuit. The aim of this study is to identify which microstructural and local mechanism parameters at microstructure scale provide the initiation of SCC cracks. Characterizations performed on specimen surface to identify those parameters are composed of chemical composition analysis and EBSD analysis (Electron Back-Scattered Diffraction) to know the morphology and the crystallography of grains for microstructure features on one hand, and experimental strain fields measured by Digital Imaging Correlation (DIC) of gold micro-grids deposed by electronic lithography on U-bend specimen surface and stress fields calculated along grains boundaries by finite element for local mechanical features on the other hand. The correlation between those characterizations and localization of initiation sites of SCC cracks, obtained on U-bend specimens tested in autoclave in hydrogen steam water at 400 C and 188 bar for 3500 hours, confirmed the susceptibility of the Alloy 82 in SCC conditions with intergranular SCC cracks. The perpendicular position to the loading direction (mode I) is the worst conditions for grains boundary in SCC. The others points concern the chemical composition (precipitation, impurities) around grain boundary and the grain boundary type which is more susceptible when it is a High Angle Grain Boundary. It is following by the mechanical characterization (stress and strain gradient) along grain boundary. This methodology can be used to other material and helped to define which microstructural and mechanical parameter can be define the initiation of SCC cracks. (author) [fr

Effect of corrosion product layer on SCC susceptibility of copper containing type 304 stainless steel in 1 M H2SO4

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Asawa, M.; Devasenapathi, A.; Fujisawa, M.

2004-01-01

The effect of surface corrosion product layer on the stress corrosion cracking (SCC) susceptibility of type 304 stainless steel with Cu was studied in 1 kmol/m 3 (1 M) sulfuric acid at 353 K temperature. Studies based on the intermittent removal of surface corrosion product layer indicated that the surface film governs the SCC behavior of the alloy by accelerating both the crack initiation and propagation stages. The electrochemical impedance and polarization studies showed the surface layer to be promoting SCC initiation by lowering the uniform corrosion rate and the propagation by shifting the surface corrosion potential to a more noble direction. The elemental analysis of the corrosion product both by the energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy and by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis along with the thermodynamic calculations showed the layer to be constituted mainly of metallic copper (Cu) and the mono-hydrated iron sulfate which acts as cathode promoting SCC

Dedicated Beamline Facilities for Catalytic Research. Synchrotron Catalysis Consortium (SCC)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Jingguang [Columbia Univ., New York, NY; Frenkel, Anatoly [Yeshiva Univ., New York, NY (United States); Rodriguez, Jose [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Adzic, Radoslav [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Bare, Simon R. [UOP LLC, Des Plaines, IL (United States); Hulbert, Steve L. [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Karim, Ayman [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Mullins, David R. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Overbury, Steve [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

2015-03-04

Synchrotron spectroscopies offer unique advantages over conventional techniques, including higher detection sensitivity and molecular specificity, faster detection rate, and more in-depth information regarding the structural, electronic and catalytic properties under in-situ reaction conditions. Despite these advantages, synchrotron techniques are often underutilized or unexplored by the catalysis community due to various perceived and real barriers, which will be addressed in the current proposal. Since its establishment in 2005, the Synchrotron Catalysis Consortium (SCC) has coordinated significant efforts to promote the utilization of cutting-edge catalytic research under in-situ conditions. The purpose of the current renewal proposal is aimed to provide assistance, and to develop new sciences/techniques, for the catalysis community through the following concerted efforts: Coordinating the implementation of a suite of beamlines for catalysis studies at the new NSLS-II synchrotron source; Providing assistance and coordination for catalysis users at an SSRL catalysis beamline during the initial period of NSLS to NSLS II transition; Designing in-situ reactors for a variety of catalytic and electrocatalytic studies; Assisting experimental set-up and data analysis by a dedicated research scientist; Offering training courses and help sessions by the PIs and co-PIs.

An Investigation of the Mechanism of IGA/SCC of Alloy 600 in Corrosion Accelerating Heated Crevice Environments - Topical Report Phase I 8/18/1999 - 8/31/2000; TOPICAL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dr. Jesse Lumsden

2000-01-01

The crevice formed by the tube/tube support plate (T/TSP) intersection in a pressurized water reactor (PWR) steam generator is a concentration site for nonvolatile impurities (referred to as hideout) in the steam generator water. The restricted mass transport in the small crevice volume prevents the species, which concentrate by a thermal/hydraulic mechanism during the generation of steam, from quickly dispersing into the bulk water. The presence of a porous scale corrosion product on the surface of the tube and deposits of corrosion products in the crevice further restrict mass transport. The concentrated solutions and deposits in T/TSP crevices have been correlated with several forms of corrosion on the OD of steam generator tubes including intergranular attack/stress corrosion cracking (IGA/SCC), pitting, and wastage. The rate and type of corrosion are dependent on pH, specific anions, and the electrochemical potential. Careful water chemistry control and other remedial measures have essentially stopped all forms of secondary side corrosion except IGA/SCC. Crevice chemistries in an operating steam generator cannot be measured directly because of their inaccessibility. In practice, computer codes (MULTEQ, Molar Ratio Index, etc.) based upon hypothesized chemical reactions and thermal hydraulic mechanisms are used to predict crevice chemistry. The Rockwell program provides an experimental base to benchmark crevice chemistry models and to benchmark crevice chemistry control measures designed to mitigate IGA/SCC. The objective of this program is to develop an understanding of the corrosion accelerating mechanisms, particularly IGA/SCC, in steam generator crevices. The important variables will be identified, including the relationship between bulk water chemistry and corrosion accelerating chemistries in a crevice. An important result will be the identification of water chemistry control measures needed to mitigate secondary side IGA/SCC in steam generator tubes. The

Value and significance of tumor markers as CEA, CA125, SCC-Ag, CA199 and CYFRA21-1 in the diagnosis of cervical cancer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiao-Juan Wang

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Objective: To investigate the value and significance of serum CEA, CA125, SCC-Ag, CA199 and CYFRA21-1 in the diagnosis of cervical cancer by comparing the detection of five serum markers. Methods: A total of 108 cases were divided into three groups, including 60 cervical cancerpatients and 20 cervical intraepithelial neoplasiain patients treated in our hospital from September 2015 to September 2016 and 28 healthy women. Radioimmunoassay was used to detect and compare the serum levels of CA125, CA199, CYFRA21-1 and ELISA method was used to detect and compare the serum levels of SCC-Ag, CEA. Results: (1 There was no statistically significant difference in the serum CEA, CA125, SCC-Ag, CA199, CYFRA21-1 levels between CIN group and control group. The serums CEA, CA125, SCC-Ag, CA199, CYFRA21-1 levels of cervical cancer patients were significantly higher than the other two groups. The differences were statistically significant. (2There were statistically significant differences in the serum CEA, CA125, SCC-Ag, CA199, CYFRA21-1 levels between different cervical pathological type groups.The serum CA125, CA199, CEA levels of cervical glandular cancer patients were significantly higher than the other two groups. The differences were statistically significant. The serum SCC-Ag, CYFRA21-1 levels of cervical squamous cancer patients were significantly higher than the other two groups. The differences were statistically significant. Conclusion: The serums CEA, CA125, SCC-Ag, CA199, CYFRA21-1 levels of cervical cancer patients were significantly higher than cervical intraepithelial neoplasiain patients and healthy women. The serum CA125, CA199, CEA levels of cervical glandular cancer patients were significantly higher and the serum SCC-Ag, CYFRA21-1 levels of cervical squamous cancer patients were significantly higher. The five tumor markers can be used in diagnosis of cervical cancer and they are also worthy in distinguishing cervical pathological types.

Characteristics of Aerococcus viridans isolated from bovine subclinical mastitis and its effect on milk SCC, yield, and composition.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Meng; Gao, Jian; Ali, Tariq; Yu, Dan; Zhang, Shiyao; Khan, Saeed U; Fanning, Séamus; Han, Bo

2017-04-01

Aerococcus viridians (A. viridans), an environmental Gram-positive bacterium, has been documented to be associated with bovine mastitis. However, its exact role in bovine mastitis and the changes it brings about in milk characteristics are not yet known. The objectives of the current study were to describe the antibiotic resistance of A. viridans from bovine mastitis as well as the correlation between existence of this pathogen in udders and the somatic cell counts (SCC), daily milk yield, and composition of individual cow. One-year sampling for subclinical mastitis composite milk was conducted based on monthly DHI data from September 2013 to August 2014, in a commercial herd located in Beijing, China. All samples were cultured and pathogens were identified using microbiology method. A. viridians isolates were further identified by API identification system and 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) sequencing method. Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method was used to test the antibiotic resistance of A. viridians against kinds of antimicrobial substance. SCC, milk yield, and milk composition data were from monthly Dairy Herd Improvement (DHI) results. Results showed that a total of 279 (16.67%) A. viridans isolates were identified from among 1674 bacterial isolates cultured from milk samples with high SCC. The incidence of mastitis caused by A. viridans was the highest (48-53%) during the summer season. Majority of the isolates were susceptible to most of antimicrobial compounds tested, especially to β-lactams, but were found to be resistant (50-90%) to aminoglycosides, sulfonamides, and tetracycline. The average SCC of the A. viridans infected cows was significantly higher (1000.0 × 10 3  cells/mL) (P  0.05) by 1.86 kg/day. Reductions were also observed in fat content (P > 0.05), lactose (P  0.05), whereas protein content increased significantly (P bovine subclinical mastitis wherein it exerts an effect on SCC, milk yield, and composition.

The effect of w/c ratio on microstructure of self-compacting concrete (SCC) with sugarcane bagasse ash (SCBA)

Science.gov (United States)

Hanafiah, Saloma, Victor, Amalina, Khoirunnisa Nur

2017-11-01

Self-Compacting Concrete (SCC) is a concrete that can flow and compact by itself without vibrator. The ability of SCC to flow by itself makes this concrete very suitable for construction that has very small reinforcement gaps. In this study, SCC was designed to get a compressive strength above 60 MPa at the age of 28 days. Sugarcane bagasse ash was used as substitution material for cement replacement. Percentages of sugarcane bagasse ash used were 10%, 15%, and 20%. There were three w/c values that vary from 0.275, 0.300, and 0.325. Testing standards referred to ASTM, EFNARC and ACI. The fresh concrete test was slump flow, L-box and V-funnel. The maximum compressive strength was in the mixture with the sugarcane bagasse ash composition of 15% and w/c=0.275 which was 67.24 MPa. The result of SEM test analysis found that the mixture composition with 15% sugarcane bagasse ash has solid CSH structure, small amount of pores, and smaller pore diameter than other mixtures.

Calibration Device Designed for proof ring used in SCC Experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, X. Y.; Kang, Z. Y.; Yu, Y. L.

2017-11-01

In this paper, a calibration device for proof ring used in SCC (Stress Corrosion Cracking) experiment was designed. A compact size loading device was developed to replace traditional force standard machine or a long screw nut. The deformation of the proof ring was measured by a CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) during the calibration instead of digital caliper or a dial gauge. The calibration device was verified at laboratory that the precision of force loading is ±0.1% and the precision of deformation measurement is ±0.002mm.

Maintenance technologies for SCC of PWR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okimura, Koji; Hori, Nobuyuki; Kanzaki, Hiroshi; Tokuhisa, Kiichi; Kamo, Kazuhiko; Kurokawa, Masaaki

2007-01-01

The recent technologies of test, relaxation of deterioration, repairing and change of materials are explained for safe and stable operation of pressurized water reactor (PWR). Stress corrosion cracking (SCC) is originated by three factors such as materials, stress and environment. The eddy current test (ECT) method for the stream generator pipe and the ultrasonic test method for welding part of pipe were developed as the test technologies. Primary water stress corrosion cracking (PWSCC) of Inconel 600 in the welding part is explained. The shot peening of instrument in the gas, the water jet peening of it in water, and laser irradiation on the surface are illustrated as some examples of improvement technology of stress. The cladding of Inconel 690 on Inconel 600 is carried out under the condition of environmental cut. Total or some parts of the upper part of reactor, stream generator and structure in the reactor are changed by the improvement technologies. Changing Inconel 600 joint in the exit pipe of reactor with Inconel 690 is illustrated. (S.Y.)

Isoalantolactone inhibits UM-SCC-10A cell growth via cell cycle arrest and apoptosis induction.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Minjun Wu

Full Text Available Isoalantolactone is a sesquiterpene lactone compound isolated from the roots of Inula helenium L. Previous studies have demonstrated that isoalantolactone possesses antifungal, anti-bacterial, anti-helminthic and anti-proliferative properties in a variety of cells, but there are no studies concerning its effects on head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC. In the present study, an MTT assay demonstrated that isoalantolactone has anti-proliferative activity against the HNSCC cell line (UM-SCC-10A. Immunostaining identified that this compound induced UM-SCC-10A cell apoptosis but not necrosis. To explain the molecular mechanisms underlying its effects, flow cytometry and western blot analysis showed that the apoptosis was associated with cell cycle arrest during the G1 phase, up-regulation of p53 and p21, and down-regulation of cyclin D. Furthermore, our results revealed that induction of apoptosis through a mitochondrial pathway led to up-regulation of pro-apoptotic protein expression (Bax, down-regulation of anti-apoptotic protein expression (Bcl-2, mitochondrial release of cytochrome c (Cyto c, reduction of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP and activation of caspase-3 (Casp-3. Involvement of the caspase apoptosis pathway was confirmed using caspase inhibitor Z-VAD-FMK pretreatment. Together, our findings suggest that isoalantolactone induced caspase-dependent apoptosis via a mitochondrial pathway and was associated with cell cycle arrest in the G1 phase in UM-SCC-10A cells. Therefore, isoalantolactone may become a potential drug for treating HNSCC.

IEEE Smart Grid Series of Standards IEEE 2030 (Interoperability) and IEEE 1547 (Interconnection) Status: Preprint

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Basso, T.; DeBlasio, R.

2012-04-01

The IEEE American National Standards smart grid publications and standards development projects IEEE 2030, which addresses smart grid interoperability, and IEEE 1547TM, which addresses distributed resources interconnection with the grid, have made substantial progress since 2009. The IEEE 2030TM and 1547 standards series focus on systems-level aspects and cover many of the technical integration issues involved in a mature smart grid. The status and highlights of these two IEEE series of standards, which are sponsored by IEEE Standards Coordinating Committee 21 (SCC21), are provided in this paper.

Performance-Based Specifications of Workability Characteristics of Prestressed, Precast Self-Consolidating Concrete-A North American Prospective.

Science.gov (United States)

Long, Wu-Jian; Khayat, Kamal Henri; Lemieux, Guillaume; Hwang, Soo-Duck; Han, Ning-Xu

2014-03-27

Adequate selection of material constituents and test methods are necessary for workability specifications and performance of hardened concrete. An experimental program was performed to evaluate the suitability of various test methods for workability assessment and to propose performance specifications of prestressed concrete. In total, 33 self-consolidating concrete (SCC) mixtures made with various mixture proportioning parameters, including maximum size and type of aggregate, type and content of binder, and w/cm were evaluated. Correlations among various test results used in evaluating the workability responses are established. It is recommended that SCC should have slump flow values of 635-760 mm. To ensure proper filling capacity greater than 80%, such concrete should have a passing ability that corresponds to L-box blocking ratio (h₂/h₁) ≥ 0.5, J-Ring flow of 570-685 mm, slump flow minus J-Ring flow diameter ≤75 mm. Moreover, Stable SCC should develop a column segregation index lower than 5%, and rate of settlement at 30 min of 0.27%/h for SCC proportioned with 12.5 or 9.5 mm MSA. It is recommended that SCC should have a plastic viscosity of 100-225 Pa·s and 100-400 Pa·s for concrete made with crushed aggregate and gravel, respectively, to ensure proper workability.

Report E : self-consolidating concrete (SCC) for infrastructure elements - hardened mechanical properties and durability performance.

Science.gov (United States)

2012-08-01

Concrete is one of the most produced and utilized materials in the world. Due to : the labor intensive and time consuming nature of concrete construction, new and : innovative concrete mixes are being explored. Self-consolidating concrete (SCC) is on...

The behavior of self-compacting concrete (SCC) with bagasse ash

Science.gov (United States)

Hanafiah, Saloma, Whardani, Putri Nurul Kusuma

2017-11-01

Self-Compacting Concrete (SCC) has the ability to flow and self-compacting. One of the benefit of SCC can reduced the construction time and labor cost. The materials to be used for see slightly different with the conventional concrete. Less coarse aggregate to be used up to 50%. The maximum size of coarse aggregate was also limited e.g. 10 mm. Other material was quartz sand with grain size of 50-650 µm. For reducing the around of cement, bagasse ash was used as partial replacement of cement. In this research, the variations of w/c to be used, e.g. 0.275, 0.300, 0.325 and the percentage of bagasse ash substitution were 10%, 15%, and 20%. EFNARC standard was conducted for slump flow test following the V-funnel test and L-box shape test. The maximum value of slump flow test was 75.75 cm, V-funnel test was 4.95 second, and L-box test was 1.000 yielded by mixture with w/c = 0.325 and 0% of bagasse ash. The minimum value of slump flow test was 61.50 cm, V-funnel test is 21.05 second, and L-box test was 0.743 yielded by mixture with w/c = 0.275 and 20% of bagasse ash. The maximum value of compressive strength was 67.239 MPa yielded by mixture with w/c = 0.275 and 15% of bagasse ash. And the minimum value of compressive strength was 41.813 MPa yielded by mixture with w/c = 0.325 and 20% bagasse ash.

Vibrational absorption spectra, DFT and SCC-DFTB conformational study and analysis of [Leu]enkephalin

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Abdali, Salim; Niehaus, T.A.; Jalkanen, Karl J.

2003-01-01

. Ab initio (DFT at the B3LYP/6-31G* level of theory) and semi-empirical (SCC-DFTB) with and without dispersion correction were applied to simulate the VA spectra of [Leu] enkephalin. In these calculations structures taken from X-ray measurements for different conformers of the molecule were used...

Clinical significance of measurement of changes of serum IGF-II, SCC and CYFRA21-1 levels after operation in patients with carcinoma of uterine cervix

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuang Lei

2010-01-01

Objective: To explore the clinical significance of changes of serum IGF-II, SCC and CYFRA21-1 levels after operation in patients with carcinoma uterine cervix. Methods: Serum levels of IGF-II, SCC and CYFRA21-1 were determined with RIA repeatedly in 31 patients with carcinoma of uterine cervix (before operation 1 month after operation and 6 month after operation) and once in 35 controls. Results: Before operation,serum levels of IGF-II, SCC and CYFRA21-1 in the patients were significantly higher than those in the controls (P<0.01). One month after operation all the serum levels were approaching normal. Six month later,the levels in the patients without recurrence remained normal. However, the levels in the 6 patients with recurrence returned to those before operation again. Conclusion: Changes of serum IGF-II, SCC and CYFRA21-1 levels are closely related to the tumor burden and may be of prognostic importance. (authors)

[Analysis of tissue-specific differentially methylated genes with differential gene expression in non-small cell lung cancer].

Science.gov (United States)

Yin, L G; Zou, Z Q; Zhao, H Y; Zhang, C L; Shen, J G; Qi, L; Qi, M; Xue, Z Q

2014-01-01

Adenocarcinoma (ADC) and squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) are two subtypes of non-small cell lung carcinomas which are regarded as the leading cause of cancer-related malignancy worldwide. The aim of this study is to detect the differentially methylated loci (DMLs) and differentially methylated genes (DMGs) of these two tumor sets, and then to illustrate the different expression level of specific methylated genes. Using TCGA database and Illumina HumanMethylation 27 arrays, we first screened the DMGs and DMLs in tumor samples. Then, we explored the BiologicalProcess terms of hypermethylated and hypomethylated genes using Functional Gene Ontology (GO) catalogues. Hypermethylation intensively occurred in CpG-island, whereas hypomethylation was located in non-CpG-island. Most SCC and ADC hypermethylated genes involved GO function of DNA dependenit regulation of transcription, and hypomethylated genes mainly 'enriched in the term of immune responses. Additionally, the expression level of specific differentially methylated genesis distinctbetween ADC and SCC. It is concluded that ADC and SCC have different methylated status that might play an important role in carcinogenesis.

Performance-Based Specifications of Workability Characteristics of Prestressed, Precast Self-Consolidating Concrete—A North American Prospective

Science.gov (United States)

Long, Wu-Jian; Khayat, Kamal Henri; Lemieux, Guillaume; Hwang, Soo-Duck; Han, Ning-Xu

2014-01-01

Adequate selection of material constituents and test methods are necessary for workability specifications and performance of hardened concrete. An experimental program was performed to evaluate the suitability of various test methods for workability assessment and to propose performance specifications of prestressed concrete. In total, 33 self-consolidating concrete (SCC) mixtures made with various mixture proportioning parameters, including maximum size and type of aggregate, type and content of binder, and w/cm were evaluated. Correlations among various test results used in evaluating the workability responses are established. It is recommended that SCC should have slump flow values of 635–760 mm. To ensure proper filling capacity greater than 80%, such concrete should have a passing ability that corresponds to L-box blocking ratio (h2/h1) ≥ 0.5, J-Ring flow of 570–685 mm, slump flow minus J-Ring flow diameter ≤75 mm. Moreover, Stable SCC should develop a column segregation index lower than 5%, and rate of settlement at 30 min of 0.27%/h for SCC proportioned with 12.5 or 9.5 mm MSA. It is recommended that SCC should have a plastic viscosity of 100–225 Pa·s and 100–400 Pa·s for concrete made with crushed aggregate and gravel, respectively, to ensure proper workability. PMID:28788578

Influence of surface oxide films on the SCC of stainless steel in high temperature water

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tani, Junichi; Kato, Shunji; Hirano, Hideo [Central Research Inst. of Electric Power Industry, Komae, Tokyo (Japan). Komae Research Lab; Kushida, H.

2000-06-01

Effect of pre-filming conditions on the SCC susceptibility of stainless steels (SS) was investigated by SSRT and electrochemical measurement in high temperature water. The IGSCC ratio of a specimen with the oxide film formed in hydrogen-saturated water (R film specimen) was higher than that of a specimen with the oxide film formed in air-saturated water (O film specimen). When the pre-filmed specimens were coupled with a Cr-depleted SS that simulated weld-heat-affected zones, the galvanic couple between the R film specimen and Cr-depleted SS showed higher corrosion current than the couple between the O film specimen and Cr-depleted SS. The film thickness of the Cr-depleted SS was thinner in the couple with the R film specimen after the test. These results clearly show that the SCC susceptibility of R film specimen was higher than that of the O film specimen, in accordance with the SSRT results. (author)

Influence of Recycled Concrete Dust on the Properties of Self– Compacting Concrete (SCC)

OpenAIRE

Ivanauskas, Ernestas; Lazauskas, Mantas; Grigaliūnas, Paulius

2017-01-01

Concrete – composite material which economical effect mostly depends on the amount of binder material (usually cement), its type and fineness. Cement manufacturing generates great employment of energy resources. The demand for all kind of manufacturing natural resources are aimed to be reduced as much as possible. Alternative raw material resources are being introduced and tested together with increasing self-compacting concrete (SCC) popularity in Lithuania. Considering environmental require...

Liderazgo de una empresa familiar que influye en el clima laboral de los trabajadores de la empresa SEDEMI S.C.C

OpenAIRE

Rodríguez Valenzuela, Darwin Fausto

2015-01-01

El presente trabajo detalla el estudio del liderazgo y su influencia en el clima organizacional de los trabajadores de la empresa familiar Sedemi S.C.C., con la fin de proponer opciones de mejora, que coadyuven al directorio de la empresa, para fomentar un ambiente laboral agradable y motivador para sus empleados, y de esta manera incrementar su desempeño laboral. La investigación se realizó en la empresa SEDEMI S.C.C. La población objetivo está conformada por los empleados administrativos y ...

Anti-Cancer Effects of Imperata cylindrica Leaf Extract on Human Oral Squamous Carcinoma Cell Line SCC-9 in Vitro.

Science.gov (United States)

Keshava, Rohini; Muniyappa, Nagesh; Gope, Rajalakshmi; Ramaswamaiah, Ananthanarayana Saligrama

2016-01-01

Imperata cylindrica, a tall tufted grass which has multiple pharmacological applications is one of the key ingredients in various traditional medicinal formula used in India. Previous reports have shown that I. cylindrica plant extract inhibited cell proliferation and induced apoptosis in various cancer cell lines. To our knowledge, no studies have been published on the effect of I. cylindrica leaf extract on human oral cancers. The present study was undertaken in order to evaluate the anticancer properties of the leaf extract of I. cylindrica using an oral squamous cell carcinoma cell line SCC-9 as an in vitro model system. A methanol extract from dried leaves of I. cylindrica (ICL) was prepared by standard procedures. Effects of the ICL extract on the morphology of SCC-9 cells was visualized by microscopy. Cytotoxicity was determined by MTT assay. Effects of the ICL extract on colony forming ability of SCC-9 cells was evaluated using clonogenic assay. Cell cycle analysis was performed by flow cytometry and induction of apoptosis was determined by DNA fragmentation assay. The ICL extract treatment caused cytotoxicity and induced cell death in vitro in SCC-9 cells in a dose-dependent manner. This treatment also significantly reduced the clonogenic potential and inhibited cell proliferation by arresting the cell cycle in the G2/M phase. Furthermore, DNA fragmentation assays showed that the observed cell death was caused by apoptosis. This is the first report showing the anticancer activity of the methanol extracts from the leaves of I. cylindrica in human oral cancer cell line. Our data indicates that ICL extract could be considered as one of the lead compounds for the formulation of anticancer therapeutic agents to treat/manage human oral cancers. The natural abundance of I. cylindrica and its wide geographic distribution could render it one of the primary resource materials for preparation of anticancer therapeutic agents.

What is the fundamental ion-specific series for anions and cations? Ion specificity in standard partial molar volumes of electrolytes and electrostriction in water and non-aqueous solvents.

Science.gov (United States)

Mazzini, Virginia; Craig, Vincent S J

2017-10-01

The importance of electrolyte solutions cannot be overstated. Beyond the ionic strength of electrolyte solutions the specific nature of the ions present is vital in controlling a host of properties. Therefore ion specificity is fundamentally important in physical chemistry, engineering and biology. The observation that the strengths of the effect of ions often follows well established series suggests that a single predictive and quantitative description of specific-ion effects covering a wide range of systems is possible. Such a theory would revolutionise applications of physical chemistry from polymer precipitation to drug design. Current approaches to understanding specific-ion effects involve consideration of the ions themselves, the solvent and relevant interfaces and the interactions between them. Here we investigate the specific-ion effects trends of standard partial molar volumes and electrostrictive volumes of electrolytes in water and eleven non-aqueous solvents. We choose these measures as they relate to bulk properties at infinite dilution, therefore they are the simplest electrolyte systems. This is done to test the hypothesis that the ions alone exhibit a specific-ion effect series that is independent of the solvent and unrelated to surface properties. The specific-ion effects trends of standard partial molar volumes and normalised electrostrictive volumes examined in this work show a fundamental ion-specific series that is reproduced across the solvents, which is the Hofmeister series for anions and the reverse lyotropic series for cations, supporting the hypothesis. This outcome is important in demonstrating that ion specificity is observed at infinite dilution and demonstrates that the complexity observed in the manifestation of specific-ion effects in a very wide range of systems is due to perturbations of solvent, surfaces and concentration on the underlying fundamental series. This knowledge will guide a general understanding of specific

Development of BWR components SCC mitigation method by the TiO{sub 2} treating technique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Takamori, K.; Suzuki, J.; Suzuki, S.; Miyazaki, A. [Tokyo Electric Power Co., Tokohama-city (Japan); Okamura, M.; Osato, T.; Ichikawa, N. [Toshiba Corp., Kawasaki-city (Japan); Urata, H.; Takagi, J. [Toshiba Corp., Yokohama-city (Japan)

2007-07-01

Stress Corrosion Cracking (SCC) susceptibility of Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) materials is mitigated by reduction of the electrochemical corrosion potential (ECP). In the reactor there is a photo-excitation reaction between TiO{sub 2} and ultraviolet Cherenkov radiation. The TiO{sub 2} treatment technique plans to mitigate SCC by reducing the ECP without hydrogen addition. We conducted the demonstration tests of the TiO{sub 2} treatment technique in a test reactor and in BWR plant piping systems. The test results showed that the ECP of TiO{sub 2} treated type 316L stainless steel and the Ni based alloy 600 were reduced to -350 mV vs. the standard hydrogen electrode (SHE) in the reactor system in normal water chemistry (NWC). In the no Cherenkov radiation area, the ECP of the TiO{sub 2} treated stainless steel still decreased as the dissolved hydrogen concentration in feed water up to 0.3 ppm. (a condition that will be referred as 'low HWC.') (author)

Chemical inhomogeneity populations in various zircaloy claddings and their association with SCC and corrosion resistance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tasooji, A.; Miller, A.K.; Cheung, T.Y.; Brooks, M.; Santucci, J.

1987-01-01

A technique has been developed that permits detection and characterization of sparsely distributed chemical inhomogeneities in Zircaloy. These inhomogeneities have previously been observed at the origins of iodine stress-corrosion cracks but are not detectable by, for example, simple scanning electron microscopy (SEM) examination. The technique uses radioactive iodine to ''label'' the chemical inhomogeneities, autoradiography to detect their locations, and SEM and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX) to further characterize them. Large areas of surface have been surveyed and statistically meaningful populations of chemical inhomogeneities measured for five different lots of Zircaloy cladding. Inner surfaces and cladding cross-sectional surfaces have been studied. There are clear differences in chemical inhomogeneity size distribution and composition between the various claddings. For three of the claddings characterized in this work, the previously measured stress-corrosion cracking (SCC) threshold stresses correlate well (inversely) with the new data on their average chemical inhomogeneity sizes. Of special interest is the fact that the most SCC-resistant cladding contains far fewer iron-bearing inhomogeneities than the other claddings

Effect of sulfur on the SCC and corrosion fatigue performance of stainless steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

West, E.; Nolan, T.; Lucente, A.; Morton, D.; Lewis, N.; Morris, R.; Mullen, J.; Newsome, G.

2015-01-01

Stress corrosion cracking and corrosion fatigue experiments were conducted on model heats of 304/304L stainless steel with systematically controlled sulfur content to isolate the influence of sulfur on crack growth behavior. The results of the SCC experiments conducted in 338 C. degrees deaerated water on 20% cold worked model heats with 0.006 and 0.012 wt% sulfur showed an order of magnitude or more reduction in the crack growth rate relative to a model heat with <0.001 wt% sulfur. Corrosion fatigue crack growth rates revealed a reduction in the crack growth rates of the elevated sulfur heats relative to model predicted steady state crack growth rates with increasing rise time for nominal loading conditions of a stress ratio of 0.7 and a stress intensity factor range of 6.6 MPa√m. At the longest rise time of 5.330 sec, the corrosion fatigue crack growth rate of the 0.006 wt% sulfur model heat was only 13% of model predictions and the crack growth of the 0.012 wt% sulfur heat completely stalled. Experiments conducted in anion faulted aerated water on stainless steel heats with moderate to high sulfur and variable carbon and boron contents showed that any detrimental effect of sulfur in this environment was secondary to the effect of sensitization in promoting SCC growth. (authors)

Effects of overload on the threshold stress intensity factor for SCC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takahashi, Koji; Ando, Kotoji; Miyazaki, Yuji; Hashikura, Yasuaki

2009-01-01

The effects of overload on the threshold stress intensity factor for stress corrosion crack (K ISCC ) of stainless steel were studied. Tensile overload was applied to a wedge opening loaded (WOL) specimen of SUS316. Then, SCC tests were carried out to determine the resultant K ISCC . As a result, the apparent value of K ISCC increases as increasing a stress intensity factor by tensile overload (K OV ). The effects of tensile overload on K ISCC and the threshold stress intensity factor range for fatigue (ΔK th ) were compared. It was found that the effects of tensile overload on K ISCC were larger than that on ΔK th . (author)

Degradation of self-compacting concrete (SCC) due to sulfuric acid attack: Experiment investigation on the effect of high volume fly ash content

Science.gov (United States)

Kristiawan, S. A.; Sunarmasto; Tyas, G. P.

2016-02-01

Concrete is susceptible to a variety of chemical attacks. In the sulfuric acid environment, concrete is subjected to a combination of sulfuric and acid attack. This research is aimed to investigate the degradation of self-compacting concrete (SCC) due to sulfuric acid attack based on measurement of compressive strength loss and diameter change. Since the proportion of SCC contains higher cement than that of normal concrete, the vulnerability of this concrete to sulfuric acid attack could be reduced by partial replacement of cement with fly ash at high volume level. The effect of high volume fly ash at 50-70% cement replacement levels on the extent of degradation owing to sulfuric acid will be assessed in this study. It can be shown that an increase in the utilization of fly ash to partially replace cement tends to reduce the degradation as confirmed by less compressive strength loss and diameter change. The effect of fly ash to reduce the degradation of SCC is more pronounced at a later age.

Effects of hydrogen during SCC of Al-5Mg alloys in NaCl 30 g/l environment: experimental study and numerical simulations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanguy, Dome

2001-01-01

After a presentation of the industrial context and of some knowledge about stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of 5xxx alloys (notably their sensitivity to intergranular dissolution in presence of the Al 3 Mg 2 phase in grain boundaries) and about other mechanisms intervening in SCC, this research thesis reports a characterization of intergranular precipitation in the alloys for which SCC and corrosion fatigue tests have been performed. Experimental results are reported and discussed (crack initiation and growth, growth rate, loading mode). The simulation of a model microstructure at the atomic scale is presented. It allows hydrogen trapping to be studied with respect to the presence of magnesium at the grain boundary. A numerical model of the Al-Mg system is developed to study the first stages of magnesium-rich intergranular precipitation. The next part reports the study of hydrogen intergranular trapping in Al-Mg by focusing on the Mg-H binding energy and on trapping occurring in the boundary. In conclusion, the author proposes a fracture mechanism at the atomic scale

Iodine stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of unirradiated Zircaloy-4 tubing by means of internal gas pressurization, (1)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Onchi, Takeo; Inoue, Tadashi

1982-01-01

The internal gas pressurization tests were conducted at 360 0 C, to examine the influence of iodine concentration on the iodine stress corrosion cracking (SCC) susceptibility of Zircaloy-4 tubing of 17 x 17 type PWR design. The iodine contents studied were ranging of 0.06 to 6 mg/cm 2 , corresponding to 30 from 0.3 mg/cm 3 . Applied hoop stress vs. time-to-failure relationships were obtained in argon gas with iodine, as well as without iodine, from the tests of maximum holding times up to 72 hrs. The relationships obtained were insensitive to iodine contents. The applied stress lowering in iodine atmosphere approached a threshold stress below which SCC failure did not occur within the holding time, but not in argon gas alone. The threshold stresses were approximately 25.5 kg/mm 2 (250 Mpa), independent on iodine concentrations. Based on fracture mechanics approach and fractographic analysis, an interpretation was made of those applied stress and time-to-failure relationships. (author)

Cytotoxic Effect of the Genus Sinularia Extracts on Human SCC25 and HaCaT Cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, G.H.; Chou, T.H.; Liang, C.H.; Lin, R.J.; Sheu, J.H.; Wang, S.H.

2009-01-01

Soft corals of the genus Sinularia are being increasingly adopted to treat a wide variety of disease processes. However, the mechanism underlying its activity against human oral cancer cells is poorly understood. This study evaluates the cyototoxicity effects of the genus Sinularia extracts (S. grandilobata, S. parva, S. triangula, S. scabra, S. nanolobata and S. gibberosa) by SCC25 and HaCaT cells. The cell adhesion assay indicates that extracts reduce the cell attachment. Extracts exhibit a dose-dependent cytotoxic effect using MTS assay.Treatment of extracts to observe the morphological alterations in cells, membrane blebbing, nuclear condensation, and apoptotic bodies is demonstrated. Flow cytometry shows that extracts sensitized the cells in the G0/G1 and G2/M phases with a concomitant significantly increased sub-G1 fraction, suggesting cell death by apoptosis. Extracts of the genus Sinularia thus apparently cause apoptosis of SCC25 and HaCaT cells, and warrant further research investigating the possible antioral cancer compounds in these soft corals.

The Use of Waste Maroon Marble Powder and Iron Oxide Pigment in the Production of Coloured Self-Compacting Concrete

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Mucteba Uysal

2018-01-01

Full Text Available This work covers some workability, mechanical, and durability properties of coloured self-compacting concrete (SCC containing maroon marble powder and iron oxide pigment. Pigments with varying amounts were used to produce coloured SCC. For this purpose, ten different series were prepared of which two of the series were pigment free that one of them was the colour of white SCC including limestone powder and the other one was the colour of maroon SCC including maroon marble powder. The other series were containing pigments with varying amounts. The water to binder ratio remained constant for all the series at 0.42. Slump flow, T50 time, V-funnel, and L-box tests were used to determine the workability of coloured SCC. The hardened properties that were determined included density, water absorption, ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV, compressive strength, abrasion resistance, and impermeability. As workability, experimental results showed that coloured SCC could be obtained by using maroon marble powder and when iron oxide pigment used in amounts less than 6%. The addition of pigment notably increased the water absorption of SCC series. The use of smaller quantities of pigment caused slight increase in compressive strength. Higher pigment content also provided decreases in abrasive resistance, and after exposure to abrasion, mass losses were within the range of 0.89%–2.12% and the abrasion depths were within the range of 0.9 mm–2.1 mm. Among the varying amounts of pigmented series, M1 series which contains 1% pigment showed the best performance, and the findings indicated that it is possible to successfully utilize maroon marble powder and lower amounts of pigments in producing coloured SCC.

Effects of fluoride and aluminum on expressions of StAR and P450scc of related steroidogenesis in guinea pigs' testis.

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Chunguang; Cao, Jinling; Cao, Chunfang; Han, Yichao; Wu, Shouyan; Wang, Shaolin; Wang, Jundong

2016-03-01

A lot of studies have shown that fluoride and aluminum have toxic effect on male reproductive system, but the mechanism of which and the interaction between fluoride and aluminum is still unknown. This study investigated the effects of fluoride (NaF) or/and aluminum (AlCl3) on serum testosterone level, gene and protein expression levels of Steroidogenic Acute Regulatory Protein (StAR) and Cytochrome P450 cholesterol side chain cleavage enzyme (P450scc) in the testes of guinea pigs. Fifty-two guinea pigs were divided randomly into four groups (Control, HiF, HiAl and HiF + HiAl). Fluoride (150 mg NaF/L) or/and aluminum (300 mg AlCl3/L) were orally administrated to male guinea pigs for 13 weeks. The results showed that F and Al reduced number and elevated abnormal ratio of sperm. Meanwhile, the concentrations of serum testosterone in all experimental groups were decreased. P450scc protein expression was significantly reduced in all treatment groups, and StAR expression was decreased remarkably in HiF group and HiF + HiAl group. The levels of StAR mRNA in three groups were reduced by 53.9%, 21.4% and 33.4%, respectively, while the expressions of P450scc mRNA were reduced by 67.8%, 17.0% and 47.8%. Therefore, we concluded that F induced the reduction in testosterone and sperm amount, and thus in lower fertility, which might occur as a consequence of depressed StAR and P450scc mRNA expression. There were no synergistic effects between F and Al, instead, Al weakened the toxicity of F to some extents. The results indicated that Al had antagonism effects on F. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

SCC analysis of Alloy 600 tubes from a retired steam generator

Science.gov (United States)

Hwang, Seong Sik; Kim, Hong Pyo

2013-09-01

Steam generators (SG) equipped with Alloy 600 tubes of a Korean nuclear power plants were replaced with a new one having Alloy 690 tubes in 1998 after 20 years of operation. To set up a guide line for an examination of the other SG tubes, a metallographic examination of the defected tubes was carried out. A destructive analysis on 71 tubes was addressed, and a relation among the stress corrosion crack (SCC) defect location, defect depth, and location of the sludge pile was obtained. Tubes extracted from the retired SG were transferred to a hot laboratory. Detailed nondestructive analysis examinations were taken again at the laboratory, and the tubes were then destructively examined. The types and sizes of the cracks were characterized. The location and depth of the SCC were evaluated in terms of the location and height of the sludge. Most axial cracks were in the sludge pile, whereas the circumferential ones were around the top of the tube sheet (TTS) or below the TTS. Average defect depth of the axial cracks was deeper than that of the circumferential ones. Axial cracks at tube support plate (TSP) seem to be related with corrosion/sludge in crevice like at the TTS region. Circumferential cracks at TSP seem to be caused by tube denting at the upper part of the TSP. Tubes not having clear ECT signals for quantifying an ECT data-base. Tubes having no ECT signal. Tubes with a large ECT signal. Tubes with various types and sizes of flaws (primary water stress corrosion cracking (PWSCC), outside diameter stress corrosion cracking (ODSCC), Pit). Tubes with distinct PWSCC or ODSCC. Tubes were extracted from the RSG based on the field ECT with the criteria, and transferred to a hot laboratory at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) for destructive examination. A comprehensive ECT inspection was performed again at the hot laboratory to confirm the location of the cracks obtained from a field inspection. These exact locations of the defects were marked on the

Analysis of specific factors causing RCS pressure boundary cracking

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Song, Taek-Ho; Jeong, Il-Seok

2007-01-01

As nuclear power plants become aged, pressure boundary integrity has become so important issue in domestic and foreign nuclear industry that many related research projects are on-going. KEPRI is going to embark a new research project for managing and preventing these kinds of cracks in nuclear power plants (NPPs). Many nuclear power plants experienced pressure boundary stress corrosion cracking (SCC) and shut downed because of it. In USA, V.C. Summer plant experienced reactor coolant pipe SCC near reactor outlet nozzle and Davis Vesse plant experienced reactor head crack around penetration pipe which is used to control rod drive mechanism. In this paper, RCS pressure boundary cracking cases and corrosion potential have been studied to find out what are the specific factors that have affected crack initiations in the reactor coolant pressure boundaries

SCC, Bowen's disease and BCC arising on chronic radiation dermatitis due to radiation therapy for tinea pedis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aoki, Eri; Aoki, Mikako; Ikemura, Akiko; Igarashi, Tsukasa; Suzuki, Kayano; Kawana, Seiji

2000-01-01

We reported a case who developed three different types of skin cancers: SCC, BCC, and Bowen's disease, on the chronic radiation dermatitis. He had been treated for his tinea pedis et palmaris with radiotherapy in 1940's. It is very ratre that three different types of skin cancers arise in the same patient. This is a second case reported in Japan. (author)

Comparison of ultrasound-assisted and traditional caustic leaching of spent cathode carbon (SCC) from aluminum electrolysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Xiao, Jin; Yuan, Jie; Tian, Zhongliang; Yang, Kai; Yao, Zhen; Yu, Bailie; Zhang, Liuyun

2018-01-01

The spent cathode carbon (SCC) from aluminum electrolysis was subjected to caustic leaching to investigate the different effects of ultrasound-assisted and traditional methods on element fluorine (F) leaching rate and leaching residue carbon content. Sodium hydroxide (NaOH) dissolved in deionized water was used as the reaction system. Through single-factor experiments and a comparison of two leaching techniques, the optimum F leaching rate and residue carbon content for ultrasound-assisted leaching process were obtained at a temperature of 70°C, residue time of 40min, initial mass ratio of alkali to SCC (initial alkali-to-material ratio) of 0.6, liquid-to-solid ratio of 10mL/g, and ultrasonic power of 400W, respectively. Under the optimal conditions, the leaching residue carbon content was 94.72%, 2.19% larger than the carbon content of traditional leaching residue. Leaching wastewater was treated with calcium chloride (CaCl 2 ) and bleaching powder and the treated wastewater was recycled caustic solution. All in all, benefiting from advantage of the ultrasonication effects, ultrasound-assisted caustic leaching on spent cathode carbon had 55.6% shorter residue time than the traditional process with a higher impurity removal rate. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Power-Cooling-Mismatch Test Series Test PCM-7. Experiment operating specifications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sparks, D.T.; Smith, R.H.; Stanley, C.J.

1979-02-01

The experiment operating specifications for the Power-Cooling-Mismatch (PCM) Test PCM-7 to be conducted in the Power Burst Facility are described. The PCM Test Series was designed on the basis of a parametric evaluation of fuel behavior response with cladding temperature, rod internal pressure, time in film boiling, and test rod power being the variable parameters. The test matrix, defined in the PCM Experiment Requirements Document (ERD), encompasses a wide range of situations extending from pre-CHF (critical heat flux) PCMs to long duration operation in stable film boiling leading to rod failure

SCC tests of AISI 304 and 316L type stainless steels in SCW conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Novotny, R.; Prchal, D.; Debarberis, L.; Haehner, P.; Degmova, J.

2008-01-01

Full text of publication follows. Super Critical Water Reactors (SCWR) have been pre-selected as a one of the candidate concepts for the new generation of nuclear reactors in frame of Generation IV. Beside the design concept choice of construction materials is the most important question. Despite extensive research due to using various materials either in the conventional supercritical coal power plants or SCWO systems there is still missing knowledge about the properties of the materials in operational conditions of SCWR. That includes influence of irradiation and environment composition on chemistry of water especially process of radiolysis, mechanical properties of the materials and oxide films properties. The process of choice and testing of possible construction and fuel cladding materials are still under R and D (e.g. EU HPLWR project). Two types of tests were undertaken in SCW environment conditions (t = 600 deg C, p = 250 bar): U-bend specimens for constant displacement SCC tests and tensile specimens for SSRT tests. SSRT tests were carried out in SCW environment with different concentration of dissolved O 2 : 1, 10, 100, 20 ppb (±5 ppb) and with different displacement rates: 0.1, 1, 10 μm/min. In SCC test with LI-bend specimens different time expositions were carried out in two concentrations of dissolved O 2 : 0 and 200 ppb. Water chemistry was continually monitored by means of pH, conductivity and dissolved O 2 sensors. After the test the specimens were analysed by optical microscopy, SEM and XRD. (authors)

The Diagnostic and Prognostic Value of Tumor Markers (CEA, SCC, CYFRA 21-1, TPS) in Head and Neck Cancer Patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Barak, Vivian; Meirovitz, Amichay; Leibovici, Vera; Rachmut, Jacob; Peretz, Tamar; Eliashar, Ron; Gross, Menachem

2015-10-01

Establishing prognostic factors is very important in the management of cancer patients. Our aim was to evaluate the clinical significance of a panel of tumor markers, including CEA (Carcino Embryonic Antigen), SCC (Squamous Cell Carcinoma Antigen), TPS (Tissue Polypeptide Specific Antigen) and CYFRA 21-1 in head and neck cancer patients, for assessing treatment response and prognosis of patients. We evaluated 312 blood samples from 143 head and neck cancer patients, from several sub-groups: 82 Larynx Carcinoma pre- and 38 post-therapy, 46 Oral Cavity pre and 29 post-therapy, 12 nasopharynx, 16 parotid and other salivary gland patients. Blood tumor markers levels were evaluated by conventional ELISA assays. Correlations of marker levels to stage of disease, lymph node involvement and therapy, were performed. Serum levels of all four tumor markers were higher before therapy and decreased thereafter in all patients. The decrease in TPS level following therapy was significant (p=0.03). Significantly higher levels of TPS and similarly higher levels of the other tumor markers were demonstrated in advanced disease (stages III and IV) patients, as opposed to early disease (stages I and II) patients (p=0.012). Node positive patients had significantly higher TPS levels as compared to node negative (p=0.02). The same trend was shown by the other markers as well, but did not reach statistical significance. TPS was best correlated to survival of patients; those having low levels had the best clinical outcome and longer survival. CEA, SCC, TPS and CYFRA 21-1 can all serve as useful tumor markers in HNC patients. They assessed response to therapy and were prognostic for recurrence. TPS proved to be the most sensitive predictor of advanced disease and poor prognosis. Copyright© 2015 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. John G. Delinassios), All rights reserved.

Effect of radiotherapy on serum SCC, CEA, CRFRA21-1, TAG72, CA199 and lymphocyte subsets in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

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Sha Sha

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Objective: To study the effect of radiotherapy on serum SCC, CEA, CRFRA21-1, TAG72, CA199 and lymphocyte subsets in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Methods: A total of 60 patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in our hospital from January 2013 to January 2016 were selected as experiment group and 40 healthy subjects were selected as control group. Patients in experiment group were treated with 6MV X-ray radiation therapy. Serum SCC, CEA, CRFRA21-1, TAG72, CA199 and the cell percentage of peripheral blood CD4+, CD8+ were compared in control group and the experimental group before and after 1 month radiotherapy. Results: Before treatment, the levels of serum SCC, CEA and CRFRA21-1 in the experimental group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P0.05. Before treatment, the cell percentage of peripheral blood CD4+, CD8+ and the ratio of CD4+/CD8+ in experimental group was significantly lower than that of the control group, the percentage of peripheral blood CD8+ in the experimental group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P0.05, and in the experimental group, the proportion of CD4+ cells and the tatio of CD4+/CD8+ in peripheral blood was significantly lower than that of the control group, the proportion of CD8+ was significantly higher than that of the control group (P<0.05. Conclusions: Radiotherapy can significantly reduce the serum SCC, CEA, CRFRA21-1, TAG72 and CA199 levels of the patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, but have less influence on the T lymphocyte subsets.

Fisetin-induced apoptosis of human oral cancer SCC-4 cells through reactive oxygen species production, endoplasmic reticulum stress, caspase-, and mitochondria-dependent signaling pathways.

Science.gov (United States)

Su, Chen-Hsuan; Kuo, Chao-Lin; Lu, Kung-Wen; Yu, Fu-Shun; Ma, Yi-Shih; Yang, Jiun-Long; Chu, Yung-Lin; Chueh, Fu-Shin; Liu, Kuo-Ching; Chung, Jing-Gung

2017-06-01

Oral cancer is one of the cancer-related diseases in human populations and its incidence rates are rising worldwide. Fisetin, a flavonoid from natural products, has been shown to exhibit anticancer activities in many human cancer cell lines but the molecular mechanism of fisetin-induced apoptosis in human oral cancer cells is still unclear; thus, in this study, we investigated fisetin-induced cell death and associated signal pathways on human oral cancer SCC-4 cells in vitro. We examined cell morphological changes, total viable cells, and cell cycle distribution by phase contrast microscopy and flow cytometry assays. Reactive oxygen species (ROS), Ca 2+ , mitochondria membrane potential (ΔΨ m ), and caspase-8, -9, and -3 activities were also measured by flow cytometer. Results indicate that fisetin induced cell death through the cell morphological changes, caused G2/M phase arrest, induction of apoptosis, promoted ROS and Ca 2+ production, and decreased the level of ΔΨ m and increased caspase-3, -8, and -9 activities in SCC-4 cells. DAPI staining and DNA gel electrophoresis were also used to confirm fisetin-induced cell apoptosis in SCC-4 cells. Western blotting also found out that Fisetin increased the proapoptotic proteins such as Bax and Bid and decreased the antiapoptotic proteins such as Bcl-2. Furthermore, results also showed that Fisetin increased the cytochrome c, AIF, and Endo G release from mitochondria in SCC-4 cells. We also used ATF-6α, ATF-6β, GADD153, and GRP78 which indicated that fisetin induced cell death through ER stress. Based on those observations, we suggest that fisetin induced cell apoptosis through ER stress, mitochondria-, and caspase-dependent pathways. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Accelerated SCC Testing of Stainless Steels According to Corrosion Resistance Classes

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Borchert, M.; Mori, G. [General Analytical and Physical Chemistry, Montanuniversitaet Leoben (Austria); Bischof, M.; Tomandl, A. [Hilti Corporation, Liechtenstein (Austria)

2015-12-15

The German Guidelines for stainless steel in buildings (Z.30.3-6) issued by the German Institute for Building Technology (DIBt) categorize various stainless steel grades into five corrosion resistance classes (CRCs). Only 21 frequently used grades are approved and assigned to these CRCs. To assign new or less commonly used materials, a large program of outdoor exposure tests and laboratory tests is required. The present paper shows the results of stress corrosion cracking (SCC) tests that can distinguish between different CRCs. Slow strain rate tests (SSRT) were performed in various media and at different temperatures. CRC IV could be distinguished from CRC II and CRC III with a 31.3 % Cl{sup -} as MgCl{sub 2} solution at 140 .deg. C. CRC II and CRC III could be differentiated by testing in a 30% Cl{sup -} as MgCl{sub 2} solution at 100 .deg. C.

