Estimation of performance of a high-speed boat by using the Rankine source method; Kosokutei no rankinsosuho ni yoru seino suitei ni tsuite

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eguchi, T [Mitsui Engineering and Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., Tokyo (Japan)

1997-10-01

This paper describes estimation of performance of a high-speed boat by using the Rankine source method. An orthogonal coordinate system is considered, which uses the center of a hull as the zero point, and is made dimensionless by using the hull length. The catamaran boat or the single hull boat being the subject of the discussion is supposed to have a transom stern, and to be sailing at a constant speed in the -X direction. A governing equation and a border condition were formulated using disturbance speed potential and X-direction speed differentiation. An inverse specular image was employed as a specular image system upon considering attitude change in the high-speed boat. As to the division of hull surface, the portions protruded above the static water surface were cut off from among the panel data of boat CAD. Considering a high speed condition in which the water surface is completely separated at the transom section, the water level at the transom section was supposed to be at the same height as at the rear end of the hull. Blow-out intensity at the water surface was derived in such a way that a CAD panel of the rear end of the hull is searched and wave height agrees with the height of the transom in the Z direction. A resistance curve may be obtained easily by using a personal computer. 4 refs., 8 figs.

Performance of bismuth tape current leads under vibration; Bi tepu sei denryu rido no shindo tokusei

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Suzuki, E.; Kurihara, M. [Railway Techniical Research Institute, Tokyo (Japan)

2000-02-25

The superconducting magnets on Maglev vehicles when running vibrate mechanically due to electromagnetic disturbance from the ground coils. Therefore, the current leads fixed on the superconducting coil, which is vibration at about 98 m/s{sup 2} (=10g), are also required to endure the vibration. We executed dynamic vibration tests for two types of current leads (straight and arc types) which had a multi-stacked configuration of Ag-sheathed Bi2223 tapes impregnated with epoxy resin in a concaved reinforcing gutter. We evaluated the straight-type lead for an operating current of 700 A after every vibration test in liquid nitrogen for one hour under the dynamic strain deformation of 50-100 {mu} on the surface of the reinforcing material covering the current lead. We could not detect degradation of the current lead by vibration through the total cycles of 3.9 x 10{sup 6} after continuous vibration tests. We also executed vibration tests for arc-type current leads which were combined with an actual energized superconducting coil for a Maglev. Large accelerations of these current leads occurred at frequencies of 308 and 375 Hz. In spite of the maximum acceleration of 600-700 m/s{sup 2} generated by actuating the excessive force on a superconducting coil for two seconds, which occurred on these current leads carrying 500 A, the superconductivity of the current leads did not shift to normal conductivity. There was no damage to either type of current lead during these vibration tests. So we confirmed the good prospect for the application of these current leads to actual Maglev superconducting magnets. (author)

Vibration control of bridges and buildings hybrid system. Kyoryoter dot tatemono no shindo seigyo hybrid hoshiki

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tanida, K. (Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co. Ltd., Tokyo (Japan))

1991-11-15

Multistory buildings, suspension bridges, and cable stayed bridges tend to become huge, and technology of controlling their vibration caused by strong winds and earthquakes is becoming an important subject for study. A description is made on a hybrid system which is a combination of the conventional passive system and active system, having merits of both of the systems. Verification test made using a model and an example of application to an actual bridge are introduced. This hybrid control system has been applied to the main tower of the cable stayed bridge on Route 12 of the Tokyo expressway. It is installed and in operation on the top of the tower to improve the workability, and can decrease the vibration of the tower caused by vortical excitation produced during the construction of the main tower. With the hybrid system, the actuator capacity can be reduced to about 1/5 for the similar damping performance to that of the active system with the same mass ratio. In addition, the weight of the equipment can be nearly halved in comparison with the passive system. Moreover, it has such a high safety characteristic as being used as a passive system when power supply is cut off because the controlling force of the system is smaller as compared with the active system. 2 refs., 11 figs.

Experiments on Ion-Ion Plasmas From Discharges

Science.gov (United States)

Leonhardt, Darrin; Walton, Scott; Blackwell, David; Murphy, Donald; Fernsler, Richard; Meger, Robert

2001-10-01

Use of both positive and negative ions in plasma processing of materials has been shown to be advantageous[1] in terms of better feature evolution and control. In this presentation, experimental results are given to complement recent theoretical work[2] at NRL on the formation and decay of pulsed ion-ion plasmas in electron beam generated discharges. Temporally resolved Langmuir probe and mass spectrometry are used to investigate electron beam generated discharges during the beam on (active) and off (afterglow) phases in a variety of gas mixtures. Because electron-beam generated discharges inherently[3] have low electron temperatures (<0.5eV in molecular gases), negative ion characteristics are seen in the active as well as afterglow phases since electron detachment increases with low electron temperatures. Analysis of temporally resolved plasma characteristics deduced from these measurements will be presented for pure O_2, N2 and Ar and their mixtures with SF_6. Oxygen discharges show no noticeable negative ion contribution during the active or afterglow phase, presumably due to the higher energy electron attachment threshold, which is well above any electron temperature. In contrast, SF6 discharges demonstrate ion-ion plasma characteristics in the active glow and are completely ion-ion in the afterglow. Comparison between these discharges with published cross sections and production mechanisms will also be presented. [1] T.H. Ahn, K. Nakamura & H. Sugai, Plasma Sources Sci. Technol., 5, 139 (1996); T. Shibyama, H. Shindo & Y. Horiike, Plasma Sources Sci. Technol., 5, 254 (1996). [2] See presentation by R. F. Fernsler, at this conference. [3] D. Leonhardt, et al., 53rd Annual GEC, Houston, TX.

'Twenty-five years after Chernobyl accident: Safety for the future'. 2011 National report of Ukraine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Imanaka, Tetsuji; Shindo, Mahito

2016-02-01

This is the Japanese translation of the Ukrainian National Report 'Twenty-five Years after Chernobyl Accident: Safety for the Future', published by the Ministry of Ukraine of Emergencies in 2011 (in Ukrainian and English). This Japanese translation is published as an outcome of the KAKENHI research project on liquidations of Nuclear Disasters in the World (headed by Tetsuji Imanaka), in which Shindo participates, and as a KUR report of the Research Reactor Institute at Kyoto University. The objective of publishing this Japanese translation is to provide basic information on how to overcome the consequences of a large-scale Nuclear Disaster for the wide range of public, including decision-makers and administrative staff. By doing so, this publication aims at invigorating discussions over measures to be applied for overcoming the consequences of the TEPCO Nuclear Disaster (started in 11th March 2011 at Fukushima), and at forming proper schemes to minimise the consequences on current and future generations. The original text of this translation tightly summarised the whole picture of the Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster, which had been the only large-scale Nuclear Disaster until 11th March 2011. More importantly, it describes all sorts of measures and schemes taken in Ukraine from 1986 to 2011 in order to overcome the consequences of the Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster, in a quite well structured manner. In other words, from the contents of this text, Japanese readers are able to learn a lot about the very problems currently facing with. Therefore, I wish many Japanese readers will read this text, and utilise the knowledge written here effectively to overcome the consequences of the TEPCO Nuclear Disaster. (J.P.N.)

Level 1 - level 2 interface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boneham, P.

2003-01-01

The Plant Damage States (PDS) are the starting point for the level 2 analysis. A PDS is group of core damage sequences that are expected to have similar severe accident progressions. In this paper an overview of Level 1/Level 2 interface, example PDS parameters, example PDS definitions using codes and example Bridge Tree are presented. PDS frequency calculation (identification of sequences for each PDS in level 1,split some CD sequences which have different level 2 progressions), code calculations providing support for grouping decisions and timings as well as PDS frequencies and definitions input to level 2 are also discussed

Unstable roll motions by parametric resonance in following seas. Keisu reiki shindo ni motozuku oinamichu fuantei yokoyure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ishiguro, T.; Ito, A.; Mizoguchi, S. (Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co. Ltd., Tokyo (Japan))

1991-05-01

The unstable rolling region and angle in the regular waves were studied by both tank test modeling a large container ship and theoretical calculation based on Mathieu{prime}s equation. Further research was made on the influence of metacentric height (GM) under the calm sea condition, ship speed and bilge keel dimension on the unstable rolling region. To avoid the unstable roll motion in the waves caused by the parametric resonance, the fluctuation in GM is designed to be diminished on the waves by U-shaping the hull fore and aft like a fat large ship hull, or the fluctuation in dynamic stability is done to be diminished by increasing the GM on the calm sea. However, the ship with a U-shaped hull fore and aft is large in rolling angle due to the smallness in righting arm at the large heeling angle. Generally regardless of oceanic condition and ship speed, it is impossible to establish the GM absolutely without the primary and secondary synchronizing points. To avoid the unstable roll motion with a low ship speed, it is desirable to do it by the ship speed to be as high as possible. 11 refs., 13 figs., 1 tab.

Vibration measurement for evaluating the danger of rock-collapse; Rakuseki kikendo hantei no tame no shindo sokutei

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Takeuchi, T; Harada, H [The Nippon Road Co. Ltd., Tokyo (Japan); Mitsuzuka, T [Chishitsu-Keisoku Co. Ltd., Tokyo (Japan)

1997-10-22

Discussions were given on feasibility of a method for investigating a problem of the danger of rock-collapse by applying vibration measurement. The measurement investigation was carried out at a mouth of a tunnel under construction on a highway where the danger of rock-collapse is being investigated according to a qualitative determination criterion. Sixty-four rocks have been evaluated of their danger, with the degree of the danger having been classified to ranks one to three. Vibration measurement was performed on five floating rocks out of the 64 rocks. Vibroscopes were installed on upper portion of the rocks to be investigated and on exposed rocks nearby. The measurement revealed that the vibration has nearly the same amplitude in both of the floating rocks and the settled rocks before and after an automobile has passed, but the floating rocks shake more strongly than the settled rocks while an automobile is passing. This trend appears more noticeably in rocks regarded unstable in the danger determining investigation, indicating presence of close relationship between wave amplitude excited by the automobile and adhesion of the floating rocks. As a result of the discussions, it was made clear that the maximum amplitude ratio and the spectral ratio among the vibration characteristics of the floating rocks can be used as effective determination criteria. 2 refs., 7 figs., 2 tabs.

Individualizing risk of multidrug-resistant pathogens in community-onset pneumonia.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marco Falcone

Full Text Available The diffusion of multidrug-resistant (MDR bacteria has created the need to identify risk factors for acquiring resistant pathogens in patients living in the community.To analyze clinical features of patients with community-onset pneumonia due to MDR pathogens, to evaluate performance of existing scoring tools and to develop a bedside risk score for an early identification of these patients in the Emergency Department.This was an open, observational, prospective study of consecutive patients with pneumonia, coming from the community, from January 2011 to January 2013. The new score was validated on an external cohort of 929 patients with pneumonia admitted in internal medicine departments participating at a multicenter prospective study in Spain.A total of 900 patients were included in the study. The final logistic regression model consisted of four variables: 1 one risk factor for HCAP, 2 bilateral pulmonary infiltration, 3 the presence of pleural effusion, and 4 the severity of respiratory impairment calculated by use of PaO2/FiO2 ratio. A new risk score, the ARUC score, was developed; compared to Aliberti, Shorr, and Shindo scores, this point score system has a good discrimination performance (AUC 0.76, 95% CI 0.71-0.82 and calibration (Hosmer-Lemeshow, χ2 = 7.64; p = 0.469. The new score outperformed HCAP definition in predicting etiology due to MDR organism. The performance of this bedside score was confirmed in the validation cohort (AUC 0.68, 95% CI 0.60-0.77.Physicians working in ED should adopt simple risk scores, like ARUC score, to select the most appropriate antibiotic regimens. This individualized approach may help clinicians to identify those patients who need an empirical broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy.

Lathe leveler

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lovelady, III, Michael W.J.

2018-03-06

A lathe leveler for centering a cutting tool in relation to a cylindrical work piece includes a first leveling arm having a first contact point disposed adjacent a distal end of the first leveling arm, a second leveling arm having a second contact point disposed adjacent a distal end of the second leveling arm, a leveling gage, and a leveling plate having a cutting tool receiving surface positioned parallel to a horizontal axis of the leveling gage and on a same plane as a midpoint of the first contact point and the second contact point. The leveling arms and leveling plate are dimensioned and configured such that the cutting tool receiving surface is centered in relation to the work piece when the first and second contact points are in contact with one of the inner surface and outer surface of the cylindrical work piece and the leveling gage is centered.