Sarcomatoid carcinoma associated with small cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder: a series of 28 cases.

Science.gov (United States)

Urrea, Yuly Ramirez; Epstein, Jonathan I

2017-09-01

The association of sarcomatoid carcinoma (SC) with small cell carcinoma (SCC) has not been systematically studied. We identified 39 consult cases between 2001 and 2016 with available slides for review in 28 cases. There were 19 men and 9 women (mean age: 78 years [51-89]). In 26 (92.8%) cases, the sarcomatoid component had nonspecific malignant spindle cells, 4 (14%) chondrosarcoma, 2 (7%) myxoid sarcomatous, 1 (3.5%) osteosarcoma, and 1 (3.5%) rhabdomyosarcoma. The predominant component was SCC in 11 (39%) cases, urothelial carcinoma in 6 (21%), sarcomatoid in 3 (10%), and equal sarcomatoid and SCC in 8 (29%). There were 3 morphological groups: group 1 (18/28 [64%]) showed a gradual transition from SCC to other components; group 2 (5/28 [18%]) had an abrupt transition from SCC to other components; and in group 3 (5/28 [18%]), the SCC was separate from other components. In group 1, 12 (66%) cases of SCC showed a gradual transition to sarcomatoid areas; 3 (17%) to urothelial carcinoma; and 3 (17%) to multiple components including squamous cell carcinoma, urothelial carcinoma, and sarcomatoid. Mortality did not differ based on pathological groups. The 36-month actuarial risk of death was 64.3%. The multitude of different components in these tumors is further evidence of the remarkable ability of carcinoma of the bladder to show divergent differentiation with, in some cases, gradual transition between SCC and other elements including sarcomatoid. Greater recognition of this entity with chemotherapy targeted to the various histological elements may have important therapeutic implications. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Inkjet Printed Fully-Passive Body-Worn Wireless Sensors for Smart and Connected Community (SCC

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bashir I. Morshed

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Future Smart and Connected Communities (SCC will utilize distributed sensors and embedded computing to seamlessly generate meaningful data that can assist individuals, communities, and society with interlocking physical, social, behavioral, economic, and infrastructural interaction. SCC will require newer technologies for seamless and unobtrusive sensing and computation in natural settings. This work presents a new technology for health monitoring with low-cost body-worn disposable fully passive electronic sensors, along with a scanner, smartphone app, and web-server for a complete smart sensor system framework. The novel wireless resistive analog passive (WRAP sensors are printed using an inkjet printing (IJP technique on paper with silver inks (Novacentrix Ag B40, sheet resistance of 21 mΩ/sq and incorporate a few discrete surface mounted electronic components (overall thickness of <1 mm. These zero-power flexible sensors are powered through a wireless inductive link from a low-power scanner (500 mW during scanning burst of 100 ms by amplitude modulation at the carrier signal of 13.56 MHz. While development of various WRAP sensors is ongoing, this paper describes development of a WRAP temperature sensor in detail as an illustration. The prototypes were functionally verified at various temperatures with energy consumption of as low as 50 mJ per scan. The data is analyzed with a smartphone app that computes severity (Events-of-Interest, or EoI using a real-time algorithm. The severity can then be anonymously shared with a custom web-server, and visualized either in temporal or spatial domains. This research aims to reduce ER visits of patients by enabling self-monitoring, thereby improving community health for SSC.

SCC propagation and cessation behavior near the fusion boundary of dissimilar weld joint with Ni-based weld metal and low alloy steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ishizawa, Makoto; Abe, Hiroshi; Watanabe, Yutaka

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study is to investigate the following items focused on the microstructure near the fusion boundary of dissimilar weld joint with Ni-based weld metal and low alloy steel; (1) Microstructural characteristics near the fusion boundary, (2) Dominant factor that makes crack retardation near the fusion boundary. Main conclusions can be summarized as follows; (1) From the results of CBB tests, it has been understood that the low alloy steel has no SCC susceptibility and that there is a difference in oxidation behavior between high and low sulfur containing low alloy steel, (2) In Alloy182/LAS sample, most of crack tips were located at the fusion boundary. It has been thought that crack become less active when crack reach at fusion boundary, (3) It has been suggested that the dominant factor of crack retardation is low SCC susceptibility of low alloy steel in high temperature water. (author)

Stress Corrosion Cracking of Pipeline Steels in Fuel Grade Ethanol and Blends - Study to Evaluate Alternate Standard Tests and Phenomenological Understanding of SCC

Science.gov (United States)

2011-10-30

Main aim of this project was to evaluate alternate standard test methods for stress corrosion cracking (SCC) and compare them with the results from slow strain rate test (SSRT) results under equivalent environmental conditions. Other important aim of...

European Union bulk tank SCC standards and proposed US standards: Compliance based on data from four Federal Milk Marketing Orders

Science.gov (United States)

The objective of this study was to evaluate compliance of US producers with the proposed BTSCC limits. Four different SCC levels of compliance were evaluated: 750K; 600K; 500K; 400K. For the 12 month period ending October 2010, 1.0% of producers and 0.2% of milk exceeded the current US limit of 750K...

Effect of cold work and processing orientation on the SCC behavior of Alloy 600

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moshier, W.C.; Brown, C.M.

1999-01-01

Cold work accelerates SCC growth rates in Alloy 600. However, the variation in crack growth rates generated from cold worker material has been significant, and the effect has been difficult to quantify. A study was performed in hydrogenated water adjusted to pH 10.2 to systematically evaluate the effect of cold work on Alloy 600 as a function of temperature, amount of cold work, stress intensity factor, and processing orientation. Cold work was introduced into the material by either tensile prestraining or cold rolling plate product. Crack growth rates were determined between 252 and 360 C, stress intensity factors between 21 and 55 MPa√m, and yield strengths between 201 and 827 MPa. The material with the highest yield strength was cold rolled and tested in the longitudinal-transverse (LT) and short-transverse (ST) orientations. Crack growth rates increased with increasing temperature, stress intensity factor, and yield strength. Furthermore, crack growth rates were a strong function of the processing orientation in the cold rolled plate, with growth rates being approximately an order of magnitude greater in the ST orientation compared to the LT orientation. Crack growth rates in the LT orientation were measured between 0.003 and 1.95 x 10 -9 m/s and between 0.066 and 6.3 x 10 -9 m/s in the ST orientation. Activation energies were slightly greater in the ST orientation, ranging from 154 to 191 kcal/mole, compared to activation energies between 126 and 157 kJ/mole in the LT orientation. The results of this study demonstrate that although cold work can be used to accelerate SCC, the orientation of crack growth can significantly affect the results, and must be taken into account when analyzing data from cold worked material

Stress corrosion cracking susceptibility of austenitic stainless steels in supercritical water conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Novotny, R.; Haehner, P.; Ripplinger, S.; Siegl, J.; Penttilae, Sami; Toivonen, Aki

2009-01-01

Within the 6th Framework Program HPLWR-2 project (High Performance Light Water Reactor - Phase 2), stress corrosion cracking (SCC) susceptibilities of selected austenitic stainless steels, 316L and 316NG, were studied in supercritical water (SCW) with the aim to identify and describe the specific failure mechanisms prevailing during slow strain-rate tensile (SSRT) tests in ultra-pure demineralised SCW water solution. The SSRT tests were performed using a step-motor controlled loading device in an autoclave at 350 deg. C, 500 deg. C and 550 deg. C. Besides water temperature, the pressure, the oxygen content and the strain rate (resp. crosshead speed) were varied in the series of tests. The specimens SSRT tested to failure were subjected to fractographic analysis, in order to characterise the failure mechanisms. The fractography confirmed that failure was due to a combination of transgranular SCC and transgranular ductile fracture. The share of SCC and ductile fracture in the failure process of individual specimens was affected by the parameters of the SSRT tests, so that the environmental influence on SCC susceptibility could be assessed, in particular, the SCC sensitising effects of increasing oxygen content, decreasing strain rate and increasing test temperature. (author)

SCC behavior of alloy 690 from a CDRM mock-up

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lapena, J.; Sol Garcia-Redondo, M. del; Perosanz, F.J.; Saez, A.; Gomez-Briceno, D.; Castelao, C.

2015-01-01

Stress corrosion cracking (SCC) response of Alloy 690 when the material has been subjected to nonuniform cold working is of interest to understand the behavior of the weld heat affected zone (HAZ) of Alloy 690 in which localised plastic strain exists due to weld shrinkage. This has a special interest in the case of control-rod-drive mechanisms (CRDM) of vessel head. To simulate these conditions during last years many crack growth rate (CGR) data were obtained in deformed material by cold work (rolling, forging or tensile straining), up to 40% of cold working. However, it is unclear to what extent this simulation procedure reproduces the conditions of the material in a CRDM. A research project is being carried out in order to obtain CGR data in realistic situations existing in operating power plants, by the use of CT specimens extracted from CRDMs. This presentation shows the characterization and some results of crack growth rate data on Alloy 690 TT base metal/HAZ/weld metal using specimens made from a CRDM mock-up. It has been fabricated following the usual procedures used for the RPV head fabrication for the Spanish PWR NPP. (authors)

Pathogen-group specific association between CXCR1 polymorphisms and subclinical mastitis in dairy heifers.

Science.gov (United States)

Verbeke, Joren; Piepers, Sofie; Peelman, Luc; Van Poucke, Mario; De Vliegher, Sarne

2012-08-01

The chemokine (C-X-C motif) receptor 1 (CXCR1) gene encodes the homonymous receptor for interleukin 8 (IL8) on polymorphonuclear neutrophilic leucocytes (PMNL). Binding causes migration from blood to milk, activation and prolonged survival of PMNL, a crucial process in the innate immune defence of the bovine mammary gland against invading mastitis-causing pathogens. The main objective of this study was to screen the entire coding region of the CXCR1 gene for polymorphisms and to analyse their association with udder health of dairy heifers. One-hundred-and-forty Belgian Holstein heifers originating from 20 commercial dairy farms were genotyped by DNA sequencing. Detailed phenotypic data on udder health was available including quarter bacteriological culture results and somatic cell count (SCC) in early lactation and composite milk SCC during first lactation. In total, 16 polymorphisms (including 8 missense mutations) were detected. Polymorphism c.980A>G was associated with pathogen-group specific IMI: heifers with genotype AG were less likely to have an IMI due to major mastitis pathogens compared with heifers with genotype GG but did not have less IMI by coagulase-negative staphylococci, so-called minor pathogens. CXCR1 genotype was neither associated with quarter SCC in early lactation nor with composite SCC during lactation. Although mastitis susceptibility is influenced by many factors, some genetic polymorphisms potentially have major effects on udder health of heifers, as was shown here. These results trigger us to further study the relationship between CXCR1 polymorphisms and mastitis susceptibility in both observational and experimental trials.

Identification of Subtype-Specific Prognostic Genes for Early-Stage Lung Adenocarcinoma and Squamous Cell Carcinoma Patients Using an Embedded Feature Selection Algorithm.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Suyan Tian

Full Text Available The existence of fundamental differences between lung adenocarcinoma (AC and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC in their underlying mechanisms motivated us to postulate that specific genes might exist relevant to prognosis of each histology subtype. To test on this research hypothesis, we previously proposed a simple Cox-regression model based feature selection algorithm and identified successfully some subtype-specific prognostic genes when applying this method to real-world data. In this article, we continue our effort on identification of subtype-specific prognostic genes for AC and SCC, and propose a novel embedded feature selection method by extending Threshold Gradient Descent Regularization (TGDR algorithm and minimizing on a corresponding negative partial likelihood function. Using real-world datasets and simulated ones, we show these two proposed methods have comparable performance whereas the new proposal is superior in terms of model parsimony. Our analysis provides some evidence on the existence of such subtype-specific prognostic genes, more investigation is warranted.

Basic evaluation of measurement of the serum level of squamous cell carcinoma-related antigen (SCC) and its value in following irradiated patients with cancer of the uterine cervix

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Obata, Yasunori; Tadokoro, Masanori; Kazato, Sadayuki

1987-01-01

The measuremet of the serum level of squamous cell carcinoma-related antigen (SCC) purified from liver metastasis of cancer of the uterine cervix by an RIA kit is basically evaluated. The results of sensitivity, the recovery test, dilution test and variance test are good enough for clinical application. In gynecological disorders, the possitive rate is high (62 % [29/47]) in patients with cancer of the uterine cervix. Furthermore, the rate and level are related with the clinical staging. The changes of the serum SCC level in irradiated patients with cancer of the uterine cervix were a good reflection of the effectiveness of the treatment. (author)

Numerical study on dissimilar guide vane design with SCC piston for air and emulsified biofuel mixing improvement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hamid Mohd Fadzli

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Crude palm oil (CPO is one of the most potential biofuels that can be applied in the conventional diesel engines, where the chemical properties of CPO are comparable to diesel fuel. However, its higher viscosity and heavier molecules can contributes to several engine problems such as low atomization during injection, carbon deposit formation, injector clogging, low mixing with air and lower combustion efficiency. An emulsification of biofuel and modifications of few engine critical components have been identified to mitigate the issues. This paper presents the effects of dissimilar guide vane design (GVD in terms of height variation of 0.25R, 0.3R and 0.35R at the intake manifold with shallow depth re-entrance combustion chamber (SCC piston application to the incylinder air flow characteristics improvement. The simulation results show that the intake manifold with GVD improved the performance of the air flow characteristic particularly swirl, tumble and cross tumble ratios from the intake manifold to the engine. The GVD with the height of 0.3R was found to be the optimum design with respect to the overall improvement of the air flow characteristic. The improvement of the air flow characteristic with the application of GVD and SCC piston in the engine was expected to contribute to a better air fuel mixing, fuel atomization and combustion efficiency of the engine using emulsified biofuel as a source of fuel.

Evaluation of SCC test methods for Inconel 600 in low temperature aqueous solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Newman, R.C.; Roberge, R.; Bandy, R.

1982-04-01

In late 1981, widespread leakage was encountered in Alloy 600 steam-generator tubing at the Three Mile Island Unit 1 nuclear power plant. The phenomenon was identified as low-temperature intergranular stress-corrosion cracking (SCC) initiated from the inner surfaces of the tubes exposed to the primary coolant. A testing program was initiated to examine the material and environmental factors relevant to these failures, which were found to be associated with sensitization of the material and contamination of the coolant by air and sodium thiosulfate. The test solutions contained 1.3% boric acid with various additions of sulfur compounds and lithium hydroxide. Constant extension rate testing was used as the primary tool to examine environmental effects such as the inhibition of cracking by lithium hydroxide. Important effects of crack-initiation frequency on the specimen potential (and therefore crack velocity) are demonstrated

SCC testing of steam generator tubes repaired by welded sleeves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pierson, E.; Stubbe, J.

1993-01-01

One way to repair steam generator tubing is to introduce a sleeve inside the tube so that it spans the corroded area and to seal it at both ends. This technique has been studied at Laborelec with a particular attention paid to the occurrence of new SCC cracks at the upper joint. Tube segments coming from the same lot of mill annealed alloy 600 were sent to six manufacturers to be sleeved by their own procedure (including TIG, laser or kinetic welding, followed or not by a stress relief heat treatment), and then tested at Laborelecin 10% NaOH at 350 degrees C. The tests were performed with and without differential pressure i.e. in capsules (Δ = 9 and 19 MPa) and in autoclave (Δp = 0). Nearly all the not stress relieved mock-ups developed through cracks in several hundred hours in auto-clave. The cracks were circumferential and situated near the weld. At 9 and 19 MPa, the time to failure decreased and longitudinal cracks appeared near the weld and at the transition zone of expanded areas. Cracks were never observed in the alloy 690 sleeve, except in the weld bead. Reference capsules (roll expaned tubes) made of the same lot of alloy 600 were tested in the same environment

NSE, CEA and SCC - a useful combination of tumor markers in lung cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fischbach, W.; Jany, B.

1988-01-01

The usefulness of neuronspecific enolase (NSE), CEA, and of the tumor associated antigen SSC was investigated in 61 patients with histologically proven lung cancer (small cell lung cancer n=25, adenocarcinoma n=14, squamous cell carcinoma n=18 and large cell carcinoma n=4). The sensitivity of NSE was 93.3% in small cell lung cancer (SCLC), whereas in adeno- and squamous cell carcinoma only 8 or 13%, resp., elevated serum NSE were found. CEA was the most sensitive marker for adenocarcinoma (58.3%). Contrary to NSE, however, CEA does not allow any conclusions concerning differential diagnosis as pathological serum concentrations were also observed in 46.6% both in small cell lung cancer and in squamous cell carcinoma. SCC demonstrated a sensitivity of 53% in squamous cell carcinoma. Elevated serum levels were also found in adenocarcinoma (41.6%), but never in small lung cancer. For all three markers tested, high serum concentrations were predominantly present in patients with advanced disease state. (orig.) [de

Tumor specific lung cancer diagnostics with multiplexed FRET immunoassays

Science.gov (United States)

Geißler, D.; Hill, D.; Löhmannsröben, H.-G.; Thomas, E.; Lavigne, A.; Darbouret, B.; Bois, E.; Charbonnière, L. J.; Ziessel, R. F.; Hildebrandt, N.

2010-02-01

An optical multiplexed homogeneous (liquid phase) immunoassay based on FRET from a terbium complex to eight different fluorescent dyes is presented. We achieved highly sensitive parallel detection of four different lung cancer specific tumor markers (CEA, NSE, SCC and CYFRA21-1) within a single assay and show a proof-of-principle for 5- fold multiplexing. The method is well suited for fast and low-cost miniaturized point-of-care testing as well as for highthroughput screening in a broad range of in-vitro diagnostic applications.

Effects of microstructure and mechanical properties of alloys 600 an 690 on secondary side SCC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vaillant, F.; Buisine, D.; Prieux, B.; Fournel, J.C.; Gelpi, A.

1996-03-01

Modeling for secondary side cracking is needed to understand the behaviour of alloy 600 in plants. They require a comprehensive understanding of the various influences of the material properties on Stress Corrosion Cracking (SCC), based on field experience and laboratory data. In an attempt to predict the materials effects on SCC behaviour of new steam generators, laboratory corrosion data of alloy 690 were overviewed. French field experience with steam generators equipped with drilled tube support plates (TSPs) has demonstrated that the lower the yield stress (YS) and the carbon content, the higher the susceptibility t secondary side cracking of mill-annealed (MA) alloy 600. Also heat treated (700 deg. C x 16 h) tubing has been shown to have a much better resistance, but this excellent resistance could not be attributed only to the material properties. In laboratory environments, particularly in caustics, results have confirmed several of the above mentioned key findings on alloy 600: in caustic environments and under constant loading, tubes fabricated from MA alloy 600 with low YS have exhibited the worst resistance to initiation; YS was found to be the most accurate parameter to account for the behaviour of MA alloy 600. A heat treatment at 700 deg. C appeared to reduce the propagation rates of cracks in alloy 600. The best IGSCC resistance of alloy 690 was obtained for tubes with intergranular precipitation of carbides. TT (700 deg. C) significantly improved the propagation resistance of alloy 690; in acidic and neutral sulfate environments, IGSCC of alloy 600 was not strongly dependent on the microstructure in the MA condition, but sensitization was detrimental. When alloy 600 and particularly alloy 690 were thermally treated at 700 deg. C x 16 h, the resistance to IGSCC was significantly improved. Tests performed on alloy 690 have shown a better resistance to IGSCC initiation and propagation than alloy 600, in NaOH and acidic sulfate environments. (authors

DFTB3: Extension of the self-consistent-charge density-functional tight-binding method (SCC-DFTB).

Science.gov (United States)

Gaus, Michael; Cui, Qiang; Elstner, Marcus

2012-04-10

The self-consistent-charge density-functional tight-binding method (SCC-DFTB) is an approximate quantum chemical method derived from density functional theory (DFT) based on a second-order expansion of the DFT total energy around a reference density. In the present study we combine earlier extensions and improve them consistently with, first, an improved Coulomb interaction between atomic partial charges, and second, the complete third-order expansion of the DFT total energy. These modifications lead us to the next generation of the DFTB methodology called DFTB3, which substantially improves the description of charged systems containing elements C, H, N, O, and P, especially regarding hydrogen binding energies and proton affinities. As a result, DFTB3 is particularly applicable to biomolecular systems. Remaining challenges and possible solutions are also briefly discussed.

Prophylactic dissection of level V in primary mucosal SCC in the clinically N positive neck: A systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

McLean, Timothy; Kerr, Stephen J; Giddings, Charles E B

2017-09-01

To review the evidence for level V dissection in the management of previously untreated mucosal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the head and neck presenting with nodal metastasis when level V is clinically uninvolved. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) were used to conduct a systematic review of the current literature, including all English language articles published after 1990. A literature search was performed on November 29, 2015, of Medline, EMBASE, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), and the Cochrane Library. The search yielded a total of 270 papers. Strict inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied, leaving 20 eligible papers. Overall prevalence was calculated using random effect meta-analysis. The overall prevalence of level V occult disease in the node (N)-positive neck, irrespective of subsite, was 2.56% (95% confidence interval 1.29-3.84) (2,368 patients and 2,533 necks). The prevalence of occult level V metastasis was up to 7.7% for oral cavity and 8.3% for oropharyngeal tumors. Five studies reported regional recurrence rates over variable time periods. There is exceedingly limited data on outcomes, such as spinal accessory nerve function, quality of life, and perioperative complications. Mucosal head and neck SCC presenting with nodal metastasis but with level V clinically uninvolved has a low prevalence of occult level V disease. Routine dissection of level V does not appear to be warranted; however, a definitive conclusion is unable to be drawn due to limited data on morbidity and oncological outcomes. Laryngoscope, 127:2074-2080, 2017. © 2017 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

Evaluation of salt particle collection device for preventing SCC on canister - Effect on particle collection rate by electric field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takeda, H.; Saegusa, T.

2013-01-01

Now, in Japan, while metal casks are used for spent nuclear fuel storage, a practical use of concrete casks is under review because of its cost effectiveness and procurement easiness. In reviewing the practical use, stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of a canister container in the concrete cask becomes an issue and is needed to be resolved soon. A natural ventilation system is generally adopted for the storage facilities, especially in Japan where facilities are built near coasts so that the cooling air includes sea salt particles. Therefore, the occurrence of SCC is concerned when the sea salt particles adhere to welded parts of the canisters. In this study, we proposed a salt particle collection device with low pressure loss which does not interfere with the air flow into the building or the concrete casks. The device is composed of a stack of 10 parallel stainless steel plates, the air is free to circulate in the space between them. Pressure loss tests in a laboratory and salt particle collection tests in the field have been performed. It has been clarified that the pressure loss of the device is one-thirtieth to one-twentieth of that of a commercial filter and 40% of the particles in the air could be collected and the device would not influence the heat removal performance. Moreover, we evaluated the effect of electric field on the particle collection under supposing the particle charge. In the case of electric field over 10 3 kV/m the particle collection rate could be improved dramatically

Associations between pathogen-specific cases of subclinical mastitis and milk yield, quality, protein composition, and cheese-making traits in dairy cows.

Science.gov (United States)

Bobbo, T; Ruegg, P L; Stocco, G; Fiore, E; Gianesella, M; Morgante, M; Pasotto, D; Bittante, G; Cecchinato, A

2017-06-01

The aim of this study was to investigate associations between pathogen-specific cases of subclinical mastitis and milk yield, quality, protein composition, and cheese-making traits. Forty-one multibreed herds were selected for the study, and composite milk samples were collected from 1,508 cows belonging to 3 specialized dairy breeds (Holstein Friesian, Brown Swiss, and Jersey) and 3 dual-purpose breeds of Alpine origin (Simmental, Rendena, and Grey Alpine). Milk composition [i.e., fat, protein, casein, lactose, pH, urea, and somatic cell count (SCC)] was analyzed, and separation of protein fractions was performed by reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography. Eleven coagulation traits were measured: 5 traditional milk coagulation properties [time from rennet addition to milk gelation (RCT, min), curd-firming rate as the time to a curd firmness (CF) of 20 mm (k 20 , min), and CF at 30, 45, and 60 min from rennet addition (a 30 , a 45 , and a 60 , mm)], and 6 new curd firming and syneresis traits [potential asymptotical CF at an infinite time (CF P , mm), curd-firming instant rate constant (k CF , % × min -1 ), curd syneresis instant rate constant (k SR , % × min -1 ), modeled RCT (RCT eq , min), maximum CF value (CF max, mm), and time at CF max (t max , min)]. We also measured 3 cheese yield traits, expressing the weights of total fresh curd (%CY CURD ), dry matter (%CY SOLIDS ), and water (%CY WATER ) in the curd as percentages of the weight of the processed milk, and 4 nutrient recovery traits (REC PROTEIN , REC FAT , REC SOLIDS , and REC ENERGY ), representing the percentage ratio between each nutrient in the curd and milk. Milk samples with SCC > 100,000 cells/mL were subjected to bacteriological examination. All samples were divided into 7 clusters of udder health (UH) status: healthy (cows with milk SCC culture-negative samples with low, medium, or high SCC; and culture-positive samples divided into contagious, environmental, and opportunistic

Multiple Indicator Stationary Time Series Models.

Science.gov (United States)

Sivo, Stephen A.

2001-01-01

Discusses the propriety and practical advantages of specifying multivariate time series models in the context of structural equation modeling for time series and longitudinal panel data. For time series data, the multiple indicator model specification improves on classical time series analysis. For panel data, the multiple indicator model…

dK/da effects on the SCC growth rates of nickel base alloys in high-temperature water

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Kai; Wang, Jiamei; Du, Donghai; Andresen, Peter L.; Zhang, Lefu

2018-05-01

The effect of dK/da on crack growth behavior of nickel base alloys has been studied by conducting stress corrosion cracking tests under positive and negative dK/da loading conditions on Alloys 690, 600 and X-750 in high temperature water. Results indicate that positive dK/da accelerates the SCC growth rates, and the accelerating effect increases with dK/da and the initial CGR. The FRI model was found to underestimate the dK/da effect by ∼100X, especially for strain hardening materials, and this underscores the need for improved insight and models for crack tip strain rate. The effect of crack tip strain rate and dK/dt in particular can explain the dK/da accelerating effect.

Corrosion studies on type AISI 316L stainless steel and other materials in lithium-salt solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zheng, J.H.; Bogaerts, W.F.; Agema, K.; Phlippo, K.; Bruggeman, A.; Lorenzetto, P.; Embrechts, M.J.

1991-01-01

A possible concept for the blanket for next generation fusion devices is the lithium salt blanket, where lithium salt is dissolved in an aqueous coolant in order to provide for tritium. Type AISI 316L stainless steel has been considered as a structural material for such a blanket for NET (Next European Torus), and a systematic study of the corrosion behaviour of 316L stainless steel has been carried out in a number of lithium salt solutions. The experiments include cyclic potentiodynamic polarization measurement, crevice corrosion fatigue and stress corrosion cracking (SCC) tests. This paper presents a part of novel corrosion results concerning the compatibility of 316L steel and a series of other materials relevant to a fusion blanket environment. No major uniform corrosion problem has been observed, but localized corrosion, particularly corrosion fatigue and SCC, of 316L stainless steel have been found so far in a lithium hydroxide solution under some specific potential conditions. The critical electrochemical potential zones for SCC have been identified in the present study. (orig.)

Early detection of response in small cell bronchogenic carcinoma by changes in serum concentrations of creatine kinase, neuron specific enolase, calcitonin, ACTH, serotonin and gastrin releasing peptide

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bork, E; Hansen, M; Urdal, P

1988-01-01

Creatine kinase (CK-BB), neuron specific enolase (NSE), ACTH, calcitonin, serotonin and gastrin releasing peptide (GRP) were measured in serum or plasma before and immediately after initiation of treatment in patients with small cell lung cancer (SCC). Pretherapeutic elevated concentrations of CK...

Women's series: by women, for women?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kuitert, L.; Spiers, J.

2011-01-01

One of the striking phenomena in the 19th century publishing history is the abundant publication of publisher''s series. This contribution concerns series specifically meant for women. The focus is on Dutch literary series for women, mostly 19th century.

2,2′,4,4′-Tetrabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-47) decreases progesterone synthesis through cAMP-PKA pathway and P450scc downregulation in mouse Leydig tumor cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, Xiumei; Tang, Rong; Chen, Xiaojiao; Xu, Bo; Qin, Yufeng; Wu, Wei; Hu, Yanhui; Xu, Bin; Song, Ling; Xia, Yankai; Wang, Xinru

2012-01-01

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are commonly used as flame retardants in textiles, plastics and electronics and represent a group of persistent environmental contaminants. They have been found to accumulate in human and marine mammals. Previous studies have shown that PBDEs have endocrine-disrupting properties and reproductive toxicity. However, the mechanisms under the reproductive disruptions are still not well understood. In this study, we explored the effects of 2,2′,4,4′-tetrabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-47) on progesterone biosynthesis and possible mechanisms in mouse Leydig tumor cells (mLTC-1). Our results showed that BDE-47 could reduce progesterone production and decrease the intracellular cAMP level induced by hCG or forskolin. These suggested that BDE-47 decreasing progesterone production in mLTC-1 cells may be associated with the decline of intracellular cAMP level. Moreover, our data also indicated that the site G protein in cAMP-PKA pathway may be involved in this process. Furthermore, the addition of cAMP analog, 8-Br-cAMP, could not reverse the decrease of progesterone biosynthesis, indicating that a post-cAMP site (or sites) might be involved into the BDE-47-decreased progesterone production. In addition, we found BDE-47 reduced the activity of P450 side chain cleavage enzyme (P450scc), which was companied with the decline of P450scc mRNA and protein level in mLTC-1 cells. Put all together, these results suggested that progesterone synthesis decrease induced by BDE-47 may be associated with attenuation of cAMP generation and reduction of P450scc activity.

What is the fundamental ion-specific series for anions and cations? Ion specificity in standard partial molar volumes of electrolytes and electrostriction in water and non-aqueous solvents† †Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c7sc02691a Click here for additional data file.

Science.gov (United States)

Mazzini, Virginia

2017-01-01

The importance of electrolyte solutions cannot be overstated. Beyond the ionic strength of electrolyte solutions the specific nature of the ions present is vital in controlling a host of properties. Therefore ion specificity is fundamentally important in physical chemistry, engineering and biology. The observation that the strengths of the effect of ions often follows well established series suggests that a single predictive and quantitative description of specific-ion effects covering a wide range of systems is possible. Such a theory would revolutionise applications of physical chemistry from polymer precipitation to drug design. Current approaches to understanding specific-ion effects involve consideration of the ions themselves, the solvent and relevant interfaces and the interactions between them. Here we investigate the specific-ion effects trends of standard partial molar volumes and electrostrictive volumes of electrolytes in water and eleven non-aqueous solvents. We choose these measures as they relate to bulk properties at infinite dilution, therefore they are the simplest electrolyte systems. This is done to test the hypothesis that the ions alone exhibit a specific-ion effect series that is independent of the solvent and unrelated to surface properties. The specific-ion effects trends of standard partial molar volumes and normalised electrostrictive volumes examined in this work show a fundamental ion-specific series that is reproduced across the solvents, which is the Hofmeister series for anions and the reverse lyotropic series for cations, supporting the hypothesis. This outcome is important in demonstrating that ion specificity is observed at infinite dilution and demonstrates that the complexity observed in the manifestation of specific-ion effects in a very wide range of systems is due to perturbations of solvent, surfaces and concentration on the underlying fundamental series. This knowledge will guide a general understanding of specific

Patient specific dynamic geometric models from sequential volumetric time series image data.

Science.gov (United States)

Cameron, B M; Robb, R A

2004-01-01

Generating patient specific dynamic models is complicated by the complexity of the motion intrinsic and extrinsic to the anatomic structures being modeled. Using a physics-based sequentially deforming algorithm, an anatomically accurate dynamic four-dimensional model can be created from a sequence of 3-D volumetric time series data sets. While such algorithms may accurately track the cyclic non-linear motion of the heart, they generally fail to accurately track extrinsic structural and non-cyclic motion. To accurately model these motions, we have modified a physics-based deformation algorithm to use a meta-surface defining the temporal and spatial maxima of the anatomic structure as the base reference surface. A mass-spring physics-based deformable model, which can expand or shrink with the local intrinsic motion, is applied to the metasurface, deforming this base reference surface to the volumetric data at each time point. As the meta-surface encompasses the temporal maxima of the structure, any extrinsic motion is inherently encoded into the base reference surface and allows the computation of the time point surfaces to be performed in parallel. The resultant 4-D model can be interactively transformed and viewed from different angles, showing the spatial and temporal motion of the anatomic structure. Using texture maps and per-vertex coloring, additional data such as physiological and/or biomechanical variables (e.g., mapping electrical activation sequences onto contracting myocardial surfaces) can be associated with the dynamic model, producing a 5-D model. For acquisition systems that may capture only limited time series data (e.g., only images at end-diastole/end-systole or inhalation/exhalation), this algorithm can provide useful interpolated surfaces between the time points. Such models help minimize the number of time points required to usefully depict the motion of anatomic structures for quantitative assessment of regional dynamics.

Diseño de un sistema administrativo contable aplicable a la empresa Centro Artesanal Niño Jesús S.C.C.

OpenAIRE

Posso García, Carlos Patricio

2006-01-01

El Sistema Administrativo Contable es el pilar de toda organización para poder desarrollar adecuadamente sus actividades, estableciendo responsabilidades a los encargados de las todas las áreas, medidas de seguridad y control. Diseñar un modelo de un SISTEMA ADMINISTRATIVO-CONTABLE para la empresa CENTRO ARTESANAL NIÑO JESÚS S.C.C. permitirá contar con una oportuna, completa y exacta información de los resultados financieros de la Empresa en su conjunto; así como mejorar los procesos ad...

Microarray data re-annotation reveals specific lncRNAs and their potential functions in non-small cell lung cancer subtypes

OpenAIRE

Zhou, Dongbo; Xie, Mingxuan; He, Baimei; Gao, Ying; Yu, Qiao; He, Bixiu; Chen, Qiong

2017-01-01

Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide. The most common subtypes of NSCLC are adenocarcinoma (AC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). However, the pathophysiological mechanisms contributing to AC and SCC are still largely unknown, especially the roles of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). The present study identified differentially expressed lncRNAs between lung AC and SCC by re-annotation of NSCLC microarray data analysis profiling. The potential func...

Fourier Series Optimization Opportunity

Science.gov (United States)

Winkel, Brian

2008-01-01

This note discusses the introduction of Fourier series as an immediate application of optimization of a function of more than one variable. Specifically, it is shown how the study of Fourier series can be motivated to enrich a multivariable calculus class. This is done through discovery learning and use of technology wherein students build the…

Compositional segmentation and complexity measurement in stock indices

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Haifeng; Shang, Pengjian; Xia, Jianan

2016-01-01

In this paper, we introduce a complexity measure based on the entropic segmentation called sequence compositional complexity (SCC) into the analysis of financial time series. SCC was first used to deal directly with the complex heterogeneity in nonstationary DNA sequences. We already know that SCC was found to be higher in sequences with long-range correlation than those with low long-range correlation, especially in the DNA sequences. Now, we introduce this method into financial index data, subsequently, we find that the values of SCC of some mature stock indices, such as S & P 500 (simplified with S & P in the following) and HSI, are likely to be lower than the SCC value of Chinese index data (such as SSE). What is more, we find that, if we classify the indices with the method of SCC, the financial market of Hong Kong has more similarities with mature foreign markets than Chinese ones. So we believe that a good correspondence is found between the SCC of the index sequence and the complexity of the market involved.

Mitigating Intergranular Stress Corrosion Cracking in Age-Hardenable Al-Zn-Mg-Cu Alloys

Science.gov (United States)

Ajay Krishnan, M.; Raja, V. S.; Shukla, Shweta; Vaidya, S. M.

2018-06-01

This article reports an attempt to develop high-strength aluminum alloys of 7xxx series resistant to intergranular stress corrosion cracking (SCC). A novel aging technique reported in this work exhibited improved strength levels (as high as 100 MPa to that of conventional overaged temper for AA 7050) with significant resistance to SCC measured even at a low strain rate (10-7 s-1) in 3.5 wt pct NaCl. The novel aging heat treatment produced a microstructure that is finer and dense enough in the matrix to impart strength, whereas it is enriched with Cu on the grain boundaries to impart SCC resistance. A detailed explanation for the enhanced strength and SCC resistance is discussed.

Mitigating Intergranular Stress Corrosion Cracking in Age-Hardenable Al-Zn-Mg-Cu Alloys

Science.gov (United States)

Ajay Krishnan, M.; Raja, V. S.; Shukla, Shweta; Vaidya, S. M.

2018-04-01

This article reports an attempt to develop high-strength aluminum alloys of 7xxx series resistant to intergranular stress corrosion cracking (SCC). A novel aging technique reported in this work exhibited improved strength levels (as high as 100 MPa to that of conventional overaged temper for AA 7050) with significant resistance to SCC measured even at a low strain rate (10-7 s-1) in 3.5 wt pct NaCl. The novel aging heat treatment produced a microstructure that is finer and dense enough in the matrix to impart strength, whereas it is enriched with Cu on the grain boundaries to impart SCC resistance. A detailed explanation for the enhanced strength and SCC resistance is discussed.

Microarray data re-annotation reveals specific lncRNAs and their potential functions in non-small cell lung cancer subtypes.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Dongbo; Xie, Mingxuan; He, Baimei; Gao, Ying; Yu, Qiao; He, Bixiu; Chen, Qiong

2017-10-01

Non‑small‑cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide. The most common subtypes of NSCLC are adenocarcinoma (AC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). However, the pathophysiological mechanisms contributing to AC and SCC are still largely unknown, especially the roles of long non‑coding RNAs (lncRNAs). The present study identified differentially expressed lncRNAs between lung AC and SCC by re‑annotation of NSCLC microarray data analysis profiling. The potential functions of lncRNAs were predicted by using coding‑non‑coding gene co‑expressing network. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT‑qPCR) was used to investigate lncRNA expression levels in AC cell lines (A549 and L78), SCC cell lines (H226 and H520) and normal cells (NL‑20). Western blotting analysis was used to investigate the protein expression levels in these cell lines. A total of 65 lncRNAs were differentially expressed between AC and SCC including 28 lncRNAs that were downregulated in SCC subtypes compared with those in AC ones, and 37 upregulated lncRNAs in SCC subtypes compared with AC subtypes. Three lncRNAs, sex determining region Y‑box 2 overlapping transcript (SOX2‑OT), NCBP2 antisense RNA 2 (NCBP2‑AS2) and ubiquitin like with PHD and ring finger domains 1 (UHRF1), were predicted to be associated with lung cancer; RT‑qPCR confirmed that SOX2‑OT and NCBP2‑AS2 were associated with lung cancer. Finally, western blot assays demonstrated that there was no difference in β‑catenin and glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK‑3β) expression in cancer cells compared with NL‑20, but increased phosphorylated (p‑)β‑catenin and p‑GSK‑3β was detected in lung cancer cell lines compared with NL‑20, particularly in A549 cells. Although these results require further experimental verification, the analysis of lncRNA signatures between AC and SCC has provided insights into the regulatory mechanism of NSCLC development.

Pimonidazole labelling and response to fractionated irradiation of five human squamous cell carcinoma (hSCC) lines in nude mice: The need for a multivariate approach in biomarker studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yaromina, Ala; Zips, Daniel; Thames, Howard D.; Eicheler, Wolfgang; Krause, Mechthild; Rosner, Andrea; Haase, Michael; Petersen, Cordula; Raleigh, James A.; Quennet, Verena; Walenta, Stefan; Mueller-Klieser, Wolfgang; Baumann, Michael

2006-01-01

Objective: To investigate the influence on local control after fractionated radiotherapy of hypoxia measured in unirradiated tumours using the hypoxic marker Pimonidazole, using multivariate approaches. Material and methods: Five human squamous cell carcinoma lines (FaDu, UT-SCC-15, UT-SCC-14, XF354, and UT-SCC-5) were transplanted subcutaneously into the right hind-leg of NMRI nude mice. Histological material was collected from 60 unirradiated tumours after injection of Pimonidazole. The relative hypoxic area within the viable tumour area (Pimonidazole hypoxic fraction, pHF) was determined in seven serial 10 μm cross-sections per tumour by fluorescence microscopy and computerized image analysis. Local tumour control was evaluated in a total of 399 irradiated tumours at 120 days after 30 fractions given within 6 weeks with total doses between 30 and 115 Gy. Results: Tumour lines showed pronounced heterogeneity in both pHF and TCD 5 . Mean pHF values varied between 5% and 37%, TCD 5 values between 47 and 130 Gy. A Cox Proportional Hazards model of time to recurrence with two covariates, dose and pHF, yielded significant contributions of both parameters on local control (p < 0.005) but violated the proportional hazards assumption, suggesting that other factors also influence tumour control. Introduction of histological grade as an example of a confounding factor into the model improved the fit significantly. Local control rates decreased with increasing pHF and this effect was more pronounced at higher doses. Conclusions: This study confirms that tumour hypoxia measured using Pimonidazole in untreated tumours is a significant determinant of local control after fractionated irradiation. The data support the use of multivariate approaches for the evaluation of a single prognostic biomarker such as Pimonidazole, and more generally, suggest that they are required to establish accurate prognostic factors for tumour response

EARLINET: potential operationality of a research network

Science.gov (United States)

Sicard, M.; D'Amico, G.; Comerón, A.; Mona, L.; Alados-Arboledas, L.; Amodeo, A.; Baars, H.; Belegante, L.; Binietoglou, I.; Bravo-Aranda, J. A.; Fernández, A. J.; Fréville, P.; García-Vizcaíno, D.; Giunta, A.; Granados-Muñoz, M. J.; Guerrero-Rascado, J. L.; Hadjimitsis, D.; Haefele, A.; Hervo, M.; Iarlori, M.; Kokkalis, P.; Lange, D.; Mamouri, R. E.; Mattis, I.; Molero, F.; Montoux, N.; Muñoz, A.; Muñoz Porcar, C.; Navas-Guzmán, F.; Nicolae, D.; Nisantzi, A.; Papagiannopoulos, N.; Papayannis, A.; Pereira, S.; Preißler, J.; Pujadas, M.; Rizi, V.; Rocadenbosch, F.; Sellegri, K.; Simeonov, V.; Tsaknakis, G.; Wagner, F.; Pappalardo, G.

2015-07-01

In the framework of ACTRIS summer 2012 measurement campaign (8 June-17 July 2012), EARLINET organized and performed a controlled exercise of feasibility to demonstrate its potential to perform operational, coordinated measurements and deliver products in near-real time. Eleven lidar stations participated to the exercise which started on 9 July 2012 at 06:00 UT and ended 72 h later on 12 July at 06:00 UT. For the first time the Single-Calculus Chain (SCC), the common calculus chain developed within EARLINET for the automatic evaluation of lidar data from raw signals up to the final products, was used. All stations sent in real time measurements of 1 h of duration to the SCC server in a predefined netcdf file format. The pre-processing of the data was performed in real time by the SCC while the optical processing was performed in near-real time after the exercise ended. 98 and 84 % of the files sent to SCC were successfully pre-processed and processed, respectively. Those percentages are quite large taking into account that no cloud screening was performed on lidar data. The paper shows time series of continuous and homogeneously obtained products retrieved at different levels of the SCC: range-square corrected signals (pre-processing) and daytime backscatter and nighttime extinction coefficient profiles (optical processing), as well as combined plots of all direct and derived optical products. The derived products include backscatter- and extinction-related Ångström exponents, lidar ratios and color ratios. The combined plots reveal extremely valuable for aerosol classification. The efforts made to define the measurements protocol and to configure properly the SCC pave the way for applying this protocol for specific applications such as the monitoring of special events, atmospheric modelling, climate research and calibration/validation activities of spaceborne observations.

Modulation of interferon-gamma-induced HLA-DR expression on the human keratinocyte cell line SCC-13 by ultraviolet radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khan, I.U.; Boehm, K.D.; Elmets, C.A.

1993-01-01

Cell surface expression of major histocompatibility determinants on epidermal keratinocytes is a characteristic feature of a number of inflammatory dermatoses and in all likelihood is caused by diffusion of human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DR-inducing cytokines from cells present in the dermal mononuclear cell infiltrate. Many of these same disorders respond to ultraviolet (UV) radiation phototherapy. Using the human SCC-13 keratinocyte cell line as a model, UV radiation was found to inhibit interferon-gamma-induced HLA-DR expression. Inhibition correlated closely with decreased steady-state levels of HLA-DR mRNA. These findings provide evidence that the therapeutic effect of UV radiation phototherapy may be mediated by its capacity to down-regulate cytokine-induced keratinocyte HLA-DR expression. (Author)

Role of cavity formation in SCC of cold worked carbon steel in high-temperature water. Part 2. Study of crack initiation behavior

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamada, Takuyo; Aoki, Masanori; Miyamoto, Tomoki; Arioka, Koji

2013-01-01

To consider the role of cavity formation in stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of cold worked (CW) carbon steel in high-temperature water, SCC and creep growth (part 1) and initiation (part 2) tests were performed. The part 2 crack initiation tests used blunt notched compact tension (CT) type specimens of CW carbon steel exposed under the static load condition in hydrogenated pure water and in air in the range of temperatures between 360 and 450°C. Inter-granular (IG) crack initiation was observed both in water and in air even in static load condition when steel specimens had been cold worked. 1/T type temperature dependencies of initiation times were observed for CW carbon steel, and the crack initiation times in an operating pressurized heavy water reactor, PHWR (Pt Lepreau) seemed to lie on the extrapolated line of the experimental results. Cavities were identified at the grain boundaries near the bottom of a notch (highly stressed location) before cracks initiated both in water and air. The cavities were probably formed by the condensation of vacancies and they affected the bond strength of the grain boundaries. To assess the mechanism of IGSCC initiation in high temperature water, the diffusion of vacancies driven by stress gradients was studied using a specially designed CT specimen. As a model for IGSCC in CW carbon steel in high temperature water, it was concluded that the formation of cavities from the collapse of vacancies offers the best interpretation of the present data. (author)

Appendix S-NH-1 and S-NH-2 of the experiment operating specification for the semiscale MOD-2C small break LOCA without HPI experiment series

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Owca, W.A.

1985-10-01

This document is Appendix S-NH--1 and S-NH-2 of the Experiment Operating Specification (EOS) for the Small Break LOCA without high pressure injection (HPI) series. It contains detailed information on the S-NH-1 and S-NH-2 experiment operation and facility configuration necessary to meet the series objectives stated in the main EOS body. 14 refs., 17 figs

Technical basis for hydrogen-water chemistry: Laboratory studies of water chemistry effects on SCC [stress-corrosion-cracking

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kassner, T.F.; Ruther, W.E.; Soppet, W.K.

1986-10-01

The influence of different impurities, viz., oxyacids and several chloride salts, on the stress-corrosion-cracking (SCC) of sensitized Type 304 stainless steel (SS) was investigated in constant-extension-rate-tensile (CERT) tests in 289 0 C water at a low dissolved-oxygen concentration ( 0 C in low-oxygen environments with and without sulfate at low concentrations. In these experiments, the crack growth behavior of the materials was correlated with the type and concentration of the impurities and the electrochemical potentials of Type 304 SS and platinum electrodes in the simulated hydrogen-water chemistry environments. The information suggests that better characterization of water quality, through measurement of the concentrations of individual species (SO 4 2- , NO 3 - , Cu 2+ , etc.) coupled with measurements of the corrosion and redox potentials at high temperatures will provide a viable means to monitor and ultimately improve the performance of BWR system materials

The Effect of the Kind of Sands and Additions on the Mechanical Behaviour of S.C.C

Science.gov (United States)

Zeghichi, L.; Benghazi, Z.; Baali, L.

The sand is an inert element essential in the composition of concrete; its use ensures granular continuity between the cement and gravel for better cohesion of concrete. This paper presents the results of a study that investigated the influence of sand quality on the properties of fresh and hardened self-compacting concrete (SCC). The dune sands are very fine materials characterized by a high intergranular porosity, high surface area and low fineness modulus; on the other hand crushed (manufactured) sand has a high rate into thin and irregular shapes which are influencing the workability of concrete. The amount of dune sand varies from (0% 50%, to 100%) by weight of fine aggregates. The effect of additions is also treated (blast furnace slag and lime stone) The results show that the rheological properties favour the use of dune sands; however the mechanical properties support the use of crushed sand.

A Standard for Sharing and Accessing Time Series Data: The Heliophysics Application Programmers Interface (HAPI) Specification

Science.gov (United States)

Vandegriff, J. D.; King, T. A.; Weigel, R. S.; Faden, J.; Roberts, D. A.; Harris, B. T.; Lal, N.; Boardsen, S. A.; Candey, R. M.; Lindholm, D. M.