Noise and vibration reduction technology in hybrid vehicle development; Hybrid sha kaihatsu ni okeru shindo soon teigen gijutsu

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yoshioa, T.; Sugita, H. [Toyota Motor Corp., Aichi (Japan)

2000-03-01

Accomplishing both environmental protection and good NVH performance has become a significant task in automotive development The first-in-the-world hybrid passenger car of mass production. 'Prius', has achieved superior NV performance compared with conventional vehicles with a 1.5-liter engine along with 50% reduction of fuel consumption and CO{sub 2} emissions. low HC, CO and NO{sub x} emissions. This paper describes NV reduction technology for solving problems peculiar to the hybrid vehicle such as engine start/stop vibration, drone noise at low engine speed and motor/generator noise and vibration. It also mentions application technology of low rolling resistance tires with light weight wheels and recycled material for sound proofing. (author)

Guidance levels, achievable doses and expectation levels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Lianbo; Meng, Bing

2002-01-01

The National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Commission of the European Communities (CEC) published their guidance levels and reference doses for typical X-ray examination and nuclear medicine in their documents in 1993, 1994 and 1996 respectively. From then on, the concept of guidance levels or reference doses have been applied to different examinations in the field of radiology and proved to be effective for reduction of patient doses. But the guidance levels or reference doses are likely to have some shortcomings and can do little to make further reduction of patient dose in the radiology departments where patient dose are already below them. For this reason, the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) proposed a concept named achievable doses which are based on the mean dose observed for a selected sample of radiology departments. This paper will review and discuss the concept of guidance levels and achievable doses, and propose a new concept referred to as Expectation Levels that will encourage the radiology departments where patient dose are already below the guidance levels to keep patient dose as low as reasonably achievable. Some examples of the expectation levels based on the data published by a few countries are also illustrated in this paper

Average County-Level IQ Predicts County-Level Disadvantage and Several County-Level Mortality Risk Rates

Science.gov (United States)

Barnes, J. C.; Beaver, Kevin M.; Boutwell, Brian B.

2013-01-01

Research utilizing individual-level data has reported a link between intelligence (IQ) scores and health problems, including early mortality risk. A growing body of evidence has found similar associations at higher levels of aggregation such as the state- and national-level. At the same time, individual-level research has suggested the…

Influence on driver fatigue of vertical vibrations over long distances. Assessment in terms of stress hormones; Driver no unten hiro ni okeru joge shindo no eikyo. Stress hormone wo shiyo to shite

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Taguchi, T.; Inagaki, H. [Toyota Central Research and Development Labs., Inc., Aichi (Japan)

1998-05-01

Driving tests are conducted to obtain some indexes that describe the cumulative effect of the sense of tiredness. The heart rate, Mayer wave related sinus arrhythmia, respiratory sinus arrhythmia, urinary adrenaline, noradrenaline, and cortisol in saliva are tested. Adrenaline and Mayer wave related sinus arrhythmia are ultimately named in view of their correlation with tiredness. It is believed that tiredness is attributable to two factors, which are increase in mental stress and decrease in vigilance. An excitation test is then conducted using a motion simulator. Upon application of 4Hz vibrations (equivalent to the chest section resonance frequency), adrenaline increases sharply, and then decreases sharply upon termination of excitation. Upon application of 1.6Hz vibrations (equivalent to the head section resonance frequency), adrenaline increases but not sharply, and the elevated level is sustained for some time after excitation. Driving tests are next conducted using a vehicle with its suspension fixed and another with 1-2Hz vibrations reduced. Rise in the adrenaline level is found inhibited aboard the latter. No difference is detected in terms of Mayer wave related sinus arrhythmia between the two vehicles. 4 refs., 7 figs., 4 tabs.

Level densities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ignatyuk, A.V.

1998-01-01

For any applications of the statistical theory of nuclear reactions it is very important to obtain the parameters of the level density description from the reliable experimental data. The cumulative numbers of low-lying levels and the average spacings between neutron resonances are usually used as such data. The level density parameters fitted to such data are compiled in the RIPL Starter File for the tree models most frequently used in practical calculations: i) For the Gilber-Cameron model the parameters of the Beijing group, based on a rather recent compilations of the neutron resonance and low-lying level densities and included into the beijing-gc.dat file, are chosen as recommended. As alternative versions the parameters provided by other groups are given into the files: jaeri-gc.dat, bombay-gc.dat, obninsk-gc.dat. Additionally the iljinov-gc.dat, and mengoni-gc.dat files include sets of the level density parameters that take into account the damping of shell effects at high energies. ii) For the backed-shifted Fermi gas model the beijing-bs.dat file is selected as the recommended one. Alternative parameters of the Obninsk group are given in the obninsk-bs.dat file and those of Bombay in bombay-bs.dat. iii) For the generalized superfluid model the Obninsk group parameters included into the obninsk-bcs.dat file are chosen as recommended ones and the beijing-bcs.dat file is included as an alternative set of parameters. iv) For the microscopic approach to the level densities the files are: obninsk-micro.for -FORTRAN 77 source for the microscopical statistical level density code developed in Obninsk by Ignatyuk and coworkers, moller-levels.gz - Moeller single-particle level and ground state deformation data base, moller-levels.for -retrieval code for Moeller single-particle level scheme. (author)

Method for analyzing electromagnetic-force-induced vibration and noise analysis; Denjiryoku reiki ni yoru dendoki no shindo hoshaon kaisekiho

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shiohata, K.; Nemoto, K.; Nagawa, Y.; Sakamoto, S.; Kobayashi, T.; Ito, M.; Koharagi, H. [Hitachi, Ltd, Tokyo (Japan)

1998-11-01

In this analysis method, electromagnetic force calculated by 2-dimensional analysis is transformed into external force for 3-dimensional structural-vibration analysis. And a modeling procedure for a vibrating structure is developed. Further, a space-modal-resonance criteria which relates electromagnetic force to structural-vibration or noise is introduced. In the structural-vibration analysis, the finite element method is used; and in the noise analysis, the boundary element method is used. Finally, vibration and noise of an induction motor are calculated using this criteria. Consequently, high-accuracy modeling is achieved and noise the calculated by the simulation almost coincides with that obtained by experiments. And it is clarified that the-space-modal resonance criteria is effective in numerical simulation. 11 refs., 9 figs., 3 tabs.

Agricultural Production. Level 1. Level 2. Level 3. Support Materials for Agricultural Training.

Science.gov (United States)

Batman, Kangan; Gadd, Nick; Lucas, Michele

This publication contains the three communication skills units of the three levels of Support Materials for Agricultural Training (SMAT) in agricultural production: Level 1 (starting), 2 (continuing), and 3 (completing). The units are designed to help the learner improve his or her written and spoken communication skills needed to deal with…

Modeling category-level purchase timing with brand-level marketing variables

NARCIS (Netherlands)

D. Fok (Dennis); R. Paap (Richard)

2003-01-01

textabstractPurchase timing of households is usually modeled at the category level. Marketing efforts are however only available at the brand level. Hence, to describe category-level interpurchase times using marketing efforts one has to construct a category-level measure of marketing efforts from

Correlation between physics A-levels/A-levels and degree performance

Science.gov (United States)

Chadwick, Roy

1985-09-01

The author presents an analysis of 178 students who left Solihull Sixth form College between 1975 and 1981 to do a degree in physics (approximately one third) or engineering (approximately two thirds) at university or polytechnic. The first table is an analysis of physics A-level grade and degree performance; the second table an analysis of the points total for physics A-level plus maths A-level (five for A, four for B, etc.), against degree performances, and the final table an analysis of the points total for physics A-level plus maths A-level plus third A-level (again five for A, four for B, etc.), against degree performance.