2017-12-01

We present the Heliophysics Application Programmers Interface (HAPI), a new interface specification that both large and small data centers can use to expose time series data holdings in a standard way. HAPI was inspired by the similarity of existing services at many Heliophysics data centers, and these data centers have collaborated to define a single interface that captures best practices and represents what everyone considers the essential, lowest common denominator for basic data access. This low level access can serve as infrastructure to support greatly enhanced interoperability among analysis tools, with the goal being simplified analysis and comparison of data from any instrument, model, mission or data center. The three main services a HAPI server must perform are 1. list a catalog of datasets (one unique ID per dataset), 2. describe the content of one dataset (JSON metadata), and 3. retrieve numerical content for one dataset (stream the actual data). HAPI defines both the format of the query to the server, and the response from the server. The metadata is lightweight, focusing on use rather than discovery, and the data format is a streaming one, with Comma Separated Values (CSV) being required and binary or JSON streaming being optional. The HAPI specification is available at GitHub, where projects are also underway to develop reference implementation servers that data providers can adapt and use at their own sites. Also in the works are data analysis clients in multiple languages (IDL, Python, Matlab, and Java). Institutions which have agreed to adopt HAPI include Goddard (CDAWeb for data and CCMC for models), LASP at the University of Colorado Boulder, the Particles and Plasma Interactions node of the Planetary Data System (PPI/PDS) at UCLA, the Plasma Wave Group at the University of Iowa, the Space Sector at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab (APL), and the tsds.org site maintained at George Mason University. Over the next year, the adoption of a

Methods for summing general Kapteyn series

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tautz, R C [Zentrum fuer Astronomie und Astrophysik, Technische Universitaet Berlin, Hardenbergstrasse 36, D-10623 Berlin (Germany); Lerche, I [Institut fuer Geowissenschaften, Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultaet III, Martin-Luther-Universitaet Halle, D-06099 Halle (Germany); Dominici, D, E-mail: rct@gmx.eu, E-mail: lercheian@yahoo.com, E-mail: dominicd@newpaltz.edu [Department of Mathematics, State University of New York at New Paltz, 1 Hawk Dr, New Paltz, NY 12561-2443 (United States)

2011-09-23

The general features and characteristics of Kapteyn series, which are a special type of series involving the Bessel function, are investigated. For many applications in physics, astrophysics and mathematics, it is crucial to have closed-form expressions in order to determine their functional structure and parametric behavior. The closed-form expressions of Kapteyn series have mostly been limited to special cases, even though there are often similarities in the approaches used to reduce the series to analytically tractable forms. The goal of this paper is to review the previous work in the area and to show that Kapteyn series can be expressed as trigonometric or gamma function series, which can be evaluated in a closed form for specific parameters. Two examples with a similar structure are given, showing the complexity of Kapteyn series. (paper)

No association between infections, HLA type and other transplant-related factors and risk of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma in solid organ transplant recipients.

Science.gov (United States)

Ingvar, Åsa; Ekström Smedby, Karin; Lindelöf, Bernt; Fernberg, Pia; Bellocco, Rino; Tufveson, Gunnar; Höglund, Petter; Adami, Johanna

2012-11-01

Recipients of solid organ transplants are at a markedly increased risk of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). We investigated potential associations between post-transplant infections, HLA type, and other transplant-related factors and risk of SCC, taking immuno-suppressive treatment into account. A population-based case-control study was conducted. All patients who developed SCC during follow-up (1970-1997) were eligible as cases (n = 207). Controls (n = 189) were individually matched to the cases on age and calendar period of transplantation. Detailed exposure information was collected through an extensive, blinded review of medical records. Odds ratios were computed with conditional logistic regression. There were no significant associations with any infectious agents, or with number and timing of infections, specific HLA-type, donor characteristics, or other transplant characteristics and risk of post-transplant SCC. These results suggest that risk of post-transplant SCC is neither closely related to specific post-transplant infectious disorders, nor to the infectious load or specific HLA types.

Early detection of response in small cell bronchogenic carcinoma by changes in serum concentrations of creatine kinase, neuron specific enolase, calcitonin, ACTH, serotonin and gastrin releasing peptide

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bork, E; Hansen, M; Urdal, P

1988-01-01

Creatine kinase (CK-BB), neuron specific enolase (NSE), ACTH, calcitonin, serotonin and gastrin releasing peptide (GRP) were measured in serum or plasma before and immediately after initiation of treatment in patients with small cell lung cancer (SCC). Pretherapeutic elevated concentrations of CK...... stage patients and 71% in limited stage patients. Frequent initial monitoring of the substances showed an increase in the concentrations of pretherapeutic elevated CK-BB and NSE on day 1 or 2 followed by a sharp decrease within 1 week. These changes were correlated to objective clinical response...... determined within 4-8 weeks. The results indicate that serum CK-BB and NSE are potential markers for SCC at the time of diagnosis and that changes in the concentrations during the first course of cytostatic therapy are promising as biochemical tests for early detection of response to chemotherapy....

Simple Hofmeister series

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lyklema, J.

2009-01-01

Hofmeister, or lyotropic, series date back to 1888, when the founder arranged a large number of electrolytes in sequences with respect to their effectiveness salting out egg white. Since then the name has been applied to various phenomena involving ion specificity. In order to isolate effects

Supportive care organisation in France: an in depth study by the French speaking association for supportive care in cancer (AFSOS).

Science.gov (United States)

Scotté, F; Hervé, C; Oudard, S; Bugat, M E; Bugat, R; Farsi, F; Namer, M; Tourani, J M; Tournigand, C; Yazbek, G; Richard, S; Krakowski, I

2013-03-01

Supportive care in cancer (SCC) was further enhanced in the Second National Cancer Act decreed in December 2009. The aim of our study was to assess current SCC efficacy. The French speaking association for supportive care in cancer (AFSOS) conducted an observational study to evaluate practices, organisations and information given to patients. A specific 32 point questionnaire was sent to 1621 French physicians (MDs) caring for cancer patients. Three different organisations were evaluated: the individual MDs, the transversal team and its particular structure specialised in global patient care specifically developed at comprehensive cancer centres - CCC. During their disease, 68% of patients received SCC, which was more available during the palliative period (90%) than at the diagnosis (44%). Our results found that 71% of cancer departments had a specific interdisciplinary cross-team to provide SCC, particularly in CCC (62%; p=0.01) while 37% had specific inpatient units. A specific organisation dedicated to home care was greater in CCC than in public or private centres (69%, 45%, 20% respectively; p=0.01). Adverse event information was performed more by an oncologist than other specialists (p=0.01). Our results suggest that the specific SCC organisation could be a useful management tool to improve supportive care for cancer patients. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparison between ultrasonography and MR imaging for discriminating squamous cell carcinoma nodes with extranodal spread in the neck

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Katayama, Ikuo; Sasaki, Miho; Kimura, Yasuo; Hotokezaka, Yuka; Eida, Sato; Tashiro, Shigeki; Sumi, Misa; Nakamura, Takashi

2012-01-01

Objective: To compare the diagnostic ability of ultrasonography (US) and MR imaging for discriminating squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) nodes with extranodal spread (ENS) in the neck. Methods: US and MR imaging was retrospectively evaluated for differentiating ENS-positive (n = 28) from ENS-negative (n = 26) SCC nodes (>10 mm short-axis diameter) in 50 patients with head and neck SCCs. We assessed nodal size on US and MR images; irregular nodal margin on US; and vanishing nodal border, flare, and shaggy nodal margin signs on T1-, fat-suppressed T2-, and contrast-enhanced T1-weighted MR images, respectively. US and MR images were analyzed by 3 radiologists in consensus and the results were compared between ENS-positive and ENS-negative SCC nodes. Results: The nodal sizes of ENS-positive nodes (21 ± 9 mm) were significantly larger than those of ENS-negative SCC nodes (14 ± 4 mm) (p < 0.001). Irregular nodal margins were more frequently observed in ENS-positive SCC nodes (75%) than in ENS-negative SCC nodes (12%). The vanishing nodal margin, flare, and shaggy nodal margin signs were more frequently observed in ENS-positive SCC nodes (93%, 89%, and 82%, respectively) than in ENS-negative nodes (46%, 19%, and 19%, respectively). A combination of size (≥22 mm) and imaging criteria (irregular margin or flare sign) best discriminated ENS-positive SCC nodes with 82% sensitivity, 89% specificity, and 85% accuracy for US and 89% sensitivity, 81% specificity, and 85% accuracy for MR imaging. Conclusion: US discriminated ENS-positive from ENS-negative SCC nodes with comparable accuracy and higher specificity than MR imaging.

Cyclo-speed reducer 6000 series; Saikuro {reg_sign} gensokuki 6000 series

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2000-04-20

This series was put on the market as the advanced speed reducer '6000 series' in April, 2000 after further improvement of various previous excellent features by adopting innovative technologies. Various series of this cyclo-speed reducers adopting a unique inscribed epicyclic gear mechanism reach 7 million units in sales success. Main specifications: (1) Input capacity range: 0.1-132kW, (2) Output torque: 24-68,200N(center dot)m, (3) Reduction ratio: 6-1,000,000. Features: (1) High efficiency and long life by adopting the analysis system based on the latest analytical technology, (2) Noise reduction by a maximum of nearly 6dB, and tone improvement by adopting a new tooth profile, (3) Weight reduction by a maximum of nearly 40% by adopting a motor direct-coupled mechanism. (translated by NEDO)

Time domain series system definition and gear set reliability modeling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xie, Liyang; Wu, Ningxiang; Qian, Wenxue

2016-01-01

Time-dependent multi-configuration is a typical feature for mechanical systems such as gear trains and chain drives. As a series system, a gear train is distinct from a traditional series system, such as a chain, in load transmission path, system-component relationship, system functioning manner, as well as time-dependent system configuration. Firstly, the present paper defines time-domain series system to which the traditional series system reliability model is not adequate. Then, system specific reliability modeling technique is proposed for gear sets, including component (tooth) and subsystem (tooth-pair) load history description, material priori/posterior strength expression, time-dependent and system specific load-strength interference analysis, as well as statistically dependent failure events treatment. Consequently, several system reliability models are developed for gear sets with different tooth numbers in the scenario of tooth root material ultimate tensile strength failure. The application of the models is discussed in the last part, and the differences between the system specific reliability model and the traditional series system reliability model are illustrated by virtue of several numerical examples. - Highlights: • A new type of series system, i.e. time-domain multi-configuration series system is defined, that is of great significance to reliability modeling. • Multi-level statistical analysis based reliability modeling method is presented for gear transmission system. • Several system specific reliability models are established for gear set reliability estimation. • The differences between the traditional series system reliability model and the new model are illustrated.

Origin of the Surface-Induced First Hyperpolarizability in the C60/SiO2 System: SCC-DFTB Insight.

Science.gov (United States)

Nénon, Sébastien; Champagne, Benoît

2014-01-02

Using the self-consistent charge density functional tight binding (SCC-DFTB) method, C60 molecules physisorbed on an α-quartz slab are shown to display a first hyperpolarizability, whereas, owing to their symmetry, both the α-quartz slab and C60 molecule have no first hyperpolarizabilities. A larger first hyperpolarizability is achieved when the lowest-lying (five- or six-membered) ring is situated in between two hydroxyl rows, rather than on top, because this situation favors orbital overlaps and charge transfer. Further analysis has demonstrated that (i) the first hyperpolarizability originates from the MO overlap and field-induced charge transfers from the neighboring substrate/adsorbate moieties but not to geometric relaxation of the C60 molecules at the interface and that (ii) larger first hyperpolarizabilities are associated with low surface coverage and with small distances between C60 and the surface. This contribution is a clear illustration of the emergence of second-order nonlinear optical responses (first hyperpolarizability) as a result of breaking the centrosymmetry.

Evaluation of neutron irradiation effect on SCC crack growth behaviour of austenitic stainless steel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2012-08-15

Austenitic stainless steels are widely used as structural materials alloy in reactor pressure vessel internal components because of their high strength, ductility and fracture toughness. However, exposure due to neutron irradiation results in changes in microstructure, mechanical properties and microchemistry of the material. Irradiation assisted stress corrosion cracking (IASCC) caused by the effect of neutron irradiation during long term operation in high temperature water environments in nuclear power plants is considered to take the form of intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC) and the critical fluence level has been reported to be about 5x10{sup 24}n/m{sup 2} (E>1MeV) for Type 304 SS in BWR environment. JNES had been conducting IASCC project during from JFY 2000 to JFY 2008, and prepared an engineering database on IASCC. However, the data of crack growth rate (CGR) below the critical fluence level are not sufficient. Therefore, evaluation of neutron irradiation effect project (ENI) was initiated to obtain the CGR data below the critical fluence level, and prepare the SCC growth rate diagram for life time evaluation of core shroud. Test specimens have been irradiated in the OECD/Halden reactor, and the post irradiation experiments (PIE) have been conducting during from JFY 2011 to JFY 2013, finally the modified IASCC guide will be prepared in JFY 2013. (author)

A comparative study of MP2, B3LYP, RHF and SCC-DFTB force fields in predicting the vibrational spectra of N-acetyl-L-alanine-N'-methyl amide: VA and VCD spectra

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bohr, Henrik; Jalkanen, Karl J.; Elstner, M.

1999-01-01

dichroism (VCD) spectra of NALANMA. We have utilised MP2/6-31G*, B3LYP/6-31G*, RHF/6-31G* and SCC-DFTB level theory to determine the geometries and Hessians, atomic polar tensors (APT) and atomic axial tensors (AAT) which are required for simulating the VA and VCD spectra. We have also calculated the AAT...

Archive of digital Chirp sub-bottom profile data collected during USGS Cruise 07SCC01 offshore of the Chandeleur Islands, Louisiana, June 2007

Science.gov (United States)

Forde, Arnell S.; Dadisman, Shawn V.; Flocks, James G.; Wiese, Dana S.

2010-01-01

In June of 2007, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) conducted a geophysical survey offshore of the Chandeleur Islands, Louisiana, in cooperation with the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources (LDNR) as part of the USGS Barrier Island Comprehensive Monitoring (BICM) project. This project is part of a broader study focused on Subsidence and Coastal Change (SCC). The purpose of the study was to investigate the shallow geologic framework and monitor the enviromental impacts of Hurricane Katrina (Louisiana landfall was on August 29, 2005) on the Gulf Coast's barrier island chains. This report serves as an archive of unprocessed digital 512i and 424 Chirp sub-bottom profile data, trackline maps, navigation files, Geographic Information System (GIS) files, Field Activity Collection System (FACS) logs, observer's logbook, and formal Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) metadata. Gained (a relative increase in signal amplitude) digital images of the seismic profiles are also provided. Refer to the Acronyms page for expansion of acronyms and abbreviations used in this report. The USGS St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center (SPCMSC) assigns a unique identifier to each cruise or field activity. For example, 07SCC01 tells us the data were collected in 2007 for the Subsidence and Coastal Change (SCC) study and the data were collected during the first field activity for that study in that calendar year. Refer to http://walrus.wr.usgs.gov/infobank/programs/html/definition/activity.html for a detailed description of the method used to assign the field activity identification (ID). All Chirp systems use a signal of continuously varying frequency; the Chirp systems used during this survey produce high resolution, shallow penetration profile images beneath the seafloor. The towfish is a sound source and receiver, which is typically towed 1 - 2 m below the sea surface. The acoustic energy is reflected at density boundaries (such as the seafloor or sediment layers

Time series momentum and contrarian effects in the Chinese stock market

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Huai-Long; Zhou, Wei-Xing

2017-10-01

This paper concentrates on the time series momentum or contrarian effects in the Chinese stock market. We evaluate the performance of the time series momentum strategy applied to major stock indices in mainland China and explore the relation between the performance of time series momentum strategies and some firm-specific characteristics. Our findings indicate that there is a time series momentum effect in the short run and a contrarian effect in the long run in the Chinese stock market. The performances of the time series momentum and contrarian strategies are highly dependent on the look-back and holding periods and firm-specific characteristics.

Role of grain boundary engineering in the SCC behavior of ferritic-martensitic alloy HT-9

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gupta, G.; Ampornrat, P.; Ren, X.; Sridharan, K.; Allen, T.R.; Was, G.S.

2007-01-01

This paper focuses on the role of grain boundary engineering (GBE) in stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of ferritic-martensitic (F-M) alloy HT-9 in supercritical water (SCW) at 400 deg. C and 500 deg. C. Constant extension rate tensile (CERT) tests were conducted on HT-9 in as-received (AR) and coincident site lattice enhanced (CSLE) condition. Both unirradiated and irradiated specimens (irradiated with 2 MeV protons at 400 deg. C and 500 deg. C to a dose of 7 dpa) were tested. Ferritic-martensitic steel HT-9 exhibited intergranular stress corrosion cracking when subjected to CERT tests in an environment of supercritical water at 400 deg. C and 500 deg. C and also in an inert environment of argon at 500 deg. C. CSL-enhancement reduces grain boundary carbide coarsening and cracking susceptibility in both the unirradiated and irradiated condition. Irradiation enhanced coarsening of grain boundary carbides and cracking susceptibility of HT-9 for both the AR and CSLE conditions. Intergranular (IG) cracking of HT-9 results likely from fracture of IG carbides and seems consistent with the mechanism that coarser carbides worsen cracking susceptibility. Oxidation in combination with wedging stresses is the likely cause of the observed environmental enhancement of high temperature IG cracking in HT-9

The − 5 A/G single-nucleotide polymorphism in the core promoter region of MT2A and its effect on allele-specific gene expression and Cd, Zn and Cu levels in laryngeal cancer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Starska, Katarzyna, E-mail: katarzyna.starska@umed.lodz.pl [I Department of Otolaryngology and Laryngological Oncology, Medical University of Łódź, Kopcinskiego 22, 90-153 Łódź (Poland); Krześlak, Anna; Forma, Ewa [Department of Cytobiochemistry, University of Łódź, Pomorska 142/143, 90-236 Łódź (Poland); Olszewski, Jurek [II Department of Otolaryngology and Laryngological Oncology, Medical University of Łódź, Żeromskiego 113, 90-549 Łódź (Poland); Morawiec-Sztandera, Alina [Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of Łódź, Paderewskiego 4, 93-509 Łódź (Poland); Aleksandrowicz, Paweł [Department of Otolaryngology and Laryngological Oncology, Medical University of Lublin, Jaczewskiego 8, 20-954 Lublin (Poland); Lewy-Trenda, Iwona [Department of Pathology, Medical University of Łódź, Pomorska 251, 92-213 Łódź (Poland); and others

2014-10-15

Metallothioneins (MTs) are low molecular weight, cysteine-rich heavy metal-binding proteins which participate in the mechanisms of Zn homeostasis, and protect against toxic metals. MTs contain metal-thiolate cluster groups and suppress metal toxicity by binding to them. The aim of this study was to determine the − 5 A/G (rs28366003) single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the core promoter region of the MT2A gene and to investigate its effect on allele-specific gene expression and Cd, Zn and Cu content in squamous cell laryngeal cancer (SCC) and non-cancerous laryngeal mucosa (NCM) as a control. The MT2A promoter region − 5 A/G SNP was determined by restriction fragment length polymorphism using 323 SCC and 116 NCM. MT2A gene analysis was performed by quantitative real-time PCR. The frequency of A allele carriage was 94.2% and 91.8% in SCC and NCM, respectively, while G allele carriage was detected in 5.8% and 8.2% of SCC and NCM samples, respectively. As a result, a significant association was identified between the − 5 A/G SNP in the MT2A gene with mRNA expression in both groups. Metal levels were analyzed by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. The significant differences were identified between A/A and both the A/G and G/G genotypes, with regard to the concentration of the contaminating metal. The Spearman rank correlation results showed that the MT2A expression and Cd, Zn, Cu levels were negatively correlated. Results obtained in this study suggest that − 5 A/G SNP in MT2A gene may have an effect on allele-specific gene expression and accumulation of metal levels in laryngeal cancer. - Highlights: • MT2A gene expression and metal content in laryngeal cancer tissues • Association between SNP (rs28366003) and expression of MT2A • Significant associations between the SNP and Cd, Zn and Cu levels • Negative correlation between MT2A gene expression and Cd, Zn and Cu levels.

The − 5 A/G single-nucleotide polymorphism in the core promoter region of MT2A and its effect on allele-specific gene expression and Cd, Zn and Cu levels in laryngeal cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Starska, Katarzyna; Krześlak, Anna; Forma, Ewa; Olszewski, Jurek; Morawiec-Sztandera, Alina; Aleksandrowicz, Paweł; Lewy-Trenda, Iwona

2014-01-01

Metallothioneins (MTs) are low molecular weight, cysteine-rich heavy metal-binding proteins which participate in the mechanisms of Zn homeostasis, and protect against toxic metals. MTs contain metal-thiolate cluster groups and suppress metal toxicity by binding to them. The aim of this study was to determine the − 5 A/G (rs28366003) single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the core promoter region of the MT2A gene and to investigate its effect on allele-specific gene expression and Cd, Zn and Cu content in squamous cell laryngeal cancer (SCC) and non-cancerous laryngeal mucosa (NCM) as a control. The MT2A promoter region − 5 A/G SNP was determined by restriction fragment length polymorphism using 323 SCC and 116 NCM. MT2A gene analysis was performed by quantitative real-time PCR. The frequency of A allele carriage was 94.2% and 91.8% in SCC and NCM, respectively, while G allele carriage was detected in 5.8% and 8.2% of SCC and NCM samples, respectively. As a result, a significant association was identified between the − 5 A/G SNP in the MT2A gene with mRNA expression in both groups. Metal levels were analyzed by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. The significant differences were identified between A/A and both the A/G and G/G genotypes, with regard to the concentration of the contaminating metal. The Spearman rank correlation results showed that the MT2A expression and Cd, Zn, Cu levels were negatively correlated. Results obtained in this study suggest that − 5 A/G SNP in MT2A gene may have an effect on allele-specific gene expression and accumulation of metal levels in laryngeal cancer. - Highlights: • MT2A gene expression and metal content in laryngeal cancer tissues • Association between SNP (rs28366003) and expression of MT2A • Significant associations between the SNP and Cd, Zn and Cu levels • Negative correlation between MT2A gene expression and Cd, Zn and Cu levels

Irradiation assisted stress corrosion cracking of HTH Alloy X-750 and Alloy 625

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mills, W.J.; Lebo, M.R.; Bajaj, R.; Kearns, J.J.; Hoffman, R.C.; Korinko, J.J.

1994-01-01

In-reactor testing of bolt-loaded precracked compact tension specimens was performed in 360 degree C water to determine effect of irradiation on the SCC behavior of HTH Alloy X-750 and direct aged Alloy 625. Out-of-flux and autoclave control specimens provided baseline data. Primary test variables were stress intensity factor, fluence, chemistry, processing history, prestrain. Results for the first series of experiments were presented at a previous conference. Data from two more recent experiments are compared with previous results; they confirm that high irradiation levels significantly reduce SCC resistance in HTH Alloy X-750. Heat-to-heat differences in IASCC were related to differences in boron content, with low boron heats showing improved SCC resistance. The in-reactor SCC performance of Alloy 625 was superior to that for Alloy X-750, as no cracking was observed in any Alloy 625 specimens even though they were tested at very high K 1 and fluence levels. A preliminary SCC usage model developed for Alloy X-750 indicates that in-reactor creep processes, which relax stresses but also increase crack tip strain rates, and radiolysis effects accelerate SCC. Hence, in-reactor SCC damage under high flux conditions may be more severe than that associated with postirradiation tests. In addition, preliminary mechanism studies were performed to determine the cause of IASCC In Alloy X-750

Residual stress measurement of large scaled welded pipe using neutron diffraction method. Effect of SCC crack propagation and repair weld on residual stress distribution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suzuki, Hiroshi; Katsuyama, Jinya; Tobita, Tohru; Morii, Yukio

2011-01-01

The RESA-1 neutron engineering diffractometer in the JRR-3 (Japan Research Reactor No.3) at the Japan Atomic Energy Agency, which is used for stress measurements, was upgraded to realize residual stress measurements of large scaled mechanical components. A series of residual stress measurements was made to obtain through-thickness residual stress distributions in a Type 304 stainless steel butt-welded pipe of 500A-sch.80 using the upgraded RESA-1 diffractometer. We evaluated effects of crack propagation such as stress corrosion cracking (SCC) and a part-circumference repair weld on the residual stress distributions induced by girth welding. Measured residual stress distributions near original girth weld revealed good agreement with typical results shown in some previous works using finite element method, deep hole drilling as well as neutron diffraction. After introducing a mock crack with 10 mm depth in the heat affected zone on the inside wall of the pipe by electro discharge machining, the axial residual stresses were found to be released in the part of the mock crack. However, changes in the through-wall bending stress component and the self-equilibrated stress component were negligible and hence the axial residual stress distribution in the ligament was remained in the original residual stresses near girth weld without the mock crack. Furthermore, changes in hoop and radial residual stress were also small. The residual stress distributions after a part repair welding on the outer circumference of the girth weld were significantly different from residual stress distributions near the original girth weld. The through-thickness average axial residual stress was increased due to increase of the tensile membrane stress and mitigation of the bending stress after repair welding. Throughout above studies, we evidenced that the neutron diffraction technique is useful and powerful tool for measuring residual stress distributions in large as well as thick mechanical

Evaluation of milk cathelicidin for detection of bovine mastitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Addis, M F; Tedde, V; Puggioni, G M G; Pisanu, S; Casula, A; Locatelli, C; Rota, N; Bronzo, V; Moroni, P; Uzzau, S

2016-10-01

Mastitis due to intramammary infection is one of the most economically relevant diseases in dairy cows, causing reductions in milk quality and quantity. Currently, mastitis monitoring is based on somatic cell count (SCC) and bacteriologic culture (BC) of milk. Nevertheless, inflammation-specific protein markers might provide more sensitive and reliable assays, enabling immunoassay-based screening strategies. Cathelicidin is an inflammatory protein released in milk that has recently demonstrated fair reliability and diagnostic potential for ewe mastitis. To assess its performance in cows, 531 quarter milk samples from 2 herds were tested using cathelicidin ELISA, SCC, and BC. We found that 29.0% of samples were positive for cathelicidin, 18.8% had SCC >200,000 cells/mL, and 13.7% were BC-positive. Cathelicidin showed a strong positive correlation with SCC as demonstrated by receiver operating characteristics curve analysis and by the clustering of cathelicidin-negative and cathelicidin-positive samples in association with low and high SCC values, respectively. For evaluating the diagnostic performance of a novel test, BC cannot be considered a reliable gold standard for true disease status because of its known limitations. Therefore, we assessed the sensitivity (Se) and specificity (Sp) of the milk cathelicidin ELISA using a latent class analysis approach together with BC and SCC by considering different diagnostic thresholds to identify the preferred Se/Sp combination. We modeled conditional dependence of cathelicidin and SCC to account for their close association. The cathelicidin ELISA showed higher Se than SCC and BC for almost all threshold combinations. In fact, at the best-performing threshold combination, the Se of cathelicidin was 80.6%, 6.2 percentage points higher than that of SCC >200,000 cells/mL (74.4%) and similar to that of SCC >100,000 cells/mL (80.2%). Most importantly, this Se was obtained with a loss in Sp of only 1.4 percentage points compared

Squamous Cell Carcinoma Antigen: A Novel Tumor Marker for Hepatocellular Carcinoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdel Messeih, Ph.L.

2009-01-01

Serum Squamous Cell Carcinoma Antigen (SCC-Ag) by ELISA technique and Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) by IRMA technique were measured in 65 patients with hepatic focal lesion. 49 patients suffered from proved hepatocellular carcinoma and 16 patients were having cirrhosis and 20 normal controls. Median levels of serum AFP and SCC-Ag in HCC patients was significantly higher when compared with both cirrhotic patients and controls. On using receiver operator characteristic curve to improve sensitivity and specificity of AFP and SCC-Ag for detection of HCC, the best chosen cut-off values were 40 IU/mL for AFP and 2.55 ng/L for SCC-Ag, these yielded a sensitivity of 67.2% and 61.2% respectively and specificity 100%. The diagnostic sensitivity of them increased to 87.7% when they was combiendly calculated. It was found that the combined use of AFP and SCC-Ag is useful in screening patients with hepatic focal lesion to increase the chance of early diagnosis of HCC patients.

Las series televisivas juveniles: tramas y conflictos en una «teen series» Television Fiction Series Targeted at Young Audience: Plots and Conflicts Portrayed in a Teen Series

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Núria García Muñoz

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Se presentan los principales hallazgos de un estudio sobre las «teen series», es decir las series de ficción televisiva protagonizadas por personajes adolescentes y dirigidas expresamente a una audiencia juvenil. El análisis del retrato de los jóvenes representados en productos específicamente dirigidos a un público juvenil tiene un valor muy significativo tanto por la producción de ficción como por la recepción, ya que los consumidores potenciales se encuentran en un momento clave del proceso de construcción de sus identidades. Después de repasar los principales antecedentes en el estudio de la representación de los jóvenes en la ficción televisiva, se describe el marco conceptual relativo a las «teen series» y se discute su relación con el consumo juvenil. Sucesivamente se presenta un estudio de caso que consiste en un análisis de contenido de la serie norteamericana «Dawson’s creek», realizado sobre una muestra representativa de tres temporadas de la serie, para analizar dos grupos de variables: variables relativas a los personajes y variables relativas a las tramas y a los conflictos. Se discuten los resultados relativos al segundo grupo de variables, con particular atención a las características de las tramas y al papel de los personajes en el desarrollo y en la resolución de las mismas. La aceptación de la identidad personal, el amor y la amistad han resultado ser las temáticas más recurrentes. Además, las relaciones sociales entre los personajes han resultado ejercer un papel fundamental en el desarrollo de las tramas y de los conflictos.This paper presents the main findings of a research project on teen series, which are television fiction series featuring teenagers and specifically targeted at a young audience. The analysis of the portrayal of young people in television fictional series specifically targeted at a young audience has a meaningful value both for television production and for audience reception

Long term follow up results of serum squamous cell carcinoma antigen level in uterine cervix cancer treated by radiotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yun, Hyong Geun

2003-01-01

To evaluate the long term significance of the squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) antigen (Ag) as a tumor marker in uterine cervix carcinoma. The SCC antigen levels of pre-radiotherapy and serial post-radiotherapy serum were analyzed in 48 patients who received radiotherapy with histologically proven primary SCC of the uterine cervix. Pre-radiotherapy SCC Ag level was high (≥2 ng/ml) at 79.2%. After the treatment, the SCC Ag level was significantly decreased. The SCC Ag level measured at about 3 months after radiotherapy was high at 23.0%. In further follow up measurements, a rise of the SCC Ag to a high level was well associated with clinical relapse. The specificity of the elevated SCC Ag level in association with recurrent or persistent disease was 100%, and the sensitivity was 85.7%. In 3 of 4 lung metastasis cases, lung lesions were detected in chest PA before elevation of the SCC Ag level. The median lead time of the high SCC Ag level to clinical recurrence was 4 months. SCC Ag was a good tumor marker for monitoring treatment effect in patients with increased pre-treatment levels except in case of early lung metastasis. Elevation of the SCC Ag level after radiotherapy accurately predicted the treatment failure with lead time of 4 months. But, in early lung metastasis cases, the SCC level may be normal temporarily. Thus, chest PA should be checked to evaluate the presence of lung metastasis

Gonadal development and growth in 46,XX and 46,XY individuals with P450scc deficiency (congenital lipoid adrenal hyperplasia)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Müller, J; Torsson, A; Damkjaer Nielsen, M

1991-01-01

We have investigated gonadal development and growth in 4 individuals (3 with 46,XY and 1 with 46,XX karyotype) with P450scc deficiency. One patient died at 2 months of age from adrenal insufficiency, while the remaining 3 individuals were healthy and developed normally (age at follow-up: 18, 10...... and 8 years). In the surviving individuals, the diagnosis was established during the first 2-4 months of life by extensive endocrine studies of blood and urine. In the remaining patient, the diagnosis was made on the basis of karyotype (46,XY), anatomy of internal and external genitalia and adrenal...... pathology. Gonadectomy was performed in the 2 surviving 46,XY individuals at the age of 7 years, and histological examination showed normal testicular morphology but very few germ cells. Postmortem examination of the testes of the 2-month-old subject showed normal testicular histology, and quantitative...

Precursor evolution and SCC initiation of cold-worked alloy 690 in simulated PWR primary water

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhai, Ziqing; Kruska, Karen; Toloczko, Mychailo B.; Bruemmer, Stephen M.

2017-03-27

Stress corrosion crack initiation of two thermally-treated, cold-worked (CW) alloy 690 materials was investigated in 360oC simulated PWR primary water using constant load tensile (CLT) tests and blunt notch compact tension (BNCT) tests equipped with direct current potential drop (DCPD) for in-situ detection of cracking. SCC initiation was not detected by DCPD for the 21% and 31%CW CLT specimens loaded at their yield stress after ~9,220 h, however intergranular (IG) precursor damage and isolated surface cracks were observed on the specimens. The two 31%CW BNCT specimens loaded at moderate stress intensity after several cyclic loading ramps showed DCPD-indicated crack initiation after 10,400h exposure at constant stress intensity, which resulted from significant growth of IG cracks. The 21%CW BNCT specimens only exhibited isolated small IG surface cracks and showed no apparent DCPD change throughout the test. Interestingly, post-test cross-section examinations revealed many grain boundary (GB) nano-cavities in the bulk of all the CLT and BNCT specimens particularly for the 31%CW materials. Cavities were also found along GBs extending to the surface suggesting an important role in crack nucleation. This paper provides an overview of the evolution of GB cavities and will discuss their effects on crack initiation in CW alloy 690.

Heat flux measurements of Tb{sub 3}M series (M=Co, Rh and Ru): Specific heat and magnetocaloric properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Monteiro, J.C.B., E-mail: jolmiui@gmail.com [Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Física Gleb Wataghin, Campinas, SP 13083-859 (Brazil); Lombardi, G.A. [Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Física Gleb Wataghin, Campinas, SP 13083-859 (Brazil); Reis, R.D. dos [Max-Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids, Nöthnitzer Str. 40, 01187 Dresden (Germany); Freitas, H.E.; Cardoso, L.P.; Mansanares, A.M.; Gandra, F.G. [Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Física Gleb Wataghin, Campinas, SP 13083-859 (Brazil)

2016-12-15

We report on the magnetic properties and magnetocaloric effect (MCE) for the Tb{sub 3}M series, with M=Co, Rh and Ru, obtained using a heat flux technique. The specific heat of Tb{sub 3}Co and Tb{sub 3}Rh are very similar, with a first order type transition occurring around 6 K below the magnetic ordering temperature without any corresponding feature on the magnetization. The slightly enhanced electronic specific heat, the Debye temperature around 150 K and the presence of the magnetic specific heat well above the ordering temperature are also characteristic of many other compounds of the R{sub 3}M family (R=Rare Earth). The specific heat for Tb{sub 3}Ru, however, presents two peaks at 37 K and 74 K. The magnetization shows that below the first peak the system presents an antiferromagnetic behavior and is paramagnetic above 74 K. We obtained a magnetocaloric effect for M=Co and Rh, −∆S=12 J/kg K, but for Tb{sub 3}Ru it is less than 3 J/kg K (μ{sub 0}∆H=5 T). We believe that the experimental results show that the MCE is directly related with the process of hybridization of the (R)5d-(M)d electrons that occurs in the R{sub 3}M materials.

Effect of heating rate on caustic stress corrosion cracking

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Indig, M.E.; Hoffman, N.J.

1977-01-01

To evaluate effects of a large water leak into the sodium side of a steam generator in a Liquid Metal Fast Breeder Reactor the Liquid Metal Engineering Center (LMEC) at Canoga Park, California, is performing a series of tests in a Large Leak Test Rig (LLTR). This test series involves heating a large steam generator that possibly contains localized pockets of aqueous caustic retained from a previous sodium-water reaction. Such pockets of caustic solution could be in contact with welds and other components that contain residual stresses up to the yield point. The LMEC and General Electric (GE) ran a series of tests to evaluate the effect of heating rate on caustic stress corrosion cracking (SCC) for alloys either used or considered for the LLTR. A summary of the temperatures and caustic concentration ranges that can result in caustic SCC for carbon steel and Type-304 stainless steel is given

User's guide for the implementation of level one of the proposed American National Standard Specifications for an information interchange data descriptive file on control data 6000/7000 series computers

CERN Document Server

Wiley, R A

1977-01-01

User's guide for the implementation of level one of the proposed American National Standard Specifications for an information interchange data descriptive file on control data 6000/7000 series computers

Effect of fuel rod design on SCC susceptibility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilson, H.W.; Yoon, K.K.; Baty, D.L.

1979-01-01

Laboratory tests were conducted to compare the relative susceptibility of three different zircaloy cladding types to iodine stress corrosion cracking. Two types of tests were conducted which had different characteristics. A substantial dependency of failure susceptibility on cladding type was noted. The differences in behavior were attributed to one or a combination of three cladding characteristics: cladding crystallographic texture, stress relaxation rates, and cladding inner diameter surface condition. The failure susceptibility was qualitatively consistent with the theoretical predictions of crystallographic texture dependencies. A separate series of tests were performed to quantify the differences in stress relaxation between the material types. Results of an analytical calculation are presented which evaluates the applicability of the test results to in-reactor performance

EFFECTIVE SPECIFIC ACTIVITY OF NATURAL RADIONUCLIDES FOR THE NORM BELONGED TO 238U AND 232TH SERIES BEING IN THE STATE OF DISTURBED RADIOACTIVE EQUILIBRIUM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I. P. Stamat

2008-01-01

Full Text Available In the Sanitary Rules SR 2.6.1.1292-03 and SR 2.6.6.1169-02 classification of the industrial waste containing naturally occurring radioactive materials is adopted in accordance to the values of their effective specific activity Aeff. In a case of the disturbed equilibrium in 238U and 232Th series it is necessary to take into consideration actual contribution of the separate natural radionuclides of the mentioned series into the value of gamma dose rate of the waste. This will permit to avoid unjustified overestimating or understating of the waste category which prevents as unjustified expenditures on their treating so undertaking of the necessary measures providing radiation safety.

A Personalized Predictive Framework for Multivariate Clinical Time Series via Adaptive Model Selection.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Zitao; Hauskrecht, Milos

2017-11-01

Building of an accurate predictive model of clinical time series for a patient is critical for understanding of the patient condition, its dynamics, and optimal patient management. Unfortunately, this process is not straightforward. First, patient-specific variations are typically large and population-based models derived or learned from many different patients are often unable to support accurate predictions for each individual patient. Moreover, time series observed for one patient at any point in time may be too short and insufficient to learn a high-quality patient-specific model just from the patient's own data. To address these problems we propose, develop and experiment with a new adaptive forecasting framework for building multivariate clinical time series models for a patient and for supporting patient-specific predictions. The framework relies on the adaptive model switching approach that at any point in time selects the most promising time series model out of the pool of many possible models, and consequently, combines advantages of the population, patient-specific and short-term individualized predictive models. We demonstrate that the adaptive model switching framework is very promising approach to support personalized time series prediction, and that it is able to outperform predictions based on pure population and patient-specific models, as well as, other patient-specific model adaptation strategies.

Emergence of Sequence Type 779 Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Harboring a Novel Pseudo Staphylococcal Cassette Chromosome mec (SCCmec)-SCC-SCCCRISPR Composite Element in Irish Hospitals

Science.gov (United States)

Kinnevey, Peter M.; Shore, Anna C.; Brennan, Grainne I.; Sullivan, Derek J.; Ehricht, Ralf; Monecke, Stefan; Slickers, Peter

2013-01-01

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has been a major cause of nosocomial infection in Irish hospitals for 4 decades, and replacement of predominant MRSA clones has occurred several times. An MRSA isolate recovered in 2006 as part of a larger study of sporadic MRSA exhibited a rare spa (t878) and multilocus sequence (ST779) type and was nontypeable by PCR- and DNA microarray-based staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) element typing. Whole-genome sequencing revealed the presence of a novel 51-kb composite island (CI) element with three distinct domains, each flanked by direct repeat and inverted repeat sequences, including (i) a pseudo SCCmec element (16.3 kb) carrying mecA with a novel mec class region, a fusidic acid resistance gene (fusC), and two copper resistance genes (copB and copC) but lacking ccr genes; (ii) an SCC element (17.5 kb) carrying a novel ccrAB4 allele; and (iii) an SCC element (17.4 kb) carrying a novel ccrC allele and a clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR) region. The novel CI was subsequently identified by PCR in an additional 13 t878/ST779 MRSA isolates, six from bloodstream infections, recovered between 2006 and 2011 in 11 hospitals. Analysis of open reading frames (ORFs) carried by the CI showed amino acid sequence similarity of 44 to 100% to ORFs from S. aureus and coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS). These findings provide further evidence of genetic transfer between S. aureus and CoNS and show how this contributes to the emergence of novel SCCmec elements and MRSA strains. Ongoing surveillance of this MRSA strain is warranted and will require updating of currently used SCCmec typing methods. PMID:23147725

Emergence of sequence type 779 methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus harboring a novel pseudo staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec)-SCC-SCCCRISPR composite element in Irish hospitals.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Kinnevey, Peter M

2013-01-01

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has been a major cause of nosocomial infection in Irish hospitals for 4 decades, and replacement of predominant MRSA clones has occurred several times. An MRSA isolate recovered in 2006 as part of a larger study of sporadic MRSA exhibited a rare spa (t878) and multilocus sequence (ST779) type and was nontypeable by PCR- and DNA microarray-based staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) element typing. Whole-genome sequencing revealed the presence of a novel 51-kb composite island (CI) element with three distinct domains, each flanked by direct repeat and inverted repeat sequences, including (i) a pseudo SCCmec element (16.3 kb) carrying mecA with a novel mec class region, a fusidic acid resistance gene (fusC), and two copper resistance genes (copB and copC) but lacking ccr genes; (ii) an SCC element (17.5 kb) carrying a novel ccrAB4 allele; and (iii) an SCC element (17.4 kb) carrying a novel ccrC allele and a clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR) region. The novel CI was subsequently identified by PCR in an additional 13 t878\\/ST779 MRSA isolates, six from bloodstream infections, recovered between 2006 and 2011 in 11 hospitals. Analysis of open reading frames (ORFs) carried by the CI showed amino acid sequence similarity of 44 to 100% to ORFs from S. aureus and coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS). These findings provide further evidence of genetic transfer between S. aureus and CoNS and show how this contributes to the emergence of novel SCCmec elements and MRSA strains. Ongoing surveillance of this MRSA strain is warranted and will require updating of currently used SCCmec typing methods.

Effect of controlled potential on SCC of nuclear waste package container materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lum, B. Y.; Roy, A. K.; Spragge, M. K.

1999-01-01

The slow-strain-rate (SSR) test technique was used to evaluate the susceptibility of Titanium (Ti) Gr-7 (UNS R52400) and Ti Gr-12 (UNS R53400) to stress corrosion cracking (SCC). Ti Gr-7 and Ti Gr-12 are two candidate container materials for the multi-barrier package for nuclear waste. The tests were done in a deaerated 90 C acidic brine (pH ∼ 2.7) containing 5 weight percent (wt%) sodium chloride (NaCl) using a strain rate of 3.3 x 10 -6 sec -1 . Before being tested in the acidic brine, specimens of each alloy were pulled inside the test chamber in the dry condition at ambient temperature. Then while in the test solution, specimens were strained under different cathodic (negative) controlled electrochemical potentials. These controlled potentials were selected based on the corrosion potential measured in the test solution before the specimens were strained. Results indicate that the times to failure (TTF) for Ti Gr-12 were much shorter than those for Ti Gr-7. Furthermore, as the applied potential became more cathodic, Ti Gr-12 showed reduced ductility in terms of percent reduction in area (%RA) and true fracture stress (σ f ). In addition, TTF and percent elongation (%El) reached the minimum values when Ti Gr-12 was tested under an impressed potential of -1162 mV. However, for Ti Gr-7, all these ductility parameters were not significantly influenced by the changes in applied potential. In general, the results of hydrogen analysis by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) showed increased hydrogen concentration at more cathodic controlled potentials. Optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to evaluate the morphology of cracking both at the primary fracture face and the secondary cracks along the gage section of the broken tensile specimen. Transgranular secondary cracks were observed in both alloys possibly resulting from the formation of brittle titanium hydrides due to cathodic charging. The primary fracture face was characterized

Experiment Operating Specification for the Semiscale MOD-2C feedwater and steam line break experiment series. Appendix S-FS-6 and 7

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boucher, T.J.; Owca, W.A.

1985-05-01

This document is the Semiscale MOD-2C feedwater and steam line break experiment series Experiment Operating Specification Appendix for tests S-FS-6 and S-FS-7. Test S-FS-6 is the third test in the series and simulates a 100% break in a steam generator bottom feedwater line downstream of the check valve accompanied by compounding factors (such as check valve failure, loss-of-offsite power at SIS and SIS delayed until low steam generator pressure signal). The test is terminated after plant stabilization and recovery procedures including unaffected loop steam and feed, pressurizer heater operation, pressurizer auxiliary spray operation, and normal charging/letdown operation. Test S-FS-7 is the fourth test in the series and simulates a 14.3% break in a steam generator bottom feedwater line downstream of the check valve, accompanied by compounding factors. The test is terminated after plant stabilization procedures including unaffected loop steam and feed, pressurizer heater operation, and normal charging/letdown operation. The test was followed by an affected loop secondary refill after isolating the break. The Appendix contains information on the major fluid systems, initial experiment conditions, experiment boundary conditions, and sequence of experiment events. Also included is a discussion of the scaling criteria and philosophy used to develop the experiment initial and boundary conditions and system configuration

Grain by grain study of the mechanisms of crack propagation during iodine SCC of Zry-4

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haddad Andalag, R.E.

1993-01-01

This paper describes the tests conducted to determine the conditions leading to cracking of a specified grain of metal, focussing on the crystallographic orientation of crack paths, the critical stress conditions and the significance of the fractographic features encountered. In order to get orientable cracking, a technique was developed to produce iodine SCC, by means of pressurizing tubes of a specially heat treated Zry-4 having very large grains, shaped as discs of a few millimeters in diameter and grown up to the wall thickness. Careful orientation of fractured grains, performed by means of a back-reflection Laue technique with a precision better than one degree, has proved that transgranular cracking occurs only along basal planes. The effect of anisotropy, plasticity, triaxiality and residual stresses originated in thermal contraction, has to be considered to account for the influence of the stress state . A grain by grain calculation led to the conclusion that transgranular cracking always occurs on those bearing the maximum resolved tensile stress on basal planes. There are clear indications of the need of a triaxial stress state for the process to occur. Fracture modes other than pseudo-cleavage have been encountered, including intergranular separation, ductile tearing produced by prismatic slip and propagation along twin boundaries. In each case the fractographic features have been identified, and associations have been made with fractographs obtained in normal fuel cladding. (Author)

Factors affecting somatic cell count in dairy goats: a review

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jimenez-Granda, R.; Sanchez-Rodriguez, M.; Arce, C.; Rodriguez-Estevez, V.

2014-06-01

Somatic cell count (SCC) in monitoring udder health has been described in numerous studies as a useful method for the diagnosis of intramammary infection (IMI), and it is considered in standards of quality and hygiene of cows milk in many countries. However, several authors have questioned the validity of SCC as a reliable IMI diagnosis tool in dairy goats. This review attempts to reflect the importance of different infectious and non-infectious factors that can modify SCC values in goat milk, and must, therefore, be taken into account when using the SCC as a tool in the improvement of udder health and the quality of milk in this species. In dairy goats, some investigations have shown that mammary bacterial infections are a major cause of increased SCC and loss of production. In goats however, the relationship between bacterial infections and SCC values is not as simple as in dairy cattle, since non-infectious factors also have a big impact on SCC. Intrinsic factors are those that depend directly on the animal: time and number of lactation (higher SCC late in lactation and in aged goats), prolificity (higher SCC in multiple births), milking time (higher SCC in evening compared to morning milking) and number of milkings per day, among others. Extrinsic factors include: milking routine (lower SCC in machine than in manual milking), seasonality and food. In addition, milk secretion in goats is mostly apocrine and therefore characterized by the presence of epithelial debris or cytoplasmic particles, which makes the use of DNA specific counters mandatory. All this information is of interest in order to correctly interpret the SCC in goat milk and to establish differential SCC standards. (Author)

Case–Control Study of Cutaneous Human Papillomaviruses in Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Skin

Science.gov (United States)

Iannacone, Michelle R.; Gheit, Tarik; Waterboer, Tim; Giuliano, Anna R.; Messina, Jane L.; Fenske, Neil A.; Cherpelis, Basil S.; Sondak, Vernon K.; Roetzheim, Richard G.; Michael, Kristina M.; Tommasino, Massimo; Pawlita, Michael; Rollison, Dana E.

2015-01-01

Background Cutaneous human papillomavirus (HPV) infection may be a risk factor for squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the skin. Methods To investigate the association between cutaneous HPV and SCC, a case–control study was conducted, including 173 SCC cases from a university dermatology clinic and 300 controls that screened negative for skin cancer. Serum antibodies against cutaneous HPV types in genera alpha, beta, gamma, mu, and nu were measured. Tumor tissue from 159 SCC cases was tested for the presence of DNA for genus-beta HPV types. Using logistic regression ORs and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated for the associations between SCC and cutaneous HPV infection, adjusting for age and sex. The Bonferroni method was used to account for multiple comparisons. Results SCC was positively associated with seropositivity to any genus-beta HPV type (OR, 1.93; 95% CI, 1.23–3.02), particularly with types in species-1 (OR, 1.86; 95% CI, 1.22–2.85). Type-specific associations with SCC were observed for HPV 8 (OR, 1.80; 95% CI, 1.14–2.84), 17 (OR, 1.59; 95% CI, 1.02–2.49) and HPV 10 from genus-alpha (OR, 2.24; 95% CI, 1.04–4.85). None of the type-specific associations remained statistically significant after correction for multiple comparisons. When DNA-positive SCC cases were compared with controls, strong serologic associations were observed for HPVs 5 (OR, 3.48; 95% CI, 1.27–9.59), 17 (OR, 3.36; 95% CI, 1.29–8.72), and 24 (OR, 3.79; 95% CI, 1.24–11.5). Conclusion Genus-beta HPV infections were associated with SCC in our study population. Impact Identifying the role of cutaneous HPV infection in SCC may lead to improved characterization of high-risk individuals and the development of novel prevention strategies. PMID:22707711

Beyond the Hofmeister Series: Ion-Specific Effects on Proteins and Their Biological Functions

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Okur, H. I.; Hladílková, Jana; Rembert, K. B.; Cho, Y.; Heyda, J.; Dzubiella, J.; Cremer, P. S.; Jungwirth, Pavel

2017-01-01

Roč. 121, č. 9 (2017), s. 1997-2014 ISSN 1520-6106 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA16-01074S Institutional support: RVO:61388963 Keywords : Hofmeister series * ions * proteins * molecular dynamics Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry OBOR OECD: Physical chemistry Impact factor: 3.177, year: 2016

Relationship between milk cathelicidin abundance and microbiologic culture in clinical mastitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Addis, M F; Bronzo, V; Puggioni, G M G; Cacciotto, C; Tedde, V; Pagnozzi, D; Locatelli, C; Casula, A; Curone, G; Uzzau, S; Moroni, P

2017-04-01

The availability of reliable tools to enable the sensitive and specific detection of mastitis in dairy cows can assist in developing control strategies and promote the more rational use of antibiotics. We have developed a milk cathelicidin ELISA that shows high sensitivity and specificity for dairy cow mastitis, based on latent class analysis. In this study, we investigated the effect of microbial agents on cathelicidin abundance in the milk of cows with clinical mastitis. We subjected 535 quarter milk samples (435 from quarters showing signs of clinical mastitis and 100 from healthy quarters as a control) to milk cathelicidin ELISA, somatic cell count (SCC), and microbiologic culture. Of the 435 clinical mastitis samples, 431 (99.08%) were positive for cathelicidin, 424 (97.47%) had SCC >200,000 cells/mL, and 376 (86.44%) were culture-positive. Of the 59 culture-negative samples, 58 (98.30%) were positive for cathelicidin and 55 (93.22%) had SCC >200,000 cells/mL. The abundance of cathelicidin and the extent of SCC increase depended on the causative agent: Streptococcus agalactiae and coagulase-negative staphylococci showed the highest and lowest changes, respectively. We also observed differences in behavior between the 2 markers depending on the pathogen: Streptococcus agalactiae induced the highest cathelicidin abundance, and Serratia spp. induced the highest SCC. Nevertheless, the different ability of microorganisms to induce cathelicidin release in milk did not compromise its value as a mastitis marker, given its higher sensitivity compared to SCC or microbiologic culture. All 100 negative control samples (collected from healthy quarters with SCC culture-negative) were also negative for cathelicidin, corresponding to 100% specificity in the evaluated sample cohort. This study confirmed the value of the milk cathelicidin ELISA for detecting bovine mastitis, and highlighted the influence of mastitis-causing microorganisms on cathelicidin abundance. This

Carcinoma Cuniculatum of the Right Thenar Region with Bone Involvement and Lymph Node Metastases

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Robert Feldmann

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC is the second most common type of skin cancer after basal cell carcinoma (BCC. The overall prevalence of BCC is 3 times higher than that of SCC, but this can vary when looking at specific locations such as the hand, where SCC is much more common than BCC. Carcinoma (or epithelioma cuniculatum is a rare variant of SCC. It was originally described as a verrucous carcinoma of the soles. Exceptionally, it can arise in other parts of the skin. We report a rare case of carcinoma cuniculatum of the right thenar region with bone and lymph node involvement.

Time-series-analysis techniques applied to nuclear-material accounting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pike, D.H.; Morrison, G.W.; Downing, D.J.

1982-05-01

This document is designed to introduce the reader to the applications of Time Series Analysis techniques to Nuclear Material Accountability data. Time series analysis techniques are designed to extract information from a collection of random variables ordered by time by seeking to identify any trends, patterns, or other structure in the series. Since nuclear material accountability data is a time series, one can extract more information using time series analysis techniques than by using other statistical techniques. Specifically, the objective of this document is to examine the applicability of time series analysis techniques to enhance loss detection of special nuclear materials. An introductory section examines the current industry approach which utilizes inventory differences. The error structure of inventory differences is presented. Time series analysis techniques discussed include the Shewhart Control Chart, the Cumulative Summation of Inventory Differences Statistics (CUSUM) and the Kalman Filter and Linear Smoother

Plastics piping systems for industrial applications : acrylonitrile-butadiene- styrene (ABS), unplasticized poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC-U) and chlorinated poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC-C) : specifications for components and the system : metric series

CERN Document Server

International Organization for Standardization. Geneva

2003-01-01

Plastics piping systems for industrial applications : acrylonitrile-butadiene- styrene (ABS), unplasticized poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC-U) and chlorinated poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC-C) : specifications for components and the system : metric series

Factors affecting somatic cell count in dairy goats: a review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rocío Jiménez-Granado

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Somatic cell count (SCC in monitoring udder health has been described in numerous studies as a useful method for the diagnosis of intramammary infection (IMI, and it is considered in standards of quality and hygiene of cow’s milk in many countries. However, several authors have questioned the validity of SCC as a reliable IMI diagnosis tool in dairy goats. This review attempts to reflect the importance of different infectious and non-infectious factors that can modify SCC values in goat milk, and must, therefore, be taken into account when using the SCC as a tool in the improvement of udder health and the quality of milk in this species. In dairy goats, some investigations have shown that mammary bacterial infections are a major cause of increased SCC and loss of production. In goats however, the relationship between bacterial infections and SCC values is not as simple as in dairy cattle, since non-infectious factors also have a big impact on SCC. Intrinsic factors are those that depend directly on the animal: time and number of lactation (higher SCC late in lactation and in aged goats, prolificity (higher SCC in multiple births, milking time (higher SCC in evening compared to morning milking and number of milkings per day, among others. Extrinsic factors include: milking routine (lower SCC in machine than in manual milking, seasonality and food. In addition, milk secretion in goats is mostly apocrine and therefore characterized by the presence of epithelial debris or cytoplasmic particles, which makes the use of DNA specific counters mandatory. All this information is of interest in order to correctly interpret the SCC in goat milk and to establish differential SCC standards.

Fourier series

CERN Document Server

Tolstov, Georgi P

1962-01-01

Richard A. Silverman's series of translations of outstanding Russian textbooks and monographs is well-known to people in the fields of mathematics, physics, and engineering. The present book is another excellent text from this series, a valuable addition to the English-language literature on Fourier series.This edition is organized into nine well-defined chapters: Trigonometric Fourier Series, Orthogonal Systems, Convergence of Trigonometric Fourier Series, Trigonometric Series with Decreasing Coefficients, Operations on Fourier Series, Summation of Trigonometric Fourier Series, Double Fourie

Protease-activated receptor 2 modulates proliferation and invasion of oral squamous cell carcinoma cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Eryani, Kamal; Cheng, Jun; Abé, Tatsuya; Maruyama, Satoshi; Yamazaki, Manabu; Babkair, Hamzah; Essa, Ahmed; Saku, Takashi

2015-07-01

Based on our previous finding that protease-activated receptor 2 (PAR-2) regulates hemophagocytosis of oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) cells, which induces their heme oxygenase 1-dependent keratinization, we have formulated a hypothesis that PAR-2 functions in wider activities of SCC cells. To confirm this hypothesis, we investigated immunohistochemical profiles of PAR-2 in oral SCC tissues and its functional roles in cell proliferation and invasion in SCC cells in culture. The PAR-2 expression modes were determined in 48 surgical tissue specimens of oral SCC. Using oral SCC-derived cell systems, we determined both gene and protein expression levels of PAR-2. SCC cell proliferation and invasive properties were also examined in conditions in which PAR-2 was activated by the synthetic peptide SLIGRL. PAR-2 was immunolocalized in oral SCC and carcinoma in situ cells, especially in those on the periphery of carcinoma cell foci (100% of cases), but not in normal oral epithelia. Its expression at both gene and protein levels was confirmed in 3 oral SCC cell lines including ZK-1. Activation of PAR-2 induced ZK-1 cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. PAR-2-activated ZK-1 cells invaded faster than nonactivated ones. The expression of PAR-2 is specific to oral malignancies, and PAR-2 regulates the growth and invasion of oral SCC cells. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The current role of in vivo reflectance confocal microscopy within the continuum of actinic keratosis and squamous cell carcinoma: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, Kim P; Peppelman, Malou; Hoogedoorn, Lisa; Van Erp, Piet E J; Gerritsen, Marie-Jeanne P

2016-12-01

Clinical differentiation between actinic keratosis (AK), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in situ, and invasive SCC and its variants may be difficult. Reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) is a non-invasive technique for in vivo skin imaging. To explicate the diagnostic and monitoring use of RCM within the spectrum of AK and SCC, and evaluate the accuracy of RCM for these diagnoses relative to histopathology. A systematic literature search was performed in PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases. The quality was assessed using the STrengthening the Reporting of OBservational studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) checklist. Twenty-five eligible studies were included. Different diagnostic RCM features have been described for AK, actinic cheilitis (AC), erythroplasia of Queyrat, Bowen disease, invasive SCC, and keratoacanthoma (KA). The overall range of sensitivity and specificity of RCM for the diagnosis of SCC, AK, SCC in situ, and KA was 79-100% and 78-100%, respectively. The current literature describes the use of RCM for diagnosing AK, AC, erythroplasia of Queyrat, Bowen disease, invasive SCC, and KA, as well as for monitoring treatments of AK, with good accuracy. Unfortunately, studies with high methodological quality are lacking. Pre-treatment of hyperkeratotic lesions and uniform definitions of RCM features are required to simplify the differentiation between AKs, SCC in situ, and SCC and its variants in clinical practice.

Constant Load SCC Initiation Response of Alloy 22 (UNS N06022), Titanium Grade 7 and Stainless Steels at 1050C

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Young, L.M.; Catlin, G.M.; Andresen, P.L.; Gordon, G.M.

2002-01-01

This paper provides an update on research addressing the effects of material condition and applied stress on stress corrosion cracking (SCC) in waste package and drip shield materials for the Yucca Mountain Project. Time-to-failure experiments are being performed on smooth bar tensile specimens in a hot, concentrated, mixed-salt solution chosen to simulate concentrated Yucca Mountain water. The effects of applied stress, welding, surface finish, shot peening, cold work, crevicing, and aging treatment are being investigated for Alloy 22 (UNS N06022). Aging treatments were designed to produce topologically close-packed phases (TCP) and long-range ordering (LRO) and are under investigation as worse-case scenarios for possible microstructures in Alloy 22 (UNS N06022). Titanium Grade 7 and 3 16NG stainless steel are included in the matrix, as they are identified for drip shield and waste package components, respectively. Sensitized 304SS specimens are included in the test matrix to provide benchmark data. This research complements high-resolution crack-growth-rate experiments currently being performed in a parallel research project

Comparison of thallium-201 SPET and CT/MRI in the detection of residual/recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Jong-Kang; Tyan, Yeu-Sheng; Huang, Wen-Sheng

2004-01-01

This study was designed to compare the effectiveness of thallium-201 single-photon emission tomography (SPET) and conventional imaging, comprising computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), in the detection of residual/recurrent squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the oral cavity. Thirty-two patients with clinically suspected recurrent SCC of the oral cavity were recruited. All patients underwent 201 Tl SPET and CT or MRI within 2 weeks. The final diagnoses were based on the histology of the biopsy specimen. 201 Tl SPET and CT/MRI both accurately detected 17 of 18 residual/recurrent tumours. CT/MRI yielded eight false-positive studies, whereas 201 Tl SPET successfully excluded all tumours. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values and accuracy of 201 Tl SPET for the detection of recurrent oral SCC were 94%, 100%, 100%, 93% and 97%, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values and accuracy of CT/MRI for the detection of recurrent oral SCC were 94%, 43%, 68%, 86% and 72%, respectively. Thallium-201 SPET is more accurate than conventional imaging (CT or MRI) in differentiating residual/recurrent oral SCC from post-therapy changes. (orig.)

Multivariate time series analysis with R and financial applications

CERN Document Server

Tsay, Ruey S

2013-01-01

Since the publication of his first book, Analysis of Financial Time Series, Ruey Tsay has become one of the most influential and prominent experts on the topic of time series. Different from the traditional and oftentimes complex approach to multivariate (MV) time series, this sequel book emphasizes structural specification, which results in simplified parsimonious VARMA modeling and, hence, eases comprehension. Through a fundamental balance between theory and applications, the book supplies readers with an accessible approach to financial econometric models and their applications to real-worl

Clinical and epidemiological rounds. Time series

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

León-Álvarez, Alba Luz

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Analysis of time series is a technique that implicates the study of individuals or groups observed in successive moments in time. This type of analysis allows the study of potential causal relationships between different variables that change over time and relate to each other. It is the most important technique to make inferences about the future, predicting, on the basis or what has happened in the past and it is applied in different disciplines of knowledge. Here we discuss different components of time series, the analysis technique and specific examples in health research.

PEMANFAATAN REBUSAN DAUN SIRIH MERAH (Piper crocatum DALAM MENURUNKAN TINGKAT KEJADIAN MASTITIS BERDASARKANN UJI CMT DAN SCC

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Razan Harastha Sjuhada

2017-11-01

Full Text Available The red betel leaves (Piper crocatum known as herbal antiseptic that contain many substances like essential oil, flavonoid, saponin, and tannin. The red betel leaves can be use to replace chemical antiseptic and more safe to use for teat dipping for dairy cow. The purpose of this research was to determine the effect of teat dipping with red betel leaves decoction to decrease subclinical mastitis level and somatic cell based on CMT and SCC. The method in this research was experiment with Randomize Block Design with 3 treatments and 5 replications. The data analyzed with Analysis of Variance (ANOVA, if there were significant effects it would be continue by Duncan’s Multiple Range Test (DMRT. The results showed that teat dipping with red betel leaves decoction had a significant different (P<0.05 to decrease mastitis level. Teat dipping with red betel leaves decoction 20% concentration could decrease mastitis level up to 30%. Teat dipping with red betel leaves decoction had a significant difference (P<0.05 to decrease the amount of somatic cell too. Teat dipping with red betel leaves stew 20% concentration could decrease the amount of somatic cell up to 1.98% or 0.12CFU/ml. The conclusion that teat dipping with red betel leaves decoction 20% was the best concentration and gave the best results to decrease mastitis level and somatic cell.

`Indoor` series vending machines; `Indoor` series jido hanbaiki

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gensui, T.; Kida, A. [Fuji Electric Co. Ltd., Tokyo (Japan); Okumura, H. [Fuji Denki Reiki Co. Ltd., Tokyo (Japan)

1996-07-10

This paper introduces three series of vending machines that were designed to match the interior of an office building. The three series are vending machines for cups, paper packs, cans, and tobacco. Among the three series, `Interior` series has a symmetric design that was coated in a grain pattern. The inside of the `Interior` series is coated by laser satin to ensure a sense of superior quality and a refined style. The push-button used for product selection is hot-stamped on the plastic surface to ensure the hair-line luster. `Interior Phase II` series has a bay window design with a sense of superior quality and lightness. The inside of the `Interior Phase II` series is coated by laser satin. `Interior 21` series is integrated with the wall except the sales operation panel. The upper and lower dress panels can be detached and attached. The door lock is a wire-type structure with high operativity. The operation block is coated by titanium color. The dimensions of three series are standardized. 6 figs., 1 tab.

Cytological diagnostic clues in poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinomas of the breast: Streaming arrangement, necrotic background, nucleolar enlargement and cannibalism of cancer cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Kinoshita, M; Matsuda, Y; Arai, T; Soejima, Y; Sawabe, M; Honma, N

2018-02-01

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is a rare histological type of breast cancer. The cytological diagnosis of non-keratinising, poorly differentiated SCC is often difficult, and distinguishing it from invasive ductal carcinoma or apocrine carcinoma (AC) is especially challenging. We aimed to define the diagnostic cytological features of poorly differentiated SCC of the breast. We studied the cytological findings of poorly differentiated SCC (n=10) and compared them to those of IDC (n=15) and AC (n=14). The following six cytological features were evaluated: streaming arrangement, nucleolar enlargement, dense nuclei, cannibalism, atypical keratinocytes and necrotic background. SCC exhibited significantly higher frequencies of streaming arrangement (70% vs 6.7%, P=.002), nucleolar enlargement (80% vs 27%, P=.02), and necrotic background (80% vs 36%, P=.002) than invasive ductal carcinoma. The detection of two or three of these features yielded a higher sensitivity (80%) and specificity (93%) for the diagnosis of SCC. Streaming arrangement (70% vs 0%, Pstreaming arrangement, a necrotic background, nucleolar enlargement and cannibalism are useful indicators for the diagnosis of SCC of the breast. As such, greater attention should be paid to these morphological features in daily clinical practice. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Central Lesions With Selective Semicircular Canal Involvement Mimicking Bilateral Vestibulopathy

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Luke Chen

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Bilateral vestibulopathy (BVP, which is due to peripheral lesions, may selectively involve certain semicircular canal (SCC. Recent eye movement recordings with search coil and video head impulse test (HIT have provided insight in central lesions that can cause bilateral and selective SCC deficit mimicking BVP. Since neurological signs or ocular motor deficits maybe subtle or absent, it is critical to recognize central lesions correctly since there is prognostic and treatment implication. Acute floccular lesions cause bilateral horizontal SCC (HC impairment while leaving vertical SCC function unaffected. Vestibular nuclear lesions affect bilateral HC and posterior SCC (PC function, but anterior SCC (AC function is spared. When both eyes are recorded, medial longitudinal fasciculus lesions cause horizontal dysconjugacy in HC function and catch-up saccades, as well as selective deficiency of PC over AC function. Combined peripheral and central lesions may be difficult to distinguish from BVP. Anterior inferior cerebellar artery stroke causes two types of deficits: 1. ipsilateral pan-SCC deficits and contralateral HC deficit and 2. bilateral HC deficit with vertical SCC sparing. Metabolic disorders such as Wernicke encephalopathy characteristically involve HC but not AC or PC function. Gaucher disease causes uniform loss of all SCC function but with minimal horizontal catch-up saccades. Genetic cerebellar ataxias and cerebellar-ataxia neuropathy vestibular areflexia syndrome typically do not spare AC function. While video HIT does not replace the gold-standard, search coil HIT, clinicians are now able to rapidly and accurately identify specific pattern of SCC deficits, which can aid differentiation of central lesions from BVP.

Patchy proteins, anions and the Hofmeister series

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lund, Mikael; Jungwirth, Pavel [Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Flemingovo namesti 2, 16610 Prague 6 (Czech Republic); Center for Complex Molecular Systems and Biomolecules, Flemingovo namesti 2, 16610 Prague 6 (Czech Republic)], E-mail: mikael.lund@uochb.cas.cz

2008-12-10

We investigate specific anion binding to a range of patchy protein models and use our results to probe protein-protein interactions for aqueous lysozyme solutions. Our molecular simulation studies show that the ion-protein interaction mechanism and strength largely depend on the nature of the interfacial amino acid residues. Via direct ion pairing, small anions interact with charged side-chains while larger anions are attracted to non-polar residues due to several solvent assisted mechanisms. Incorporating ion and surface specificity into a mesoscopic model for protein-protein interactions we calculate the free energy of interaction between lysozyme molecules in aqueous solutions of sodium chloride and sodium iodide. In agreement with experiment, our finding is that 'salting out' follows the reverse Hofmeister series for pH below the iso-electric point and the direct series for pH above pI.

A common cancer in an uncommon location: A case report of squamous cell carcinoma of the nipple

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kelly Dye

2017-01-01

Conclusion: The cases of SCC of the Nipple demonstrate the importance of recognizing changes of the skin even in locations not typically associated with SCC (American Cancer Society, 2015; Scotto et al., 1983; Pendse and O’Connor, 2015; Loveland-Jones et al., 2010; Brookes et al., 2005; Sofos et al., 2013; King and Kremer, 2012; Venkataseshan et al., 1994; Hosaka et al., 2011 [1–9]. We concluded with a future suggestion of investigating possible risk factors specific to SCC of the breast or nipple.

Time series prediction: statistical and neural techniques

Science.gov (United States)

Zahirniak, Daniel R.; DeSimio, Martin P.

1996-03-01

In this paper we compare the performance of nonlinear neural network techniques to those of linear filtering techniques in the prediction of time series. Specifically, we compare the results of using the nonlinear systems, known as multilayer perceptron and radial basis function neural networks, with the results obtained using the conventional linear Wiener filter, Kalman filter and Widrow-Hoff adaptive filter in predicting future values of stationary and non- stationary time series. Our results indicate the performance of each type of system is heavily dependent upon the form of the time series being predicted and the size of the system used. In particular, the linear filters perform adequately for linear or near linear processes while the nonlinear systems perform better for nonlinear processes. Since the linear systems take much less time to be developed, they should be tried prior to using the nonlinear systems when the linearity properties of the time series process are unknown.

Esophageal cancer in Yemen.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Samawi, Abdullah S; Aulaqi, Saleh M

2014-03-01

To document the age and gender distribution, histopathologic type as well as grading characteristics of Esophageal Cancer (EC) in Yemen. A case series. Department of Pathology, Sana'a University, Sana'a, Yemen, from January 2005 to December 2011. Three hundred twenty five cases of EC were included for review. The diagnoses were made on hematoxylin and eosin stained sections and the cases were categorized into Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC) and adenocarcinoma (ADC). Out of the 325 EC cases, 163 (50%) were SCC (females 67%, males 33%) and 158 (49%) were ADC (females 30%, males 70%). The rest of the cases were 2 adenosquamous carcinoma and 2 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The mean age, for SCC was 60 years while the mean age for ADC was 65 years. The peak incidence for SCC was found in the age groups of fifth and sixth decades for females and in fifth and seventh decades for males. The maximum number of patients with ADC was seen in sixth and seventh decades for both gender. Well-differentiated histological grading accounted for 247 (77%) for both genders and types. The moderately differentiated and poorly differentiated accounted, for 17% and 6% respectively. The EC in Yemen had a predominance of SCC in female patients and predominance of ADC in male patients which was usually of a well-differentiated grade.

Invited review: effect of udder health management practices on herd somatic cell count.

Science.gov (United States)

Dufour, S; Fréchette, A; Barkema, H W; Mussell, A; Scholl, D T

2011-02-01

A systematic review of the scientific literature on relationships between management practices used on dairy farms and herd somatic cell count (SCC) was undertaken to distinguish those management practices that have been consistently shown to be associated with herd SCC from those lacking evidence of association. Relevant literature was identified using a combination of database searches (PubMed, Medline, CAB, Agricola, and Web of Science) and iterative screening of references. To be included in the review, a manuscript had to be published after 1979 in French, English, or Dutch; study design had to be other than case report or case series; herds studied had to be composed of ≥ 40 milking cows producing on average ≥ 7,000kg of milk in 305 d; interventions studied had to be management practices applied at the herd level and used as udder health control strategies; and SCC had to be measured using electronic cell counting methods. The 36 manuscripts selected were mainly observational cross-sectional studies; 8 manuscripts dealt exclusively with automatic milking systems and 4 with management of calves and heifers and its effect on SCC in early lactation heifers. Most practices having consistent associations with SCC were related to milking procedures: wearing gloves during milking, using automatic take-offs, using postmilking teat dipping, milking problem cows last, yearly inspection of the milking system, and use of a technique to keep cows standing following milking; all were consistently associated with lower herd SCC. Other practices associated with lower SCC were the use of a freestall system, sand bedding, cleaning the calving pen after each calving, surveillance of dry-cow udders for mastitis, use of blanket dry-cow therapy, parenteral selenium supplementation, udder hair management, and frequent use of the California Mastitis Test. Regarding SCC of heifers, most of the consistent associations reported were related to interventions made during the

Observations on the influence of tube manufacturing technique on iodine stress corrosion cracking of unirradiated Zircaloy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Syrett, B.C.; Cubicciotti, D.; Jones, R.L.

1979-01-01

Closed-end tube pressurization tests at 593 K were used to compare the susceptibilities to iodine stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of two lots of Zircaloy-2 tubing manufactured by different suppliers. Although both tubings were produced to exactly the same specifications in terms of dimensions, chemical composition, burst strength, and certain other properties, as-received specimens from the two lots exhibited markedly different behavior in iodine SCC tests. The tubing from one supplier had a lower SCC threshold stress and failed about 30 times more quickly than the tubing from the other supplier. However, it was found that this difference in SCC susceptibility was eliminated if the internal surfaces of the specimens were polished to a 3 μm finish prior to testing. These observations are discussed in terms of possible effects of surface or near-surface chacteristics of the tubing on SCC susceptibility

Loss-of-coolant accident test series TC-1 experiment operating specifications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yackle, T.R.

1979-09-01

The purpose of this document is to specify the experiment operating procedure for the test series TC-1. The effects of externally mounted cladding thermocouples on the fuel rod thermal behavior during LOCA blowdown and reflood cycles will be investigated in the test. Potential thermocouple effects include: (a) delayed DNB, (b) momentary cladding rewets following DNB, (c) premature cladding rewet during a blowdown two-phase slug period, and (d) early cladding rewet during reflood. The two-phase slug period will be controlled by momentarily opening the hot leg valve. The slug will consist of lower plenum liquid that is sent through the flow shrouds and will be designed to quench the fuel rods at a rate that is similar to the slug experienced early in the LOFT L2-2 and L2-3 tests

Squamous cell carcinoma arising in previously burned or irradiated skin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Edwards, M.J.; Hirsch, R.M.; Broadwater, J.R.; Netscher, D.T.; Ames, F.C.

1989-01-01

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) arising in previously burned or irradiated skin was reviewed in 66 patients treated between 1944 and 1986. Healing of the initial injury was complicated in 70% of patients. Mean interval from initial injury to diagnosis of SCC was 37 years. The overwhelming majority of patients presented with a chronic intractable ulcer in previously injured skin. The regional relapse rate after surgical excision was very high, 58% of all patients. Predominant patterns of recurrence were in local skin and regional lymph nodes (93% of recurrences). Survival rates at 5, 10, and 20 years were 52%, 34%, and 23%, respectively. Five-year survival rates in previously burned and irradiated patients were not significantly different (53% and 50%, respectively). This review, one of the largest reported series, better defines SCC arising in previously burned or irradiated skin as a locally aggressive disease that is distinct from SCC arising in sunlight-damaged skin. An increased awareness of the significance of chronic ulceration in scar tissue may allow earlier diagnosis. Regional disease control and survival depend on surgical resection of all known disease and may require radical lymph node dissection or amputation

Localized corrosion and stress corrosion cracking of candidate materials for high-level radioactive waste disposal containers in the US: A literature review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Farmer, J.C.; McCright, R.D.

1988-01-01

Container materials may undergo any of several modes of degradation in this environment, including: undesirable phase transformations due to lack of phase stability; atmospheric oxidation; general aqueous corrosion; pitting; crevice corrosion; intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC); and transgranular stress corrosion cracking (TGSCC). This paper is an analysis of data from the literature relevant to the pitting, crevice corrosion, and stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of these alloys. Though all three austenitic candidates have demonstrated pitting and crevice corrosion in chloride-containing environments, Alloy 825 has the greatest resistance to these forms of localized attack. Both types 304L and 316L stainless steels are susceptible to SCC in acidic chloride media. In contrast, SCC has not been documented for Alloy 825 under comparable conditions. Gamma irradiation has been found to enhance SCC of Types 304 and 304L stainless steels, but it has no detectable effect on the resistance of Alloy 825 to SCC. Furthermore, while microbiologically induced corrosion effects have been observed for 300-series stainless steels, nickel-based alloys such as Alloy 825 seem to be immune to such problems. Of the copper-based alloys, CDA 715 has the best overall resistance to localized attack. Its resistance to pitting is comparable to that of CDA 613 and superior to that of CDA 102. Observed rates of dealloying in CDA 715 are less than those observed in CDA 613 by orders of magnitude. The resistance of CDA 715 to SCC in tarnishing ammonical environments is comparable to that of CDA 102 and superior to that of CDA 613. Its resistance to SCC in nontarnishing ammonical environments is comparable to that of CDA 613 and superior to that of CDA 102. 22 refs., 8 figs., 4 tabs

Time series patterns and language support in DBMS

Science.gov (United States)

Telnarova, Zdenka

2017-07-01

This contribution is focused on pattern type Time Series as a rich in semantics representation of data. Some example of implementation of this pattern type in traditional Data Base Management Systems is briefly presented. There are many approaches how to manipulate with patterns and query patterns. Crucial issue can be seen in systematic approach to pattern management and specific pattern query language which takes into consideration semantics of patterns. Query language SQL-TS for manipulating with patterns is shown on Time Series data.

SCC mec typing and antimicrobial resistance of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) from pigs of Northeast India.

Science.gov (United States)

Rajkhowa, S; Sarma, D K; Pegu, S R

2016-12-01

Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most important pathogens of both humans and animal. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is an important human pathogen that causes serious infections both in hospitals and communities due to its multidrug resistance tendency. This study was undertaken to characterize the MRSA isolates from pigs and to determine the antimicrobial resistance of these isolates. Forty nine MRSA strains (one strain per positive pig) isolated from pigs of Northeast India were characterized by SCCmec typing and antimicrobial resistance. The overall prevalence of MRSA was 7.02 % with the highest prevalence recorded in pigs aged 1-3 months (P = 0.001) and in nasal samples (P = 0.005). Two SCC mec types (type III and V) were found in Indian pigs with predominance of type V. All isolates were resistant to penicillin. Seventeen resistance groups were observed where 87.75 % isolates showed multidrug resistance (showed resistance to three or more classes of antimicrobials). The most predominant resistance pattern observed was Oxytetracycline + Penicillin + Sulfadiazine + Tetracycline accounting 12.24 % of the isolates. The present study contributes to the understanding of characteristics and antimicrobial resistance of porcine MRSA isolates which in turn will help in devising strategy for the control of this pathogen. Findings of the study also throw light on multidrug resistance MRSA and emphasize the need for judicious use of antimicrobials in animal practice.

Actinic keratosis associated with squamous and basal cell carcinomas: an evaluation of neoplastic progression by a standardized AgNOR analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G Giuffrè

2009-08-01

Full Text Available In an attempt to investigate the neoplastic progression in different stages of actinic keratosis (AK, a standardized AgNOR analysis was performed in 94 cases of AK, 35 of which were associated with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC or basal cell carcinoma (BCC, and in 31 cases of SCC and 22 cases of BCC. The cases were subdivided into low- and high- AgNOR-expressing (AgNOR status AK by using the mean area of AgNORs per cell (NORA value (3.996 ?m2 as the cut-off. In AK samples, a progressive increase of the mean NORA value from Stage I to Stage IV was encountered. In addition, a significantly higher mean NORA value was found in the AK cases associated with SCC, in comparison to those without SCC; by contrast, no significant differences in the mean NORA value were noted between AK cases with or without BCC. A highly significant association between a high AgNOR quantity and the coexistence of SCC was encountered in AK; no association was appreciable between the AgNOR quantity and the co-occurrence of BCC. Moreover, when the co-existence of SCC in AK was considered as the reference point, the AK cases associated with SCC mostly (95.5% presented a high AgNOR quantity (high sensitivity, but only 57.6% of cases without SCC displayed a low AgNOR quantity (low specificity. Additionally, our data document that the standardised AgNOR analysis represents a strong negative predictor for the association between SCC and AK. Indeed, a low AgNOR quantity mostly is associated with AK cases without SCC.

On Sums of Numerical Series and Fourier Series

Science.gov (United States)

Pavao, H. Germano; de Oliveira, E. Capelas

2008-01-01

We discuss a class of trigonometric functions whose corresponding Fourier series, on a conveniently chosen interval, can be used to calculate several numerical series. Particular cases are presented and two recent results involving numerical series are recovered. (Contains 1 note.)

Influence of Glass Fiber on Fresh and Hardened Properties of Self Compacting Concrete

Science.gov (United States)

Bharathi Murugan, R.; Haridharan, M. K.; Natarajan, C.; Jayasankar, R.

2017-07-01

The practical need of self-compacting concrete (SCC) is increasing due to increase in the infrastructure competence all over the world. The effective way of increasing the strength of concrete and enhance the behaviour under extreme loading (fire) is the keen interest. Glass fibers were added for five different of volume fractions (0%, 0.1%, 0.3%, 0.5% and 0.6%) to determine the optimum percentage of glass fiber without compensating the fresh properties and enhanced hardened properties of SCC concrete. The fresh state of concrete is characterized by slump flow, T-50cm slump flow, and V-funnel and L- box tests. The results obtained in fresh state are compared with the acceptance criteria of EFNARC specification. Concrete specimens were casted to evaluate the hardened properties such as compressive strength, split tensile strength, flexural strength and modulus of elasticity. Incorporation the glass fiber into SCC reduces the workability but within the standard specification. The hardened properties of SCC glass fiber reinforced concrete were enhanced, due to bridging the pre-existing micro cracks in concrete by glass fiber addition.

Infinite series

CERN Document Server

Hirschman, Isidore Isaac

2014-01-01

This text for advanced undergraduate and graduate students presents a rigorous approach that also emphasizes applications. Encompassing more than the usual amount of material on the problems of computation with series, the treatment offers many applications, including those related to the theory of special functions. Numerous problems appear throughout the book.The first chapter introduces the elementary theory of infinite series, followed by a relatively complete exposition of the basic properties of Taylor series and Fourier series. Additional subjects include series of functions and the app

Histopathologic, stereologic, epidemiologic, and clinical parameters in the prognostic evaluation of squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bundgaard, T; Bentzen, S M; Wildt, J

1996-01-01

BACKGROUND: Prognostic indicators that could assist in a more precise selection of patients with oral cancer for differentiated therapy would be clinically valuable.METHODS: A consecutive series of 161 cases of intraoral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) occurring during a 5-year period in a population...

Stress corrosion cracking of Zircaloys. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cubicciotti, D.; Jones, R.L.; Syrett, B.C.

1980-03-01

The overall aim has been to develop an improved understanding of the stress corrosion cracking (SCC) mechanism considered to be responsible for pellet-cladding interaction (PCI) failures of nuclear fuel rods. The objective of the present phase of the project was to investigate the potential for improving the resistance of Zircaloy to iodine-induced SCC by modifying the manufacturing techniques used in the commercial production of fuel cladding. Several aspects of iodine SCC behavior of potential relevance to cladding performance were experimentally investigated. It was found that the SCC susceptibility of Zircaloy tubing is sensitive to crystallographic texture, surface condition, and residual stress distribution and that current specifications for Zircaloy tubing provide no assurance of an optimum resistance to SCC. Additional evidence was found that iodine-induced cracks initiate at local chemical inhomogeneities in the Zircaloy surface, but laser melting to produce a homogenized surface layer did not improve the SCC resistance. Several results were obtained that should be considered in models of PCI failure. The ratio of axial to hoop stress and the temperature were both shown to affect the SCC resistance whereas the difference in composition between Zircaloy-2 and Zircaloy-4 had no detectable effect. Damage accumulation during iodine SCC was found to be nonlinear: generally, a given life fraction at low stress was more damaging than the same life fraction at higher stress. Studies of the thermochemistry of the zirconium-iodine system (performed under US Department of Energy sponsorship) revealed many errors in the literature and provided important new insights into the mechanism of iodine SCC of Zircaloys

Series: The research agenda for general practice/family medicine and primary health care in Europe. Part 4. Results: specific problem solving skills.

Science.gov (United States)

Hummers-Pradier, Eva; Beyer, Martin; Chevallier, Patrick; Eilat-Tsanani, Sophia; Lionis, Christos; Peremans, Lieve; Petek, Davorina; Rurik, Imre; Soler, Jean Karl; Stoffers, Henri Ejh; Topsever, Pinar; Ungan, Mehmet; van Royen, Paul

2010-09-01

The 'Research Agenda for General Practice/Family Medicine and Primary Health Care in Europe' summarizes the evidence relating to the core competencies and characteristics of the Wonca Europe definition of GP/FM, and its implications for general practitioners/family doctors, researchers and policy makers. The European Journal of General Practice publishes a series of articles based on this document. The previous articles presented background, objectives, and methodology, as well results on 'primary care management' and 'community orientation' and the person-related core competencies of GP/FM. This article reflects on the general practitioner's 'specific problem solving skills'. These include decision making on diagnosis and therapy of specific diseases, accounting for the properties of primary care, but also research questions related to quality management and resource use, shared decision making, or professional education and development. Clinical research covers most specific diseases, but often lacks pragmatism and primary care relevance. Quality management is a stronghold of GP/FM research. Educational interventions can be effective when well designed for a specific setting and situation. However, their message that 'usual care' by general practitioners is insufficient may be problematic. GP and their patients need more research into diagnostic reasoning with a step-wise approach to increase predictive values in a setting characterized by uncertainty and low prevalence of specific diseases. Pragmatic comparative effectiveness studies of new and established drugs or non-pharmaceutical therapy are needed. Multi-morbidity and complexity should be addressed. Studies on therapy, communication strategies and educational interventions should consider impact on health and sustainability of effects.

Student understanding of Taylor series expansions in statistical mechanics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Trevor I. Smith

2013-08-01

Full Text Available One goal of physics instruction is to have students learn to make physical meaning of specific mathematical expressions, concepts, and procedures in different physical settings. As part of research investigating student learning in statistical physics, we are developing curriculum materials that guide students through a derivation of the Boltzmann factor using a Taylor series expansion of entropy. Using results from written surveys, classroom observations, and both individual think-aloud and teaching interviews, we present evidence that many students can recognize and interpret series expansions, but they often lack fluency in creating and using a Taylor series appropriately, despite previous exposures in both calculus and physics courses.

Student understanding of Taylor series expansions in statistical mechanics

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Trevor I.; Thompson, John R.; Mountcastle, Donald B.

2013-12-01

One goal of physics instruction is to have students learn to make physical meaning of specific mathematical expressions, concepts, and procedures in different physical settings. As part of research investigating student learning in statistical physics, we are developing curriculum materials that guide students through a derivation of the Boltzmann factor using a Taylor series expansion of entropy. Using results from written surveys, classroom observations, and both individual think-aloud and teaching interviews, we present evidence that many students can recognize and interpret series expansions, but they often lack fluency in creating and using a Taylor series appropriately, despite previous exposures in both calculus and physics courses.

Effects of Hofmeister salt series on gluten network formation: Part I. Cation series.

Science.gov (United States)

Tuhumury, H C D; Small, D M; Day, L

2016-12-01

Different cationic salts were used to investigate the effects of the Hofmeister salt series on gluten network formation. The effects of cationic salts on wheat flour dough mixing properties, the rheological and the chemical properties of the gluten extracted from the dough with different respective salts, were investigated. The specific influence of different cationic salts on the gluten structure formation during dough mixing, compared to the sodium ion, were determined. The effects of different cations on dough and gluten of different flours mostly followed the Hofmeister series (NH4(+), K(+), Na(+), Mg(2+) and Ca(2+)). The impacts of cations on gluten structure and dough rheology at levels tested were relatively small. Therefore, the replacement of sodium from a technological standpoint is possible, particularly by monovalent cations such as NH4(+), or K(+). However the levels of replacement need to take into account sensory attributes of the cationic salts. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A window-based time series feature extraction method.

Science.gov (United States)

Katircioglu-Öztürk, Deniz; Güvenir, H Altay; Ravens, Ursula; Baykal, Nazife

2017-10-01

This study proposes a robust similarity score-based time series feature extraction method that is termed as Window-based Time series Feature ExtraCtion (WTC). Specifically, WTC generates domain-interpretable results and involves significantly low computational complexity thereby rendering itself useful for densely sampled and populated time series datasets. In this study, WTC is applied to a proprietary action potential (AP) time series dataset on human cardiomyocytes and three precordial leads from a publicly available electrocardiogram (ECG) dataset. This is followed by comparing WTC in terms of predictive accuracy and computational complexity with shapelet transform and fast shapelet transform (which constitutes an accelerated variant of the shapelet transform). The results indicate that WTC achieves a slightly higher classification performance with significantly lower execution time when compared to its shapelet-based alternatives. With respect to its interpretable features, WTC has a potential to enable medical experts to explore definitive common trends in novel datasets. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Subclinical mastitis in dairy camels in Algeria: Comparison of screening tests

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Leyla HADEF

2017-02-01

Full Text Available The aim of the present study was to determine a threshold values and to assess the effectiveness of four indirect tests for the diagnosis of subclinical mastitis in dairy camels comparing with bacteriological culture. One hundred fifty three milk samples from 17 lactating camels were subjected to bacteriological culture, where 84 milk samples were positive, 47 were negative and 22 samples were considered as contaminated. A total of 131 milk samples were screened by pH, electrical conductivity (EC, California mastitis test (CMT and somatic cell count (SCC. The good combination of sensitivity and specificity were obtained with a threshold of 6.55, 7.2 mS/cm, score trace was considered as CMT (+ and 240 000 cells/ml for the four tests, respectively. The sensitivity of the SCC, pH, EC and CMT was 72.61, 66.66, 47.61 and 39.28 %; the specificity 70.21, 38.02, 59.57 and 72.34 %; percentage accuracy 71.75, 51.14, 51.90 and 51.14 %; and positive predictive value 81.33, 47.61, 67.79 and 71.73 %, respectively. The SCC was significantly correlated with bacteriological culture (r = 0.415, p < 0.05. Kappa value of SCC was higher than that of other tests (SCC > CMT > EC > pH. In conclusion, the results suggest that the SCC was the most accurate, reliable, diagnostic method compared to other tests used in this study after cultural isolation for the detection of subclinical mastitis in dairy camel under field conditions.

Plastics piping systems for industrial applications – Acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), unplasticized poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC-U) and chlorinated poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC-C) – Specifications for components and the system – Metric series

CERN Document Server

Deutsches Institut für Normung. Berlin

2003-01-01

Plastics piping systems for industrial applications – Acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), unplasticized poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC-U) and chlorinated poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC-C) – Specifications for components and the system – Metric series

Esophageal cancer in yemen

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Samawi, A.S.A.; Aulaqi, S.M.

2014-01-01

To document the age and gender distribution, histopathologic type as well as grading characteristics of Esophageal Cancer (EC) in Yemen. Study Design: A case series. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Pathology, Sana'a University, Sana'a, Yemen, from January 2005 to December 2011. Methodology: Three hundred twenty five cases of EC were included for review. The diagnoses were made on hematoxylin and eosin stained sections and the cases were categorized into Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC) and adenocarcinoma (ADC). Results: Out of the 325 EC cases, 163 (50%) were SCC (females 67%, males 33%) and 158 (49%) were ADC (females 30%, males 70%). The rest of the cases were 2 adenosquamous carcinoma and 2 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The mean age, for SCC was 60 years while the mean age for ADC was 65 years. The peak incidence for SCC was found in the age groups of fifth and sixth decades for females and in fifth and seventh decades for males. The maximum number of patients with ADC was seen in sixth and seventh decades for both gender. Well-differentiated histological grading accounted for 247 (77%) for both genders and types. The moderately differentiated and poorly differentiated accounted, for 17% and 6% respectively. Conclusion: The EC in Yemen had a predominance of SCC in female patients and predominance of ADC in male patients which was usually of a well-differentiated grade. (author)

Elevated Squamous Cell Carcinoma Antigen, Cytokeratin 19 Fragment, and Carcinoembryonic Antigen Levels in Diabetic Nephropathy

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Jianzhong Chen

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Objective. We aimed to explore whether squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC, cytokeratin 19 fragment (Cyfra21-1, neuron-specific enolase (NSE, and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA are elevated in diabetic nephropathy (DN and the association between urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR and tumor markers in diabetic patients. Methods. Nondialysis patients with diabetes (n=261 and 90 healthy controls were enrolled. DN was defined as an UACR ≥ 30 mg/g in the absence of a urinary tract infection or other renal abnormalities. Results. Patients with DN had significantly higher serum SCC, Cyfra21-1, and CEA levels than those with normoalbuminuria and healthy controls. The rates of positive SCC, Cyfra21-1, and CEA significantly increased with increasing urinary albumin excretion (all P for trend < 0.001. In contrast, NSE was not affected by DN. SCC, Cyfra21-1, and CEA were significantly and positively correlated with UACR. In logistic regression, after multivariable adjustment, increased UACR was associated with increased odds ratio of elevated tumor marker levels (all P for trend < 0.05. Conclusions. Serum levels of SCC, Cyfra21-1, and CEA are markedly increased with increasing urinary albumin excretion, which affects the specificity for diagnosis for lung cancer. Appropriate interpretation of tumor markers in diabetic patients is mandatory to avoid unnecessary and even hazardous biopsies.

Validation of non-stationary precipitation series for site-specific impact assessment: comparison of two statistical downscaling techniques

Science.gov (United States)

Mullan, Donal; Chen, Jie; Zhang, Xunchang John

2016-02-01

Statistical downscaling (SD) methods have become a popular, low-cost and accessible means of bridging the gap between the coarse spatial resolution at which climate models output climate scenarios and the finer spatial scale at which impact modellers require these scenarios, with various different SD techniques used for a wide range of applications across the world. This paper compares the Generator for Point Climate Change (GPCC) model and the Statistical DownScaling Model (SDSM)—two contrasting SD methods—in terms of their ability to generate precipitation series under non-stationary conditions across ten contrasting global climates. The mean, maximum and a selection of distribution statistics as well as the cumulative frequencies of dry and wet spells for four different temporal resolutions were compared between the models and the observed series for a validation period. Results indicate that both methods can generate daily precipitation series that generally closely mirror observed series for a wide range of non-stationary climates. However, GPCC tends to overestimate higher precipitation amounts, whilst SDSM tends to underestimate these. This infers that GPCC is more likely to overestimate the effects of precipitation on a given impact sector, whilst SDSM is likely to underestimate the effects. GPCC performs better than SDSM in reproducing wet and dry day frequency, which is a key advantage for many impact sectors. Overall, the mixed performance of the two methods illustrates the importance of users performing a thorough validation in order to determine the influence of simulated precipitation on their chosen impact sector.

Modelling road accidents: An approach using structural time series

Science.gov (United States)

Junus, Noor Wahida Md; Ismail, Mohd Tahir

2014-09-01

In this paper, the trend of road accidents in Malaysia for the years 2001 until 2012 was modelled using a structural time series approach. The structural time series model was identified using a stepwise method, and the residuals for each model were tested. The best-fitted model was chosen based on the smallest Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) and prediction error variance. In order to check the quality of the model, a data validation procedure was performed by predicting the monthly number of road accidents for the year 2012. Results indicate that the best specification of the structural time series model to represent road accidents is the local level with a seasonal model.

A Tetrameric Peptide Derived from Bovine Lactoferricin Exhibits Specific Cytotoxic Effects against Oral Squamous-Cell Carcinoma Cell Lines.

Science.gov (United States)

Solarte, Víctor A; Rosas, Jaiver E; Rivera, Zuly J; Arango-Rodríguez, Martha L; García, Javier E; Vernot, Jean-Paul

2015-01-01

Several short linear peptides derived from cyclic bovine lactoferricin were synthesized and tested for their cytotoxic effect against the oral cavity squamous-cell carcinoma (OSCC) cell lines CAL27 and SCC15. As a control, an immortalized and nontumorigenic cell line, Het-1A, was used. Linear peptides based on the RRWQWR core sequence showed a moderate cytotoxic effect and specificity towards tumorigenic cells. A tetrameric peptide, LfcinB(20-25)4, containing the RRWQWR motif, exhibited greater cytotoxic activity (>90%) in both OSCC cell lines compared to the linear lactoferricin peptide or the lactoferrin protein. Additionally, this tetrameric peptide showed the highest specificity towards tumorigenic cells among the tested peptides. Interestingly, this effect was very fast, with cell shrinkage, severe damage to cell membrane permeability, and lysis within one hour of treatment. Our results are consistent with a necrotic effect rather than an apoptotic one and suggest that this tetrameric peptide could be considered as a new candidate for the therapeutic treatment of OSCC.

Evaluation of milk cathelicidin for detection of dairy sheep mastitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Addis, M F; Tedde, V; Dore, S; Pisanu, S; Puggioni, G M G; Roggio, A M; Pagnozzi, D; Lollai, S; Cannas, E A; Uzzau, S

2016-08-01

Mastitis due to intramammary infections is one of the most detrimental diseases in dairy sheep farming, representing a major cause of reduced milk productions and quality losses. In particular, subclinical mastitis presents significant detection and control problems, and the availability of tools enabling its timely, sensitive, and specific detection is therefore crucial. We have previously demonstrated that cathelicidins, small proteins implicated in the innate immune defense of the host, are specifically released in milk of mastitic animals by both epithelial cells and neutrophils. Here, we describe the development of an ELISA for milk cathelicidin and assess its value against somatic cell counts (SCC) and bacteriological culture for detection of ewe mastitis. Evaluation of the cathelicidin ELISA was carried out on 705 half-udder milk samples from 3 sheep flocks enrolled in a project for improvement of mammary health. Cathelicidin was detected in 35.3% of milk samples (249/705), and its amount increased with rising SCC values. The cathelicidin-negative (n=456) and cathelicidin-positive (n=249) sample groups showed a clear separation in relation to SCC, with median values of 149,500 and 3,300,000 cells/mL, respectively. Upon bacteriological culture, 20.6% (145/705) of the milk samples showed microbial growth, with coagulase-negative staphylococci being by far the most frequent finding. A significant proportion of all bacteriologically positive milk samples were positive for cathelicidin (110/145, 75.9%). Given the lack of a reliable gold standard for defining the true disease status, sensitivity (Se) and specificity (Sp) of the cathelicidin ELISA were assessed by latent class analysis against 2 SCC thresholds and against bacteriological culture results. At an SCC threshold of 500,000 cells/mL, Se and Sp were 92.3 and 92.3% for cathelicidin ELISA, 89.0 and 94.9% for SCC, and 39.4 and 93.6% for bacteriological culture, respectively. At an SCC threshold of 1

Pull-Out Strength and Bond Behavior of Prestressing Strands in Prestressed Self-Consolidating Concrete.

Science.gov (United States)

Long, Wu-Jian; Khayat, Kamal Henri; Lemieux, Guillaume; Hwang, Soo-Duck; Xing, Feng

2014-10-10

With the extensive use of self-consolidating concrete (SCC) worldwide, it is important to ensure that such concrete can secure uniform in-situ mechanical properties that are similar to those obtained with properly consolidated concrete of conventional fluidity. Ensuring proper stability of SCC is essential to enhance the uniformity of in-situ mechanical properties, including bond to embedded reinforcement, which is critical for structural engineers considering the specification of SCC for prestressed applications. In this investigation, Six wall elements measuring 1540 mm × 2150 mm × 200 mm were cast using five SCC mixtures and one reference high-performance concrete (HPC) of normal consistency to evaluate the uniformity of bond strength between prestressing strands and concrete as well as the distribution of compressive strength obtained from cores along wall elements. The evaluated SCC mixtures used for casting wall elements were proportioned to achieve a slump flow consistency of 680 ± 15 mm and minimum caisson filling capacity of 80%, and visual stability index of 0.5 to 1. Given the spreads in viscosity and static stability of the SCC mixtures, the five wall elements exhibited different levels of homogeneity in in-situ compressive strength and pull-out bond strength. Test results also indicate that despite the high fluidity of SCC, stable concrete can lead to more homogenous in-situ properties than HPC of normal consistency subjected to mechanical vibration.

Estimation of system parameters in discrete dynamical systems from time series

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Palaniyandi, P.; Lakshmanan, M.

2005-01-01

We propose a simple method to estimate the parameters involved in discrete dynamical systems from time series. The method is based on the concept of controlling chaos by constant feedback. The major advantages of the method are that it needs a minimal number of time series data (either vector or scalar) and is applicable to dynamical systems of any dimension. The method also works extremely well even in the presence of noise in the time series. The method is specifically illustrated by means of logistic and Henon maps

Magnetic Field Emission Comparison for Series-Parallel and Series-Series Wireless Power Transfer to Vehicles – PART 2/2

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Batra, Tushar; Schaltz, Erik

2014-01-01

Series-series and series-parallel topologies are the most favored topologies for design of wireless power transfer system for vehicle applications. The series-series topology has the advantage of reflecting only the resistive part on the primary side. On the other hand, the current source output...... characteristics of the series-parallel topology are more suited for the battery of the vehicle. This paper compares the two topologies in terms of magnetic emissions to the surroundings for the same input power, primary current, quality factor and inductors. Theoretical and simulation results show that the series...