Sea level report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schwartz, M.L.

1979-01-01

Study of Cenozoic Era sea levels shows a continual lowering of sea level through the Tertiary Period. This overall drop in sea level accompanied the Pleistocene Epoch glacio-eustatic fluctuations. The considerable change of Pleistocene Epoch sea level is most directly attributable to the glacio-eustatic factor, with a time span of 10 5 years and an amplitude or range of approximately 200 m. The lowering of sea level since the end of the Cretaceous Period is attributed to subsidence and mid-ocean ridges. The maximum rate for sea level change is 4 cm/y. At present, mean sea level is rising at about 3 to 4 mm/y. Glacio-eustacy and tectono-eustacy are the parameters for predicting sea level changes in the next 1 my. Glacio-eustatic sea level changes may be projected on the basis of the Milankovitch Theory. Predictions about tectono-eustatic sea level changes, however, involve predictions about future tectonic activity and are therefore somewhat difficult to make. Coastal erosion and sedimentation are affected by changes in sea level. Erosion rates for soft sediments may be as much as 50 m/y. The maximum sedimentation accumulation rate is 20 m/100 y

Acceptance criteria for deposition of low-level and intermediate-level radiation levels radioactive wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-09-01

This norm establishes the criteria for acceptance low and intermediate radiation level for safe deposition in repositories, for assuring the protection of workers, population and environment against the hazardous effects of the ionizing radiations. The criteria of this norm applies to the low and intermediate radiation levels

Level-3 Calorimetric Resolution available for the Level-1 and Level-2 CDF Triggers

CERN Document Server

Canepa, A.; Liu, T.; Cortiana, G.; Flanagan, G.; Frisch, H.; Krop, D.; Pilcher, C.; Rusu, V.; Cavaliere, V.; Greco, V.; Giannetti, P.; Piendibene, M.; Sartori, L.; Vidal, Miguel

2008-01-01

As the Tevatron luminosity increases sophisticated selections are required to be efficient in selecting rare events among a very huge background. To cope with this problem, CDF has pushed the offline calorimeter algorithm reconstruction resolution up to Level 2 and, when possible, even up to Level 1, increasing efficiency and, at the same time, keeping under control the rates. The CDF Run II Level 2 calorimeter trigger is implemented in hardware and is based on a simple algorithm that was used in Run I. This system has worked well for Run II at low luminosity. As the Tevatron instantaneous luminosity increases, the limitation due to this simple algorithm starts to become clear: some of the most important jet and MET (Missing ET) related triggers have large growth terms in cross section at higher luminosity. In this paper, we present an upgrade of the Level 2 Calorimeter system which makes the calorimeter trigger tower information available directly to a CPU allowing more sophisticated algorithms to be impleme...

Sea level change

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Church, J.A.; Clark, P.U.; Cazenave, A.; Gregory, J.M.; Jevrejeva, S.; Levermann, A.; Merrifield, M.A.; Milne, G.A.; Nerem, R.S.; Nunn, P.D.; Payne, A.J.; Pfeffer, W.T.; Stammer, D.; Unnikrishnan, A.S.

This chapter considers changes in global mean sea level, regional sea level, sea level extremes, and waves. Confidence in projections of global mean sea level rise has increased since the Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) because of the improved...

Agricultural Production. Numeracy. Level 1. Level 2. Level 3. Support Materials for Agricultural Training.

Science.gov (United States)

Batman, Kangan; Tully, Chris

This publication contains the three numeracy units of the three levels of Support Materials for Agricultural Training (SMAT) in agricultural production: Level 1 (starting), 2 (continuing), and 3 (completing). The units are designed to help the learner improve his or her numeracy skills needed to deal with agricultural production. SMAT materials…

Understanding low-level radioactive waste. National Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1983-10-01

Chapters are devoted to: background and policymaking for low-level waste management; commercial low-level waste generation; Department of Energy low-level waste generation; low-level waste treatment; packaging and transportation; commercial low-level waste disposal; Department of Energy low-level waste disposal; Department of Energy low-level waste management program; and laws and regulations

'Level-level correlation and absorption in nuclear reactions'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hussein, M.S.

Level-level correlation (LLC) in nuclear reactions is discussed in general and it is shown that in the presence of LLC, N sub(μ) = Σ/g μa/ 2 > divided by gamma μ T tilde, where T tilde is the average absorption in the eigen channels [pt

Farmers as Employers. Level 1. Level 2. Level 3. Support Materials for Agricultural Training.

Science.gov (United States)

Batman, Kangan; Gadd, Nick; Lucas, Michele

This publication contains the three communication skills units of the three levels of Support Materials for Agricultural Training (SMAT) in the area of farmers as employers: Level 1 (starting), 2 (continuing), and 3 (completing). The units are designed to help the learner improve his or her written and spoken communication and numeracy skills…

Liquid level measurement in high level nuclear waste slurries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weeks, G.E.; Heckendorn, F.M.; Postles, R.L.

1990-01-01

Accurate liquid level measurement has been a difficult problem to solve for the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF). The nuclear waste sludge tends to plug or degrade most commercially available liquid-level measurement sensors. A liquid-level measurement system that meets demanding accuracy requirements for the DWPF has been developed. The system uses a pneumatic 1:1 pressure repeater as a sensor and a computerized error correction system. 2 figs

Readability versus Leveling.

Science.gov (United States)

Fry, Edward

2002-01-01

Shows some similarities and differences between readability formulas and leveling procedures and reports some current large-scale uses of readability formulas. Presents a dictionary definition of readability and leveling, and a history and background of readability and leveling. Discusses what goes into determining readability and leveling scores.…

Numerical method to calculate flow-induced vibration in turbulent flow. 3rd Report. Analysis of vortex-induced vibration in an array of elastically supported tubes; Ranryuba ni okeru ryutai kozotai rensei shindo kaiseki shuho no kaihatsu. 3. Kangun ni okeru uzu reiki shindo kaiseki

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sadaoka, N.; Umegaki, K. [Hitachi, Ltd., Tokyo (Japan)

1996-01-25

A vortex-induced vibration of an array of elastically supported tubes is simulated in two-dimension by using a flow-induced vibration analysis program, which was developed in order to evaluate flow-induced vibration in various components such as heat exchangers. From a comparison of calculated results and experimental data, the following points are observed. (1) For the calculated results in a 5 {times} 5 square array, the flow pattern surrounding the first-row tubes is markedly different from that observed in the second-row or third-row tubes. This flow pattern is the same as that obtained from the experiment. (2) All tubes begin to oscillate due to unsteady fluid force and the oscillating mode is different for each row of tubes. These oscillation patterns show the same tendency in the experiments and it is concluded that the developed method can simulate vortex-induced vibration in an array of elastically supported tubes. 19 refs., 10 figs., 1 tab.

Triglyceride level

Science.gov (United States)

... page: //medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003493.htm Triglyceride level To use the sharing features on this page, please enable JavaScript. The triglyceride level is a blood test to measure the amount ...

Modeling category-level purchase timing with brand-level marketing variables

OpenAIRE

Fok, D.; Paap, R.

2003-01-01

textabstractPurchase timing of households is usually modeled at the category level. Marketing efforts are however only available at the brand level. Hence, to describe category-level interpurchase times using marketing efforts one has to construct a category-level measure of marketing efforts from the marketing mix of individual brands. In this paper we discuss two standard approaches suggested in the literature to solve this problem, that is, using individual choice shares as weights to aver...

LevelMerge: Collaborative Game Level Editing by Merging Labeled Graphs

OpenAIRE

Santoni, Christian; Salvati, Gabriele; Tibaldo, Valentina; Pellacini, Fabio

2016-01-01

Game level editing is the process of constructing a full game level starting from 3D asset libraries, e.g. 3d models, textures, shaders, scripts. In level editing, designers define the look and behavior of the whole level by placing objects, assigning materials and lighting parameters, setting animations and physics properties and customizing the objects AI and behavior by editing scripts. The heterogeneity of the task usually translates to a workflow where a team of people, experts on separa...

Cortisol level

Science.gov (United States)

... enable JavaScript. The cortisol blood test measures the level of cortisol in the blood. Cortisol is a ... in the morning. This is important, because cortisol level varies throughout the day. You may be asked ...

Promoting system-level learning from project-level lessons

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jong, Amos A. de, E-mail: amosdejong@gmail.com [Innovation Management, Utrecht (Netherlands); Runhaar, Hens A.C., E-mail: h.a.c.runhaar@uu.nl [Section of Environmental Governance, Utrecht University, Utrecht (Netherlands); Runhaar, Piety R., E-mail: piety.runhaar@wur.nl [Organisational Psychology and Human Resource Development, University of Twente, Enschede (Netherlands); Kolhoff, Arend J., E-mail: Akolhoff@eia.nl [The Netherlands Commission for Environmental Assessment, Utrecht (Netherlands); Driessen, Peter P.J., E-mail: p.driessen@geo.uu.nl [Department of Innovation and Environment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht (Netherlands)

2012-02-15

A growing number of low and middle income nations (LMCs) have adopted some sort of system for environmental impact assessment (EIA). However, generally many of these EIA systems are characterised by a low performance in terms of timely information dissemination, monitoring and enforcement after licencing. Donor actors (such as the World Bank) have attempted to contribute to a higher performance of EIA systems in LMCs by intervening at two levels: the project level (e.g. by providing scoping advice or EIS quality review) and the system level (e.g. by advising on EIA legislation or by capacity building). The aims of these interventions are environmental protection in concrete cases and enforcing the institutionalisation of environmental protection, respectively. Learning by actors involved is an important condition for realising these aims. A relatively underexplored form of learning concerns learning at EIA system-level via project level donor interventions. This 'indirect' learning potentially results in system changes that better fit the specific context(s) and hence contribute to higher performances. Our exploratory research in Ghana and the Maldives shows that thus far, 'indirect' learning only occurs incidentally and that donors play a modest role in promoting it. Barriers to indirect learning are related to the institutional context rather than to individual characteristics. Moreover, 'indirect' learning seems to flourish best in large projects where donors achieved a position of influence that they can use to evoke reflection upon system malfunctions. In order to enhance learning at all levels donors should thereby present the outcomes of the intervention elaborately (i.e. discuss the outcomes with a large audience), include practical suggestions about post-EIS activities such as monitoring procedures and enforcement options and stimulate the use of their advisory reports to generate organisational memory and ensure a better

Promoting system-level learning from project-level lessons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jong, Amos A. de; Runhaar, Hens A.C.; Runhaar, Piety R.; Kolhoff, Arend J.; Driessen, Peter P.J.

2012-01-01

A growing number of low and middle income nations (LMCs) have adopted some sort of system for environmental impact assessment (EIA). However, generally many of these EIA systems are characterised by a low performance in terms of timely information dissemination, monitoring and enforcement after licencing. Donor actors (such as the World Bank) have attempted to contribute to a higher performance of EIA systems in LMCs by intervening at two levels: the project level (e.g. by providing scoping advice or EIS quality review) and the system level (e.g. by advising on EIA legislation or by capacity building). The aims of these interventions are environmental protection in concrete cases and enforcing the institutionalisation of environmental protection, respectively. Learning by actors involved is an important condition for realising these aims. A relatively underexplored form of learning concerns learning at EIA system-level via project level donor interventions. This ‘indirect’ learning potentially results in system changes that better fit the specific context(s) and hence contribute to higher performances. Our exploratory research in Ghana and the Maldives shows that thus far, ‘indirect’ learning only occurs incidentally and that donors play a modest role in promoting it. Barriers to indirect learning are related to the institutional context rather than to individual characteristics. Moreover, ‘indirect’ learning seems to flourish best in large projects where donors achieved a position of influence that they can use to evoke reflection upon system malfunctions. In order to enhance learning at all levels donors should thereby present the outcomes of the intervention elaborately (i.e. discuss the outcomes with a large audience), include practical suggestions about post-EIS activities such as monitoring procedures and enforcement options and stimulate the use of their advisory reports to generate organisational memory and ensure a better information

High-level verification

CERN Document Server

Lerner, Sorin; Kundu, Sudipta

2011-01-01

Given the growing size and heterogeneity of Systems on Chip (SOC), the design process from initial specification to chip fabrication has become increasingly complex. This growing complexity provides incentive for designers to use high-level languages such as C, SystemC, and SystemVerilog for system-level design. While a major goal of these high-level languages is to enable verification at a higher level of abstraction, allowing early exploration of system-level designs, the focus so far for validation purposes has been on traditional testing techniques such as random testing and scenario-based

Multi-Level Model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Constanta Nicoleta BODEA

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Is an original paper, which contains a hierarchical model with three levels, for determining the linearized non-homogeneous and homogeneous credibility premiums at company level, at sector level and at contract level, founded on the relevant covariance relations between the risk premium, the observations and the weighted averages. We give a rather explicit description of the input data for the multi- level hierarchical model used, only to show that in practical situations, there will always be enough data to apply credibility theory to a real insurance portfolio.