Educating the Imagination.

Science.gov (United States)

Cowperthwaite, Gordon

At Sinclair Community College (SCC) in Dayton, Ohio, a series of holistic education courses, called Education for Work/Life Actualization, was designed to offer students new skills for the development of self-esteem, empathy, creativity, intuition, centeredness, clarity of values, communication, nutrition, and preventative self-help health care.…

Correlation Between Squamous Cell Carcinoma Antigen Level and the Clinicopathological Features of Early-Stage Cervical Squamous Cell Carcinoma and the Predictive Value of Squamous Cell Carcinoma Antigen Combined With Computed Tomography Scan for Lymph Node Metastasis.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Dianbo; Wang, Danbo; Wang, Shuo; Tian, Ye; Long, Zaiqiu; Ren, Xuemei

2017-11-01

The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between serum squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC-Ag) and the clinicopathological features of cervical squamous cell carcinoma. The value of SCC-Ag and computed tomography (CT) for predicting lymph node metastasis (LNM) was evaluated. A total of 197 patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stages IB to IIA cervical squamous cell carcinoma who underwent radical surgery were enrolled in this study. The SCC-Ag was measured, and CT scans were used for the preoperative assessment of lymph node status. Increased preoperative SCC-Ag levels were associated with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage (P = 0.001), tumor diameter of greater than 4 cm (P 4 cm (P = 0.001, OR = 4.019), and greater than one half stromal infiltration (P = 0.002, OR = 3.680) as independent factors affecting SCC-Ag greater than or equal to 2.35 ng/mL. In the analysis of LNM, SCC-Ag greater than or equal to 2.35 ng/mL (P < 0.001, OR = 4.825) was an independent factor for LNM. The area under the receiver operator characteristic curve (AUC) of SCC-Ag was 0.763 for all patients, and 0.805 and 0.530 for IB1 + IIA1 and IB2 + IIA2 patients, respectively; 2.35 ng/mL was the optimum cutoff for predicting LNM. The combination of CT and SCC-Ag showed a sensitivity and specificity of 82.9% and 66% in parallel tests, and 29.8% and 93.3% in serial tests, respectively. The increase of SCC-Ag level in the preoperative phase means that there may be a pathological risk factor for postoperative outcomes. The SCC-Ag (≥2.35 ng/mL) may be a useful marker for predicting LNM of cervical cancer, especially in stages IB1 and IIA1, and the combination of SCC-Ag and CT may help identify patients with LNM to provide them with the most appropriate therapeutic approach.

Comparative immune phenotypic analysis of cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Intraepidermal Carcinoma in immune-competent individuals: proportional representation of CD8+ T-cells but not FoxP3+ Regulatory T-cells is associated with disease stage.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrew Freeman

Full Text Available Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC is a type of non-melanoma skin cancer prevalent in immune-suppressed transplant recipients and older individuals with a history of chronic sun-exposure. SCC itself is believed to be a late-stage manifestation that can develop from premalignant lesions including Intraepidermal Carcinoma (IEC. Notably, while SCC regression is rare, IEC typically regresses in response to immune modifying topical treatments, however the underlying immunological reasons for these differential responses remain unclear. This study aimed to define whether IEC and SCC are associated with distinct immune profiles. We investigated the immune cell infiltrate of photo-damaged skin, IEC, and SCC tissue using 10-colour flow cytometry following fresh lesion digest. We found that IEC lesions contain higher percentages of CD3+ T-cells than photo-damaged skin, however, the abundance of CD3-CD56+ Natural Killer (NK cells, CD11c+HLA-DR+ conventional Dendritic Cells (cDC, BDCA-2+HLA-DR+ plasmacytoid DC (pDC, FoxP3+ Regulatory T-cells (T-reg, Vα24+Vβ11+ invariant NKT-cells, and γδ Tcells did not alter with disease stage. Within the total T-cell population, high percentages of CD4+ T-cells were associated with SCC, yet CD8+ T-cells were less abundant in SCC compared with IEC. Our study demonstrates that while IEC lesions contain a higher proportion of T-cells than SCC lesions in general, SCC lesions specifically display a lower abundance of CD8+ T-cells than IEC. We propose that differences in CD8+ T-cell abundance contribute critically to the different capacity of SCC and IEC to regress in response to immune modifying topical treatments. Our study also suggests that a high ratio of CD4+ T-cells to CD8+ T-cells may be a immunological diagnostic indicator of late-stage SCC development in immune-competent patients.

U-series disequilibrium dating of Quaternary carbonates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stirling, C.

2006-01-01

One of the key dating methods used in paleoclimate research utilizes the natural radioactive decay of uranium to thorium in archives containing U-bearing minerals, such as the calcium carbonate forming the skeletons of fossil corals and speleothems. More specifically, this chronometer, commonly referred to as the U-series dating method, is based on the decay of 238 U to its longest-lived intermediate daughters, 234 U and 230 Th, and subsequent decay through to stable isotopes of Pb. It is the respective 250,000 and 75,000 year half-lives of these daughter isotopes, which make the U-series system particularly useful for dating Quaternary climate events spanning the last 600,000 years of Earth's history. The U-series thus bridges the gap between the ∼45,000 year upper limit of conventional radiocarbon dating and the ∼200,000 year lower limit of K-Ar and 40 Ar- 39 Ar dating. 2 refs., 5 figs

SCC of Alloy 600 components in PWR primary loop

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gomez-Briceno, Dolores; Lapena, Jesus; Castano, M. Luisa; Blazquez, Fernando

2002-01-01

initiation time has been determined. A detailed fractographic study of the fracture surface points out that the appearance of the fracture, intergranular in all the cases, is related to the susceptibility of the material. For the crack growth rate test, CT specimens tested under constant load were used. Specimens were fabricated from five Alloy 600 heats (two forged bars, cold work and hot work tubes, and a plate) with yield strength ranging from 280 to 413 MPa. Crack growth rate data were obtained at temperatures between 290 and 330 deg. C. Activation energy for both processes, crack initiation and propagation has been determined. On the other hand, in January 1994, during a refueling outage, an ID axial throughwall crack was detected in one of the RVH nozzle of Jose Cabrera Nuclear Plant in Spain. Extensive NDE examination of all the vessel head penetrations confirmed ID axially oriented indications in several of the nozzles. The cause of the extensive cracking detected was identified as an IGA/SCC process in primary water contaminated with sulphur species due to a cation resin ingress in the primary loop during the early 1980s. In order to confirm the postulated degradation process and to assess its relevance for other alloy 600 components in the reactor primary loop, an experimental program was performed. The scope of this program included to study the behaviour of sensitised alloy 600 in the water conditions postulated as the cause of the cracking and to obtain crack growth rate data in similar conditions, at 285 and 325 deg. C. In addition, the behaviour of the sensitised alloy 600 in shutdown conditions was also studied. In this paper the main results of these experimental programs, including no published data, will be presented and discussed in the light of the available results from other laboratories. (author)

Co-treatment of spent cathode carbon in caustic and acid leaching process under ultrasonic assisted for preparation of SiC.

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Jie; Xiao, Jin; Li, Fachuang; Wang, Bingjie; Yao, Zhen; Yu, Bailie; Zhang, Liuyun

2018-03-01

Spent cathode carbon (SCC) from aluminum electrolysis has been treated in ultrasonic-assisted caustic leaching and acid leaching process, and purified SCC used as carbon source to synthesize silicon carbide (SiC) was investigated. Chemical and mineralogical properties have been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and thermogravimetry and differential scanning calorimetry (TGA-DSC). Various experimental factors temperature, time, liquid-solid ratio, ultrasonic power, and initial concentration of alkali or acid affecting on SCC leaching result were studied. After co-treatment with ultrasonic-assisted caustic leaching and acid leaching, carbon content of leaching residue was 97.53%. SiC power was synthesized by carbothermal reduction at 1600 °C, as a result of yield of 76.43%, and specific surface area of 4378 cm 2 /g. This is the first report of using purified SCC and gangue to prepare SiC. The two industrial wastes have been used newly as secondary sources. Furthermore, ultrasonic showed significant effect in SCC leaching process. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Linking the Negative Binomial and Logarithmic Series Distributions via their Associated Series

OpenAIRE

SADINLE, MAURICIO

2008-01-01

The negative binomial distribution is associated to the series obtained by taking derivatives of the logarithmic series. Conversely, the logarithmic series distribution is associated to the series found by integrating the series associated to the negative binomial distribution. The parameter of the number of failures of the negative binomial distribution is the number of derivatives needed to obtain the negative binomial series from the logarithmic series. The reasoning in this article could ...

An experimental investigation of Perkins A63544 diesel engine performance using D-Series fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hassan-beygi, Seyed Reza; Istan, Vahideh; Ghobadian, Barat; Aboonajmi, Mohammad

2013-01-01

Highlights: • The performance of a diesel engine was evaluated using newly developed D-Series fuel. • The specifications of D-Series fuel were in the range of ASTM D-6751-09 standard. • The D-Series fuel did not change the engine power and torque significantly except the D 65 B 25 E 10 fuel blend. • The D-Series fuel blends increased the engine specific fuel consumption compare with neat-diesel fuel. • The D 93 B 5 E 2 fuel blend could be suggested as an appropriate alternative for neat petro-diesel fuel. - Abstract: This paper reports the results of an investigation using a newly developed fuel mixture called ‘D-Series fuel’ on a Perkins A63544 direct injection diesel engine. The biodiesel and bioethanol fuels were added to diesel fuel in a manner that specifications of the formed mixture did not change considerably. The performance of the engine under test was then evaluated without any modification or change in engine components and systems using the D-Series fuel. The obtained data was statistically analyzed using two factors completely randomized design to study the effects of the engine speeds and fuel blend types on the engine power, torque, and specific fuel consumption. The analysis of variance showed that the engine speeds and fuel types had statistically significant effects at 1% probability level (P 65 B 25 E 10 , 65% diesel, 25% biodiesel and 10% bioethanol, blend which decreased the engine power. The engine torque was decreased with increasing the engine speed for all the fuel blends in range of 319–296 N m. The maximum torque reduction was about 25 N m for neat petro-diesel fuel. The engine torque was decreased significantly (P 93 B 5 E 2 fuel blend could be suggested as an appropriate alternative for neat petro-diesel fuel, though the D 86 B 10 E 4 and D 79 B 15 E 6 blends could be also suggested for greater ratios of biodiesel and bioethanol application in D-Series fuel application

Ten-year survival of patients with oesophageal squamous cell ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

patients with oesophageal SCC continues to be poor, with 5-year survival rates ranging from 26.2% to ... approach, and the cervico-thoraco-abdominal procedure. The .... abuse, a family history of any cancer, neo-adjuvant treatment, pathological ... Of the entire series, 72 patients (6.9%) underwent neo-adjuvant therapy, and.

Distribution of non-aureus staphylococci species in udder quarters with low and high somatic cell count, and clinical mastitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Condas, Larissa A Z; De Buck, Jeroen; Nobrega, Diego B; Carson, Domonique A; Roy, Jean-Philippe; Keefe, Greg P; DeVries, Trevor J; Middleton, John R; Dufour, Simon; Barkema, Herman W

2017-07-01

The effect of non-aureus staphylococci (NAS) in bovine mammary health is controversial. Overall, NAS intramammary infections (IMI) increase somatic cell count (SCC), with an effect categorized as mild, mostly causing subclinical or mild to moderate clinical mastitis. However, based on recent studies, specific NAS may affect the udder more severely. Some of these apparent discrepancies could be attributed to the large number of species that compose the NAS group. The objectives of this study were to determine (1) the SCC of quarters infected by individual NAS species compared with NAS as a group, culture-negative, and major pathogen-infected quarters; (2) the distribution of NAS species isolated from quarters with low SCC (mastitis; and (3) the prevalence of NAS species across quarters with low and high SCC. A total of 5,507 NAS isolates, 3,561 from low SCC quarters, 1,873 from high SCC quarters, and 73 from clinical mastitis cases, were obtained from the National Cohort of Dairy Farms of the Canadian Bovine Mastitis Research Network. Of quarters with low SCC, high SCC, or clinical mastitis, 7.6, 18.5, and 4.3% were NAS positive, respectively. The effect of NAS IMI on SCC was estimated using mixed-effect linear regression; prevalence of NAS IMI was estimated using Bayesian analyses. Mean SCC of NAS-positive quarters was 70,000 cells/mL, which was higher than culture-negative quarters (32,000 cells/mL) and lower than major pathogen-positive quarters (129,000 to 183,000 cells/mL). Compared with other NAS species, SCC was highest in quarters positive for Staphylococcus capitis, Staphylococcus gallinarum, Staphylococcus hyicus, Staphylococcus agnetis, or Staphylococcus simulans. In NAS-positive quarters, Staphylococcus xylosus (12.6%), Staphylococcus cohnii (3.1%), and Staphylococcus equorum (0.6%) were more frequently isolated from quarters with low SCC than other NAS species, whereas Staphylococcus sciuri (14%) was most frequently isolated from clinical mastitis cases

Magnetic Field Emission Comparison for Series-Parallel and Series-Series Wireless Power Transfer to Vehicles – PART 1/2

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Batra, Tushar; Schaltz, Erik

2014-01-01

Resonant circuits of wireless power transfer system can be designed in four possible ways by placing the primary and secondary capacitor in a series or parallel order with respect to the corresponding inductor. The two topologies series-parallel and series-series under investigation have been...... already compared in terms of their output behavior (current or voltage source) and reflection of the secondary impedance on the primary side. In this paper it is shown that for the same power rating series-parallel topology emits lesser magnetic fields to the surroundings than its series...

Fibroblast Senescence and Squamous Cell Carcinoma: How wounding therapies could be protective

Science.gov (United States)

Travers, Jeffrey B.; Spandau, Dan F; Lewis, Davina A.; Machado, Christiane; Kingsley, Melanie; Mousdicas, Nico; Somani, Ally-Khan

2014-01-01

Background Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), which has one of the highest incidences of all cancers in the United States, is an age-dependent disease as the majority of these cancers are diagnosed in people over 70 years of age. Recent findings have led to a new hypothesis on the pathogenesis of SCC. Objectives To evaluate the potential of preventive therapies to reduce the incidence of SCC in at-risk geriatric patients. Materials and Methods Survey of current literature on wounding therapies to prevent SCCs. Results This new hypothesis of SCC photocarcinogenesis states that senescent fibroblasts accumulate in geriatric dermis resulting in a reduction in dermal insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) expression. This lack of IGF-1 expression sensitizes epidermal keratinocytes to fail to suppress UVB-induced mutations leading to increased proclivity to photocarcinogenesis. Recent evidence suggests that dermal wounding therapies, specifically dermabrasion and fractionated laser resurfacing, can decrease the proportion of senescent dermal fibroblasts, increase dermal IGF-1 expression, and correct the inappropriate UVB response found in geriatric skin, thus protecting geriatric keratinocytes from UVB-induced SCC initiation. Conclusions In this review, we will discuss the translation of pioneering basic science results implicating commonly used dermal fibroblast rejuvenation procedures as preventative treatments for SCC. PMID:23437969

Aberrant DNA methylation associated with MTHFR C677T genetic polymorphism in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma in renal transplant patients.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Laing, M E

2010-08-01

Changes in genomic DNA methylation associated with cancer include global DNA hypomethylation and gene-specific hyper- or hypomethylation. We have previously identified a genetic variant in the MTHFR gene involved in the methylation pathway which confers risk for the development of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in renal transplant patients. This genetic variant has also been discovered to confer SCC risk in nontransplant patients with low folate status.

Computer system organization the B5700/B6700 series

CERN Document Server

Organick, Elliott I

1973-01-01

Computer System Organization: The B5700/B6700 Series focuses on the organization of the B5700/B6700 Series developed by Burroughs Corp. More specifically, it examines how computer systems can (or should) be organized to support, and hence make more efficient, the running of computer programs that evolve with characteristically similar information structures.Comprised of nine chapters, this book begins with a background on the development of the B5700/B6700 operating systems, paying particular attention to their hardware/software architecture. The discussion then turns to the block-structured p

Summation of series

CERN Document Server

Jolley, LB W

2004-01-01

Over 1,100 common series, all grouped for easy reference. Arranged by category, these series include arithmetical and geometrical progressions, powers and products of natural numbers, figurate and polygonal numbers, inverse natural numbers, exponential and logarithmic series, binomials, simple inverse products, factorials, trigonometrical and hyperbolic expansions, and additional series. 1961 edition.

Activation of mitochondrial apoptosis pathways in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma cells by diclofenac/hyaluronic acid is related to upregulation of Bad as well as downregulation of Mcl-1 and Bcl-w.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodust, Paul M; Fecker, Lothar F; Stockfleth, Eggert; Eberle, Jürgen

2012-07-01

Actinic keratosis (AK) is characterized by high prevalence and the risk to proceed to squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2)-mediated prostaglandin E2 (PGE (2) ) synthesis has been reported in AK and SCC, and the COX inhibitor diclofenac in hyaluronic acid (diclofenac/HA) was approved for AK therapy. Its mode of action, however, remained to be unravelled. In the present study, diclofenac resulted in reduced PGE (2) levels in apoptosis-sensitive cutaneous SCC cell lines (SCL-II, SCC-12, SCC-13) whereas no PGE (2) and no COX-2 expression was detectable in a SCC cell line resistant to apoptosis induction (SCL-I). Activation of mitochondrial apoptosis pathways was evident in SCC cells owing to loss of the mitochondrial membrane potential and release of the mitochondrial factors cytochrome c and apoptosis-inducing factor. Characteristic proapoptotic changes at the level of Bcl-2 proteins occurred in sensitive cells, as upregulation of Bad and downregulation of Mcl-1 and Bcl-w. In contrast, Bad was already high, and Mcl-1 and Bcl-w were already low in resistant SCL-I, even without treatment, which may be explained by the lack of PGE (2) . An antiapoptotic downregulation of proapoptotic Bcl-2 proteins Noxa and Puma was, however, also seen in SCL-I, suggesting here pathways independent of COX-2. The regulations of Mcl-1 and Bad were also reproduced in SCC cells by the more selective COX-2 inhibitor celecoxib, thus further underlining the specific role of COX-2. The findings illuminate the mode of action of diclofenac/HA in SCC cells as well as principles of their resistance, which may allow further adaptation and improvement of the new therapy. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Haptic Routes and digestive destinations in cooking series

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Waade, Anne Marit; Jørgensen, Ulla Angkjær

2010-01-01

and the media in which aesthetical, cultural and symbolic values are related to the way food is mediatised. The main argument is that cooking television series produce haptic images of place and food that include a specific sensuous and emotional relation between screen and viewer. The haptic imagery...

Integrating Hypnosis with Other Therapies for Treating Specific Phobias: A Case Series.

Science.gov (United States)

Hirsch, Joseph A

2018-04-01

There is a high prevalence of anxiety disorders including specific phobias and panic disorder in the United States and Europe. A variety of therapeutic modalities including pharmacotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, systematic desensitization, hypnosis, in vivo exposure, and virtual reality exposure therapy have been applied. No one modality has been entirely successful. There has been only a limited attempt to combine psychological therapies in the treatment of specific phobias and panic disorder and what has been done has been primarily with systematic desensitization or cognitive behavioral therapy along with hypnotherapy. I present two cases of multiple specific phobias that were successfully treated with hypnotherapy combined with virtual reality exposure therapy or in vivo exposure therapy. The rationale for this integrative therapy and the neurobiological constructs are considered.

Deep uncertainty and broad heterogeneity in country-level social cost of carbon

Science.gov (United States)

Ricke, K.; Drouet, L.; Caldeira, K.; Tavoni, M.

2017-12-01

The social cost of carbon (SCC) is a commonly employed metric of the expected economic damages expected from carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Recent estimates of SCC range from approximately 10/tonne of CO2 to as much as 1000/tCO2, but these have been computed at the global level. While useful in an optimal policy context, a world-level approach obscures the heterogeneous geography of climate damages and vast differences in country-level contributions to global SCC, as well as climate and socio-economic uncertainties, which are much larger at the regional level. For the first time, we estimate country-level contributions to SCC using recent climate and carbon-cycle model projections, empirical climate-driven economic damage estimations, and information from the Shared Socio-economic Pathways. Central specifications show high global SCC values (median: 417 /tCO2, 66% confidence intervals: 168 - 793 /tCO2) with country-level contributions ranging from -11 (-8 - -14) /tCO2 to 86 (50 - 158) /tCO2. We quantify climate-, scenario- and economic damage- driven uncertainties associated with the calculated values of SCC. We find that while the magnitude of country-level social cost of carbon is highly uncertain, the relative positioning among countries is consistent. Countries incurring large fractions of the global cost include India, China, and the United States. The share of SCC distributed among countries is robust, indicating climate change winners and losers from a geopolitical perspective.

The effect of curing conditions on the durability of high performance concrete

Science.gov (United States)

Bumanis, G.; Bajare, D.

2017-10-01

This study researches compressive strength and durability of the high strength self-compacting concrete (SCC) impacted at early stage by the curing conditions. The mixture compositions of metakaolin containing waste and cenospheres as partial cement replacement (15 wt%) were compared to reference SCC with 100% cement. The specimens prepared in advance were demoulded 24h after casting of the SCC and the specific curing conditions were applied for up to 28 days: standard water curing at 20°C (i); indoor curing at 20°C, RH 60% (ii) and low temperature air curing (2°C) at RH 60% (iii). Results indicate that at early stage (14 days) indoor curing conditions increase compressive strength of the SCC whilst no strength loss has been detected even at a low temperature curing. The further strength gain has been substantially reduced for samples cured indoor and at a low temperature with significant variation observed for long term compressive strength (180 days). The metakaolin containing waste has proved to be an effective partial cement replacement and it has improved strength gain even at a low temperature curing. Meanwhile cenospheres have reduced the SCC strength and with no positive effect on strength observed within the standard term. Freeze-thaw durability and resistance to the chloride penetration have been improved for the SCC cured at low temperature. The SCC with metakaolin containing waste has proved to be the most durable thus demonstrating importance of effective micro filler use.

Pull-Out Strength and Bond Behavior of Prestressing Strands in Prestressed Self-Consolidating Concrete

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wu-Jian Long

2014-10-01

Full Text Available With the extensive use of self-consolidating concrete (SCC worldwide, it is important to ensure that such concrete can secure uniform in-situ mechanical properties that are similar to those obtained with properly consolidated concrete of conventional fluidity. Ensuring proper stability of SCC is essential to enhance the uniformity of in-situ mechanical properties, including bond to embedded reinforcement, which is critical for structural engineers considering the specification of SCC for prestressed applications. In this investigation, Six wall elements measuring 1540 mm × 2150 mm × 200 mm were cast using five SCC mixtures and one reference high-performance concrete (HPC of normal consistency to evaluate the uniformity of bond strength between prestressing strands and concrete as well as the distribution of compressive strength obtained from cores along wall elements. The evaluated SCC mixtures used for casting wall elements were proportioned to achieve a slump flow consistency of 680 ± 15 mm and minimum caisson filling capacity of 80%, and visual stability index of 0.5 to 1. Given the spreads in viscosity and static stability of the SCC mixtures, the five wall elements exhibited different levels of homogeneity in in-situ compressive strength and pull-out bond strength. Test results also indicate that despite the high fluidity of SCC, stable concrete can lead to more homogenous in-situ properties than HPC of normal consistency subjected to mechanical vibration.

Usefulness of Reformatted CT Rib Series in Patients with Thoracic Trauma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moon, Sung Nam; Park, Seong Hoon; Kim, Na Hyung; Juhng, Seon Kwan; Yoon, Kwon Ha [Dept. of Radiology and Institute for Radiological Imaging Science, Wonkwang University School of Medicine, Iksan (Korea, Republic of); Bang, Dong Ho [Dept. of Radiology, Aerospace Medical Center, Cheongwon (Korea, Republic of)

2013-01-15

To assess the value of adding a reformatted computed tomography (CT) rib series to transversely reconstructed CT imaging in the evaluation of rib fractures in patients with suspected traumatic thoracic injuries. One hundred consecutive patients with suspected traumatic thoracic injuries underwent 128-section multi-detector row CT. Transverse CT images with 5-mm-thick sections were reconstructed and rib series were reformatted using isotropic vogel data. Three independent radiologists, who were blinded to the data, interpreted the CT scans at 2 sessions with a 4-week interval between the sessions. Only transverse CT images were reviewed at the first session. At the second session, the CT images were reviewed along with the reformatted CT rib series. The following parameters were analyzed: receiver operating characteristic (Roc) curve, pairwise comparisons of Roc curves, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value. There were 153 rib fractures in 29 patients. The level of the area under the Roc curve, Az improved for all observers. The diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of each observer tended to improve in the second session. The mean confidence scores for all observers of patients with rib fractures improved significantly in the second session. A reformatted CT rib series together with transverse CT scan is useful for the evaluation of rib fracture.

Incidence and Types of Malignancies in Renal Transplant Recipients in Iraq

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Altaee Iqdam

2006-01-01

Full Text Available We retrospectively reviewed the records of 273 renal transplant recipients who received allograft transplants between 1994 and 2004 and recorded the incidence and types of de novo malignancies that developed in these patients. The study was carried out at the Al-karama and Al-rasheed kidney transplant centers in Baghdad, Iraq. A total of 16 patients developed malignancies. The tumors included Kaposi′s sarcoma (KS in eight patients, squamous cell carcinoma (SCC in four, basal cell carcinoma (BCC in two and both renal cell carcinoma of the allograft and brain tumor in one patient. Thus, KS was the most common malignancy encountered in our series, with a prevalence of 2.9%, followed by SCC observed in 1.5% and BCC found in 0.7 % of the patients. The average latency period between transplantation and development of malignancy was 6.5 months for KS, 3.0 months for SCC and 8.5 months for BCC. To our knowledge, this is the first long-term follow-up study for malignant complications identified in kidney recipients in Iraq.

STANDING CONCERTATION COMMITTEE ORDINARY MEETING ON 26 JANUARY 2000

CERN Multimedia

2000-01-01

Original: EnglishThis meeting was devoted to preparation of the next meeting of TREF, to discussion of Administrative Circulars, and to other main items indicated below:Preparation for TREF in MarchThe SCC discussed several main items on the draft agenda of the next meeting of TREF on 30 March, namely:Long-term care: The Committee debated the outline of a document to be prepared for TREF, which is to comprise an executive summary of the issue, responding to various questions, as well as scenarios for possible cost sharing. A draft document on these lines is to be presented at the next meeting of the SCC in February.Data collection enquiry for the 5-yearly Review: The SCC took note of progress with the enquiry which is expected to provide a series of first results to be presented at TREF in March.Career structure: The external survey on this subject is to progress in parallel with internal discussions between Management and Staff Association. Discussion at TREF in March will be based on working documents from ...

Application of Special Cause Control Charts to Green Sand Process

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Perzyk M.

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Statistical Process Control (SPC based on the well known Shewhart control charts, is widely used in contemporary manufacturing industry, including many foundries. However, the classic SPC methods require that the measured quantities, e.g. process or product parameters, are not auto-correlated, i.e. their current values do not depend on the preceding ones. For the processes which do not obey this assumption the Special Cause Control (SCC charts were proposed, utilizing the residual data obtained from the time-series analysis. In the present paper the results of application of SCC charts to a green sand processing system are presented. The tests, made on real industrial data collected in a big iron foundry, were aimed at the comparison of occurrences of out-of-control signals detected in the original data with those appeared in the residual data. It was found that application of the SCC charts reduces numbers of the signals in almost all cases It is concluded that it can be helpful in avoiding false signals, i.e. resulting from predictable factors.

Thermal and strength performance of reinforced self-compacting concrete slabs mixed with basalt and PVA fibers in high intensity fire

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohd Jani Noraniza

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Fibers addition to concrete and the innovation of self-compacting concrete technology lead to the development of high-performance concrete. However, high intensity fire may adversely affect the performance of this type of concrete. A series of fire resistance test experiments to evaluate the performance of fiber reinforced self-compacting concrete (FR-SCC slabs consisting of various mix of basalt and PVA fibers were carried out by subjecting the concrete slabs as an element of construction to high intensity Hydrocarbon fire heating condition. The fire testing condition was in accordance with the standard time-temperature fire curve for 120 minutes up to 1100°C heating temperature. The temperatures on the surface and within the concrete slabs were recorded and the performance of each type of FRSCC slabs were evaluated. The performance of Basalt FR-SCC was found to be more resistant to fire in comparison to PVA FRSCC. There residual compressive strength of core samples were tested and SEM analysis were carried out to determine the effect of high intensity fire on the basalt and PVA FR-SCC slabs.

From Fourier Series to Rapidly Convergent Series for Zeta(3)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Scheufens, Ernst E

2011-01-01

The article presents a mathematical study which investigates the exact values of the Riemann zeta (ζ) function. It states that exact values can be determined from Fourier series for periodic versions of even power functions. It notes that using power series for logarithmic functions on this such ......The article presents a mathematical study which investigates the exact values of the Riemann zeta (ζ) function. It states that exact values can be determined from Fourier series for periodic versions of even power functions. It notes that using power series for logarithmic functions...

A time series model: First-order integer-valued autoregressive (INAR(1))

Science.gov (United States)

Simarmata, D. M.; Novkaniza, F.; Widyaningsih, Y.

2017-07-01

Nonnegative integer-valued time series arises in many applications. A time series model: first-order Integer-valued AutoRegressive (INAR(1)) is constructed by binomial thinning operator to model nonnegative integer-valued time series. INAR (1) depends on one period from the process before. The parameter of the model can be estimated by Conditional Least Squares (CLS). Specification of INAR(1) is following the specification of (AR(1)). Forecasting in INAR(1) uses median or Bayesian forecasting methodology. Median forecasting methodology obtains integer s, which is cumulative density function (CDF) until s, is more than or equal to 0.5. Bayesian forecasting methodology forecasts h-step-ahead of generating the parameter of the model and parameter of innovation term using Adaptive Rejection Metropolis Sampling within Gibbs sampling (ARMS), then finding the least integer s, where CDF until s is more than or equal to u . u is a value taken from the Uniform(0,1) distribution. INAR(1) is applied on pneumonia case in Penjaringan, Jakarta Utara, January 2008 until April 2016 monthly.

Nonlinear time series analysis with R

CERN Document Server

Huffaker, Ray; Rosa, Rodolfo

2017-01-01

In the process of data analysis, the investigator is often facing highly-volatile and random-appearing observed data. A vast body of literature shows that the assumption of underlying stochastic processes was not necessarily representing the nature of the processes under investigation and, when other tools were used, deterministic features emerged. Non Linear Time Series Analysis (NLTS) allows researchers to test whether observed volatility conceals systematic non linear behavior, and to rigorously characterize governing dynamics. Behavioral patterns detected by non linear time series analysis, along with scientific principles and other expert information, guide the specification of mechanistic models that serve to explain real-world behavior rather than merely reproducing it. Often there is a misconception regarding the complexity of the level of mathematics needed to understand and utilize the tools of NLTS (for instance Chaos theory). However, mathematics used in NLTS is much simpler than many other subjec...

TOSGAGETM-8000A series X-ray thickness gauge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Obara, Satoshi

2009-01-01

X-ray thickness gauges are widely used for online measurement of the thickness of plates in a steel roiling line. As the thickness of the steel has a direct effect on the yield rate of the rolling line, thickness gauge measurement data are necessary for accuracy and reliability. In recent years, there have also been increasing requirements for rapid delivery, flexible interface specifications, and low cost. To meet these market requirements. Toshiba has developed the TOSGAGE TM -8000A series X-ray thickness gauge, which is the first release of a new series of measuring instruments for rolling applications with a new interface and employing an industrial computer for data processing. (author)

A Tetrameric Peptide Derived from Bovine Lactoferricin Exhibits Specific Cytotoxic Effects against Oral Squamous-Cell Carcinoma Cell Lines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Víctor A. Solarte

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Several short linear peptides derived from cyclic bovine lactoferricin were synthesized and tested for their cytotoxic effect against the oral cavity squamous-cell carcinoma (OSCC cell lines CAL27 and SCC15. As a control, an immortalized and nontumorigenic cell line, Het-1A, was used. Linear peptides based on the RRWQWR core sequence showed a moderate cytotoxic effect and specificity towards tumorigenic cells. A tetrameric peptide, LfcinB(20–254, containing the RRWQWR motif, exhibited greater cytotoxic activity (>90% in both OSCC cell lines compared to the linear lactoferricin peptide or the lactoferrin protein. Additionally, this tetrameric peptide showed the highest specificity towards tumorigenic cells among the tested peptides. Interestingly, this effect was very fast, with cell shrinkage, severe damage to cell membrane permeability, and lysis within one hour of treatment. Our results are consistent with a necrotic effect rather than an apoptotic one and suggest that this tetrameric peptide could be considered as a new candidate for the therapeutic treatment of OSCC.

Acoustic emission characteristics of stress corrosion cracks in a type 304 stainless steel tube

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hwang, Woong Gi; Bae, Seung Gi; Lee, Bo Young [School of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, Korea Aerospace University, Goyang (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Jae Seong [Center for Robot Technology and Manufacturing, Institute for Advanced Engineering, Yongin (Korea, Republic of); Kang, Sung Sik [Dept. of Nuclear Safety Research, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Kwag, Nog Won [Ultrasonic Division, RM910, Byucksan Digital Valley II, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2015-06-15

Acoustic emission (AE) is one of the promising methods for detecting the formation of stress corrosion cracks (SCCs) in laboratory tests. This method has the advantage of online inspection. Some studies have been conducted to investigate the characteristics of AE parameters during SCC propagation. However, it is difficult to classify the distinct features of SCC behavior. Because the previous studies were performed on slow strain rate test or compact tension specimens, it is difficult to make certain correlations between AE signals and actual SCC behavior in real tube-type specimens. In this study, the specimen was a AISI 304 stainless steel tube widely applied in the nuclear industry, and an accelerated test was conducted at high temperature and pressure with a corrosive environmental condition. The study result indicated that intense AE signals were mainly detected in the elastic deformation region, and a good correlation was observed between AE activity and crack growth. By contrast, the behavior of accumulated counts was divided into four regions. According to the waveform analysis, a specific waveform pattern was observed during SCC development. It is suggested that AE can be used to detect and monitor SCC initiation and propagation in actual tubes.

Outlier Detection in Structural Time Series Models

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Marczak, Martyna; Proietti, Tommaso

investigate via Monte Carlo simulations how this approach performs for detecting additive outliers and level shifts in the analysis of nonstationary seasonal time series. The reference model is the basic structural model, featuring a local linear trend, possibly integrated of order two, stochastic seasonality......Structural change affects the estimation of economic signals, like the underlying growth rate or the seasonally adjusted series. An important issue, which has attracted a great deal of attention also in the seasonal adjustment literature, is its detection by an expert procedure. The general......–to–specific approach to the detection of structural change, currently implemented in Autometrics via indicator saturation, has proven to be both practical and effective in the context of stationary dynamic regression models and unit–root autoregressions. By focusing on impulse– and step–indicator saturation, we...

Loss of the α2β1 integrin alters human papilloma virus-induced squamous carcinoma progression in vivo and in vitro.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thuy Tran

Full Text Available Expression of the α2β1 integrin, a receptor for collagens and laminin, is altered during tumor progression. Recent studies have linked polymorphisms in the α2 integrin gene with oral, squamous cell carcinoma (SCC. To determine the α2β1 integrin's role in SCC progression, we crossed α2-null mice with K14-HPV16 transgenic animals. Pathological progression to invasive carcinoma was evaluated in HPV-positive, α2-null (HPV/KO and HPV-positive, wild-type (HPV/WT animals. α2β1 integrin expression stimulated progression from hyperplasia and papillomatosis to dysplasia with concomitant dermal mast cell infiltration. Moreover, lymph node metastasis was decreased by 31.3% in HPV/KO, compared to HPV/WT, animals. To evaluate the integrin-specific impact on the malignant epithelium versus the microenvironment, we developed primary tumor cell lines. Although transition from dysplasia to carcinoma was unaltered during spontaneous tumor development, isolated primary HPV/KO SCC cell lines demonstrated decreased migration and invasion, compared to HPV/WT cells. When HPV/WT and HPV/KO SCC cells were orthotopically injected into WT or KO hosts, tumor α2β1 integrin expression resulted in decreased tumor latency, regardless of host integrin status. HPV/WT SCC lines failed to demonstrate a proliferative advantage in vitro, however, the HPV/WT tumors demonstrated increased growth compared to HPV/KO SCC lines in vivo. Although contributions of the integrin to the microenvironment cannot be excluded, our studies indicate that α2β1 integrin expression by HPV-transformed keratinocytes modulates SCC growth and progression.

Multiple Time Series Forecasting Using Quasi-Randomized Functional Link Neural Networks

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Thierry Moudiki

2018-03-01

Full Text Available We are interested in obtaining forecasts for multiple time series, by taking into account the potential nonlinear relationships between their observations. For this purpose, we use a specific type of regression model on an augmented dataset of lagged time series. Our model is inspired by dynamic regression models (Pankratz 2012, with the response variable’s lags included as predictors, and is known as Random Vector Functional Link (RVFL neural networks. The RVFL neural networks have been successfully applied in the past, to solving regression and classification problems. The novelty of our approach is to apply an RVFL model to multivariate time series, under two separate regularization constraints on the regression parameters.

Uncertainty quantification methodologies development for stress corrosion cracking of canister welds

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dingreville, Remi Philippe Michel [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Bryan, Charles R. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2016-09-30

This letter report presents a probabilistic performance assessment model to evaluate the probability of canister failure (through-wall penetration) by SCC. The model first assesses whether environmental conditions for SCC – the presence of an aqueous film – are present at canister weld locations (where tensile stresses are likely to occur) on the canister surface. Geometry-specific storage system thermal models and weather data sets representative of U.S. spent nuclear fuel (SNF) storage sites are implemented to evaluate location-specific canister surface temperature and relative humidity (RH). As the canister cools and aqueous conditions become possible, the occurrence of corrosion is evaluated. Corrosion is modeled as a two-step process: first, pitting is initiated, and the extent and depth of pitting is a function of the chloride surface load and the environmental conditions (temperature and RH). Second, as corrosion penetration increases, the pit eventually transitions to a SCC crack, with crack initiation becoming more likely with increasing pit depth. Once pits convert to cracks, a crack growth model is implemented. The SCC growth model includes rate dependencies on both temperature and crack tip stress intensity factor, and crack growth only occurs in time steps when aqueous conditions are predicted. The model suggests that SCC is likely to occur over potential SNF interim storage intervals; however, this result is based on many modeling assumptions. Sensitivity analyses provide information on the model assumptions and parameter values that have the greatest impact on predicted storage canister performance, and provide guidance for further research to reduce uncertainties.

The influence of a series of five dry cupping treatments on pain and mechanical thresholds in patients with chronic non-specific neck pain - a randomised controlled pilot study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dobos Gustav J

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In this preliminary trial we investigated the effects of dry cupping, an ancient method for treating pain syndromes, on patients with chronic non-specific neck pain. Sensory mechanical thresholds and the participants' self-reported outcome measures of pain and quality of life were evaluated. Methods Fifty patients (50.5 ± 11.9 years were randomised to a treatment group (TG or a waiting-list control group (WL. Patients in the TG received a series of 5 cupping treatments over a period of 2 weeks; the control group did not. Self-reported outcome measures before and after the cupping series included the following: Pain at rest (PR and maximal pain related to movement (PM on a 100-mm visual analogue scale (VAS, pain diary (PD data on a 0-10 numeric rating scale (NRS, Neck Disability Index (NDI, and health-related quality of life (SF-36. In addition, the mechanical-detection thresholds (MDT, vibration-detection thresholds (VDT, and pressure-pain thresholds (PPT were determined at pain-related and control areas. Results Patients of the TG had significantly less pain after cupping therapy than patients of the WL group (PR: Δ-22.5 mm, p = 0.00002; PM: Δ-17.8 mm, p = 0.01. Pain diaries (PD revealed that neck pain decreased gradually in the TG patients and that pain reported by the two groups differed significantly after the fifth cupping session (Δ-1.1, p = 0.001. There were also significant differences in the SF-36 subscales for bodily pain (Δ13.8, p = 0.006 and vitality (Δ10.2, p = 0.006. Group differences in PPT were significant at pain-related and control areas (all p Conclusions A series of five dry cupping treatments appeared to be effective in relieving chronic non-specific neck pain. Not only subjective measures improved, but also mechanical pain sensitivity differed significantly between the two groups, suggesting that cupping has an influence on functional pain processing. Trial registration The trial was registered at

EARLINET: potential operationality of a research network

Science.gov (United States)

Sicard, M.; D'Amico, G.; Comerón, A.; Mona, L.; Alados-Arboledas, L.; Amodeo, A.; Baars, H.; Baldasano, J. M.; Belegante, L.; Binietoglou, I.; Bravo-Aranda, J. A.; Fernández, A. J.; Fréville, P.; García-Vizcaíno, D.; Giunta, A.; Granados-Muñoz, M. J.; Guerrero-Rascado, J. L.; Hadjimitsis, D.; Haefele, A.; Hervo, M.; Iarlori, M.; Kokkalis, P.; Lange, D.; Mamouri, R. E.; Mattis, I.; Molero, F.; Montoux, N.; Muñoz, A.; Muñoz Porcar, C.; Navas-Guzmán, F.; Nicolae, D.; Nisantzi, A.; Papagiannopoulos, N.; Papayannis, A.; Pereira, S.; Preißler, J.; Pujadas, M.; Rizi, V.; Rocadenbosch, F.; Sellegri, K.; Simeonov, V.; Tsaknakis, G.; Wagner, F.; Pappalardo, G.

2015-11-01

In the framework of ACTRIS (Aerosols, Clouds, and Trace Gases Research Infrastructure Network) summer 2012 measurement campaign (8 June-17 July 2012), EARLINET organized and performed a controlled exercise of feasibility to demonstrate its potential to perform operational, coordinated measurements and deliver products in near-real time. Eleven lidar stations participated in the exercise which started on 9 July 2012 at 06:00 UT and ended 72 h later on 12 July at 06:00 UT. For the first time, the single calculus chain (SCC) - the common calculus chain developed within EARLINET for the automatic evaluation of lidar data from raw signals up to the final products - was used. All stations sent in real-time measurements of a 1 h duration to the SCC server in a predefined netcdf file format. The pre-processing of the data was performed in real time by the SCC, while the optical processing was performed in near-real time after the exercise ended. 98 and 79 % of the files sent to SCC were successfully pre-processed and processed, respectively. Those percentages are quite large taking into account that no cloud screening was performed on the lidar data. The paper draws present and future SCC users' attention to the most critical parameters of the SCC product configuration and their possible optimal value but also to the limitations inherent to the raw data. The continuous use of SCC direct and derived products in heterogeneous conditions is used to demonstrate two potential applications of EARLINET infrastructure: the monitoring of a Saharan dust intrusion event and the evaluation of two dust transport models. The efforts made to define the measurements protocol and to configure properly the SCC pave the way for applying this protocol for specific applications such as the monitoring of special events, atmospheric modeling, climate research and calibration/validation activities of spaceborne observations.

Comparison of intratumoral FDG and Cu-ATSM distributions in cancer tissue originated spheroid (CTOS) xenografts, a tumor model retaining the original tumor properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Furukawa, Takako; Yuan, Qinghua; Jin, Zhao-Hui; Aung, Winn; Yoshii, Yukie; Hasegawa, Sumitaka; Endo, Hiroko; Inoue, Masahiro; Zhang, Ming-Rong; Fujibayashi, Yasuhisa; Saga, Tsuneo

2014-01-01

Introduction: The intratumoral distributions of [ 18 F]FDG and [ 64 Cu]Cu-ATSM have been reported to be similar in adenocarcinomas but different in squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in clinical studies. In the present study, we compared the intratumoral distributions of these two tracers in cancer tissue originated spheroid (CTOS) xenografts derived from adenocarcinoma and SCC, which retain the histological characteristics of the original tumors, and in cancer cell line xenografts of corresponding origin, to investigate the underlying mechanism of the distinct FDG and Cu-ATSM distribution patterns in adenocarcinoma and SCC. Methods: CTOSs derived from colon adenocarcinoma and lung SCC and cell lines established from colon adenocarcinoma and lung SCC, which were used for comparison, were subcutaneously transplanted into immunodeficient mice. One hour after administering [ 14 C]FDG and [ 64 Cu]Cu-ATSM, the intratumoral distributions were compared in the xenografts by using dual-tracer autoradiography. Adjacent sections were evaluated for necrosis, vasculature anatomy, Ki-67 antigen, and pimonidazole adducts using hematoxylin and eosin and immunohistochemical staining. Results: There was a higher regional overlap of high FDG and Cu-ATSM accumulations in the adenocarcinoma CTOS xenografts than in the SCC CTOS xenografts, while the overlap in the adenocarcinoma cell line xenograft was lower than that observed in the SCC cell line. High FDG accumulation occurred primarily in proximity to necrotic or pimonidazole adduct positive regions, while high Cu-ATSM accumulation occurred primarily in live cell regions separate from the necrotic regions. The adenocarcinoma CTOS xenograft had the stereotypical glandular structure, resulting in more intricately mixed regions of live and necrotic cells compared to those observed in the SCC CTOS or the cell line xenografts. Conclusion: Tumor morphological characteristics, specifically the spatial distribution of live and necrotic cell

Use of stainless steel as structural materials in reactor cores

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Teodoro, C.A.

1990-01-01

Austenitic stainless steels are used as structural materials in reactor cores, due to their good mechanical properties at working temperatures and high generalized corrosion resistance in aqueous medium. The objective of this paper is to compare several 300 series austenitic stainless steels related to mechanical properties, localized corrosion resistance (SCC and intergranular) and content of delta ferrite. (author)

Multichannel biomedical time series clustering via hierarchical probabilistic latent semantic analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jin; Sun, Xiangping; Nahavandi, Saeid; Kouzani, Abbas; Wu, Yuchuan; She, Mary

2014-11-01

Biomedical time series clustering that automatically groups a collection of time series according to their internal similarity is of importance for medical record management and inspection such as bio-signals archiving and retrieval. In this paper, a novel framework that automatically groups a set of unlabelled multichannel biomedical time series according to their internal structural similarity is proposed. Specifically, we treat a multichannel biomedical time series as a document and extract local segments from the time series as words. We extend a topic model, i.e., the Hierarchical probabilistic Latent Semantic Analysis (H-pLSA), which was originally developed for visual motion analysis to cluster a set of unlabelled multichannel time series. The H-pLSA models each channel of the multichannel time series using a local pLSA in the first layer. The topics learned in the local pLSA are then fed to a global pLSA in the second layer to discover the categories of multichannel time series. Experiments on a dataset extracted from multichannel Electrocardiography (ECG) signals demonstrate that the proposed method performs better than previous state-of-the-art approaches and is relatively robust to the variations of parameters including length of local segments and dictionary size. Although the experimental evaluation used the multichannel ECG signals in a biometric scenario, the proposed algorithm is a universal framework for multichannel biomedical time series clustering according to their structural similarity, which has many applications in biomedical time series management. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Forecasting electricity spot-prices using linear univariate time-series models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cuaresma, Jesus Crespo; Hlouskova, Jaroslava; Kossmeier, Stephan; Obersteiner, Michael

2004-01-01

This paper studies the forecasting abilities of a battery of univariate models on hourly electricity spot prices, using data from the Leipzig Power Exchange. The specifications studied include autoregressive models, autoregressive-moving average models and unobserved component models. The results show that specifications, where each hour of the day is modelled separately present uniformly better forecasting properties than specifications for the whole time-series, and that the inclusion of simple probabilistic processes for the arrival of extreme price events can lead to improvements in the forecasting abilities of univariate models for electricity spot prices. (Author)

Divergent Perturbation Series

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suslov, I.M.

2005-01-01

Various perturbation series are factorially divergent. The behavior of their high-order terms can be determined by Lipatov's method, which involves the use of instanton configurations of appropriate functional integrals. When the Lipatov asymptotic form is known and several lowest order terms of the perturbation series are found by direct calculation of diagrams, one can gain insight into the behavior of the remaining terms of the series, which can be resummed to solve various strong-coupling problems in a certain approximation. This approach is demonstrated by determining the Gell-Mann-Low functions in φ 4 theory, QED, and QCD with arbitrary coupling constants. An overview of the mathematical theory of divergent series is presented, and interpretation of perturbation series is discussed. Explicit derivations of the Lipatov asymptotic form are presented for some basic problems in theoretical physics. A solution is proposed to the problem of renormalon contributions, which hampered progress in this field in the late 1970s. Practical perturbation-series summation schemes are described both for a coupling constant of order unity and in the strong-coupling limit. An interpretation of the Borel integral is given for 'non-Borel-summable' series. Higher order corrections to the Lipatov asymptotic form are discussed

Lymph Node Yield as a Predictor of Survival in Pathologically Node Negative Oral Cavity Carcinoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Lemieux, Aaron; Kedarisetty, Suraj; Raju, Sharat; Orosco, Ryan; Coffey, Charles

2016-03-01

Even after a pathologically node-negative (pN0) neck dissection for oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), patients may develop regional recurrence. In this study, we (1) hypothesize that an increased number of lymph nodes removed (lymph node yield) in patients with pN0 oral SCC predicts improved survival and (2) explore predictors of survival in these patients using a multivariable model. Case series with chart review. Administrative database analysis. The SEER database was queried for patients diagnosed with all-stage oral cavity SCC between 1988 and 2009 who were determined to be pN0 after elective lymph node dissection. Demographic and treatment variables were extracted. The association of lymph node yield with 5-year all-cause survival was studied with multivariable survival analyses. A total of 4341 patients with pN0 oral SCC were included in this study. The 2 highest lymph node yield quartiles (representing >22 nodes removed) were found to be significant predictors of overall survival (22-35 nodes: hazard ratio [HR] = 0.854, P = .031; 36-98 nodes: HR = 0.827, P = .010). Each additional lymph node removed during neck dissection was associated with increased survival (HR = 0.995, P = .022). These data suggest that patients with oral SCC undergoing elective neck dissection may experience an overall survival benefit associated with greater lymph node yield. Mechanisms behind the demonstrated survival advantage are unknown. Larger nodal dissections may remove a greater burden of microscopic metastatic disease, diminishing the likelihood of recurrence. Lymph node yield may serve as an objective measure of the adequacy of lymphadenectomy. © American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery Foundation 2015.

Global gene expression profiling reveals a suppressed immune response pathway associated with 3q amplification in squamous carcinoma of the lung

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Jun Qian

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Chromosome 3q26–28 is a critical region of genomic amplification in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC, particularly lung squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs. No molecular therapeutic target has shown clinical utility for SCC, in contrast with adenocarcinomas of the lung. To identify novel candidate drivers in this region, we performed both Array Comparative Genomic Hybridization (array CGH, Agilent Human Genome CGH 244A oligo-microarrays and Gene Expression Microarray (Agilent Human Gene Expression 4 × 44 K microarray on 24 untreated lung SCC specimens. Using our previously published integrative genomics approach, we identified 12 top amplified driver genes within this region that are highly correlated and overexpressed in lung SCC. We further demonstrated one of the 12 top amplified driver Fragile X mental retardation-related protein 1 (FXR1 as a novel cancer gene in NSCLC and FXR1 executes its regulatory function by forming a novel complex with two other oncogenes, protein kinase C, iota ( PRKCI and epithelial cell transforming 2 (ECT2 within the same amplicon in lung cancer cell. Here we report that immune response pathways are significantly suppressed in lung SCC and negatively associated with 3q driver gene expression, implying a potential role of 3q drivers in cancer immune-surveillance. In light of the attractive immunotherapy strategy using blockade of negative regulators of T cell function for multiple human cancer including lung SCC, our findings may provide a rationale for targeting 3q drivers in combination of immunotherapies for human tumors harboring the 3q amplicon. The data have been deposited in NCBI's Gene Expression Omnibus and are accessible through GEO Series accession number GSE40089.

Category Specificity in Normal Episodic Learning: Applications to Object Recognition and Category-Specific Agnosia

Science.gov (United States)

Bukach, Cindy M.; Bub, Daniel N.; Masson, Michael E. J.; Lindsay, D. Stephen

2004-01-01

Studies of patients with category-specific agnosia (CSA) have given rise to multiple theories of object recognition, most of which assume the existence of a stable, abstract semantic memory system. We applied an episodic view of memory to questions raised by CSA in a series of studies examining normal observers' recall of newly learned attributes…

Tumor markers for diagnosis, monitoring of recurrence and prognosis in patients with upper gastrointestinal tract cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Jing, Jie-Xian; Wang, Yan; Xu, Xiao-Qin; Sun, Ting; Tian, Bao-Guo; Du, Li-Li; Zhao, Xian-Wen; Han, Cun-Zhi

2014-01-01

To evaluate the value of combined detection of serum CEA, CA19-9, CA24-2, AFP, CA72-4, SCC, TPA and TPS for the clinical diagnosis of upper gastrointestinal tract (GIT) cancer and to analyze the efficacy of these tumor markers (TMs) in evaluating curative effects and prognosis. A total of 573 patients with upper GIT cancer between January 2004 and December 2007 were enrolled in this study. Serum levels of CEA, CA19-9, CA24-2, AFP, CA72-4, SCC, TPA and TPS were examined preoperatively and every 3 months postoperatively by ELISA. The sensitivity of CEA, CA19-9, CA24-2, AFP, CA72-4, SCC, TPA and TPS were 26.8%, 36.2%, 42.9%, 2.84%, 25.4%, 34.6%, 34.2% and 30.9%, respectively. The combined detection of CEA+CA199+CA242+CA724 had higher sensitivity and specificity in gastric cancer (GC) and cardiac cancer, while CEA+CA199+CA242+SCC was the best combination of diagnosis for esophageal cancer (EC). Elevation of preoperative CEA, CA19-9 and CA24-2, SCC and CA72-4 was significantly associated with pathological types (pCEA, CA19-9, CA24-2, CA72-4 and SCC decreased obviously 3 months after operations. When metastasis and recurrence occurred, the levels of TMs significantly increased. On multivariate analysis, high preoperative CA72-4, CA24-2 and SCC served as prognostic factors for cardiac carcinoma, GC and EC, respectively. combined detection of CEA+CA199+CA242+SCC proved to be the most economic and practical strategy in diagnosis of EC; CEA+CA199+CA242+CA724 proved to be a better evaluation indicator for cardiac cancer and GC. CEA and CA19-9, CA24-2, CA72-4 and SCC, examined postoperatively during follow-up, were useful to find early tumor recurrence and metastasis, and evaluate prognosis. AFP, TPA and TPS have no significant value in diagnosis of patients with upper GIT cancer.

Analysis of the truth loading conditions of a austenitic CT specimen during a SCC experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marie, S.; Guerre, C.; Herms, E.

2012-01-01

samples have been machined/prepared, the residual stresses field in the specimen after its machining is calculated and then taken into account in the mechanical analysis. The characteristics of this field in addition to the mechanical loading applied during SCC testing can explain the crack propagation behavior observed experimentally. (authors)

ENRAF Series 854 Advanced Technology Gauge (ATG) Acceptance Test Procedure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

HUBER, J.H.

1999-01-01

This procedure provides acceptance testing for Enraf Series 854 level gauges used to monitor levels in Hanford Waste Storage Tanks. The test will verify that the gauge functions according to the manufacturer's instructions and specifications and is properly setup prior to being delivered to the tank farm area. This ATP does not set up the gauge for any specific tank, but is generalized to permit testing the gauge prior to installation package preparation

Control Scheme of River-lake System from the View of Ecological Sponge Basin aiming at Sponge City Construction

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, X.; Liu, J.; Yang, Z.

2017-12-01

China is in the rapid advance of urbanization, and is promoting the Sponge City Construction (SCC) with the characteristics of natural accumulation, natural infiltration and natural purification. The Chinese government selected 16 and 14 cities as pilot cities in 2015 and 2016 respectively to carry out SCC taking Low Impact Development (LID) as the concept. However, in 2015 and 2016, water-logging occurred in 10 cities and 9 cities respectively during the pilot cities. Therefore, relying solely on LID can not solve the problem of urban flood and waterlogging. Except for a series of LID measures during the process of SCC, corresponding control scheme of river-lake system should be established to realize water-related targets. From the view of ecological sponge basin, this study presents the general idea of SCC both in and out of the unban built-up area and the corresponding control scheme of river-lake system: for the regions outside the built-up area, the main aim of SCC is to carry out the top-level design of urban flood control and waterlogging, establish the water security system outside the city for solving the problems including flood control, water resources, water environment and water ecology; for the built-up area, the main aim of SCC is to construct different kinds of urban sponge according to local conditions and develop multi-scale drainage system responding to different intensities of rainfall taking the river-lake system as the core. Taking Fenghuang County of Hunan Province as an example for the application research, the results indicate that, after the implementation of the control scheme of river-lake system: 1) together with other SCC measures including LID, the control rate of total annual runoff in Fenghuang County is expected to be 82.9% which meets the target requirement of 80%; 2) flood control and drainage standards in Fenghuang County can be increased from the current 10-year return to 20-year return; 3) urban and rural water supply

On the series

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

2016-08-26

Aug 26, 2016 ... http://www.ias.ac.in/article/fulltext/pmsc/115/04/0371-0381. Keywords. Inverse binomial series; hypergeometric series; polylogarithms; integral representations. Abstract. In this paper we investigate the series ∑ k = 1 ∞ ( 3 k k ) − 1 k − n x k . Obtaining some integral representations of them, we evaluated the ...

Time series analysis time series analysis methods and applications

CERN Document Server

Rao, Tata Subba; Rao, C R

2012-01-01

The field of statistics not only affects all areas of scientific activity, but also many other matters such as public policy. It is branching rapidly into so many different subjects that a series of handbooks is the only way of comprehensively presenting the various aspects of statistical methodology, applications, and recent developments. The Handbook of Statistics is a series of self-contained reference books. Each volume is devoted to a particular topic in statistics, with Volume 30 dealing with time series. The series is addressed to the entire community of statisticians and scientists in various disciplines who use statistical methodology in their work. At the same time, special emphasis is placed on applications-oriented techniques, with the applied statistician in mind as the primary audience. Comprehensively presents the various aspects of statistical methodology Discusses a wide variety of diverse applications and recent developments Contributors are internationally renowened experts in their respect...

Travel Series as TV Entertainment: Genre characteristics and touristic views on foreign countries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anne Marit Waade

2009-04-01

Full Text Available Why is it not the deprived developing country, but rather the tempting destination the host arrives in when guiding the audience in a travel series? And how can we explore the specific combination of entertainment and education that travel series represent? Basically the travel series genre is a hybrid of journalistic documentary, entertaining lifestyle series and TV ads and the different series put different emphasis on the different genre elements. Travel series represent a certain kind of mediated consumption and they reflect lifestyle identity in relation to touristic consumer cultures. Like other lifestyle series dealing with consumption products and lifestyle markers encompassing fashion, food, garden, design and interior that balance somewhere between journalism and advertising, travel series typically deal with destinations, travel modes, cultural experiences and food as commodities. To understand the cultural and democratic value of travel series as a popular TV genre in the context of public service broadcasting, it is not the fact that the series contain educative and enlightening information about foreign cultures told in an entertaining and popular way that are of my interest. Rather it is tourism and media consumer culture as such, one has to expound as valuable democratic and cultural practice. The article presents different matrices of the respectively cultural and consumer knowledge that the different types of travel series include.

Analysis of historical series of industrial demand of energy; Analisi delle serie storiche dei consumi energetici dell`industria

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moauro, F. [ENEA, Centro Ricerche Casaccia, Rome (Italy). Dip. Energia

1995-03-01

This paper reports a short term analysis of the Italian demand for energy fonts and a check of a statistic model supposing the industrial demand for energy fonts as a function of prices and production, according to neoclassic neoclassic micro economic theory. To this pourpose monthly time series of industrial consumption of main energy fonts in 6 sectors, industrial production indexes in the same sectors and indexes of energy prices (coal, natural gas, oil products, electricity) have been used. The statistic methodology refers to modern analysis of time series and specifically to transfer function models. These ones permit rigorous identification and representation of the most important dynamic relations between dependent variables (production and prices), as relation of an input-output system. The results have shown an important positive correlation between energy consumption with prices. Furthermore, it has been shown the reliability of forecasts and their use as monthly energy indicators.

Models to estimate lactation curves of milk yield and somatic cell count in dairy cows at the herd level for the use in simulations and predictive models

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kaare Græsbøll

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Typically, central milk recording data from dairy herds are recorded less than monthly. Over-fitting early in lactation periods is a challenge, which we explored in different ways by reducing the number of parameters needed to describe the milk yield and somatic cell count of individual cows. Furthermore, we investigated how the parameters of lactation models correlate between parities and from dam to offspring. The aim of the study was to provide simple and robust models for cow level milk yield and somatic cell count (SCC for fitting to sparse data to parameterise herd- and cow-specific simulation of dairy herds.Data from 610 Danish Holstein herds were used to determine parity traits in milk production regarding milk yield and SCC of individual cows. Parity was stratified in first, second and third and higher for milk, and first to sixth and higher for SCC. Fitting of herd level parameters allowed for cow level lactation curves with three, two or one-parameters per lactation. Correlations of milk yield and SCC were estimated between lactations and between dam and offspring.The shape of the lactation curves varied markedly between farms. The correlation between lactations for milk yield and SCC were 0.2-0.6 and significant on more than 95% of farms. The variation in the daily milk yield was observed to be a source of variation to the SCC, and the total SCC was less correlated with the milk production than somatic cells per ml. A positive correlation was found between relative levels of the total SCC and the milk yield.The variation of lactation and SCC curves between farms highlights the importance of a herd level approach. The one-parameter per cow model using a herd level curve allows for estimating the cow production level from first the recording in the parity, while a two-parameter model requires more recordings for a credible estimate, but may more precisely predict persistence, and given the independence of parameters, these can be

Improving outcomes in veterans with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma through implementation of a multidisciplinary clinic.

Science.gov (United States)

Light, Tyler; Rassi, Edward El; Maggiore, Ronald J; Holland, John; Reed, Julie; Suriano, Kathleen; Stooksbury, Marcelle; Tobin, Nora; Gross, Neil; Clayburgh, Daniel

2017-06-01

Treatment of head and neck cancer is complex, and a multidisciplinary clinic may improve the coordination of care. The value of a head and neck multidisciplinary clinic has not yet been established in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). A retrospective review was conducted of Veterans Affairs patients with oropharyngeal SCC undergoing concurrent chemoradiation before and after implementation of the head and neck multidisciplinary clinic. Fifty-two patients before and 54 patients after multidisciplinary clinic were included in this study. Age, tobacco use, and p16+ status were similar between groups. With multidisciplinary clinic, time to treatment decreased, and utilization of supportive services, including speech pathology, dentistry, and nutrition increased. The 5-year disease-specific survival rate increased from 63% to 81% (p = .043) after implementation of the multidisciplinary clinic. Multivariate analysis showed that disease stage (p = .016), p16 status (p = .006), and multidisciplinary clinic participation (p = .042) were predictors of disease-specific survival. Implementation of a multidisciplinary clinic improved care coordination and disease-specific survival in patients with oropharyngeal SCC. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 39: 1106-1112, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

School Climate Coordinators in Chile: Understanding their Labor Identity

OpenAIRE

Valenzuela, Jaime; Ahumada, Iván; Rubilar, Andrea; López, Verónica; Urbina, Carolina

2017-01-01

Addressing school climate and violence in schools requires school management skills. The 2011 School Violence Act in Chile promulgated the mandatory creation of the school climate coordinator (SCC). However, the law did not establish a defined profile, specific functions, or working hours for the SCC, and only recently have school administrators given SCCs more time for this position. This has created a flexible operating framework for the position, which could have implications in terms of t...

Connected to TV series: Quantifying series watching engagement.

Science.gov (United States)

Tóth-Király, István; Bőthe, Beáta; Tóth-Fáber, Eszter; Hága, Győző; Orosz, Gábor

2017-12-01

Background and aims Television series watching stepped into a new golden age with the appearance of online series. Being highly involved in series could potentially lead to negative outcomes, but the distinction between highly engaged and problematic viewers should be distinguished. As no appropriate measure is available for identifying such differences, a short and valid measure was constructed in a multistudy investigation: the Series Watching Engagement Scale (SWES). Methods In Study 1 (N Sample1  = 740 and N Sample2  = 740), exploratory structural equation modeling and confirmatory factor analysis were used to identify the most important facets of series watching engagement. In Study 2 (N = 944), measurement invariance of the SWES was investigated between males and females. In Study 3 (N = 1,520), latent profile analysis (LPA) was conducted to identify subgroups of viewers. Results Five factors of engagement were identified in Study 1 that are of major relevance: persistence, identification, social interaction, overuse, and self-development. Study 2 supported the high levels of equivalence between males and females. In Study 3, three groups of viewers (low-, medium-, and high-engagement viewers) were identified. The highly engaged at-risk group can be differentiated from the other two along key variables of watching time and personality. Discussion The present findings support the overall validity, reliability, and usefulness of the SWES and the results of the LPA showed that it might be useful to identify at-risk viewers before the development of problematic use.

Event-based stochastic point rainfall resampling for statistical replication and climate projection of historical rainfall series

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thorndahl, Søren; Korup Andersen, Aske; Larsen, Anders Badsberg

2017-01-01

Continuous and long rainfall series are a necessity in rural and urban hydrology for analysis and design purposes. Local historical point rainfall series often cover several decades, which makes it possible to estimate rainfall means at different timescales, and to assess return periods of extreme...... includes climate changes projected to a specific future period. This paper presents a framework for resampling of historical point rainfall series in order to generate synthetic rainfall series, which has the same statistical properties as an original series. Using a number of key target predictions...... for the future climate, such as winter and summer precipitation, and representation of extreme events, the resampled historical series are projected to represent rainfall properties in a future climate. Climate-projected rainfall series are simulated by brute force randomization of model parameters, which leads...

Stage Presentation, Care Patterns, and Treatment Outcomes for Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Penis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Burt, Lindsay M.; Shrieve, Dennis C.; Tward, Jonathan D., E-mail: Jonathan.Tward@hci.utah.edu

2014-01-01

Purpose: Penile squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is a rare entity, with few published series on outcomes. We evaluated the stage distributions and outcomes for surgery and radiation therapy in a U.S. population database. Methods and Materials: Subjects with SCC of the penis were identified using the National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Program database between 1988 and 2006. Descriptive statistics were performed, and cause-specific survival (CSS) was estimated using Kaplan-Meier analysis. Comparisons of treatment modalities were analyzed using multivariate Cox regression. Subjects were staged using American Joint Committee on Cancer, sixth edition, criteria. Results: There were 2458 subjects identified. The median age was 66.8 years (range, 17-102 years). Grade 2 disease was present in 94.5% of cases. T1, T2, T3, T4, and Tx disease was present in 64.8%, 17.1%, 9.5%, 2.1%, and 6.5% of cases, respectively. N0, N1, N2, N3, and Nx disease was noted in 61.6%, 6.9%, 4.0%, 3.7%, and 23.8% of cases, respectively. M1 disease was noted in 2.5% of subjects. Individuals of white ethnicity accounted for 85.1% of cases. Lymphadenectomy was performed in 16.7% of cases. The CSS for all patients at 5 and 10 years was 80.8% and 78.6%. By multivariable analysis grades 2 and 3 disease, T3 stage, and positive lymph nodes were adverse prognostic factors for CSS. Conclusion: SCC of the penis often presents as early-stage T1, N0, M0, grade 1, or grade 2 disease. The majority of patients identified were treated with surgery, and only a small fraction of patients received radiation therapy alone or as adjuvant therapy.

Protein Stabilization and Enzyme Activation in Ionic Liquids: Specific Ion Effects

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Hua

2015-01-01

There are still debates on whether the hydration of ions perturbs the water structure, and what is the degree of such disturbance; therefore, the origin of Hofmeister effect on protein stabilization continues being questioned. For this reason, it is suggested to use the ‘specific ion effect’ instead of other misleading terms such as Hofmeister effect, Hofmeister series, lyotropic effect, and lyotropic series. In this review, we firstly discuss the controversial aspect of inorganic ion effects on water structures, and several possible contributors to the specific ion effect of protein stability. Due to recent overwhelming attraction of ionic liquids (ILs) as benign solvents in many enzymatic reactions, we further evaluate the structural properties and molecular-level interactions in neat ILs and their aqueous solutions. Next, we systematically compare the specific ion effects of ILs on enzyme stability and activity, and conclude that (a) the specificity of many enzymatic systems in diluted aqueous IL solutions is roughly in line with the traditional Hofmeister series albeit some exceptions; (b) however, the specificity follows a different track in concentrated or neat ILs because other factors (such as hydrogen-bond basicity, nucelophilicity, and hydrophobicity, etc) are playing leading roles. In addition, we demonstrate some examples of biocatalytic reactions in IL systems that are guided by the empirical specificity rule. PMID:26949281

ECONOMETRIC APPROACH OF HETEROSKEDASTICITY ON FINANCIAL TIME SERIES IN A GENERAL FRAMEWORK

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

FELICIA RAMONA BIRĂU

2012-12-01

Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of the diagnostic tests for detecting heteroskedasticity on financial time series. In financial econometrics, heteroskedasticity is generally associated with cross sectional data but can also be identified modeling time series data. The presence of heteroscedasticity in financial time series can be caused by certain specific factors, like a model misspecification, inadequate data transformation or as a result of certain outliers. Heteroskedasticity arise when the homoskedasticity assumption is violated. Testing for the presence of heteroskedasticity in financial time is performed by applying diagnostic test, such as : Breusch-Pagan LM test, White’s test, Glesjer LM test, Harvey-Godfrey LM test, Park LM test and Goldfeld-Quand test.

Cleavage of cohesin rings coordinates the separation of centrioles and chromatids.

Science.gov (United States)

Schöckel, Laura; Möckel, Martin; Mayer, Bernd; Boos, Dominik; Stemmann, Olaf

2011-07-10

Cohesin pairs sister chromatids by forming a tripartite Scc1-Smc1-Smc3 ring around them. In mitosis, cohesin is removed from chromosome arms by the phosphorylation-dependent prophase pathway. Centromeric cohesin is protected by shugoshin 1 and protein phosphatase 2A (Sgo1-PP2A) and opened only in anaphase by separase-dependent cleavage of Scc1 (refs 4-6). Following chromosome segregation, centrioles loosen their tight orthogonal arrangement, which licenses later centrosome duplication in S phase. Although a role of separase in centriole disengagement has been reported, the molecular details of this process remain enigmatic. Here, we identify cohesin as a centriole-engagement factor. Both premature sister-chromatid separation and centriole disengagement are induced by ectopic activation of separase or depletion of Sgo1. These unscheduled events are suppressed by expression of non-cleavable Scc1 or inhibition of the prophase pathway. When endogenous Scc1 is replaced by artificially cleavable Scc1, the corresponding site-specific protease triggers centriole disengagement. Separation of centrioles can alternatively be induced by ectopic cleavage of an engineered Smc3. Thus, the chromosome and centrosome cycles exhibit extensive parallels and are coordinated with each other by dual use of the cohesin ring complex.

Searching for the best modeling specification for assessing the effects of temperature and humidity on health: a time series analysis in three European cities.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodopoulou, Sophia; Samoli, Evangelia; Analitis, Antonis; Atkinson, Richard W; de'Donato, Francesca K; Katsouyanni, Klea

2015-11-01

Epidemiological time series studies suggest daily temperature and humidity are associated with adverse health effects including increased mortality and hospital admissions. However, there is no consensus over which metric or lag best describes the relationships. We investigated which temperature and humidity model specification most adequately predicted mortality in three large European cities. Daily counts of all-cause mortality, minimum, maximum and mean temperature and relative humidity and apparent temperature (a composite measure of ambient and dew point temperature) were assembled for Athens, London, and Rome for 6 years between 1999 and 2005. City-specific Poisson regression models were fitted separately for warm (April-September) and cold (October-March) periods adjusting for seasonality, air pollution, and public holidays. We investigated goodness of model fit for each metric for delayed effects up to 13 days using three model fit criteria: sum of the partial autocorrelation function, AIC, and GCV. No uniformly best index for all cities and seasonal periods was observed. The effects of temperature were uniformly shown to be more prolonged during cold periods and the majority of models suggested separate temperature and humidity variables performed better than apparent temperature in predicting mortality. Our study suggests that the nature of the effects of temperature and humidity on mortality vary between cities for unknown reasons which require further investigation but may relate to city-specific population, socioeconomic, and environmental characteristics. This may have consequences on epidemiological studies and local temperature-related warning systems.

Characters of Modern Animated Series in Games and Toys of Preschool Children

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Sokolova M.V.

2015-08-01

Full Text Available The paper presents a comparative research on how preschool children play with various modern cartoon character toys. Three popular animated series were used in the research: "Winx", "SpiderMan" and "Pettson and Findus". One series of each was previously analysed in terms of microplots, descriptions of the main characters and their actions etc. The children watched the series, one at a time, and were then invited to play with its character toys. The outcomes of the research indicate that the series with plots and characters appropriate for preschool age (such as "Pettson and Findus" promote longer and richer periods of play activity as compared to the series addressed to children of older age. Children tend to take the role of the main character more frequently if s/he is of about the same age (irrespective of sex; they reproduce familiar and clear plots and engage themselves in longer periods of meaningful play. The outcomes also show that the effect of the animated series on the children's play depends on the quality and content of the animations, on their correspondence with the specifics of preschool age as well as on the quality of the character toys

GPS Position Time Series @ JPL

Science.gov (United States)

Owen, Susan; Moore, Angelyn; Kedar, Sharon; Liu, Zhen; Webb, Frank; Heflin, Mike; Desai, Shailen

2013-01-01

Different flavors of GPS time series analysis at JPL - Use same GPS Precise Point Positioning Analysis raw time series - Variations in time series analysis/post-processing driven by different users. center dot JPL Global Time Series/Velocities - researchers studying reference frame, combining with VLBI/SLR/DORIS center dot JPL/SOPAC Combined Time Series/Velocities - crustal deformation for tectonic, volcanic, ground water studies center dot ARIA Time Series/Coseismic Data Products - Hazard monitoring and response focused center dot ARIA data system designed to integrate GPS and InSAR - GPS tropospheric delay used for correcting InSAR - Caltech's GIANT time series analysis uses GPS to correct orbital errors in InSAR - Zhen Liu's talking tomorrow on InSAR Time Series analysis

Some Characteristics Of the Financial Data Series

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Gheorghe Săvoiu

2013-05-01

Full Text Available This paper attempts to delineate from a theoretical of view the financial data series relative to other statistical data, starting from the financial econometrics’ models and from the resulting features of the specific descriptive statistics’ analysis of these characteristic series. From the analysis of these financial data during either very short and short or medium periods of time or from the information provided by the website of the Bucharest Stock Exchange (BVB, the trend of great values of kurtosis or eccentricity and skewness or asymmetry of series appears as a characteristic tendency. During a long period of time, between 1920 and 2008, this tendency seems to be more relevant, being confirmed by an excerpt from the author’s earlier paper written in 2009, concerning the statistical Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJIA Index. The skewness, kurtosis and normality of data distribution analysis, using Jarque Bera test, along with the identification of residual autocorrelation or serial correlation in the presence of significant residual values and heteroskedasticity are the major evaluated aspects. Finally, the author investigates the optimal way to ensure statistical comparability inflationary and deflationary method for financial series of data, and offers a solution to the selection of the appropriate indicator from the categories of the absolute values, absolute variation of the absolute values and the relative variation of the absolute values, expressed by percentages, with the finding of the latter alternative as the best alternative in the world of financial modelling of the economic and financial processes and phenomena.

Survey of degradation modes of candidate materials for high-level radioactive-waste disposal containers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Farmer, J.C.; Van Konynenburg, R.A.; McCright, R.D. (Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (USA)); Bullen, D.B. (Science and Engineering Associates, Inc., Pleasanton, CA (USA))

1988-04-01

Three iron- to nickel-based austenitic alloys (Types 304L and 316L stainless steels and Alloy 825) are being considered as candidate materials for the fabrication of high-level radioactive-waste containers. Waste will include fuel assemblies from reactors as well as high-level waste in borosilicate glass forms, and will be sent to the prospective repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. The decay of radionuclides in the repository will result in the generation of substantial heat and in fluences of gamma radiation. Container materials may undergo any of several modes of degradation in this environment, including atmospheric oxidation; uniform aqueous phase corrosion; pitting; crevice corrosion; sensitization and intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC); and transgranular stress corrosion cracking (TGSCC). This report is an analysis of data relevant to the pitting, crevice corrosion, and stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of the three austenitic candidate alloys. The candidates are compared in terms of their susceptibilities to these forms of corrosion. Although all three candidates have demonstrated pitting and crevice corrosion in chloride-containing environments, Alloy 825 has the greatest resistance to these types of localized corrosion (LC); such resistance is important because pits can penetrate the metal and serve as crack initiation sites. Both Types 304L and 316L stainless steels are susceptible to SCC in acidic chloride media. In contrast, SCC has not been documented in Alloy 825 under comparable conditions. Gamma radiation has been found to enhance SCC in Types 304 and 304L stainless steels, but it has no detectable effect on the resistance of Alloy 825 to SCC. Furthermore, while the effects of microbiologically induced corrosion have been observed for 300-series stainless steels, nickel-based alloys such as Alloy 825 seem to be immune to such problems. 211 refs., 49 figs., 10 tabs.

Survey of degradation modes of candidate materials for high-level radioactive-waste disposal containers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Farmer, J.C.; Van Konynenburg, R.A.; McCright, R.D.; Bullen, D.B.

1988-04-01

Three iron- to nickel-based austenitic alloys (Types 304L and 316L stainless steels and Alloy 825) are being considered as candidate materials for the fabrication of high-level radioactive-waste containers. Waste will include fuel assemblies from reactors as well as high-level waste in borosilicate glass forms, and will be sent to the prospective repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. The decay of radionuclides in the repository will result in the generation of substantial heat and in fluences of gamma radiation. Container materials may undergo any of several modes of degradation in this environment, including atmospheric oxidation; uniform aqueous phase corrosion; pitting; crevice corrosion; sensitization and intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC); and transgranular stress corrosion cracking (TGSCC). This report is an analysis of data relevant to the pitting, crevice corrosion, and stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of the three austenitic candidate alloys. The candidates are compared in terms of their susceptibilities to these forms of corrosion. Although all three candidates have demonstrated pitting and crevice corrosion in chloride-containing environments, Alloy 825 has the greatest resistance to these types of localized corrosion (LC); such resistance is important because pits can penetrate the metal and serve as crack initiation sites. Both Types 304L and 316L stainless steels are susceptible to SCC in acidic chloride media. In contrast, SCC has not been documented in Alloy 825 under comparable conditions. Gamma radiation has been found to enhance SCC in Types 304 and 304L stainless steels, but it has no detectable effect on the resistance of Alloy 825 to SCC. Furthermore, while the effects of microbiologically induced corrosion have been observed for 300-series stainless steels, nickel-based alloys such as Alloy 825 seem to be immune to such problems. 211 refs., 49 figs., 10 tabs

CAFET algorithm reveals Wnt/PCP signature in lung squamous cell carcinoma.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yue Hu

Full Text Available We analyzed the gene expression patterns of 138 Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC samples and developed a new algorithm called Coverage Analysis with Fisher's Exact Test (CAFET to identify molecular pathways that are differentially activated in squamous cell carcinoma (SCC and adenocarcinoma (AC subtypes. Analysis of the lung cancer samples demonstrated hierarchical clustering according to the histological subtype and revealed a strong enrichment for the Wnt signaling pathway components in the cluster consisting predominantly of SCC samples. The specific gene expression pattern observed correlated with enhanced activation of the Wnt Planar Cell Polarity (PCP pathway and inhibition of the canonical Wnt signaling branch. Further real time RT-PCR follow-up with additional primary tumor samples and lung cancer cell lines confirmed enrichment of Wnt/PCP pathway associated genes in the SCC subtype. Dysregulation of the canonical Wnt pathway, characterized by increased levels of β-catenin and epigenetic silencing of negative regulators, has been reported in adenocarcinoma of the lung. Our results suggest that SCC and AC utilize different branches of the Wnt pathway during oncogenesis.

Study on Flexural Behaviour of Ternary Blended Reinforced Self Compacting Concrete Beam with Conventional RCC Beam

Science.gov (United States)

Marshaline Seles, M.; Suryanarayanan, R.; Vivek, S. S.; Dhinakaran, G.

2017-07-01

The conventional concrete when used for structures having dense congested reinforcement, the problems such as external compaction and vibration needs special attention. In such case, the self compacting concrete (SCC) which has the properties like flow ability, passing and filling ability would be an obvious answer. All those SCC flow behavior was governed by EFNARC specifications. In present study, the combination type of SCC was prepared by replacing cement with silica fume (SF) and metakaolin (MK) along with optimum dosages of chemical admixtures. From the fresh property test, cube compressive strength and cylinder split tensile strength, optimum ternary mix was obtained. In order to study the flexural behavior, the optimum ternary mix was taken in which beam specimens of size 1200 mm x 100 mm x 200 mm was designed as singly reinforced section according to IS: 456-2000, Limit state method. Finally the comparative experimental analysis was made between conventional RCC and SCC beams of same grade in terms of flexural strength namely yield load & ultimate load, load- deflection curve, crack size and pattern respectively.

Hydro-Quebec to complete series compensation protection by 1995

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Champagne, L

1991-09-01

Hydro-Quebec's 735-kV transmission system is characterized by remote hydroelectric power plants located far north of main load centers, making it difficult to maintain dynamic stability of the system in the case of faults. The utility is planning to install series compensation on its 735-kV network from 1992 to 1995 in order to correct for the reactive impedance of the transmission lines, thereby removing load electrically closer to the points of generation. Series compensation in the form of capacitor banks with overvoltage protection will be installed at line ends and will replace large numbers of conventional electromagnetic or electronic distance relays currently used as line protection equipment. Three Manicouagan-Levis lines and the Micoua-Laurentides line will be center-compensated at 17%. A total of thirty-seven 735-kV lines will be series-compensated at ca 40%. Two separate sets of tests were conducted to select the new series compensation system. Following a market study, eight systems of line protection relays were selected as most likely to operate on a series compensated system. All were performance tested on a transient network analyzer in a simulation involving all components of the 735-kV system with some exceptions. Relays singled out in standard tests were put to a series of more specific tests on the Abitibi-LaVerendrye line, where the largest number of relay malfunctions had been recorded. A current differential relay and a superimposed directional relay were recommended as the two primary protective systems to be installed. Backup protection will be provided by using one of the distance relays with memory polarization. 3 figs.

Highly comparative time-series analysis: the empirical structure of time series and their methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Fulcher, Ben D; Little, Max A; Jones, Nick S

2013-06-06

The process of collecting and organizing sets of observations represents a common theme throughout the history of science. However, despite the ubiquity of scientists measuring, recording and analysing the dynamics of different processes, an extensive organization of scientific time-series data and analysis methods has never been performed. Addressing this, annotated collections of over 35 000 real-world and model-generated time series, and over 9000 time-series analysis algorithms are analysed in this work. We introduce reduced representations of both time series, in terms of their properties measured by diverse scientific methods, and of time-series analysis methods, in terms of their behaviour on empirical time series, and use them to organize these interdisciplinary resources. This new approach to comparing across diverse scientific data and methods allows us to organize time-series datasets automatically according to their properties, retrieve alternatives to particular analysis methods developed in other scientific disciplines and automate the selection of useful methods for time-series classification and regression tasks. The broad scientific utility of these tools is demonstrated on datasets of electroencephalograms, self-affine time series, heartbeat intervals, speech signals and others, in each case contributing novel analysis techniques to the existing literature. Highly comparative techniques that compare across an interdisciplinary literature can thus be used to guide more focused research in time-series analysis for applications across the scientific disciplines.

Forecasting non-stationary diarrhea, acute respiratory infection, and malaria time-series in Niono, Mali.

Science.gov (United States)

Medina, Daniel C; Findley, Sally E; Guindo, Boubacar; Doumbia, Seydou

2007-11-21

Much of the developing world, particularly sub-Saharan Africa, exhibits high levels of morbidity and mortality associated with diarrhea, acute respiratory infection, and malaria. With the increasing awareness that the aforementioned infectious diseases impose an enormous burden on developing countries, public health programs therein could benefit from parsimonious general-purpose forecasting methods to enhance infectious disease intervention. Unfortunately, these disease time-series often i) suffer from non-stationarity; ii) exhibit large inter-annual plus seasonal fluctuations; and, iii) require disease-specific tailoring of forecasting methods. In this longitudinal retrospective (01/1996-06/2004) investigation, diarrhea, acute respiratory infection of the lower tract, and malaria consultation time-series are fitted with a general-purpose econometric method, namely the multiplicative Holt-Winters, to produce contemporaneous on-line forecasts for the district of Niono, Mali. This method accommodates seasonal, as well as inter-annual, fluctuations and produces reasonably accurate median 2- and 3-month horizon forecasts for these non-stationary time-series, i.e., 92% of the 24 time-series forecasts generated (2 forecast horizons, 3 diseases, and 4 age categories = 24 time-series forecasts) have mean absolute percentage errors circa 25%. The multiplicative Holt-Winters forecasting method: i) performs well across diseases with dramatically distinct transmission modes and hence it is a strong general-purpose forecasting method candidate for non-stationary epidemiological time-series; ii) obliquely captures prior non-linear interactions between climate and the aforementioned disease dynamics thus, obviating the need for more complex disease-specific climate-based parametric forecasting methods in the district of Niono; furthermore, iii) readily decomposes time-series into seasonal components thereby potentially assisting with programming of public health interventions

Is the population level link between drinking and harm similar for women and men?--a time series analysis with focus on gender-specific drinking and alcohol-related hospitalizations in Sweden.

Science.gov (United States)

Engdahl, Barbro; Ramstedt, Mats

2011-08-01

A question that has not been addressed in the literature is whether the population level association between alcohol and harm differs between men and women. The main aim of this article is to fill this gap by analysing recently collected time series data of male and female self-reported drinking in relation to gender-specific harm indicators in Sweden. Male and female per capita and risk consumption was estimated on the basis of self-reported data from monthly alcohol surveys for the period 2002-07. Overall per capita consumption including recorded sales and estimates of unrecorded consumption were also collected for the same period. Alcohol-related hospitalizations were used as indicators of alcohol-related harm. Data were aggregated into quarterly observations and analysed by means of time series analyses (ARIMA-modelling). Overall per capita consumption was significantly related to both male and female alcohol-related hospitalizations. Male per capita consumption and risk consumption were also significantly related to alcohol-related hospitalizations among men. Female per capita consumption and risk consumption had also a positive association with alcohol-related hospitalizations but statistical significance was only reached for alcohol poisonings where the association was even stronger than for men. Changes in alcohol consumption in Sweden was associated with changes in male and female alcohol-related hospitalizations also in analyses based on gender-specific consumption measures. There was no clear evidence that the population level association between alcohol and harm differed between men and women.

Total and cause-specific mortality before and after the onset of the Greek economic crisis: an interrupted time-series analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Laliotis, Ioannis; Ioannidis, John P A; Stavropoulou, Charitini

2016-12-01

Greece was one of the countries hit the hardest by the 2008 financial crisis in Europe. Yet, evidence on the effect of the crisis on total and cause-specific mortality remains unclear. We explored whether the economic crisis affected the trend of overall and cause-specific mortality rates. We used regional panel data from the Hellenic Statistical Authority to assess mortality trends by age, sex, region, and cause in Greece between January, 2001, and December, 2013. We used Eurostat data to calculate monthly age-standardised mortality rates per 100 000 inhabitants for each region. Data were divided into two subperiods: before the crisis (January, 2001, to August, 2008) and after the onset of the crisis (September, 2008, to December, 2013). We tested for changes in the slope of mortality by doing an interrupted time-series analysis. Overall mortality continued to decline after the onset of the financial crisis (-0·065, 95% CI -0·080 to -0·049), but at a slower pace than before the crisis (-0·13, -0·15 to -0·10; trend difference 0·062, 95% CI 0·041 to 0·083; pperiod after the onset of the crisis with extrapolated values based on the period before the crisis, we estimate that an extra 242 deaths per month occurred after the onset of the crisis. Mortality trends have been interrupted after the onset of compared with before the crisis, but changes vary by age, sex, and cause of death. The increase in deaths due to adverse events during medical treatment might reflect the effects of deterioration in quality of care during economic recessions. None. Copyright © 2016 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY license. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Introduction to Time Series Modeling

CERN Document Server

Kitagawa, Genshiro

2010-01-01

In time series modeling, the behavior of a certain phenomenon is expressed in relation to the past values of itself and other covariates. Since many important phenomena in statistical analysis are actually time series and the identification of conditional distribution of the phenomenon is an essential part of the statistical modeling, it is very important and useful to learn fundamental methods of time series modeling. Illustrating how to build models for time series using basic methods, "Introduction to Time Series Modeling" covers numerous time series models and the various tools f

Travel Cost Inference from Sparse, Spatio-Temporally Correlated Time Series Using Markov Models

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yang, Bin; Guo, Chenjuan; Jensen, Christian S.

2013-01-01

of such time series offers insight into the underlying system and enables prediction of system behavior. While the techniques presented in the paper apply more generally, we consider the case of transportation systems and aim to predict travel cost from GPS tracking data from probe vehicles. Specifically, each...... road segment has an associated travel-cost time series, which is derived from GPS data. We use spatio-temporal hidden Markov models (STHMM) to model correlations among different traffic time series. We provide algorithms that are able to learn the parameters of an STHMM while contending...... with the sparsity, spatio-temporal correlation, and heterogeneity of the time series. Using the resulting STHMM, near future travel costs in the transportation network, e.g., travel time or greenhouse gas emissions, can be inferred, enabling a variety of routing services, e.g., eco-routing. Empirical studies...

Short communication: Species group-specific predictors at the cow and quarter level for intramammary infection with coagulase-negative staphylococci in dairy cattle throughout lactation.

Science.gov (United States)

De Visscher, A; Piepers, S; Supré, K; Haesebrouck, F; De Vliegher, S

2015-08-01

Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) are frequently isolated from quarters with subclinical mastitis, teat apices, and the cows' environment. Virulence, ecology, epidemiological behavior, and effect on udder health vary between different CNS species. Staphylococcus chromogenes, Staph. simulans, and Staph. xylosus are frequently present in milk and have a more substantial effect on quarter milk somatic cell count than other species. Therefore, these species are considered the "more relevant" CNS. As species-specific factors associated with CNS intramammary infection (IMI) have not yet been identified and susceptibility for IMI differs between cows and quarters, this study aimed to identify predictors for CNS IMI at the cow and quarter level (some of them changing over time) with a specific focus on the aforementioned more relevant CNS. Precise data were available from a longitudinal study (3,052 observations from 344 quarters from 86 dairy cows belonging to 3 commercial dairy herds). All CNS were molecularly identified to the species level, and multivariable, multilevel logistic regression models taking into account the longitudinal nature of the data, were fit to study the likelihood of infection. Staphylococcus chromogenes, Staph. xylosus, and Staph. cohnii were the most frequently isolated species from CNS IMI in older cows, whereas Staph. chromogenes, Staph. xylosus, and Staph. simulans were the main species found in IMI in heifers. Quarters from heifers (as opposed to multiparous cows), from heifers and multiparous cows in third or fourth month in lactation (as opposed to early lactation, <60 d in milk), and with an increasing quarter milk SCC were more likely to be infected with the more relevant CNS species. Quarter milk SCC was identified as the sole statistically significant predictor for IMI with other CNS species, although the size of the effect was lower [odds ratio of 1.6 (1.4-1.9) vs. 2.1 (1.8-2.5)] than the effect for IMI with the more relevant CNS

Wharton's jelly mesenchymal stromal cells have contrasting effects on proliferation and phenotype of cancer stem cells from different subtypes of lung cancer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vulcano, Francesca, E-mail: francesca.vulcano@iss.it [Department of Hematology, Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena, 299, 00161 Rome (Italy); Milazzo, Luisa, E-mail: luisa.milazzo@iss.it [Department of Hematology, Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena, 299, 00161 Rome (Italy); Ciccarelli, Carmela, E-mail: carmela.ciccarelli@univaq.it [Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L' Aquila (Italy); Eramo, Adriana, E-mail: adriana.eramo@iss.it [Department of Hematology, Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena, 299, 00161 Rome (Italy); Sette, Giovanni, E-mail: giovanni.sette@gmail.com [Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome (Italy); Mauro, Annunziata, E-mail: amauro@unite.it [Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Teramo (Italy); Macioce, Giampiero, E-mail: giampiero.macioce@iss.it [Department of Hematology, Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena, 299, 00161 Rome (Italy); Martinelli, Andrea, E-mail: andrea.martinelli@iss.it [Experimental Animal Welfare Sector of the Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome (Italy); La Torre, Renato, E-mail: renato.latorre@uniroma1.it [Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Urological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome (Italy); Casalbore, Patrizia, E-mail: patrizia.casalbore@cnr.it [Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, National Research Council, Rome (Italy); Hassan, Hamisa Jane, E-mail: jane.hassan@iss.it [Department of Hematology, Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena, 299, 00161 Rome (Italy); and others

2016-07-15

Studies on the role of multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) on tumor growth have reported both a tumor promoting and a suppressive effect. The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of MSC isolated from Wharton's jelly of umbilical cord (WJMSC) on lung cancer stem cells (LCSC) derived from human lung tumors: two adenocarcinomas (AC) and two squamous cell carcinomas (SCC). LCSC derived from SCC and AC expressed, to varying extents, the more relevant stem cell markers. The effect of WJMSC on LCSC was investigated in vitro using conditioned medium (WJ-CM): a proliferation increase in AC-LCSC was observed, with an increase in the ALDH+ and in the CD133+ cell population. By contrast, WJ-CM hampered the growth of SCC-LCSC, with an increase in the pre-G1 phase indicating the induction of apoptosis. Furthermore, the ALDH+ and CD133+ population was also reduced. In vivo, subcutaneous co-transplantation of AC-LCSC/WJMSC generated larger tumors than AC-LCSC alone, characterized by an increased percentage of CD133+ and CD166+ cells. By contrast, co-transplantation of WJMSC and SCC-LCSC did not affect the tumor size. Our results strongly suggest that WJMSC exert, both in vitro and in vivo, contrasting effects on LCSC derived from different lung tumor subtypes. - Highlights: • CM from WJMSC induces apoptosis of SCC-LCSC and reduction of ALDH+ and CD133+ cells. • Specificity of SCC-LCSC inhibition by WJ-CM is proved by the use of a CM from NHDF. • WJ-CM enhance AC-LCSC proliferation and increase CD133+ and ALDH+ cell fractions. • Coinjection of WJMSC with AC-LCSC increase tumor growth with SCC-LCSC has no effect.

GAB2 Amplification in Squamous Cell Lung Cancer of Non-Smokers.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Yu Rang; Bae, Soo Hyeon; Ji, Wonjun; Seo, Eul Ju; Lee, Jae Cheol; Kim, Hyeong Ryul; Jang, Se Jin; Choi, Chang Min

2017-11-01

Lung squamous cell cancer (SCC) is typically found in smokers and has a very low incidence in non-smokers, indicating differences in the tumor biology of lung SCC in smokers and non-smokers. However, the specific mutations that drive tumor growth in non-smokers have not been identified. To identify mutations in lung SCC of non-smokers, we performed a genetic analysis using arrays comparative genomic hybridization (ArrayCGH). We analyzed 19 patients with lung SCC who underwent surgical treatment between April 2005 and April 2015. Clinical characteristics were reviewed, and DNA was extracted from fresh frozen lung cancer specimens. All of copy number alterations from ArrayCGH were validated using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) copy number variation (CNV) data of lung SCC. We examined the frequency of copy number changes according to the smoking status (non-smoker [n = 8] or smoker [n = 11]). We identified 16 significantly altered regions from ArrayCGH data, three gain and four loss regions overlapped with the TCGA lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) patients. Within these overlapped significant regions, we detected 15 genes that have been reported in the Cancer Gene census. We also found that the proto-oncogene GAB2 (11q14.1) was significantly amplified in non-smokers patients and vice versa in both ArrayCGH and TCGA data. Immunohistochemical analyses showed that GAB2 protein was relatively upregulated in non-smoker than smoker tissues (37.5% vs. 9.0%, P = 0.007). GAB2 amplification may have an important role in the development of lung SCC in non-smokers. GAB2 may represent a potential biomarker for lung SCC in non-smokers. © 2017 The Korean Academy of Medical Sciences.

Wharton's jelly mesenchymal stromal cells have contrasting effects on proliferation and phenotype of cancer stem cells from different subtypes of lung cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vulcano, Francesca; Milazzo, Luisa; Ciccarelli, Carmela; Eramo, Adriana; Sette, Giovanni; Mauro, Annunziata; Macioce, Giampiero; Martinelli, Andrea; La Torre, Renato; Casalbore, Patrizia; Hassan, Hamisa Jane

2016-01-01

Studies on the role of multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) on tumor growth have reported both a tumor promoting and a suppressive effect. The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of MSC isolated from Wharton's jelly of umbilical cord (WJMSC) on lung cancer stem cells (LCSC) derived from human lung tumors: two adenocarcinomas (AC) and two squamous cell carcinomas (SCC). LCSC derived from SCC and AC expressed, to varying extents, the more relevant stem cell markers. The effect of WJMSC on LCSC was investigated in vitro using conditioned medium (WJ-CM): a proliferation increase in AC-LCSC was observed, with an increase in the ALDH+ and in the CD133+ cell population. By contrast, WJ-CM hampered the growth of SCC-LCSC, with an increase in the pre-G1 phase indicating the induction of apoptosis. Furthermore, the ALDH+ and CD133+ population was also reduced. In vivo, subcutaneous co-transplantation of AC-LCSC/WJMSC generated larger tumors than AC-LCSC alone, characterized by an increased percentage of CD133+ and CD166+ cells. By contrast, co-transplantation of WJMSC and SCC-LCSC did not affect the tumor size. Our results strongly suggest that WJMSC exert, both in vitro and in vivo, contrasting effects on LCSC derived from different lung tumor subtypes. - Highlights: • CM from WJMSC induces apoptosis of SCC-LCSC and reduction of ALDH+ and CD133+ cells. • Specificity of SCC-LCSC inhibition by WJ-CM is proved by the use of a CM from NHDF. • WJ-CM enhance AC-LCSC proliferation and increase CD133+ and ALDH+ cell fractions. • Coinjection of WJMSC with AC-LCSC increase tumor growth with SCC-LCSC has no effect.

Culture of human mesenchymal stem cells using a candidate pharmaceutical grade xeno-free cell culture supplement derived from industrial human plasma pools.

Science.gov (United States)

Díez, José M; Bauman, Ewa; Gajardo, Rodrigo; Jorquera, Juan I

2015-03-13

Fetal bovine serum (FBS) is an animal product used as a medium supplement. The animal origin of FBS is a concern if cultured stem cells are to be utilized for human cell therapy. Therefore, a substitute for FBS is desirable. In this study, an industrial, xeno-free, pharmaceutical-grade supplement for cell culture (SCC) under development at Grifols was tested for growth of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs), cell characterization, and differentiation capacity. SCC is a freeze-dried product obtained through cold-ethanol fractionation of industrial human plasma pools from healthy donors. Bone marrow-derived hMSC cell lines were obtained from two commercial suppliers. Cell growth was evaluated by culturing hMSCs with commercial media or media supplemented with SCC or FBS. Cell viability and cell yield were assessed with an automated cell counter. Cell surface markers were studied by indirect immunofluorescence assay. Cells were cultured then differentiated into adipocytes, chondrocytes, osteoblasts, and neurons, as assessed by specific staining and microscopy observation. SCC supported the growth of commercial hMSCs. Starting from the same number of seeded cells in two consecutive passages of culture with medium supplemented with SCC, hMSC yield and cell population doubling time were equivalent to the values obtained with the commercial medium and was consistent among lots. The viability of hMSCs was higher than 90%, while maintaining the characteristic phenotype of undifferentiated hMSCs (positive for CD29, CD44, CD90, CD105, CD146, CD166 and Stro-1; negative for CD14 and CD19). Cultured hMSCs maintained the potential for differentiation into adipocytes, chondrocytes, osteoblasts, and neurons. The tested human plasma-derived SCC sustains the adequate growth of hMSCs, while preserving their differentiation capacity. SCC can be a potential candidate for cell culture supplement in advanced cell therapies.

DNA microarray profiling of a diverse collection of nosocomial methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus isolates assigns the majority to the correct sequence type and staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) type and results in the subsequent identification and characterization of novel SCCmec-SCCM1 composite islands.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Shore, Anna C

2012-10-01

One hundred seventy-five isolates representative of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) clones that predominated in Irish hospitals between 1971 and 2004 and that previously underwent multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) typing were characterized by spa typing (175 isolates) and DNA microarray profiling (107 isolates). The isolates belonged to 26 sequence type (ST)-SCCmec types and subtypes and 35 spa types. The array assigned all isolates to the correct MLST clonal complex (CC), and 94% (100\\/107) were assigned an ST, with 98% (98\\/100) correlating with MLST. The array assigned all isolates to the correct SCCmec type, but subtyping of only some SCCmec elements was possible. Additional SCCmec\\/SCC genes or DNA sequence variation not detected by SCCmec typing was detected by array profiling, including the SCC-fusidic acid resistance determinant Q6GD50\\/fusC. Novel SCCmec\\/SCC composite islands (CIs) were detected among CC8 isolates and comprised SCCmec IIA-IIE, IVE, IVF, or IVg and a ccrAB4-SCC element with 99% DNA sequence identity to SCC(M1) from ST8\\/t024-MRSA, SCCmec VIII, and SCC-CI in Staphylococcus epidermidis. The array showed that the majority of isolates harbored one or more superantigen (94%; 100\\/107) and immune evasion cluster (91%; 97\\/107) genes. Apart from fusidic acid and trimethoprim resistance, the correlation between isolate antimicrobial resistance phenotype and the presence of specific resistance genes was ≥97%. Array profiling allowed high-throughput, accurate assignment of MRSA to CCs\\/STs and SCCmec types and provided further evidence of the diversity of SCCmec\\/SCC. In most cases, array profiling can accurately predict the resistance phenotype of an isolate.