The association between estimated average glucose levels and fasting plasma glucose levels

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giray Bozkaya

2010-01-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: The level of hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c, also known as glycated hemoglobin, determines how well a patient's blood glucose level has been controlled over the previous 8-12 weeks. HbA1c levels help patients and doctors understand whether a particular diabetes treatment is working and whether adjustments need to be made to the treatment. Because the HbA1c level is a marker of blood glucose for the previous 120 days, average blood glucose levels can be estimated using HbA1c levels. Our aim in the present study was to investigate the relationship between estimated average glucose levels, as calculated by HbA1c levels, and fasting plasma glucose levels. METHODS: The fasting plasma glucose levels of 3891 diabetic patient samples (1497 male, 2394 female were obtained from the laboratory information system used for HbA1c testing by the Department of Internal Medicine at the Izmir Bozyaka Training and Research Hospital in Turkey. These samples were selected from patient samples that had hemoglobin levels between 12 and 16 g/dL. The estimated glucose levels were calculated using the following formula: 28.7 x HbA1c - 46.7. Glucose and HbA1c levels were determined using hexokinase and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC methods, respectively. RESULTS: A strong positive correlation between fasting plasma glucose levels and estimated average blood glucose levels (r=0.757, p<0.05 was observed. The difference was statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Reporting the estimated average glucose level together with the HbA1c level is believed to assist patients and doctors determine the effectiveness of blood glucose control measures.

Correlations of hair level with salivary level in cortisol and cortisone.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Quan; Chen, Zheng; Chen, Shenghuo; Yu, Tian; Wang, Juxia; Wang, Weiwen; Deng, Huihua

2018-01-15

Contrary findings exist on the consistency between hair cortisol and salivary cortisol in assessing the basal activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. The mismatches in temporal characteristic and the indices of hair and salivary cortisol might be potential reasons for the inconsistency. The aim of this study was to investigate the consistency between hair and salivary levels in cortisol and cortisone by directly examining the correlation between hair level and salivary level with different temporal characteristics (acute, short-term and long-term levels) and reflecting different HPA functions (basal level and reactivity level) in the well-matched time span. A longitudinal design within a five-week period was conducted in a sample of 44 healthy female college students (mean age: 18.8yrs.; age range: 18-22yrs) of Han nationality with the exclusion criteria, such as use of oral contraceptives or glucocorticoids and bleached hairs, etc. Four saliva samples (awakening, awakening+30min, awakening+4h and awakening+9h) were collected from an identical participant on three separate days with an interval of one week and 1-cm hair segment nearest to the scalp was collected two weeks later after completing saliva collection. Cortisol and cortisone in saliva and hair were simultaneously measured with high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. There were significantly moderate correlations in cortisol and cortisone between hair level and three-day average of single-day salivary level, but low to moderate correlations between hair level and single-point and single-day salivary level. Hair cortisol and cortisone were unrelated to single-day level and three-day average of diurnal slope and cortisol awakening response of salivary cortisol and cortisone, respectively. The considerable consistency between hair level and long-term salivary level in cortisol and cortisone implies that cortisol and cortisone in hair are valid biomarkers of

Occupational Health and Safety. Level 1. Level 2. Level 3. Support Materials for Agricultural Training.

Science.gov (United States)

Batman, Kangan; Gadd, Nick; Lucas, Michele

This publication contains the three communication skills units of the three levels of Support Materials for Agricultural Training (SMAT) in the area of occupational health and safety: Level 1 (starting), 2 (continuing), and 3 (completing). The units are designed to help the learner improve his or her written and spoken communication skills needed…

Farm Management and Leadership. Level 1. Level 2. Level 3. Support Materials for Agricultural Training.

Science.gov (United States)

Batman, Kangan; Gadd, Nick; Lucas, Michele

This publication contains the three communication skills units of the three levels of Support Materials for Agricultural Training (SMAT) in farm management and leadership: Level 1 (starting), 2 (continuing), and 3 (completing). The units are designed to help the learner with the reading, writing, and spoken communication skills needed to deal with…

Surge analysis of the MAGLEV coil for propulsion and guidance; Jiki fujoshiki tetsudo ni okeru suitei annaiyo coil no surge kaiseki

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ema, S [Numazu College of Technology, Shizuoka (Japan)

1995-11-20

The MAGLEV (magnetically levitated train) is now well along in development testing in Japan. MAGLEV is unlike conventional railways, so various problems lie in the technology of MAGLEV. One of them is surge analysis of the MAGLEV coil for propulsion and guidance (`coil for propulsion` for short). The coil for propulsion is installed on each side of the outdoor guideway. Thus, the power system of MAGLEV is always exposed to lightning and circuit switching. Accordingly, it is very important to do a rational insulation plan to prevent damage when surges enter the coils. In view of this situation I performed experiments using the mini model coils and clarified impulse voltage distribution at the end of each coil and simulated the surge characteristics by giving the inverted L equivalent circuit to the coil for propulsion. As a result, the measured values and calculated values were almost equal in the surge characteristics. Further, the surge characteristics of the Miyazaki test track and the future MAGLEV were examined. 10 refs., 17 figs., 1 tab.

Farmers as Employers. Numeracy. Level 1. Level 2. Level 3. Support Materials for Agricultural Training.

Science.gov (United States)

Batman, Kangan; Tully, Chris

This publication contains the three numeracy units of the three levels of Support Materials for Agricultural Training (SMAT) in the area of farmers as employers: Level 1 (starting), 2 (continuing), and 3 (completing). The units are designed to help the learner improve his or her numeracy skills needed to deal with employment of agriculture…

Comments About a Chameleon Theory: Level I/Level II.

Science.gov (United States)

Horn, John; Stankov, Lazar

1982-01-01

Jensen's ideas about two levels of intellectual abilities are criticized as being oversimplified. More than two levels of intellectual abilities and relationships between variables reflecting more than racial and socioeconomic status (SES) differences are suggested, arguing that Jensen's statements about race and SES differences are not properly…

Low-level toxicity of chemicals: No acceptable levels?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bruce P Lanphear

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Over the past 3 decades, in a series of studies on some of the most extensively studied toxic chemicals and pollutants, scientists have found that the amount of toxic chemical linked with the development of a disease or death-which is central to determining "safe" or "hazardous" levels-is proportionately greater at the lowest dose or levels of exposure. These results, which are contrary to the way the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA and other regulatory agencies assess the risk of chemicals, indicate that we have underestimated the impact of toxic chemicals on death and disease. If widely disseminated chemicals and pollutants-like radon, lead, airborne particles, asbestos, tobacco, and benzene-do not exhibit a threshold and are proportionately more toxic at the lowest levels of exposure, we will need to achieve near-zero exposures to protect public health.