Discovering significant evolution patterns from satellite image time series.

Science.gov (United States)

Petitjean, François; Masseglia, Florent; Gançarski, Pierre; Forestier, Germain

2011-12-01

Satellite Image Time Series (SITS) provide us with precious information on land cover evolution. By studying these series of images we can both understand the changes of specific areas and discover global phenomena that spread over larger areas. Changes that can occur throughout the sensing time can spread over very long periods and may have different start time and end time depending on the location, which complicates the mining and the analysis of series of images. This work focuses on frequent sequential pattern mining (FSPM) methods, since this family of methods fits the above-mentioned issues. This family of methods consists of finding the most frequent evolution behaviors, and is actually able to extract long-term changes as well as short term ones, whenever the change may start and end. However, applying FSPM methods to SITS implies confronting two main challenges, related to the characteristics of SITS and the domain's constraints. First, satellite images associate multiple measures with a single pixel (the radiometric levels of different wavelengths corresponding to infra-red, red, etc.), which makes the search space multi-dimensional and thus requires specific mining algorithms. Furthermore, the non evolving regions, which are the vast majority and overwhelm the evolving ones, challenge the discovery of these patterns. We propose a SITS mining framework that enables discovery of these patterns despite these constraints and characteristics. Our proposal is inspired from FSPM and provides a relevant visualization principle. Experiments carried out on 35 images sensed over 20 years show the proposed approach makes it possible to extract relevant evolution behaviors.

Naturally occurring mastitis disrupts developmental competence of bovine oocytes.

Science.gov (United States)

Roth, Z; Dvir, A; Kalo, D; Lavon, Y; Krifucks, O; Wolfenson, D; Leitner, G

2013-10-01

We examined the effects of naturally occurring mastitis on bovine oocyte developmental competence in vitro. Specifically, we investigated the effects of intramammary infection on the ovarian pool of oocytes (i.e., follicle-enclosed oocytes) and their ability to undergo in vitro maturation, fertilization, and further development to the blastocyst stage. Culled Holstein cows (n=50) from 9 commercial dairy farms in Israel were allotted to 3 groups according to somatic cell count (SCC) records of the last 3 monthly milk tests as well as of quarter samples collected before slaughter: (1) low SCC (n=7), (2) medium SCC (n=16), or (3) high SCC (n=27). Means of SCC values differed among low-, medium-, and high-SCC groups: 148,000, 311,000 and 1,813,000 cell/mL milk, respectively. Milk yield and days in milk did not differ among the 3 groups. Bacterial isolates included coagulase-negative staphylococci, Escherichia coli, Streptococcus dysgalactiae, or no bacteria found. Ovaries were collected at the abattoir and brought to the laboratory. Cumulus oocyte complexes were recovered separately from each cow and subjected individually to in vitro maturation and fertilization, followed by 8d in culture. The number of aspirated oocytes did not differ among groups, with a range of 17 to 21 oocytes per cow. The proportion of oocytes that cleaved into 2- to 4-cell-stage embryos (86.1 ± 3.4%) did not differ among groups. In contrast, mean percentages of embryos developed to the blastocyst stage on d 7 and 8 after fertilization were less in both medium- and-high SCC groups than in the low-SCC group (5.6 ± 2.3 and 4.1 ± 1.8 vs. 18.1 ± 4.6%, respectively). Additional analysis indicated that cleavage and blastocyst-formation rates did not differ among the bacterial types in the low-, medium-, and high-SCC groups. These are the first results to demonstrate that naturally occurring mastitis disrupts the developmental competence of the ovarian pool of oocytes, (i.e., oocytes at the

SELF-CONCEPT DIFFERENTIATION AND SELF-CONCEPT CLARITY ACROSS ADULTHOOD: ASSOCIATIONS WITH AGE AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING*

Science.gov (United States)

DIEHL, MANFRED; HAY, ELIZABETH L.

2011-01-01

This study focused on the identification of conceptually meaningful groups of individuals based on their joint self-concept differentiation (SCD) and self-concept clarity (SCC) scores. Notably, we examined whether membership in different SCD-SCC groups differed by age and also was associated with differences in psychological well-being (PWB). Cluster analysis revealed five distinct SCD-SCC groups: a self-assured, unencumbered, fragmented-only, confused-only, and fragmented and confused group. Individuals in the self-assured group had the highest mean scores for positive PWB and the lowest mean scores for negative PWB, whereas individuals in the fragmented and confused group showed the inverse pattern. Findings showed that it was psychologically advantageous to belong to the self-assured group at all ages. As hypothesized, older adults were more likely than young adults to be in the self-assured cluster, whereas young adults were more likely to be in the fragmented and confused cluster. Thus, consistent with extant theorizing, age was positively associated with psychologically adaptive self-concept profiles. This study examined whether conceptually meaningful subgroups of individuals can be identified based on their joint scores on self-concept differentiation (SCD) and self-concept clarity (SCC). Specifically, we considered whether individuals within such subgroups differed systematically from one another on measures of positive and negative psychological well-being (PWB). Of interest to us was also whether there were age differences in the distribution of adults across the SCD-SCC groups and whether age moderated the association between PWB and SCD-SCC grouping. PMID:22010361

Parotid metastasis--an independent prognostic factor for head and neck cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Ch'ng, S; Maitra, A; Lea, R; Brasch, H; Tan, S T

2006-01-01

Metastatic parotid cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the most common parotid gland malignancy in New Zealand and Australia. The current AJCC TNM staging system does not account for the extent of nodal metastasis. A staging system that separates parotid (P stage) from neck disease (N stage) has been proposed recently. To review the outcome of patients with metastatic head and neck cutaneous SCC treated at our multidisciplinary Head and Neck Service using the proposed staging system. Consecutive patients were culled from our Head and Neck/Skull Base Database, 1990-2004. These patients were restaged according to the proposed staging system: P stage: P0 = no disease in the parotid (i.e., neck disease only); P1 = metastatic node P2=metastatic node > 3 cm and 6 cm, or disease involving the facial nerve or skull base. N stage: N0=no disease in the neck (i.e., parotid disease only); N1 = single ipsilateral metastatic node 3 cm, or contralateral neck involvement. Loco-regional recurrence and disease-specific survival were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method and comparison of graphs made with the log-rank test. Multivariate analysis using the Cox regression model was carried out to assess the impact of various parameters. Sixty-seven patients with metastatic head and neck cutaneous SCC were identified. Thirty-seven patients had parotid metastasis (of whom 13 also had neck disease) while 21 had neck metastasis alone. Nine patients had dermal or soft tissue metastasis. These nine patients were excluded from this series, and data analysis was carried out on the remaining 58 (46 men, 12 women, mean age 71 years) patients. Sixty-seven percent of the patients underwent post-operative adjuvant radiotherapy. The five-year disease-specific survival rate was 54%. Among 56 patients followed up to disease recurrence or for a minimum period of 18 months, the loco-regional recurrence rate was 52%. The presence of parotid disease was an independent prognostic factor on

Asthma caused by potassium aluminium tetrafluoride: a case series.

Science.gov (United States)

Laštovková, Andrea; Klusáčková, Pavlina; Fenclová, Zdenka; Bonneterre, Vincent; Pelclová, Daniela

2015-01-01

The objective of this study is to describe a case-series of potassium aluminium tetrafluoride (KAlF(4))-induced occupational asthma (OA) and/or occupational rhinitis (OR). The study involves five patients from a heat-exchanger production line who were examined (including specific inhalation challenge tests) for suspected OA and/or OR caused by a flux containing almost 100% KAlF(4) - with fluorides' workplace air concentrations ranging between 1.7 and 2.8 mg/m(3). No subject had a previous history of asthma. All five patients had a positive specific challenge test (three patients were diagnosed with OA alone, one with OR and one with both OR and OA). At the follow-up visit, after three years on average, all patients needed permanent corticosteroid therapy (four topical, one oral). After elimination from the exposure, only one of the observed subjects gave an indication of an improvement, two subjects stabilized and two worsened. Our case series focuses on the correlation between patients' exposure to fluorides in air-conditioner production and the subsequent occurrence of OR/OA. Currently, it is uncertain whether these OR/OA were caused by hypersensitivity or irritation.

Molecular epidemiology and strain-specific characteristics of Streptococcus agalactiae at the herd and cow level.

Science.gov (United States)

Mahmmod, Y S; Klaas, I C; Katholm, J; Lutton, M; Zadoks, R N

2015-10-01

Host-adaptation of Streptococcus agalactiae subpopulations has been described whereby strains that are commonly associated with asymptomatic carriage or disease in people differ phenotypically and genotypically from those causing mastitis in dairy cattle. Based on multilocus sequence typing (MLST), the most common strains in dairy herds in Denmark belong to sequence types (ST) that are also frequently found in people. The aim of this study was to describe epidemiological and diagnostic characteristics of such strains in relation to bovine mastitis. Among 1,199 cattle from 6 herds, cow-level prevalence of S. agalactiae was estimated to be 27.4% based on PCR and 7.8% based on bacteriological culture. Quarter-level prevalence was estimated at 2.8% based on bacteriological culture. Per herd, between 2 and 26 isolates were characterized by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and MLST. Within each herd, a single PFGE type and ST predominated, consistent with a contagious mode of transmission or point source infection within herds. Evidence of within-herd evolution of S. agalactiae was detected with both typing methods, although ST belonged to a single clonal complex (CC) per herd. Detection of CC23 (3 herds) was associated with significantly lower approximate count (colony-forming units) at the quarter level and significantly lower cycle threshold value at the cow level than detection of CC1 (2 herds) or CC19 (1 herd), indicating a lower bacterial load in CC23 infections. Median values for the number of infected quarters and somatic cell count (SCC) were numerically but not significantly lower for cows infected with CC23 than for cows with CC1 or CC19. For all CC, an SCC threshold of 200,000 cells/mL was an unreliable indicator of infection status, and prescreening of animals based on SCC as part of S. agalactiae detection and eradication campaigns should be discouraged. Copyright © 2015 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights

Size and series effects on the economics of nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rouyer, J.L.; Marcetteau, P.; Nisan, S.

2001-01-01

This paper updates data and models concerning size and series effects on the economics of nuclear power plants. Size effect is the observation that, for a given technology, capital cost of a plant increases less rapidly than its capacity. The overall scaling exponent is derived from specific exponents for different plant items. It varies for industrial LWR and PHWR between 0.4 to 0.7. Series effect comprises two types of effects: a) fabrication in series of equipment, thus reducing unit cost with increased number of units; b) Increased efficiency through the feedback of experience obtained from the on-site realisation of a number of identical plants. Size and series effects are combined in the realisation of a full programme of a same standard model of nuclear power plants, for a given country or for several countries, in the same period of time (typically 10 years). Calculations have been performed to compare size and series effects for a 15000 MWe programme to be installed within 10 years, and reactor sizes varying from 600 MWe to 1500 MWe. The different options regarding the size of PWR standard model have also been compared on the basis of the least leveled electricity cost. The results of the calculations show that a standardised series of 1500 MWe appears presently the best solution in densely industrialized countries. In the long term, reactors of 1000 MWe, or less, (if new concepts sharply decrease unit cost per kW installed), may be preferred because of the associated large series effect. (authors)

Design of cost-effective M 25 grade of self compacting concrete

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guru Jawahar, J.; Sashidhar, C.; Ramana Reddy, I.V.; Annie Peter, J.

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Design of cost-effective M 25 grade of self compacting concrete is done. ► Mechanical properties of SCC compared with M 25 grade of conventional concrete. ► Effect of class F fly ash is studied on the SCC mechanical properties. ► Cost analysis is done between M 25 grade of CC and SCC. ► Recommendation of M 25 grade of SCC for normal building constructions. - Abstract: This investigation is mainly focused on the development of cost-effective normal strength M 25 grade of self compacting concrete (SCC) for the use of normal building constructions. Keeping in view of the normal strength, cost, quality and durability of SCC and greenhouse gas emissions, a combination type of SCC was developed with 35% replacement of cement with class F fly ash. This study recommended a SCC mix with moderate fines to obtain a cost-effective normal strength SCC for the normal building constructions. Studies also revealed that further reduction in fines content in SCC with the same replacement level of fly ash decreased the SCC strength and its performance. Cost analysis has been done between M 25 grade of SCC and conventional concrete (CC). Results shown that the SCC material cost is slightly higher than that of CC of the same strength class, but the savings in labour cost and construction time and quality of SCC would offset the SCC material cost and reduce the total life cycle cost of SCC

Fourier Series Formalization in ACL2(r

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cuong K. Chau

2015-09-01

Full Text Available We formalize some basic properties of Fourier series in the logic of ACL2(r, which is a variant of ACL2 that supports reasoning about the real and complex numbers by way of non-standard analysis. More specifically, we extend a framework for formally evaluating definite integrals of real-valued, continuous functions using the Second Fundamental Theorem of Calculus. Our extended framework is also applied to functions containing free arguments. Using this framework, we are able to prove the orthogonality relationships between trigonometric functions, which are the essential properties in Fourier series analysis. The sum rule for definite integrals of indexed sums is also formalized by applying the extended framework along with the First Fundamental Theorem of Calculus and the sum rule for differentiation. The Fourier coefficient formulas of periodic functions are then formalized from the orthogonality relations and the sum rule for integration. Consequently, the uniqueness of Fourier sums is a straightforward corollary. We also present our formalization of the sum rule for definite integrals of infinite series in ACL2(r. Part of this task is to prove the Dini Uniform Convergence Theorem and the continuity of a limit function under certain conditions. A key technique in our proofs of these theorems is to apply the overspill principle from non-standard analysis.

Geometric Series via Probability

Science.gov (United States)

Tesman, Barry

2012-01-01

Infinite series is a challenging topic in the undergraduate mathematics curriculum for many students. In fact, there is a vast literature in mathematics education research on convergence issues. One of the most important types of infinite series is the geometric series. Their beauty lies in the fact that they can be evaluated explicitly and that…

A hybrid approach EMD-HW for short-term forecasting of daily stock market time series data

Science.gov (United States)

Awajan, Ahmad Mohd; Ismail, Mohd Tahir

2017-08-01

Recently, forecasting time series has attracted considerable attention in the field of analyzing financial time series data, specifically within the stock market index. Moreover, stock market forecasting is a challenging area of financial time-series forecasting. In this study, a hybrid methodology between Empirical Mode Decomposition with the Holt-Winter method (EMD-HW) is used to improve forecasting performances in financial time series. The strength of this EMD-HW lies in its ability to forecast non-stationary and non-linear time series without a need to use any transformation method. Moreover, EMD-HW has a relatively high accuracy and offers a new forecasting method in time series. The daily stock market time series data of 11 countries is applied to show the forecasting performance of the proposed EMD-HW. Based on the three forecast accuracy measures, the results indicate that EMD-HW forecasting performance is superior to traditional Holt-Winter forecasting method.

Increased expression of enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2 (EZH2) differentiates squamous cell carcinoma from normal skin and actinic keratosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Qiang; Wang, Hongbei; Heilman, Edward R; Walsh, Michael G; Haseeb, M A; Gupta, Raavi

2014-01-01

Enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2 (EZH2) is a polycomb group protein that has been shown to be involved in the progression of multiple human cancers including melanoma. The expression of EZH2 in normal skin and in pre-malignant and malignant cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) has not been studied. We examined the expression of EZH2 in normal skin, actinic keratosis (AK), SCC in situ, well-differentiated (SCC-WD), moderately-differentiated (SCC-MD) and poorly-differentiated SCC (SCC-PD) to ascertain whether EZH2 expression differentiates these conditions. Immunohistochemical staining for EZH2 was performed on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded biopsies and a tissue microarray containing normal skin, AK, SCC in situ, and SCC of different grades. In comparison to the normal skin, EZH2 expression in actinic keratosis was increased (p=0.03). Similarly, EZH2 expression in all of the neoplastic conditions studied (SCC in situ, SCC-WD, SCC-MD and SCC-PD) was greatly increased in comparison to both the normal skin and actinic keratosis (p≤0.001). EZH2 expression increases incrementally from normal skin to AK and further to SCC, suggesting a role for EZH2 in the progression and differentiation of SCC. EZH2 expression may be used as a diagnostic marker for differentiating SCC from AK or normal skin.

Role of Radiotherapy in the Treatment of Cervical Lymph Node Metastases From an Unknown Primary Site: Retrospective Analysis of 113 Patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beldi, Debora; Jereczek-Fossa, Barbara A.; D'Onofrio, Alberto; Gambaro, Giuseppina; Fiore, Maria Rosaria; Pia, Francesco; Chiesa, Fausto; Orecchia, Roberto; Krengli, Marco

2007-01-01

Purpose: The management of patients with cervical lymph-node metastases from unknown primary site (UPS) remains a matter of discussion. This study aimed to analyze the results and prognostic factors in a series of patients treated with radiotherapy. Methods and Materials: Data from 113 patients who presented with cervical lymph nodes metastases from UPS treated from 1980 to 2004 were reviewed. Eighty-seven patients (77.0%) were squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Ninety-one patients were treated with curative and 22 with palliative intent. Fifty-nine of 113 patients (52.2%) received surgery followed by radiotherapy and 54 of 113 (47.8%) received radiotherapy alone. Radiotherapy was delivered to the neck and pharyngeal mucosa in 67 patients and to the ipsilateral or bilateral neck in 45 patients. Twenty-one patients (18.5%) also received chemotherapy. Results: The 5-year overall survival rates were 40.7% for the entire group and 46.6% for the SCC subgroup. The occurrence of the occult primary was observed in 23 of 113 patients (20.3%), 19 (82.6%) within the head and neck region. At multivariate analysis, treatment with curative intent and extensive irradiation of bilateral neck and pharyngeal mucosa were favorable prognostic factors for the whole series, and treatment with curative intent, extensive irradiation of bilateral neck and pharyngeal mucosa, and absence of extracapsular spread were favorable prognostic factors for the SCC subgroup. Conclusions: Patients with cervical lymph node metastases from UPS have a similar prognosis to those affected by other head and neck malignancies. Curative treatment strategies including neck dissection and extensive irradiation by three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy resulted in significantly better outcomes

Assessment of an advanced monoenergetic reconstruction technique in dual-energy computed tomography of head and neck cancer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Albrecht, Moritz H.; Scholtz, Jan-Erik; Kraft, Johannes; Bauer, Ralf W.; Kaup, Moritz; Dewes, Patricia; Bucher, Andreas M.; Burck, Iris; Lehnert, Thomas; Kerl, J.M.; Vogl, Thomas J. [University Hospital Frankfurt, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Frankfurt am Main (Germany); Wagenblast, Jens [University Hospital Frankfurt, Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Frankfurt am Main (Germany); Wichmann, Julian L. [University Hospital Frankfurt, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Frankfurt am Main (Germany); Medical University of South Carolina, Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Charleston, SC (United States)

2015-08-15

To define optimal keV settings for advanced monoenergetic (Mono+) dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). DECT data of 44 patients (34 men, mean age 55.5 ± 16.0 years) with histopathologically confirmed SCC were reconstructed as 40, 55, 70 keV Mono + and M0.3 (30 % 80 kV) linearly blended series. Attenuation of tumour, sternocleidomastoid muscle, internal jugular vein, submandibular gland, and noise were measured. Three radiologists with >3 years of experience subjectively assessed image quality, lesion delineation, image sharpness, and noise. The highest lesion attenuation was shown for 40 keV series (248.1 ± 94.1 HU), followed by 55 keV (150.2 ± 55.5 HU; P = 0.001). Contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) at 40 keV (19.09 ± 13.84) was significantly superior to all other reconstructions (55 keV, 10.25 ± 9.11; 70 keV, 7.68 ± 6.31; M0.3, 5.49 ± 3.28; all P < 0.005). Subjective image quality was highest for 55 keV images (4.53; κ = 0.38, P = 0.003), followed by 40 keV (4.14; κ = 0.43, P < 0.001) and 70 keV reconstructions (4.06; κ = 0.32, P = 0.005), all superior (P < 0.004) to linear blending M0.3 (3.81; κ = 0.280, P = 0.056). Mono + DECT at low keV levels significantly improves CNR and subjective image quality in patients with head and neck SCC, as tumour CNR peaks at 40 keV, and 55 keV images are preferred by observers. (orig.)

Trend analysis using non-stationary time series clustering based on the finite element method

Science.gov (United States)

Gorji Sefidmazgi, M.; Sayemuzzaman, M.; Homaifar, A.; Jha, M. K.; Liess, S.

2014-05-01

In order to analyze low-frequency variability of climate, it is useful to model the climatic time series with multiple linear trends and locate the times of significant changes. In this paper, we have used non-stationary time series clustering to find change points in the trends. Clustering in a multi-dimensional non-stationary time series is challenging, since the problem is mathematically ill-posed. Clustering based on the finite element method (FEM) is one of the methods that can analyze multidimensional time series. One important attribute of this method is that it is not dependent on any statistical assumption and does not need local stationarity in the time series. In this paper, it is shown how the FEM-clustering method can be used to locate change points in the trend of temperature time series from in situ observations. This method is applied to the temperature time series of North Carolina (NC) and the results represent region-specific climate variability despite higher frequency harmonics in climatic time series. Next, we investigated the relationship between the climatic indices with the clusters/trends detected based on this clustering method. It appears that the natural variability of climate change in NC during 1950-2009 can be explained mostly by AMO and solar activity.

A multidisciplinary database for geophysical time series management

Science.gov (United States)

Montalto, P.; Aliotta, M.; Cassisi, C.; Prestifilippo, M.; Cannata, A.

2013-12-01

The variables collected by a sensor network constitute a heterogeneous data source that needs to be properly organized in order to be used in research and geophysical monitoring. With the time series term we refer to a set of observations of a given phenomenon acquired sequentially in time. When the time intervals are equally spaced one speaks of period or sampling frequency. Our work describes in detail a possible methodology for storage and management of time series using a specific data structure. We designed a framework, hereinafter called TSDSystem (Time Series Database System), in order to acquire time series from different data sources and standardize them within a relational database. The operation of standardization provides the ability to perform operations, such as query and visualization, of many measures synchronizing them using a common time scale. The proposed architecture follows a multiple layer paradigm (Loaders layer, Database layer and Business Logic layer). Each layer is specialized in performing particular operations for the reorganization and archiving of data from different sources such as ASCII, Excel, ODBC (Open DataBase Connectivity), file accessible from the Internet (web pages, XML). In particular, the loader layer performs a security check of the working status of each running software through an heartbeat system, in order to automate the discovery of acquisition issues and other warning conditions. Although our system has to manage huge amounts of data, performance is guaranteed by using a smart partitioning table strategy, that keeps balanced the percentage of data stored in each database table. TSDSystem also contains modules for the visualization of acquired data, that provide the possibility to query different time series on a specified time range, or follow the realtime signal acquisition, according to a data access policy from the users.

ATP7B detoxifies silver in ciliated airway epithelial cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ibricevic, Aida; Brody, Steven L.; Youngs, Wiley J.; Cannon, Carolyn L.

2010-01-01

Silver is a centuries-old antibiotic agent currently used to treat infected burns. The sensitivity of a wide range of drug-resistant microorganisms to silver killing suggests that it may be useful for treating refractory lung infections. Toward this goal, we previously developed a methylated caffeine silver acetate compound, SCC1, that exhibits broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against clinical strains of bacteria in vitro and when nebulized to lungs in mouse infection models. Preclinical testing of high concentrations of SCC1 in primary culture mouse tracheal epithelial cells (mTEC) showed selective ciliated cell death. Ciliated cell death was induced by both silver- and copper-containing compounds but not by the methylated caffeine portion of SCC1. We hypothesized that copper transporting P-type ATPases, ATP7A and ATP7B, play a role in silver detoxification in the airway. In mTEC, ATP7A was expressed in non-ciliated cells, whereas ATP7B was expressed only in ciliated cells. The exposure of mTEC to SCC1 induced the trafficking of ATP7B, but not ATP7A, suggesting the presence of a cell-specific silver uptake and detoxification mechanisms. Indeed, the expression of the copper uptake protein CTR1 was also restricted to ciliated cells. A role of ATP7B in silver detoxification was further substantiated when treatment of SCC1 significantly increased cell death in ATP7B shRNA-treated HepG2 cells. In addition, mTEC from ATP7B -/- mice showed enhanced loss of ciliated cells compared to wild type. These studies are the first to demonstrate a cell type-specific expression of the Ag + /Cu + transporters ATP7A, ATP7B, and CTR1 in airway epithelial cells and a role for ATP7B in detoxification of these metals in the lung.

Perineural Infiltration of Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Basal Cell Carcinoma Without Clinical Features

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lin, Charles, E-mail: Charles_Lin@health.qld.gov.au [Cancer Care Services, Royal Brisbane and Women' s Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland (Australia); Tripcony, Lee; Keller, Jacqui [Cancer Care Services, Royal Brisbane and Women' s Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland (Australia); Poulsen, Michael [Mater Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland (Australia); Martin, Jarad [St. Andrews Hospital, Toowoomba, Queensland (Australia); Jackson, James; Dickie, Graeme [Cancer Care Services, Royal Brisbane and Women' s Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland (Australia)

2012-01-01

Purpose: To review the factors that influence outcome and patterns of relapse in patients with cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and basal cell carcinoma (BCC) with perineural infiltration (PNI) without clinical or radiologic features, treated with surgery and radiotherapy. Methods and Materials: Between 1991 and 2004, 222 patients with SCC or BCC with PNI on pathologic examination but without clinical or radiologic PNI features were identified. Charts were reviewed retrospectively and relevant data collected. All patients were treated with curative intent; all had radiotherapy, and most had surgery. The primary endpoint was 5-year relapse-free survival from the time of diagnosis. Results: Patients with SCC did significantly worse than those with BCC (5-year relapse-free survival, 78% vs. 91%; p < 0.01). Squamous cell carcinoma with PNI at recurrence did significantly worse than de novo in terms of 5-year local failure (40% vs. 19%; p < 0.01) and regional relapse (29% vs. 5%; p < 0.01). Depth of invasion was also a significant factor. Of the PNI-specific factors for SCC, focal PNI did significantly better than more-extensive PNI, but involved nerve diameter or presence of PNI at the periphery of the tumor were not significant factors. Conclusions: Radiotherapy in conjunction with surgery offers an acceptable outcome for cutaneous SCC and BCC with PNI. This study suggests that focal PNI is not an adverse feature.

Classification of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Using Significance Analysis of Microarray-Gene Set Reduction Algorithm

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lei Zhang

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Among non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC, adenocarcinoma (AC, and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC are two major histology subtypes, accounting for roughly 40% and 30% of all lung cancer cases, respectively. Since AC and SCC differ in their cell of origin, location within the lung, and growth pattern, they are considered as distinct diseases. Gene expression signatures have been demonstrated to be an effective tool for distinguishing AC and SCC. Gene set analysis is regarded as irrelevant to the identification of gene expression signatures. Nevertheless, we found that one specific gene set analysis method, significance analysis of microarray-gene set reduction (SAMGSR, can be adopted directly to select relevant features and to construct gene expression signatures. In this study, we applied SAMGSR to a NSCLC gene expression dataset. When compared with several novel feature selection algorithms, for example, LASSO, SAMGSR has equivalent or better performance in terms of predictive ability and model parsimony. Therefore, SAMGSR is a feature selection algorithm, indeed. Additionally, we applied SAMGSR to AC and SCC subtypes separately to discriminate their respective stages, that is, stage II versus stage I. Few overlaps between these two resulting gene signatures illustrate that AC and SCC are technically distinct diseases. Therefore, stratified analyses on subtypes are recommended when diagnostic or prognostic signatures of these two NSCLC subtypes are constructed.

International Work-Conference on Time Series

CERN Document Server

Pomares, Héctor; Valenzuela, Olga

2017-01-01

This volume of selected and peer-reviewed contributions on the latest developments in time series analysis and forecasting updates the reader on topics such as analysis of irregularly sampled time series, multi-scale analysis of univariate and multivariate time series, linear and non-linear time series models, advanced time series forecasting methods, applications in time series analysis and forecasting, advanced methods and online learning in time series and high-dimensional and complex/big data time series. The contributions were originally presented at the International Work-Conference on Time Series, ITISE 2016, held in Granada, Spain, June 27-29, 2016. The series of ITISE conferences provides a forum for scientists, engineers, educators and students to discuss the latest ideas and implementations in the foundations, theory, models and applications in the field of time series analysis and forecasting.  It focuses on interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary rese arch encompassing the disciplines of comput...

A Mechanism for Multidisciplinary Dialogue: The Memory & … Series

Science.gov (United States)

Multhaup, Kristi S.; Denham, Scott; Kelly, Hilton; Lom, Barbara

2011-01-01

Neuroscientists have long explored the mechanisms of memory from molecular, physiological, cognitive, and social perspectives. Scholars from other disciplines such as history, sociology, literature, and cultural studies, that do not traditionally cross-pollinate ideas with neuroscientists, also study memory from a variety of angles. In this article, we describe the founding of a multidisciplinary discussion series in which faculty and staff from the arts, humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences come together to explain how memory is integral to their scholarship and teaching. After panelists from different disciplines present opening comments, the floor is open for discussion with the audience that includes students, staff, and community members, as well as other faculty. Each year the series is anchored by a keynote address by an eminent scholar engaged in cross-disciplinary memory research. We outline the benefits of such thematic discussion series, highlighting the synchrony with the academy’s increasing focus on interdisciplinarity, and on the need to train scholars to speak clearly about their work beyond their own disciplinary boundaries. More specifically, we focus on the need to train scientists to communicate with non-scientists. We have experienced success with this series and believe that the format could be adapted to a wide range of issues that cross disciplines (e.g., development, language, music, environmental studies). PMID:23626499

Site-specific variability of loess and palaeosols (Ruma, Vojvodina, northern Serbia)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vandenberghe, J.; Markovic, S.B.; Jovanovic, M.; Hambach, U.

2013-01-01

The study of temporal variations in soil intensity has mostly been limited to specific sites. However, it is important for correctly interpreting the stratigraphy and palaeoclimatic significance of loess and palaeosols series to understand the reasons for the spatial variability. More specifically,

SERI Wind Energy Program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Noun, R. J.

1983-06-01

The SERI Wind Energy Program manages the areas or innovative research, wind systems analysis, and environmental compatibility for the U.S. Department of Energy. Since 1978, SERI wind program staff have conducted in-house aerodynamic and engineering analyses of novel concepts for wind energy conversion and have managed over 20 subcontracts to determine technical feasibility; the most promising of these concepts is the passive blade cyclic pitch control project. In the area of systems analysis, the SERI program has analyzed the impact of intermittent generation on the reliability of electric utility systems using standard utility planning models. SERI has also conducted methodology assessments. Environmental issues related to television interference and acoustic noise from large wind turbines have been addressed. SERI has identified the causes, effects, and potential control of acoustic noise emissions from large wind turbines.

Detecting structural breaks in time series via genetic algorithms

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Doerr, Benjamin; Fischer, Paul; Hilbert, Astrid

2016-01-01

of the time series under consideration is available. Therefore, a black-box optimization approach is our method of choice for detecting structural breaks. We describe a genetic algorithm framework which easily adapts to a large number of statistical settings. To evaluate the usefulness of different crossover...... and mutation operations for this problem, we conduct extensive experiments to determine good choices for the parameters and operators of the genetic algorithm. One surprising observation is that use of uniform and one-point crossover together gave significantly better results than using either crossover...... operator alone. Moreover, we present a specific fitness function which exploits the sparse structure of the break points and which can be evaluated particularly efficiently. The experiments on artificial and real-world time series show that the resulting algorithm detects break points with high precision...

Fourier analysis of time series an introduction

CERN Document Server

Bloomfield, Peter

2000-01-01

A new, revised edition of a yet unrivaled work on frequency domain analysis Long recognized for his unique focus on frequency domain methods for the analysis of time series data as well as for his applied, easy-to-understand approach, Peter Bloomfield brings his well-known 1976 work thoroughly up to date. With a minimum of mathematics and an engaging, highly rewarding style, Bloomfield provides in-depth discussions of harmonic regression, harmonic analysis, complex demodulation, and spectrum analysis. All methods are clearly illustrated using examples of specific data sets, while ample

18F-FDG PET/CT findings of sinonasal inverted papilloma with or without coexistent malignancy: comparison with MR imaging findings in eight patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yeon Jeon, Tae; Kim, Hyung-Jin; Lee, In Ho; Kim, Sung Tae; Jeon, Pyoung; Kim, Keon Ha; Byun, Hong Sik; Choi, Joon Young

2009-01-01

Sinonasal inverted papilloma (IP) is known for high rate of associated malignancy. The purpose of this study was to identify 18 F-FDG PET/CT findings of sinonasal IPs. We also tried to compare the PET/CT findings with the MR imaging findings. We retrospectively reviewed PET/CT and MR images of eight patients with sinonasal IP with (n = 6) or without (n = 2) coexistent squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Particular attention was paid to correlate the PET/CT findings with the MR imaging findings in terms of area distribution of standard uptake values (SUVs) and a convoluted cerebriform pattern (CCP). In two benign IPs, the maximum SUVs measured 8.2 and 7.8, respectively (mean, 8.0). In both tumors, MR images demonstrated a diffuse CCP. In six IPs with coexistent SCC, the maximum SUVs ranged from 13.3 to 31.9 (mean ± SD, 20.2 ± 6.6). In these tumors, MR images demonstrated a diffuse CCP in two, a partial CCP in three, and no CCP in one. A wide discrepancy was noted between MR imaging and PET/CT in terms of area distribution of a CCP and SUVs. In sinonasal lesions with MR imaging features of IP, 18 F-FDG PET/CT demonstrating avid FDG uptake does not necessarily imply the presence of coexistent malignancy. In our small series, although IPs containing foci of SCC had consistently higher SUVs than IPs without SCC, the limited literature on this subject suggests that PET cannot be used reliably to make the distinction. (orig.)

Characterizability of metabolic pathway systems from time series data.

Science.gov (United States)

Voit, Eberhard O

2013-12-01

Over the past decade, the biomathematical community has devoted substantial effort to the complicated challenge of estimating parameter values for biological systems models. An even more difficult issue is the characterization of functional forms for the processes that govern these systems. Most parameter estimation approaches tacitly assume that these forms are known or can be assumed with some validity. However, this assumption is not always true. The recently proposed method of Dynamic Flux Estimation (DFE) addresses this problem in a genuinely novel fashion for metabolic pathway systems. Specifically, DFE allows the characterization of fluxes within such systems through an analysis of metabolic time series data. Its main drawback is the fact that DFE can only directly be applied if the pathway system contains as many metabolites as unknown fluxes. This situation is unfortunately rare. To overcome this roadblock, earlier work in this field had proposed strategies for augmenting the set of unknown fluxes with independent kinetic information, which however is not always available. Employing Moore-Penrose pseudo-inverse methods of linear algebra, the present article discusses an approach for characterizing fluxes from metabolic time series data that is applicable even if the pathway system is underdetermined and contains more fluxes than metabolites. Intriguingly, this approach is independent of a specific modeling framework and unaffected by noise in the experimental time series data. The results reveal whether any fluxes may be characterized and, if so, which subset is characterizable. They also help with the identification of fluxes that, if they could be determined independently, would allow the application of DFE. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Stress-corrosion cracking characterisation of the advanced aerospace Al–Li 2099-T86 alloy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Goebel, J., E-mail: jannik.goebel@hzg.de; Ghidini, T.; Graham, A.J.

2016-09-15

New alloy developments driven by aircraft industry have identified aluminium lithium (Al–Li) alloys as potential candidates for substitution of incumbent high strength aluminium alloys used for manufacturing spacecraft and launchers. Whereas properties like specific stiffness, strength and toughness are proven as superior when compared to those of currently adopted Al alloys, the Stress Corrosion Cracking (SCC) characteristics are still an open aspect if advanced Al–Li alloys are considered for space structural applications. The present paper provides a comprehensive characterisation of the Al–Li 2099-T86 SCC performances.

Stress-corrosion cracking characterisation of the advanced aerospace Al–Li 2099-T86 alloy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goebel, J.; Ghidini, T.; Graham, A.J.

2016-01-01

New alloy developments driven by aircraft industry have identified aluminium lithium (Al–Li) alloys as potential candidates for substitution of incumbent high strength aluminium alloys used for manufacturing spacecraft and launchers. Whereas properties like specific stiffness, strength and toughness are proven as superior when compared to those of currently adopted Al alloys, the Stress Corrosion Cracking (SCC) characteristics are still an open aspect if advanced Al–Li alloys are considered for space structural applications. The present paper provides a comprehensive characterisation of the Al–Li 2099-T86 SCC performances.

The application of complex network time series analysis in turbulent heated jets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Charakopoulos, A. K.; Karakasidis, T. E.; Liakopoulos, A.; Papanicolaou, P. N.

2014-01-01

In the present study, we applied the methodology of the complex network-based time series analysis to experimental temperature time series from a vertical turbulent heated jet. More specifically, we approach the hydrodynamic problem of discriminating time series corresponding to various regions relative to the jet axis, i.e., time series corresponding to regions that are close to the jet axis from time series originating at regions with a different dynamical regime based on the constructed network properties. Applying the transformation phase space method (k nearest neighbors) and also the visibility algorithm, we transformed time series into networks and evaluated the topological properties of the networks such as degree distribution, average path length, diameter, modularity, and clustering coefficient. The results show that the complex network approach allows distinguishing, identifying, and exploring in detail various dynamical regions of the jet flow, and associate it to the corresponding physical behavior. In addition, in order to reject the hypothesis that the studied networks originate from a stochastic process, we generated random network and we compared their statistical properties with that originating from the experimental data. As far as the efficiency of the two methods for network construction is concerned, we conclude that both methodologies lead to network properties that present almost the same qualitative behavior and allow us to reveal the underlying system dynamics

Cow-specific risk factors for clinical mastitis in Brazilian dairy cattle.

Science.gov (United States)

Oliveira, C S F; Hogeveen, H; Botelho, A M; Maia, P V; Coelho, S G; Haddad, J P A

2015-10-01

Information related to mastitis risk factors is useful for the design and implementation of clinical mastitis (CM) control programs. The first objective of our study was to model the risk of CM under Brazilian conditions, using cow-specific risk factors. Our second objective was to explore which risk factors were associated with the occurrence of the most common pathogens involved in Brazilian CM infections. The analyses were based on 65 months of data from 9,789 dairy cows and 12,464 CM cases. Cow-specific risk factors that could easily be measured in standard Brazilian dairy farms were used in the statistical analyses, which included logistic regression and multinomial logistic regression. The first month of lactation, high somatic cell count, rainy season and history of clinical mastitis cases were factors associated with CM for both primiparous and multiparous cows. In addition, parity and breed were also associated risk factors for multiparous cows. Of all CM cases, 54% showed positive bacteriological culturing results from which 57% were classified as environmental pathogens, with a large percentage of coliforms (35%). Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (16%), Streptococcus uberis (9%), Streptococcus agalactiae (7%) and other Streptococci (9%) were also common pathogens. Among the pathogens analyzed, the association of cow-specific risk factors, such as Zebu breed (OR=5.84, 95%CI 3.77-10.77) and accumulated history of SCC (1.76, 95%CI 1.37-2.27), was different for CM caused by Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus and S. agalactiae in comparison to CM caused by coliforms. Our results suggest that CM control programs in Brazil should specially consider the recent history of clinical mastitis cases and the beginning of the lactations, mainly during the rainy season as important risk factor for mastitis. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Interrelationships of somatic cell count, mastitis, and milk yield in a low somatic cell count herd.

Science.gov (United States)

Deluyker, H A; Gay, J M; Weaver, L D

1993-11-01

In a high yielding low SCC herd, changes in milk yield associated with SCC and occurrence of clinical mastitis and differences in SCC with parity, clinical mastitis, and DIM were investigated. Milk yield data were obtained at every milking, and SCC was measured once every 48 h in 117 cows during the first 119 d postpartum. Effects of SCC and clinical mastitis on cumulative milk yield in the first 119 d postpartum were evaluated with least squares linear regression. Repeated measures ANOVA was used to detect changes in SCC. The SCC was highest at lactation onset, and cows with clinical mastitis had significantly higher SCC. During the 10 d prior to onset of clinical mastitis, SCC was higher in affected cows than in matched unaffected controls and surged just prior to diagnosis. During the 10-d period following a mastitis treatment, SCC differences between treated and control cows remained significant but became smaller with time and returned to the premastitis differences. Occurrence of clinical mastitis was associated with 5% milk yield loss. Cows with mean SCC > 245,000 cells/ml over the 119 d showed 6.2% yield loss compared with cows with SCC 245,000 cells/ml) because a greater percentage of cows (26%) had clinical mastitis than elevated SCC (12.5%).

Multiple Avirulence Loci and Allele-Specific Effector Recognition Control the Pm3 Race-Specific Resistance of Wheat to Powdery Mildew[OPEN

Science.gov (United States)

Roffler, Stefan; Stirnweis, Daniel; Treier, Georges; Herren, Gerhard; Korol, Abraham B.; Wicker, Thomas

2015-01-01

In cereals, several mildew resistance genes occur as large allelic series; for example, in wheat (Triticum aestivum and Triticum turgidum), 17 functional Pm3 alleles confer agronomically important race-specific resistance to powdery mildew (Blumeria graminis). The molecular basis of race specificity has been characterized in wheat, but little is known about the corresponding avirulence genes in powdery mildew. Here, we dissected the genetics of avirulence for six Pm3 alleles and found that three major Avr loci affect avirulence, with a common locus_1 involved in all AvrPm3-Pm3 interactions. We cloned the effector gene AvrPm3a2/f2 from locus_2, which is recognized by the Pm3a and Pm3f alleles. Induction of a Pm3 allele-dependent hypersensitive response in transient assays in Nicotiana benthamiana and in wheat demonstrated specificity. Gene expression analysis of Bcg1 (encoded by locus_1) and AvrPm3 a2/f2 revealed significant differences between isolates, indicating that in addition to protein polymorphisms, expression levels play a role in avirulence. We propose a model for race specificity involving three components: an allele-specific avirulence effector, a resistance gene allele, and a pathogen-encoded suppressor of avirulence. Thus, whereas a genetically simple allelic series controls specificity in the plant host, recognition on the pathogen side is more complex, allowing flexible evolutionary responses and adaptation to resistance genes. PMID:26452600

Improved Short-Circuit Protection for Power Cells in Series

Science.gov (United States)

Davies, Francis

2008-01-01

A scheme for protection against short circuits has been devised for series strings of lithium electrochemical cells that contain built-in short-circuit protection devices, which go into a high-resistance, current-limiting state when heated by excessive current. If cells are simply connected in a long series string to obtain a high voltage and a short circuit occurs, whichever short-circuit protection device trips first is exposed to nearly the full string voltage, which, typically, is large enough to damage the device. Depending on the specific cell design, the damage can defeat the protective function, cause a dangerous internal short circuit in the affected cell, and/or cascade to other cells. In the present scheme, reverse diodes rated at a suitably high current are connected across short series sub-strings, the lengths of which are chosen so that when a short-circuit protection device is tripped, the voltage across it does not exceed its rated voltage. This scheme preserves the resetting properties of the protective devices. It provides for bypassing of cells that fail open and limits cell reversal, though not as well as does the more-expensive scheme of connecting a diode across every cell.

Normalization methods in time series of platelet function assays

Science.gov (United States)

Van Poucke, Sven; Zhang, Zhongheng; Roest, Mark; Vukicevic, Milan; Beran, Maud; Lauwereins, Bart; Zheng, Ming-Hua; Henskens, Yvonne; Lancé, Marcus; Marcus, Abraham

2016-01-01

Abstract Platelet function can be quantitatively assessed by specific assays such as light-transmission aggregometry, multiple-electrode aggregometry measuring the response to adenosine diphosphate (ADP), arachidonic acid, collagen, and thrombin-receptor activating peptide and viscoelastic tests such as rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM). The task of extracting meaningful statistical and clinical information from high-dimensional data spaces in temporal multivariate clinical data represented in multivariate time series is complex. Building insightful visualizations for multivariate time series demands adequate usage of normalization techniques. In this article, various methods for data normalization (z-transformation, range transformation, proportion transformation, and interquartile range) are presented and visualized discussing the most suited approach for platelet function data series. Normalization was calculated per assay (test) for all time points and per time point for all tests. Interquartile range, range transformation, and z-transformation demonstrated the correlation as calculated by the Spearman correlation test, when normalized per assay (test) for all time points. When normalizing per time point for all tests, no correlation could be abstracted from the charts as was the case when using all data as 1 dataset for normalization. PMID:27428217

Vegetation series, curve numbers and soil water availabilities. Application to forest restoration in dry lands; Series de vegetacion, numeros de curva y disponibilidades hidricas. Aplicacion a la restauracion forestal en zonas secas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mongil, J.; Martin, L.; Navarro, J.; Martinez de Azagra, A.

2012-11-01

Vegetation series related with plants succession in the ecosystems are associated to hydrologic properties of the land such as runoff curve numbers, runoff thresholds and soil water availability. The most evolved vegetation stages in a successional series usually present better soil and hydrologic conditions. In this way curve numbers decrease meanwhile runoff thresholds increase, and therefore water availability grows in the ecosystem. These postulates are analyzed in this paper using field data (7 sampling points) and a hydrologic model (MODIPE). One vegetation series (specifically: Guadarramico-Iberica (supra-meso) holm oak siliceous series) and its successional stages have been chosen to find out its associated curve numbers and ecosystem water availability using MODIPE model. The objective is to apply these items to hydrologic planning and forest restoration in dry lands, where water floods and water scarcity control urban and ecosystem development and restoration measures. (Author) 37 refs.

Optic Tract Edema: A Highly Specific Magnetic Resonance Imaging Finding for the Diagnosis of Craniopharyngiomas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hirunpat, S.; Tanomkiat, W.; Sriprung, H.; Chetpaophan, J.

2005-01-01

Purpose: To clarify the accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of optic tract edema in the diagnosis of craniopharyngiomas. Material and Methods: Preoperative magnetic resonance images (MRIs) of 49 patients (between May 1996 and March 2003) who had a diagnosis of parasellar masses were blindly reviewed by two radiologists. The spread of edema surrounding the tumor on the coronal TSE T2-weighted images was analyzed. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated based on the numbers in this series and also pooled numbers from previous known reported series. Results: Edema along the optic tracts was detected in 7 of 1 craniopharyngiomas, giving a sensitivity of 63.6% (95% CI≅30.8-89.1) for our series and 66.7% (95% CI≅47.2-82.7) for the pooled numbers. The specificity was 00% (95% CI≅90.7-100.0) for our series and 93.9% (95% CI≅87.1-97.7) for the pooled numbers. None of the 28 pituitary macroadenomas, 4 meningiomas, 2 hypothalamic astrocytomas, 2 germinomas, mixed-germ cell tumor and arachnoid cyst in our study showed edema of the optic pathways. Conclusion: Optic tract edema, commonly seen in craniopharyngiomas, is a useful MR finding for distinguishing craniopharyngiomas from other parasellar tumors with considerable sensitivity and high specificity

Optic Tract Edema: A Highly Specific Magnetic Resonance Imaging Finding for the Diagnosis of Craniopharyngiomas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hirunpat, S.; Tanomkiat, W.; Sriprung, H.; Chetpaophan, J. [Prince of Songkla Univ., Hat Yai (Thailand). Dept. of Radiology and Epidemiology Unit

2005-07-01

Purpose: To clarify the accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of optic tract edema in the diagnosis of craniopharyngiomas. Material and Methods: Preoperative magnetic resonance images (MRIs) of 49 patients (between May 1996 and March 2003) who had a diagnosis of parasellar masses were blindly reviewed by two radiologists. The spread of edema surrounding the tumor on the coronal TSE T2-weighted images was analyzed. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated based on the numbers in this series and also pooled numbers from previous known reported series. Results: Edema along the optic tracts was detected in 7 of 1 craniopharyngiomas, giving a sensitivity of 63.6% (95% CI{approx_equal}30.8-89.1) for our series and 66.7% (95% CI{approx_equal}47.2-82.7) for the pooled numbers. The specificity was 00% (95% CI{approx_equal}90.7-100.0) for our series and 93.9% (95% CI{approx_equal}87.1-97.7) for the pooled numbers. None of the 28 pituitary macroadenomas, 4 meningiomas, 2 hypothalamic astrocytomas, 2 germinomas, mixed-germ cell tumor and arachnoid cyst in our study showed edema of the optic pathways. Conclusion: Optic tract edema, commonly seen in craniopharyngiomas, is a useful MR finding for distinguishing craniopharyngiomas from other parasellar tumors with considerable sensitivity and high specificity.

Coexistence of Granular Cell Tumor with Squamous Cell Carcinoma on the Tongue: A Case Report

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Recep Bedir

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Granular cell tumors (GCTs are rare and mostly benign soft tissue tumors. Though they have been reported in all parts of body, they are generally located in the head and neck region, especially on the tongue. Some malign forms exist, but these have been rarely reported. Granular cell tumors have a neural origin and, in immunohistochemical evaluations, they express S-100 and neuron specific enolase (NSE. The treatment of these tumors is bulky surgical excision.   Case Report:   In this case, a cauliflower shaped lesion with a 1 cm diameter was excised from the midline tongue of a 65 year old woman. The histopathological evaluation indicated that it was squamous cell carcinoma (SCC covering GCT. Herein, the coexistence of GCT and SCC we describe on the same region of the tongue, in accordance with literature review, since this is a very rare condition.   Conclusion: Pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia may accompany GCTs on the tongue and this condition may mimic well-differentiated SCC. For this reason, with the help of Ki-67 and p63 expression, in addition to immunohistochemical markers, well-differentiated SCC should be differentiated from pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia through careful investigation.

Evaluation of diagnostic procedures for subclinical mastitis in meat-producing sheep.