Equivalence of velocity-level and acceleration-level redundancy-resolution of manipulators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cai Binghuang; Zhang Yunong

2009-01-01

The equivalence of velocity-level and acceleration-level redundancy resolution of robot manipulators is investigated in this Letter. Theoretical analysis based on gradient-descent method and computer simulations based on PUMA560 robot manipulator both demonstrate the equivalence of redundancy-resolution schemes at different levels.

Tiltmeter leveling mechanism

Science.gov (United States)

Hunter, Steven L.; Boro, Carl O.; Farris, Alvis

2002-01-01

A tiltmeter device having a pair of orthogonally disposed tilt sensors that are levelable within an inner housing containing the sensors. An outer housing can be rotated to level at least one of the sensor pair while the inner housing can be rotated to level the other sensor of the pair. The sensors are typically rotated up to about plus or minus 100 degrees. The device is effective for measuring tilts in a wide range of angles of inclination of wells and can be employed to level a platform containing a third sensor.

Level best : drilling seasonal load leveling business case : final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-10-01

Drilling and seismic costs in Western Canada are as much as 35 per cent higher during winter months. Favourable commodity pricing has prompted aggressive expansion of drilling programs in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin (WCSB), and capacity is becoming a significant issue. Many operators are turning to load leveling in order to secure rigs and crew availability. However, many operators still adhere to the traditional view that drilling of oil and gas wells is best accomplished during the winter. The purpose of the project discussed in this paper was to develop and present a business case for greater seasonal load leveling in the WCSB and spreading it more evenly throughout the year. Using calendar year quarters, publicly available data for a 5 year period from 2000-2004 for drilling activity, safety, weather, and environmental restrictions were examined. A list of candidate fields with high levels of activity and a good representation of well depths was selected. Well cost and rig data from 14 different companies was used. A variety of industry participants, drilling contractors, load leveling technology suppliers and provincial agencies were consulted to supplement well cost analyses. The financial impacts of load leveling were examined. Benefits included lower well costs; advanced production; avoided rig construction; reduced incident rates; and reduced turnover. While the focus of the business case for load leveling was based on hard cost data, many indirect benefits were identified, including First Nations sustainability and greater job security and comfort for workers. Various policies and incentives that encouraged load leveling in British Columbia and Alberta were reviewed. 57 figs

System level ESD protection

CERN Document Server

Vashchenko, Vladislav

2014-01-01

This book addresses key aspects of analog integrated circuits and systems design related to system level electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection.  It is an invaluable reference for anyone developing systems-on-chip (SoC) and systems-on-package (SoP), integrated with system-level ESD protection. The book focuses on both the design of semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) components with embedded, on-chip system level protection and IC-system co-design. The readers will be enabled to bring the system level ESD protection solutions to the level of integrated circuits, thereby reducing or completely eliminating the need for additional, discrete components on the printed circuit board (PCB) and meeting system-level ESD requirements. The authors take a systematic approach, based on IC-system ESD protection co-design. A detailed description of the available IC-level ESD testing methods is provided, together with a discussion of the correlation between IC-level and system-level ESD testing methods. The IC-level ESD...

Beyond level planarity

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Angelini, P.; Da Lozzo, G.; Di Battista, G.; Frati, F.; Patrignani, M.; Rutter, I.; Hu, Y.; Nöllenburg, M.

2016-01-01

In this paper we settle the computational complexity of two open problems related to the extension of the notion of level planarity to surfaces different from the plane. Namely, we show that the problems of testing the existence of a level embedding of a level graph on the surface of the rolling

Hybrid Fusion for Biometrics: Combining Score-level and Decision-level Fusion

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tao, Q.; Veldhuis, Raymond N.J.

2008-01-01

A general framework of fusion at decision level, which works on ROCs instead of matching scores, is investigated. Under this framework, we further propose a hybrid fusion method, which combines the score-level and decision-level fusions, taking advantage of both fusion modes. The hybrid fusion

How Team-Level and Individual-Level Conflict Influences Team Commitment: A Multilevel Investigation

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Sanghyun; Kwon, Seungwoo; Shin, Shung J.; Kim, MinSoo; Park, In-Jo

2018-01-01

We investigate how two different types of conflict (task conflict and relationship conflict) at two different levels (individual-level and team-level) influence individual team commitment. The analysis was conducted using data we collected from 193 employees in 31 branch offices of a Korean commercial bank. The relationships at multiple levels were tested using hierarchical linear modeling (HLM). The results showed that individual-level relationship conflict was negatively related to team commitment while individual-level task conflict was not. In addition, both team-level task and relationship conflict were negatively associated with team commitment. Finally, only team-level relationship conflict significantly moderated the relationship between individual-level relationship conflict and team commitment. We further derive theoretical implications of these findings. PMID:29387033

How Team-Level and Individual-Level Conflict Influences Team Commitment: A Multilevel Investigation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sanghyun Lee

2018-01-01

Full Text Available We investigate how two different types of conflict (task conflict and relationship conflict at two different levels (individual-level and team-level influence individual team commitment. The analysis was conducted using data we collected from 193 employees in 31 branch offices of a Korean commercial bank. The relationships at multiple levels were tested using hierarchical linear modeling (HLM. The results showed that individual-level relationship conflict was negatively related to team commitment while individual-level task conflict was not. In addition, both team-level task and relationship conflict were negatively associated with team commitment. Finally, only team-level relationship conflict significantly moderated the relationship between individual-level relationship conflict and team commitment. We further derive theoretical implications of these findings.

Data analysis at Level-1 Trigger level

CERN Document Server

Wittmann, Johannes; Aradi, Gregor; Bergauer, Herbert; Jeitler, Manfred; Wulz, Claudia; Apanasevich, Leonard; Winer, Brian; Puigh, Darren Michael

2017-01-01

With ever increasing luminosity at the LHC, optimum online data selection is getting more and more important. While in the case of some experiments (LHCb and ALICE) this task is being completely transferred to computer farms, the others - ATLAS and CMS - will not be able to do this in the medium-term future for technological, detector-related reasons. Therefore, these experiments pursue the complementary approach of migrating more and more of the offline and High-Level Trigger intelligence into the trigger electronics. This paper illustrates how the Level-1 Trigger of the CMS experiment and in particular its concluding stage, the Global Trigger, take up this challenge.

Levels of safety

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Povyakalo, A.A.

1996-01-01

When speaking about danger of catastrophe, it is the first level of danger. Its absence is the first level of safety. When speaking about danger of danger of catastrophe, it is the second level of danger. Its absence is the second level of safety. The paper proposes the way to formalize these ideas and use formal models to construct the states-and-event scale for a given object. The proposed approach can be applied to objects of different nature. The states-and-events scale may be used for transformation of initial objectives state-and-transitions graph to reduce bad classes of states

A School-Level Proxy Measure for Individual-level Poverty Using School-Level Eligibility for Free and Reduced-Price Meals

Science.gov (United States)

Day, Sophia E.; Hinterland, Kinjia; Myers, Christa; Gupta, Leena; Harris, Tiffany G.; Konty, Kevin J.