Science.gov (United States)

Clements, Archie C A; Taylor, David J; Fitzpatrick, Julie L

2003-05-01

Samples of foremilk were collected from 261 clinically normal glands of 150 ewes, and tested using the California mastitis test (CMT). Further samples were collected from 195 of these glands for determination of automated somatic cell counts (SCC), and from 60 of these glands for bacteriological assessment. The sensitivity and specificity of CMT for detecting samples with SCC above different threshold levels and for CMT and SCC in determining bacteriological status were evaluated using two-graph receiver operating characteristics (TG-ROC). Milk samples were obtained subsequently from ten CMT positive, and five CMT negative first- and second-lactation ewes. Samples were cultured using a variety of media, incubation temperatures and atmospheric conditions, immediately after collection, and 1 week after storage at 4 degrees C and -21 degrees C. Results suggested that CMT is best used as a diagnostic test for ovine subclinical mastitis (SCM) with a cut-off of 3 (distinct gel formation), and that automated SCC thresholds of > 1200 x 10(3) cells/ml are appropriate, especially where low prevalences are expected (e.g. culture, either at 4 degrees C or -21 degrees C, was detrimental to the isolation of several of these organisms.

Rheumatoid Arthritis Educational Video Series

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Full Text Available ... Patient Webcasts / Rheumatoid Arthritis Educational Video Series Rheumatoid Arthritis Educational Video Series This series of five videos ... member of our patient care team. Managing Your Arthritis Managing Your Arthritis Managing Chronic Pain and Depression ...

Rheumatoid Arthritis Educational Video Series

Science.gov (United States)

... Corner / Patient Webcasts / Rheumatoid Arthritis Educational Video Series Rheumatoid Arthritis Educational Video Series This series of five videos ... Your Arthritis Managing Chronic Pain and Depression in Arthritis Nutrition & Rheumatoid Arthritis Arthritis and Health-related Quality of Life ...

Major and c-series gangliosides in lenticular tissues: mammals to molluscs.

Science.gov (United States)

Saito, M; Sugiyama, K

2001-10-01

Gangliosides of eye lenses were examined in mammals (rat, rabbits, pig, cow), bird (chicken), reptile (terrapin), amphibian (bullfrog), bony fish (red sea bream, bluefin tuna, bonito, Pacific mackerel) and molluscs (common squid, Pacific octopus). Besides the fact that GM3 was the common ganglioside species, the composition of major gangliosides in mammalian eye lenses significantly differed from each other. While gangliotetraose gangliosides were abundant in rat eye lens, they did not constitute major components in porcine and bovine tissues. The c-series ganglioside GT3 was expressed in rat eye lenses but were practically absent in other mammalian tissues. The composition of major gangliosides in eye lenses of lower animals varied from species to species, whereas c-series gangliosides were consistently expressed, showing similar compositional profiles. Our results demonstrate the species-specific compositions of lenticular gangliosides. Evidence was also provided suggesting that eye lenses of common squid (Todarodes pacificus) and Pacific octopus (Octopus vulgaris) express gangliosides including gangliotetraose species and c-series gangliosides.

Differential immunohistochemical expression profiles of perlecan-binding growth factors in epithelial dysplasia, carcinoma in situ, and squamous cell carcinoma of the oral mucosa.

Science.gov (United States)

Hasegawa, Mayumi; Cheng, Jun; Maruyama, Satoshi; Yamazaki, Manabu; Abé, Tatsuya; Babkair, Hamzah; Saito, Chikara; Saku, Takashi

2016-05-01

The intercellular deposit of perlecan, a basement-membrane type heparan sulfate proteoglycan, is considered to function as a growth factor reservoir and is enhanced in oral epithelial dysplasia and carcinoma in situ (CIS). However, it remains unknown which types of growth factors function in these perlecan-enriched epithelial conditions. The aim of this study was to determine immunohistochemically which growth factors were associated with perlecan in normal oral epithelia and in different epithelial lesions from dysplasia and CIS to squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Eighty-one surgical tissue specimens of oral SCC containing different precancerous stages, along with ten of normal mucosa, were examined by immunohistochemistry for growth factors. In normal epithelia, perlecan and growth factors were not definitely expressed. In epithelial dysplasia, VEGF, SHH, KGF, Flt-1, and Flk-1were localized in the lower half of rete ridges (in concordance with perlecan, 33-100%), in which Ki-67 positive cells were densely packed. In CIS, perlecan and those growth factors/receptors were more strongly expressed in the cell proliferating zone (63-100%). In SCC, perlecan and KGF disappeared from carcinoma cells but emerged in the stromal space (65-100%), while VEGF, SHH, and VEGF receptors remained positive in SCC cells (0%). Immunofluorescence showed that the four growth factors were shown to be produced by three oral SCC cell lines and that their signals were partially overlapped with perlecan signals. The results indicate that perlecan and its binding growth factors are differentially expressed and function in specific manners before (dysplasia/CIS) and after (SCC) invasion of dysplasia/carcinoma cells. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Interpretable Categorization of Heterogeneous Time Series Data

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Ritchie; Kochenderfer, Mykel J.; Mengshoel, Ole J.; Silbermann, Joshua

2017-01-01

We analyze data from simulated aircraft encounters to validate and inform the development of a prototype aircraft collision avoidance system. The high-dimensional and heterogeneous time series dataset is analyzed to discover properties of near mid-air collisions (NMACs) and categorize the NMAC encounters. Domain experts use these properties to better organize and understand NMAC occurrences. Existing solutions either are not capable of handling high-dimensional and heterogeneous time series datasets or do not provide explanations that are interpretable by a domain expert. The latter is critical to the acceptance and deployment of safety-critical systems. To address this gap, we propose grammar-based decision trees along with a learning algorithm. Our approach extends decision trees with a grammar framework for classifying heterogeneous time series data. A context-free grammar is used to derive decision expressions that are interpretable, application-specific, and support heterogeneous data types. In addition to classification, we show how grammar-based decision trees can also be used for categorization, which is a combination of clustering and generating interpretable explanations for each cluster. We apply grammar-based decision trees to a simulated aircraft encounter dataset and evaluate the performance of four variants of our learning algorithm. The best algorithm is used to analyze and categorize near mid-air collisions in the aircraft encounter dataset. We describe each discovered category in detail and discuss its relevance to aircraft collision avoidance.

Mechanical properties of self-compacting concrete state-of-the-art report of the RILEM technical committee 228-MPS on mechanical properties of self-compacting concrete

CERN Document Server

Schutter, Geert

2014-01-01

The State-of-the-Art Report of RILEM Technical Committee 228-MPS on Mechanical properties of Self-Compacting Concrete (SCC) summarizes an extensive body of information related to mechanical properties and mechanical behaviour of SCC. Due attention is given to the fact that the composition of SCC varies significantly. A wide range of  mechanical properties are considered, including compressive strength, stress-strain relationship, tensile and flexural strengths, modulus of elasticity, shear strength, effect of elevated temperature, such as fire spalling and residual properties after fire, in-situ properties, creep, shrinkage, bond properties, and structural behaviour. A chapter on fibre-reinforced SCC is included, as well as a chapter on specialty SCC, such as light-weight SCC, heavy-weight SCC, preplaced aggregate SCC, special fibre reinforced SCC, and underwater concrete.

From Networks to Time Series

Science.gov (United States)

Shimada, Yutaka; Ikeguchi, Tohru; Shigehara, Takaomi

2012-10-01

In this Letter, we propose a framework to transform a complex network to a time series. The transformation from complex networks to time series is realized by the classical multidimensional scaling. Applying the transformation method to a model proposed by Watts and Strogatz [Nature (London) 393, 440 (1998)], we show that ring lattices are transformed to periodic time series, small-world networks to noisy periodic time series, and random networks to random time series. We also show that these relationships are analytically held by using the circulant-matrix theory and the perturbation theory of linear operators. The results are generalized to several high-dimensional lattices.

From divergent power series to analytic functions theory and application of multisummable power series

CERN Document Server

Balser, Werner

1994-01-01

Multisummability is a method which, for certain formal power series with radius of convergence equal to zero, produces an analytic function having the formal series as its asymptotic expansion. This book presents the theory of multisummabi- lity, and as an application, contains a proof of the fact that all formal power series solutions of non-linear meromorphic ODE are multisummable. It will be of use to graduate students and researchers in mathematics and theoretical physics, and especially to those who encounter formal power series to (physical) equations with rapidly, but regularly, growing coefficients.

Study of a new tumor marker, CYFRA 21-1, in squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix, and comparison with squamous cell carcinoma antigen

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsai, S.Ch.; KAo, CH.H.; Wang, S.J.

1996-01-01

The diagnosis value of a new tumor marker, CYFRA 21-1, was studied in the blood samples collected from 22 controls, and 87 pre-treatment patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix. Sensitivity and specificity of CYFRA 21-1 was was compared with those of squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC) measured in the sera of the same patients. Serum CYFRA 21-1 levels were higher in patients with squamous cell carcinoma than in controls (p < 0.05), and correlated with FIGO stage (Stage IIb-IV vs. Stage Ib-IIa, p = 0.0477). Using 2.5 ng/ml as cut-off value, elevated CYFRA 21-1 levels were found in 13.6% of controls, 34.8% of patients with Stage Ib-IIa squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix, and 63.5% of patients with Stage IIb-IV squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix. However, there was less sensitivity and specificity of CYFRA 21-1 than those of SCC in detecting squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix. CYFRA 21-1 may not be a better tumor marker than SCC for squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix. (author)

Rheumatoid Arthritis Educational Video Series

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... Corner / Patient Webcasts / Rheumatoid Arthritis Educational Video Series Rheumatoid Arthritis Educational Video Series This series of five videos ... Your Arthritis Managing Chronic Pain and Depression in Arthritis Nutrition & Rheumatoid Arthritis Arthritis and Health-related Quality of Life ...

Duality between Time Series and Networks

Science.gov (United States)

Campanharo, Andriana S. L. O.; Sirer, M. Irmak; Malmgren, R. Dean; Ramos, Fernando M.; Amaral, Luís A. Nunes.

2011-01-01

Studying the interaction between a system's components and the temporal evolution of the system are two common ways to uncover and characterize its internal workings. Recently, several maps from a time series to a network have been proposed with the intent of using network metrics to characterize time series. Although these maps demonstrate that different time series result in networks with distinct topological properties, it remains unclear how these topological properties relate to the original time series. Here, we propose a map from a time series to a network with an approximate inverse operation, making it possible to use network statistics to characterize time series and time series statistics to characterize networks. As a proof of concept, we generate an ensemble of time series ranging from periodic to random and confirm that application of the proposed map retains much of the information encoded in the original time series (or networks) after application of the map (or its inverse). Our results suggest that network analysis can be used to distinguish different dynamic regimes in time series and, perhaps more importantly, time series analysis can provide a powerful set of tools that augment the traditional network analysis toolkit to quantify networks in new and useful ways. PMID:21858093

Application of the Allan Variance to Time Series Analysis in Astrometry and Geodesy: A Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Malkin, Zinovy

2016-04-01

The Allan variance (AVAR) was introduced 50 years ago as a statistical tool for assessing the frequency standards deviations. For the past decades, AVAR has increasingly been used in geodesy and astrometry to assess the noise characteristics in geodetic and astrometric time series. A specific feature of astrometric and geodetic measurements, as compared with clock measurements, is that they are generally associated with uncertainties; thus, an appropriate weighting should be applied during data analysis. In addition, some physically connected scalar time series naturally form series of multidimensional vectors. For example, three station coordinates time series X, Y, and Z can be combined to analyze 3-D station position variations. The classical AVAR is not intended for processing unevenly weighted and/or multidimensional data. Therefore, AVAR modifications, namely weighted AVAR (WAVAR), multidimensional AVAR (MAVAR), and weighted multidimensional AVAR (WMAVAR), were introduced to overcome these deficiencies. In this paper, a brief review is given of the experience of using AVAR and its modifications in processing astrogeodetic time series.

Rectal squamous cell carcinoma in immunosuppressed populations: is this a distinct entity from anal cancer?

Science.gov (United States)

COGHILL, Anna E.; SHIELS, Meredith S.; RYCROFT, Randi K.; COPELAND, Glenn; FINCH, Jack L.; HAKENEWERTH, Anne M.; PAWLISH, Karen S.; ENGELS, Eric A.

2015-01-01

Objective Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the rectum is rare, but as with anal cancer, risk may be increased among immunosuppressed individuals. We assessed risk of rectal SCC in HIV-infected people. Design Population-based registry Methods We utilized the HIV/AIDS Cancer Match, a linkage of US HIV and cancer registries (1991–2010), to ascertain cases of anal SCC, rectal SCC, rectal non-SCC, and colon non-SCC. We compared risk in HIV-infected persons to the general population using standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) and evaluated risk factors using Poisson regression. We reviewed cancer registry case notes to confirm site and histology for a subset of cases. Results HIV-infected persons had an excess risk of rectal SCC compared to the general population (SIR=28.9; 95%CI 23.2–35.6), similar to the increase for anal SCC (SIR=37.3). Excess rectal SCC risk was most pronounced among HIV-infected men who have sex with men (MSM, SIR=61.2). Risk was not elevated for rectal non-SCC (SIR=0.88) or colon non-SCC (SIR=0.63). Individuals diagnosed with AIDS had higher rectal SCC rates than those with HIV-only (incidence rate ratio=1.86; 95%CI 1.04–3.31). Based on available information, one-third of rectal SCCs were determined to be misclassified anal cancer. Conclusions HIV-infected individuals, especially with advanced immunosuppression, appear to have substantially elevated risk for rectal SCC. As for anal SCC, rectal SCC risk was highest in MSM, pointing to involvement of a sexually transmitted infection such as human papillomavirus. Site misclassification was present, and detailed information on tumor location is needed to prove that rectal SCC is a distinct entity. PMID:26372482

Series Transmission Line Transformer

Science.gov (United States)

Buckles, Robert A.; Booth, Rex; Yen, Boris T.

2004-06-29

A series transmission line transformer is set forth which includes two or more of impedance matched sets of at least two transmissions lines such as shielded cables, connected in parallel at one end ans series at the other in a cascading fashion. The cables are wound about a magnetic core. The series transmission line transformer (STLT) which can provide for higher impedance ratios and bandwidths, which is scalable, and which is of simpler design and construction.

Series expansions without diagrams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhanot, G.; Creutz, M.; Horvath, I.; Lacki, J.; Weckel, J.

1994-01-01

We discuss the use of recursive enumeration schemes to obtain low- and high-temperature series expansions for discrete statistical systems. Using linear combinations of generalized helical lattices, the method is competitive with diagrammatic approaches and is easily generalizable. We illustrate the approach using Ising and Potts models. We present low-temperature series results in up to five dimensions and high-temperature series in three dimensions. The method is general and can be applied to any discrete model

Detecting method for crude oil price fluctuation mechanism under different periodic time series

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gao, Xiangyun; Fang, Wei; An, Feng; Wang, Yue

2017-01-01

Highlights: • We proposed the concept of autoregressive modes to indicate the fluctuation patterns. • We constructed transmission networks for studying the fluctuation mechanism. • There are different fluctuation mechanism under different periodic time series. • Only a few types of autoregressive modes control the fluctuations in crude oil price. • There are cluster effects during the fluctuation mechanism of autoregressive modes. - Abstract: Current existing literatures can characterize the long-term fluctuation of crude oil price time series, however, it is difficult to detect the fluctuation mechanism specifically under short term. Because each fluctuation pattern for one short period contained in a long-term crude oil price time series have dynamic characteristics of diversity; in other words, there exhibit various fluctuation patterns in different short periods and transmit to each other, which reflects the reputedly complicate and chaotic oil market. Thus, we proposed an incorporated method to detect the fluctuation mechanism, which is the evolution of the different fluctuation patterns over time from the complex network perspective. We divided crude oil price time series into segments using sliding time windows, and defined autoregressive modes based on regression models to indicate the fluctuation patterns of each segment. Hence, the transmissions between different types of autoregressive modes over time form a transmission network that contains rich dynamic information. We then capture transmission characteristics of autoregressive modes under different periodic time series through the structure features of the transmission networks. The results indicate that there are various autoregressive modes with significantly different statistical characteristics under different periodic time series. However, only a few types of autoregressive modes and transmission patterns play a major role in the fluctuation mechanism of the crude oil price, and these

Enraf series 854 Advanced Technology Gauge (ATG) acceptance test procedure. Revision 3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barnes, G.A.

1995-01-01

This procedure provides acceptance testing for Enraf Series 854 level gauges used to monitor levels in Hanford Waste Storage Tanks. The test will verify that the gauge functions according to the manufacturer's instructions and specifications and is properly setup prior to being delivered to the tank farm area

On the Use of Running Trends as Summary Statistics for Univariate Time Series and Time Series Association

OpenAIRE

Trottini, Mario; Vigo, Isabel; Belda, Santiago

2015-01-01

Given a time series, running trends analysis (RTA) involves evaluating least squares trends over overlapping time windows of L consecutive time points, with overlap by all but one observation. This produces a new series called the “running trends series,” which is used as summary statistics of the original series for further analysis. In recent years, RTA has been widely used in climate applied research as summary statistics for time series and time series association. There is no doubt that ...

A Course in Time Series Analysis

CERN Document Server

Peña, Daniel; Tsay, Ruey S

2011-01-01

New statistical methods and future directions of research in time series A Course in Time Series Analysis demonstrates how to build time series models for univariate and multivariate time series data. It brings together material previously available only in the professional literature and presents a unified view of the most advanced procedures available for time series model building. The authors begin with basic concepts in univariate time series, providing an up-to-date presentation of ARIMA models, including the Kalman filter, outlier analysis, automatic methods for building ARIMA models, a

Surface-specific additive manufacturing test artefacts

Science.gov (United States)

Townsend, Andrew; Racasan, Radu; Blunt, Liam

2018-06-01

Many test artefact designs have been proposed for use with additive manufacturing (AM) systems. These test artefacts have primarily been designed for the evaluation of AM form and dimensional performance. A series of surface-specific measurement test artefacts designed for use in the verification of AM manufacturing processes are proposed here. Surface-specific test artefacts can be made more compact because they do not require the large dimensions needed for accurate dimensional and form measurements. The series of three test artefacts are designed to provide comprehensive information pertaining to the manufactured surface. Measurement possibilities include deviation analysis, surface texture parameter data generation, sub-surface analysis, layer step analysis and build resolution comparison. The test artefacts are designed to provide easy access for measurement using conventional surface measurement techniques, for example, focus variation microscopy, stylus profilometry, confocal microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Additionally, the test artefacts may be simply visually inspected as a comparative tool, giving a fast indication of process variation between builds. The three test artefacts are small enough to be included in every build and include built-in manufacturing traceability information, making them a convenient physical record of the build.

A Cryogenic Test Station for the Pre-series 2400 W @ 1.8 K Refrigeration Units for the LHC

CERN Document Server

Claudet, S; Gully, P; Jäger, B; Millet, F; Roussel, P; Tavian, L

2002-01-01

The cooling capacity below 2 K for the superconducting magnets in the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), at CERN, will be provided by eight refrigeration units at 1.8 K, each of them coupled to a 4.5 K refrigerator. The supply of the series units is linked to successful testing and acceptance of the pre-series delivered by the two selected vendors. To properly assess the performance of specific components such as cold compressors and some process specificities a dedicated test station is necessary. The test station is able to process up to 130 g/s between 4.5 & 20 K and aims at simulating the steady and transient operational modes foreseen for the LHC. After recalling the basic characteristics of the 1.8 K refrigeration units and the content of the acceptance tests of the pre-series, the principle of the test cryostat is detailed. The components of the test station and corresponding layout are described. The first testing experience is presented as well as preliminary results of the pre-series units.

Disease management with ARIMA model in time series.

Science.gov (United States)

Sato, Renato Cesar

2013-01-01

The evaluation of infectious and noninfectious disease management can be done through the use of a time series analysis. In this study, we expect to measure the results and prevent intervention effects on the disease. Clinical studies have benefited from the use of these techniques, particularly for the wide applicability of the ARIMA model. This study briefly presents the process of using the ARIMA model. This analytical tool offers a great contribution for researchers and healthcare managers in the evaluation of healthcare interventions in specific populations.

Activities of indigenous proteolytic enzymes in caprine milk of different somatic cell counts.

Science.gov (United States)

Albenzio, M; Santillo, A; Kelly, A L; Caroprese, M; Marino, R; Sevi, A

2015-11-01

Individual caprine milk with different somatic cell counts (SCC) were studied with the aim of investigating the percentage distribution of leukocyte cell types and the activities of indigenous proteolytic enzymes; proteolysis of casein was also studied in relation to cell type following recovery from milk. The experiment was conducted on 5 intensively managed dairy flocks of Garganica goats; on the basis of SCC, the experimental groups were denoted low (L-SCC; 1,501,000 cells/mL) SCC. Leukocyte distribution differed between groups; polymorphonuclear neutrophilic leukocytes were higher in M-SCC and H-SCC milk samples, the percentage macrophages was the highest in H-SCC, and levels of nonviable cells significantly decreased with increasing SCC. Activities of all the main proteolytic enzymes were affected by SCC; plasmin activity was the highest in H-SCC milk and the lowest in L-SCC, and elastase and cathepsin D activities were the highest in M-SCC. Somatic cell count influenced casein hydrolysis patterns, with less intact α- and β-casein in H-SCC milk. Higher levels of low electrophoretic mobility peptides were detected in sodium caseinate incubated with leukocytes isolated from L-SCC milk, independent of cell type, whereas among cells recovered from M-SCC milk, macrophages yielded the highest levels of low electrophoretic mobility peptides from sodium caseinate. The level of high electrophoretic mobility peptides was higher in sodium caseinate incubated with polymorphonuclear neutrophilic leukocytes and macrophages isolated from M-SCC, whereas the same fraction of peptides was always the highest, independent of leukocyte type, for cells recovered from H-SCC milk. In caprine milk, a level of 700,000 cells/mL represented the threshold for changes in leukocyte distribution, which is presumably related to the immune status of the mammary gland. Differences in the profile of indigenous lysosomal proteolytic enzymes in caprine milk may influence the integrity of casein

More expression of BDNF associates with lung squamous cell carcinoma and is critical to the proliferation and invasion of lung cancer cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Si-yang; Hui, Lin-ping; Li, Chun-yan; Gao, Jian; Cui, Ze-shi; Qiu, Xue-shan

2016-01-01

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has been reported to promote tumorigenesis and progression in several human malignancies. The purpose of this study was to explore the function of BDNF in lung squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and adenocarcinoma (ADC). The expression of BDNF was examined in 110 samples of lung SCC and ADC by immunohistochemistry. The protein level of BDNF was examined in 25 lung SCC or ADC samples and paired non-tumors by western blot. BDNF expression was also evaluated in human bronchial epithelial cells (HBE) and 4 lung cancer cell lines using western blot. Three BDNF mRNA variants containing exons IV, VI and IX were evaluated in HBE, two SCC (SK, LK2) and two ADC (A549, LTE) cell lines by RT-PCR. The expression and secretion of BDNF were also determined in cells using western blot and ELISA. Then the shRNA specific for BDNF was transfected into LK2 or A549 cells to further elucidate the BDNF knockdown on cell proliferation, apoptosis and invasion, which were confirmed by MTT, flow cytometry and transwell examinations. 71.8 % (79 out of 110) of lung SCC and ADC samples were detected positive BDNF, and high expression of BDNF was significantly correlated with histological type and T stage. Compared with non-tumorous counterparts, BDNF was apparently overexpressed in SCC and ADC tissues. In cell studies, the extensive expression and secretion of BDNF were demonstrated in lung cancer cells compared with HBE cells. Interestingly, the expressions of BDNF mRNA variant IV and VI were identical in all cells examined. However, more expression of BDNF mRNA variant IX was found in SK and LK2 cells. The apoptotic cells were increased, and the cell proliferation and invasion were both attenuated once the expression of BDNF was inhibited. When retreated by rhBDNF, BDNF knockdown cells showed less apoptotic or more proliferative and invasive. Our data show that BDNF probably facilitates the tumorigenesis of lung SCC and ADC. The expression of BDNF m

Investigations on Fresh and Hardened Properties of Recycled Aggregate Self Compacting Concrete

Science.gov (United States)

Revathi, P.; Selvi, R. S.; Velin, S. S.

2013-09-01

In the recent years, construction and demolition waste management issues have attracted the attention from researchers around the world. In the present study, the potential usage of recycled aggregate obtained from crushed demolition waste for making self compacting concrete (SCC) was researched. The barriers in promoting the use of recycled material in new construction are also discussed. In addition, the results of an experimental study involving the use of recycled concrete aggregate as coarse aggregates for producing self-compacting concrete to study their flow and strength characteristics are also presented. Five series of mixture were prepared with 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100 % coarse recycled aggregate adopting Nan Su's mix proportioning method. The fresh concrete properties were evaluated through the slump flow, J-ring and V-funnel tests. Compressive and tensile strengths were also determined. The results obtained showed that SCC could be successfully developed by incorporating recycled aggregates.

Biomarker screening of oral cancer cell lines revealed sub-populations of CD133-, CD44-, CD24- and ALDH1- positive cancer stem cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kendall K

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC ranks sixth worldwide for cancer-related mortality. For the past several decades the mainstay of treatment for HNSCC has been surgery and external beam radiation, although more recent trials combining chemotherapy and radiation have demonstrated improvements. However, cancer recurrence and treatment failures continue to occur in a significant percentage of patients. Recent advances in tumor biology have led to the discovery that many cancers, including HNSCC, may contain subpopulations of cells with stem cell-like properties that may explain relapse and recurrence. The objective of this study was to screen existing oral cancer cell lines for biomarkers specific for cells with stem cell-like properties. RNA was isolated for RT-PCR screening using primers for specific mRNA of the biomarkers: CD44, CD24, CD133, NANOG, Nestin, ALDH1, and ABCG2 in CAL27, SCC25 and SCC15 cells. This analysis revealed that some oral cancer cell lines (CAL27 and SCC25 may contain small subpopulations of adhesion- and contact-independent cells (AiDC that also express tumor stem cell markers, including CD44, CD133, and CD24. In addition, CAL27 cells also expressed the intracellular tumor stem cell markers, ALDH1 and ABCG2. Isolation and culture of the adhesion- and contact-independent cells from CAL27 and SCC25 populations revealed differential proliferation rates and more robust inhibition by the MEK inhibitor PD98059, as well as the chemotherapeutic agents Cisplatin and Paclitaxel, within the AiDC CAL27 cells. At least one oral cancer cell line (CAL27 contained subpopulations of cells that express specific biomarkers associated with tumor stem cells which were morphologically and phenotypically distinct from other cells within this cell line.

Partial characterization of insulin-like growth factor I in primary human lung cancers using immunohistochemical and receptor autoradiographic techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shigematsu, K.; Kataoka, Y.; Kamio, T.; Kurihara, M.; Niwa, M.; Tsuchiyama, H.

1990-01-01

We investigated primary human lung cancers resected surgically or obtained at autopsy. Included were squamous cell carcinoma (SQC) (five cases), adenocarcinoma (ADC) (six cases), large cell carcinoma (LCC) (four cases), and small cell carcinoma (SCC) (two cases). The objective of the study was to search for the presence of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I)-like immunoreactivity using immunohistochemical staining and for the localization of IGF-I binding sites, using in vitro quantitative receptor autoradiographic techniques. IGF-I-like immunostaining was present in all cases of SQC, ADC, and LCC, but not in cases of SCC. Strong immunostaining was observed in cases of SQC. On the other hand, ADC and LCC tissues showed a moderate or weak staining. Specific binding sites for IGF-I were present in all cases of SQC, ADC, LCC, and SCC examined. High densities of 125I-IGF-I binding sites were localized in cases of SQC and SCC. Low to high densities of the binding sites were found in LCC. Cases of ADC showed low densities of 125I-IGF-I binding sites. Specific binding obtained at a concentration of 80 pM 125I-IGF-I was competitively displaced by unlabeled IGF-I, with a 50% inhibitory concentration value of 1.84 +/- 0.31 x 10(-10) mol, whereas human insulin was much less potent in displacing the binding. This specificity profile is consistent with characteristics of IGF-I receptors. Scatchard analysis showed the presence of a single class of high affinity binding sites for IGF-I, with a Kd of approximately 1 nmol. Thus, the possibility that IGF-I may play a role in the growth of human lung cancers would have to be considered

Incidence of and survival after glottic squamous cell carcinoma in Denmark from 1971 to 2011-A report from the Danish Head and Neck Cancer Group

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lyhne, Nina Munk; Johansen, Jørgen; Kristensen, Claus Andrup

2016-01-01

.4 to 0.6). The 5-year DSM was 16% (15–17%) and the 5-year OS was 63% (61–64). The hazard rate of DSM adjusted for patient characteristics, tumour characteristics and waiting-time was significantly lower in the 2000s (p ...Aim To describe the incidence, disease-specific mortality (DSM), and overall survival (OS) of patients with glottic squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) in Denmark from 1971–2011 in a national population-based cohort of consecutive patients. Materials and methods All patients diagnosed with glottic SCC...... and national registries. Results In total 5132 patients with glottic SCC were included. The yearly number of new cases increased from 107 in the 1970s to 139 in the 2000s. Overall, the incidence increased from 1.9 to 2.6 per 100,000, with a more prominent increase in men (3.5 to 4.7) compared with women (0...

Specific heat of the simple-cubic Ising model

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Feng, X.; Blöte, H.W.J.

2010-01-01

We provide an expression quantitatively describing the specific heat of the Ising model on the simple-cubic lattice in the critical region. This expression is based on finite-size scaling of numerical results obtained by means of a Monte Carlo method. It agrees satisfactorily with series expansions

Aberrant expression of the tight junction molecules claudin-1 and zonula occludens-1 mediates cell growth and invasion in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Babkair, Hamzah; Yamazaki, Manabu; Uddin, Md Shihab; Maruyama, Satoshi; Abé, Tatsuya; Essa, Ahmed; Sumita, Yoshimasa; Ahsan, Md Shahidul; Swelam, Wael; Cheng, Jun; Saku, Takashi

2016-11-01

We reported that altered cell contact mediated by E-cadherin is an initial event in the pathogenesis of oral epithelial malignancies. To assess other effects of cell adhesion, we examined the expression levels of tight junction (TJ) molecules in oral carcinoma in situ (CIS) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). To identify changes in the expression of TJ molecules, we conducted an analysis of the immunohistochemical profiles of claudin-1 (CLDN-1) and zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) in surgical specimens acquired from patients with oral SCC containing foci of epithelial dysplasia or from patients with CIS. We used immunofluorescence, Western blotting, reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction, and RNA interference to evaluate the functions of CLDN-1 and ZO-1 in cultured oral SCC cells. TJ molecules were not detected in normal oral epithelial tissues but were expressed in SCC/CIS cells. ZO-1 was localized within the nucleus of proliferating cells. When CLDN-1 expression was inhibited by transfecting cells with specific small interference RNAs, SCC cells dissociated, and their ability to proliferate and invade Matrigel was inhibited. In contrast, although RNA interference-mediated inhibition of ZO-1 expression did not affect cell morphology, it inhibited cell proliferation and invasiveness. Our findings indicated that the detection of TJ molecules in the oral epithelia may serve as a marker for the malignant phenotype of cells in which CLDN-1 regulates proliferation and invasion. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Ectopic expression of protein kinase C-β sensitizes head and neck squamous cell carcinoma to diterpene esters.

Science.gov (United States)

Adams, Ryan A; D'Souza, Marjorie M A; Pierce, Carly J; Korica, Natasa; Wallwork, Ben; Parsons, Peter G; Panizza, Benedict; Boyle, Glen M

2015-03-01

The objective of this study was to examine the effect of specific Protein kinase C (PKC) isoform re-expression in solid malignancies, particularly head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cell lines, and the impact this may have on treatment with known activators of PKC. The constitutive expression of PKC isoforms were determined in six head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) cell lines. Cytotoxicity of the prototypic phorbol ester, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) and the novel diterpene ester PEP005 was established. Viral transduction to re-express PKCβ isoforms in two of these cell lines was performed, and its effect on the sensitivity to the compounds was quantified. Tongue and hypopharyngeal SCC cell lines were resistant to both TPA and PEP005, with the concentration required to inhibit growth by 50% (IC50) being >1,000 ng/ml. CAL-27 (tongue SCC) and FaDu (hypopharyngeal SCC) cell lines re-expressing PKCβI and -βII isoforms demonstrated IC50 of 1-5 ng/ml with TPA or PEP005. Re-expression of PKCβ in head and neck SCC cell lines leads to cells one thousand-times more sensitive to the cytotoxic effects of phorbol or diterpene esters in culture. This highlights the importance of the isoform in tumor progression and presents the potential benefit of these compounds in malignancies expressing the protein, and in combination therapy. Copyright© 2015 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. John G. Delinassios), All rights reserved.

A high-fidelity weather time series generator using the Markov Chain process on a piecewise level

Science.gov (United States)

Hersvik, K.; Endrerud, O.-E. V.

2017-12-01

A method is developed for generating a set of unique weather time-series based on an existing weather series. The method allows statistically valid weather variations to take place within repeated simulations of offshore operations. The numerous generated time series need to share the same statistical qualities as the original time series. Statistical qualities here refer mainly to the distribution of weather windows available for work, including durations and frequencies of such weather windows, and seasonal characteristics. The method is based on the Markov chain process. The core new development lies in how the Markov Process is used, specifically by joining small pieces of random length time series together rather than joining individual weather states, each from a single time step, which is a common solution found in the literature. This new Markov model shows favorable characteristics with respect to the requirements set forth and all aspects of the validation performed.

SCC and Corrosion Fatigue characterization of a Ti-6Al-4V alloy in a corrosive environment – experiments and numerical models

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Baragetti

2014-10-01

Full Text Available In the present article, a review of the complete characterization in different aggressive media of a Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy, performed by the Structural Mechanics Laboratory of the University of Bergamo, is presented. The light alloy has been investigated in terms of corrosion fatigue, by axial fatigue testing (R = 0.1 of smooth and notched flat dogbone specimens in laboratory air, 3.5% wt. NaCl–water mixture and methanol–water mixture at different concentrations. The first corrosive medium reproduced a marine environment, while the latter was used as a reference aggressive environment. Results showed that a certain corrosion fatigue resistance is found in a salt water medium, while the methanol environment caused a significant drop – from 23% to 55% in terms of limiting stress reduction – of the fatigue resistance of the Ti-6Al-4V alloy, even for a solution containing 5% of methanol. A Stress Corrosion Cracking (SCC experimental campaign at different methanol concentrations has been conducted over slightly notched dog-bone specimens (Kt = 1.18, to characterize the corrosion resistance of the alloy under quasi-static load conditions. Finally, crack propagation models have been implemented to predict the crack propagation rates for smooth specimens, by using Paris, Walker and Kato-Deng-Inoue-Takatsu propagation formulae. The different outcomes from the forecasting numerical models were compared with experimental results, proposing modeling procedures for the numerical simulation of fatigue behavior of a Ti-6Al-4V alloy.

Kinetic study of hydrogen-material interactions in nickel base alloy 600 and stainless steel 316L through coupled experimental and numerical analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hurley, Caitlin-Mae

2015-01-01

In France all of the nuclear power plant facilities in service today are pressurized water reactors (PWR). Some parts of the PWR in contact with the primary circuit medium, such as the steam generator tubes (fabricated in nickel base alloy A600) and some reactor core internal components (fabricated in stainless steel 316L), can fall victim to environmental degradation phenomena such as stress corrosion cracking (SCC). In the late 1950's, H. Coriou observed experimentally and predicted this type of cracking in alloys traditionally renowned for their SCC resistance (A600). Just some 20 to 30 years later his predictions became a reality. Since then, numerous studies have focused on the description and comprehension of the SCC phenomenon in primary water under reactor operating conditions. In view of reactor lifetime extension, it has become both critical and strategic to be capable of simulating SCC phenomenon in order to optimize construction materials, operating conditions, etc. and to understand the critical parameters in order to limit the damage done by SCC. This study focuses on the role hydrogen plays in SCC phenomenon and in particular H-material interactions. Hydrogen, from primary medium in the form of dissolved H gas or H from the water, can be absorbed by the alloy during the oxidation process taking place under reactor operating conditions. Once absorbed, hydrogen may be transported across the material, diffusing in the interstitial sites of the crystallographic structure and interacting with local defects, such as dislocations, precipitates, vacancies, etc. The presence of these [local defect] sites can slow the hydrogen transport and may provoke local H accumulation in the alloy. This accumulation could modify the local mechanical properties of the material and favor premature rupture. It is therefore essential to identify the nature of these H-material interactions, specifically the rate of H diffusion and hydrogen trapping kinetics at these

Hyperreal Numbers for Infinite Divergent Series

OpenAIRE

Bartlett, Jonathan

2018-01-01

Treating divergent series properly has been an ongoing issue in mathematics. However, many of the problems in divergent series stem from the fact that divergent series were discovered prior to having a number system which could handle them. The infinities that resulted from divergent series led to contradictions within the real number system, but these contradictions are largely alleviated with the hyperreal number system. Hyperreal numbers provide a framework for dealing with divergent serie...

Primary pulmonary non-small cell carcinomas: the College of American Pathologists Interlaboratory Comparison Program confirms a significant trend toward subcategorization based upon fine-needle aspiration cytomorphology alone.

Science.gov (United States)

Yildiz-Aktas, Isil Z; Sturgis, Charles D; Barkan, Guliz A; Souers, Rhona J; Fraig, Mostafa M; Laucirica, Rodolfo; Khalbuss, Walid E; Moriarty, Ann T

2014-01-01

Context.-Subtyping of non-small cell lung carcinomas (NSCLCs) is necessary for optimal patient management with specific diagnoses triggering specific molecular tests and affecting therapy. Objective.-To assess the accuracy of the participants of the College of American Pathologists Interlaboratory Comparison Program in diagnosing and subtyping NSCLC fine-needle aspiration (FNA) slides, based on morphology alone, considering preparation and participant type and trends over time. Design.-The performance of program participants was reviewed for the 5-year period spanning 2007-2011. Lung FNA challenges with reference diagnoses of adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) were evaluated for diagnostic concordance by using a nonlinear mixed model analysis. Results.-There were 10 493 pathologist and 6378 cytotechnologist responses with concordance rates of 97.4% and 97.9% for malignancy, respectively. Overall concordance rates for subcategorization were 54.6% for adenocarcinoma and 74.9% for SCC. For the exact reference diagnoses, pathologists performed better for adenocarcinoma and cytotechnologists performed better for SCC. Accurate subcategorization of adenocarcinomas significantly increased over time with 31.5% of adenocarcinomas classified as NSCLC in 2007 and 25.5% of adenocarcinomas classified as NSCLC in 2011 (P alone. During the study period, a statistically significant trend was confirmed toward greater accuracy of subcategorization of adenocarcinomas, suggesting that participants are cognizant of the impact that more specific cytomorphologic interpretations have in directing molecular triage and therapy.

Targeting of Survivin Pathways by YM155 Inhibits Cell Death and Invasion in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Wei; Liu, Yuan; Li, Yu Feng; Yue, Yun; Yang, Xinghua; Peng, Lin

2016-01-01

Specific overexpression in cancer cells and evidence of oncogenic functions make Survivin an attractive target in cancer therapy. The small molecule compound YM155 has been described as the first "Survivin suppressant" but molecular mechanisms involved in its biological activity and its clinical potential remain obscure. Survivin protein plays critical roles in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), suggesting that YM155 would be extremely valuable for OSCC. In this study, we tested our hypothesis whether YM155 could be an effective inhibitor of cell growth, invasion and angiogenesis in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cells. SCC9 and SCC25 were treated with different concentration of YM155 for indicated time. Using MTT assay and flow cytometry analysis to detect cell growth and apoptosis; Using transwell and Wound healing assay to detect migration and invasion; Using reverse transcription-PCR, Western blotting and electrophoretic mobility shift assay for measuring gene and protein expression, and DNA binding activity of NF-x03BA;B. YM155 inhibited survivin-rich expressed SCC9 cell growth in a dose- and time dependent manner. This was accompanied by increased apoptosis and concomitant attenuation of NF-x03BA;B and downregulation of NF-x03BA;B downstream genes MMP-9, resulting in the inhibition of SCC9 cell migration and invasion in vitro and caused antitumor activity and anti metastasis in vivo. YM155 treatment did not affect cell growth, apoptosis and invasion of surviving-poor expressed SCC25 cells in vitro. YM155 is a potent inhibitor of progression of SCC9 cells, which could be due to attenuation of survivin signaling processes. Our findings provide evidence showing that YM155 could act as a small molecule survivin inhibitor on survivin-rich expressed SCC9 cells in culture as well as when grown as tumor in a xenograft model. We also suggest that survivin could be further developed as a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of survivin-rich expressed

Extracting biologically significant patterns from short time series gene expression data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

McGinnis Thomas

2009-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Time series gene expression data analysis is used widely to study the dynamics of various cell processes. Most of the time series data available today consist of few time points only, thus making the application of standard clustering techniques difficult. Results We developed two new algorithms that are capable of extracting biological patterns from short time point series gene expression data. The two algorithms, ASTRO and MiMeSR, are inspired by the rank order preserving framework and the minimum mean squared residue approach, respectively. However, ASTRO and MiMeSR differ from previous approaches in that they take advantage of the relatively few number of time points in order to reduce the problem from NP-hard to linear. Tested on well-defined short time expression data, we found that our approaches are robust to noise, as well as to random patterns, and that they can correctly detect the temporal expression profile of relevant functional categories. Evaluation of our methods was performed using Gene Ontology (GO annotations and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP-chip data. Conclusion Our approaches generally outperform both standard clustering algorithms and algorithms designed specifically for clustering of short time series gene expression data. Both algorithms are available at http://www.benoslab.pitt.edu/astro/.

Differences in survival outcome between oropharyngeal and oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma in relation to HPV status.

Science.gov (United States)

Lai, Kenneth; Killingsworth, Murray; Matthews, Slade; Caixeiro, Nicole; Evangelista, Carlyn; Wu, Xiao; Wykes, James; Samakeh, Alan; Forstner, Dion; Niles, Navin; Hong, Angela; Lee, Cheok Soon

2017-09-01

This study examined the prognostic significance of human papillomavirus (HPV) in patients with oropharyngeal and oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Tissue microarrays were constructed from oropharyngeal and oral cavity SCC (n = 143). The presence of functional HPV in tumour was determined by combined assessments of p16 immunohistochemistry and HPV in situ hybridisation. Oropharyngeal SCC patients presented with more advanced disease in comparison with oral cavity SCC patients (P = 0.001). HPV is present in 60% and 61% of oropharyngeal and oral cavity SCC patients, respectively. HPV-positive oropharyngeal SCC patients with advanced TNM stages displayed better overall and disease-free survival outcomes than HPV-negative patients (P = 0.022 and 0.046, respectively). Such survival differences were not observed in oral cavity SCC. HPV is common in both oropharyngeal and oral cavity SCC and is associated with better survival outcome in oropharyngeal SCC but not in oral cavity SCC patients. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A cluster merging method for time series microarray with production values.

Science.gov (United States)

Chira, Camelia; Sedano, Javier; Camara, Monica; Prieto, Carlos; Villar, Jose R; Corchado, Emilio

2014-09-01

A challenging task in time-course microarray data analysis is to cluster genes meaningfully combining the information provided by multiple replicates covering the same key time points. This paper proposes a novel cluster merging method to accomplish this goal obtaining groups with highly correlated genes. The main idea behind the proposed method is to generate a clustering starting from groups created based on individual temporal series (representing different biological replicates measured in the same time points) and merging them by taking into account the frequency by which two genes are assembled together in each clustering. The gene groups at the level of individual time series are generated using several shape-based clustering methods. This study is focused on a real-world time series microarray task with the aim to find co-expressed genes related to the production and growth of a certain bacteria. The shape-based clustering methods used at the level of individual time series rely on identifying similar gene expression patterns over time which, in some models, are further matched to the pattern of production/growth. The proposed cluster merging method is able to produce meaningful gene groups which can be naturally ranked by the level of agreement on the clustering among individual time series. The list of clusters and genes is further sorted based on the information correlation coefficient and new problem-specific relevant measures. Computational experiments and results of the cluster merging method are analyzed from a biological perspective and further compared with the clustering generated based on the mean value of time series and the same shape-based algorithm.

Summability of alterations of convergent series

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. A. Keagy

1981-01-01

Full Text Available The effect of splitting, rearrangement, and grouping series alterations on the summability of a convergent series by ℓ−ℓ and cs−cs matrix methods is studied. Conditions are determined that guarantee the existence of alterations that are transformed into divergent series and into series with preassigned sums.

Cutaneous Human Papillomavirus Infection and Development of Subsequent Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Skin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shalaka S. Hampras

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The role of cutaneous human papillomavirus (HPV infection in the development of subsequent cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC is unknown. Pathologically confirmed cases of SCC (n=150 enrolled in a previously conducted case-control study were included in a retrospective cohort study to examine the association of cutaneous HPV at the time of SCC diagnosis with the risk of subsequent SCC development. Data on HPV seropositivity, HPV DNA in eyebrow hairs (EB and SCC tumors were available from the parent study. Incidence of subsequent SCC was estimated using person-years of follow up. Cox Proportional Hazards ratios were estimated to evaluate the associations of both, HPV seropositivity and HPV DNA positivity with subsequent SCC. The five year cumulative incidence of subsequent SCC was 72%. Seropositivity to cutaneous HPV was not associated with the risk of subsequent SCC (HR = 0.83, 95% CI = 0.41–1.67. Any beta HPV infection in EB was associated with reduced risk (HR = 0.30, 95% CI = 0.11–0.78 of subsequent SCC among cases who were positive for beta HPV DNA in tumor tissue. Infection with beta HPV type 2 (HR = 0.32, 95% CI = 0.12–0.86 in EB was associated with reduced risk of subsequent SCC among HPV DNA positive SCCs. In conclusion, beta HPV infection was inversely associated with the risk of subsequent SCC.

Harmonic Series Meets Fibonacci Sequence

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Hongwei; Kennedy, Chris

2012-01-01

The terms of a conditionally convergent series may be rearranged to converge to any prescribed real value. What if the harmonic series is grouped into Fibonacci length blocks? Or the harmonic series is arranged in alternating Fibonacci length blocks? Or rearranged and alternated into separate blocks of even and odd terms of Fibonacci length?

KWOC [Key-Word-Out-of-Context] Index of US Nuclear Regulatory Commission Regulatory Guide Series

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jennings, S.D.

1990-04-01

To meet the objectives of the program funded by the Department of Energy (DOE)-Nuclear Energy (NE) Technology Support Programs, the Performance Assurance Project Office (PAPO) administers a Performance Assurance Information Program that collects, compiles, and distributes program-related information, reports, and publications for the benefit of the DOE-NE program participants. THE ''KWOC Index of US Nuclear Regulatory Commission Regulatory Guide Series'' is prepared as an aid in searching for specific topics in the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Regulatory Guide Series

Characterizing economic trends by Bayesian stochastic model specification search

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Grassi, Stefano; Proietti, Tommaso

We extend a recently proposed Bayesian model selection technique, known as stochastic model specification search, for characterising the nature of the trend in macroeconomic time series. In particular, we focus on autoregressive models with possibly time-varying intercept and slope and decide on ...

Supply capability creation process: Key milestone criteria and activities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Verrollot, J.; Tolonen, A.; Harkonen, J.; Haapasalo, H.

2017-07-01

The article focuses on supply capability creation (SCC) within the new product development (NPD). The purpose is to establish an SCC process describing the main SCC activities and milestone criteria in preparing the supply process for new products Design/methodology/approach: The article analyses the earlier research, carries out current state analysis of six case companies regarding the SCC areas, and proposes a SCC process. Findings: The developed SCC process aims at preparing the operational supply capability for a developed new product based on the preferred, qualified and contracted suppliers and materials along the NPD process, and ultimately at the product ramp-up. Originality/value: This paper introduces a SCC process that has not been presented earlier in the literature, highlighting the important role of the SCC for successful product ramp-ups.

French N4 Series Design and Manufacturing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lebreton, Gerard

1989-01-01

The construction contract for the first two N4 units. on the Chooz site close to the French-Belgian border (Chooz B1 and B2). was awarded by Electricite de France (EDF) to Fumarate in May 1984. At present, project construction is approximately 50% complete for unit B1. The main civil works are practically finished and the reactor vessel and the steam generator were delivered on site by mid-1988. The connection to the grid by 1991 appears quite feasible. Continuation of the French nuclear power programme in the 1990s, specifically on the CIVEX and Penly sites, is based on this model. The N4 thus follows the four-loop, 1,300 MW class series designated P.a. whose first unit is Cattenom 1, which will serve in the following as a reference to appreciate the design evolution of the N4 NSSS. The design evolutions selected to reach these objectives are in technical continuity with the previous series, integrate the vast experience gained within the French programme and abroad, and were supported by a large R and D programme and further by industrial qualification tests

International Work-Conference on Time Series

CERN Document Server

Pomares, Héctor

2016-01-01

This volume presents selected peer-reviewed contributions from The International Work-Conference on Time Series, ITISE 2015, held in Granada, Spain, July 1-3, 2015. It discusses topics in time series analysis and forecasting, advanced methods and online learning in time series, high-dimensional and complex/big data time series as well as forecasting in real problems. The International Work-Conferences on Time Series (ITISE) provide a forum for scientists, engineers, educators and students to discuss the latest ideas and implementations in the foundations, theory, models and applications in the field of time series analysis and forecasting. It focuses on interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research encompassing the disciplines of computer science, mathematics, statistics and econometrics.

Methodology for formulating predictions of stress corrosion cracking life

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamauchi, Kiyoshi; Hattori, Shigeo; Shindo, Takenori; Kuniya, Jiro

1994-01-01

This paper presents a methodology for formulating predictions to evaluate the stress corrosion cracking (SCC) potential of each light-water reactor component, where an index is introduced as a life index or F index. The index denotes the SCC time ratio of a given SCC system to be evaluated against a reference SCC system. The life index is expressed by the products of several subdivided life indexes, which correspond to each SCC influencing factor. Each subdivided life index is constructed as a function containing the influencing factor variable, obtained by analyzing experimental SCC life data. The methodology was termed the subdivided factor method. Application of the life index to SCC life data and field data showed that it was effective for evaluating the SCC potential, i.e. the SCC life. Accordingly, the proposed methodology can potentially describe a phenomenon expressed by a function which consists of the variables of several influencing factors whether there are formulae which unite as a physical model or not. ((orig.))

Kolmogorov Space in Time Series Data

OpenAIRE

Kanjamapornkul, K.; Pinčák, R.

2016-01-01

We provide the proof that the space of time series data is a Kolmogorov space with $T_{0}$-separation axiom using the loop space of time series data. In our approach we define a cyclic coordinate of intrinsic time scale of time series data after empirical mode decomposition. A spinor field of time series data comes from the rotation of data around price and time axis by defining a new extradimension to time series data. We show that there exist hidden eight dimensions in Kolmogorov space for ...

Long time series

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hisdal, H.; Holmqvist, E.; Hyvärinen, V.

Awareness that emission of greenhouse gases will raise the global temperature and change the climate has led to studies trying to identify such changes in long-term climate and hydrologic time series. This report, written by the......Awareness that emission of greenhouse gases will raise the global temperature and change the climate has led to studies trying to identify such changes in long-term climate and hydrologic time series. This report, written by the...