2016-01-01

Background: Socioeconomic status (SES) impacts health outcomes. The Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), like many school-based data sources, lacks individual-level poverty information. We propose using school-level percentages of student eligibility for free/reduced-price meals (%FRPM) as a proxy for individual-level poverty. Methods: Using the New…

Translation of a High-Level Temporal Model into Lower Level Models: Impact of Modelling at Different Description Levels

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kraft, Peter; Sørensen, Jens Otto

2001-01-01

given types of properties, and examine how descriptions on higher levels translate into descriptions on lower levels. Our example looks at temporal properties where the information is concerned with the existence in time. In a high level temporal model with information kept in a three-dimensional space...... the existences in time can be mapped precisely and consistently securing a consistent handling of the temporal properties. We translate the high level temporal model into an entity-relationship model, with the information in a two-dimensional graph, and finally we look at the translations into relational...... and other textual models. We also consider the aptness of models that include procedural mechanisms such as active and object databases...

Farm Management and Leadership. Numeracy. Level 1. Level 2. Level 3. Support Materials for Agricultural Training.

Science.gov (United States)

Batman, Kangan; Gadd, Nick; Lucas, Michele

This publication contains the three numeracy units of the three levels of Support Materials for Agricultural Training (SMAT) in farm management and leadership: Level 1 (starting), 2 (continuing), and 3 (completing). The units are designed to help the learner improve his or her numeracy skills needed to deal with farm management. SMAT materials can…

Occupational Health and Safety. Numeracy. Level 1. Level 2. Level 3. Support Materials for Agricultural Training.

Science.gov (United States)

Batman, Kangan; Tully, Chris

This publication contains the three numeracy units of the three levels of Support Materials for Agricultural Training (SMAT) in the area of occupational health and safety: Level 1 (starting), 2 (continuing), and 3 (completing). The units are designed to help the learner improve his or her numeracy skills needed to deal with occupational safety and…

Multiple Level Crowding: Crowding at the Object Parts Level and at the Object Configural level.

Science.gov (United States)

Kimchi, Ruth; Pirkner, Yossef

2015-01-01

In crowding, identification of a peripheral target in the presence of nearby flankers is worse than when the target appears alone. Prevailing theories hold that crowding occurs because of integration or "pooling" of low-level features at a single, relatively early stage of visual processing. Recent studies suggest that crowding can occur also between high-level object representations. The most relevant findings come from studies with faces and may be specific to faces. We examined whether crowding can occur at the object configural level in addition to part-level crowding, using nonface objects. Target (a disconnected square or diamond made of four elements) identification was measured at varying eccentricities. The flankers were similar either to the target parts or to the target configuration. The results showed crowding in both cases: Flankers interfered with target identification such that identification accuracy decreased with an increase in eccentricity, and no interference was observed at the fovea. Crowding by object parts, however, was weaker and had smaller spatial extent than crowding by object configurations; we related this finding to the relationship between crowding and perceptual organization. These results provide strong evidence that crowding occurs not only between object parts but also between configural representations of objects. © The Author(s) 2015.

Serum Levels of Progranulin Do Not Reflect Cerebrospinal Fluid Levels in Neurodegenerative Disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilke, Carlo; Gillardon, Frank; Deuschle, Christian; Dubois, Evelyn; Hobert, Markus A; Müller vom Hagen, Jennifer; Krüger, Stefanie; Biskup, Saskia; Blauwendraat, Cornelis; Hruscha, Michael; Kaeser, Stephan A; Heutink, Peter; Maetzler, Walter; Synofzik, Matthis

2016-01-01

Altered progranulin levels play a major role in neurodegenerative diseases, like Alzheimer's dementia (AD), frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), even in the absence of GRN mutations. Increasing progranulin levels could hereby provide a novel treatment strategy. However, knowledge on progranulin regulation in neurodegenerative diseases remains limited. We here demonstrate that cerebrospinal fluid progranulin levels do not correlate with its serum levels in AD, FTD and ALS, indicating a differential regulation of its central and peripheral levels in neurodegeneration. Blood progranulin levels thus do not reliably predict central nervous progranulin levels and their response to future progranulin-increasing therapeutics.

Fission level densities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maslov, V.M.

1998-01-01

Fission level densities (or fissioning nucleus level densities at fission saddle deformations) are required for statistical model calculations of actinide fission cross sections. Back-shifted Fermi-Gas Model, Constant Temperature Model and Generalized Superfluid Model (GSM) are widely used for the description of level densities at stable deformations. These models provide approximately identical level density description at excitations close to the neutron binding energy. It is at low excitation energies that they are discrepant, while this energy region is crucial for fission cross section calculations. A drawback of back-shifted Fermi gas model and traditional constant temperature model approaches is that it is difficult to include in a consistent way pair correlations, collective effects and shell effects. Pair, shell and collective properties of nucleus do not reduce just to the renormalization of level density parameter a, but influence the energy dependence of level densities. These effects turn out to be important because they seem to depend upon deformation of either equilibrium or saddle-point. These effects are easily introduced within GSM approach. Fission barriers are another key ingredients involved in the fission cross section calculations. Fission level density and barrier parameters are strongly interdependent. This is the reason for including fission barrier parameters along with the fission level densities in the Starter File. The recommended file is maslov.dat - fission barrier parameters. Recent version of actinide fission barrier data obtained in Obninsk (obninsk.dat) should only be considered as a guide for selection of initial parameters. These data are included in the Starter File, together with the fission barrier parameters recommended by CNDC (beijing.dat), for completeness. (author)

Water level indicator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murase, Michio; Araki, Hidefumi.

1996-01-01

A difference of pressure between a standard pressure conduit in communication with a gas phase of a reactor pressure vessel and a water level pressure conduit in communication with a liquid phase of the pressure vessel is detected by a pressure difference gage. A communication pipe and a standard level vessel are disposed between the pressure vessel and the standard pressure conduit, and a standard liquid surface on the side of the standard pressure conduit is formed in the standard level vessel. A gas releaser is disposed to the gas phase portion of the standard level vessel. The gas releaser equipment is constituted by a porous material, a permeation membrane and a gas exhaustion hole. The gas phase of the standard level vessel is divided by a partition plate into a first gas phase being in contact with a connection portion with the communication pipe and a second gas phase in contact with the gas releaser. A gas flow channel hole and a condensate descending hole are disposed to the partition plate. Since incondensible gases accumulated to the standard level vessel are effectively exhausted, the incondensible gases are prevented from being dissolved into liquid. (I.N.)

Inferring individual-level processes from population-level patterns in cultural evolution

Science.gov (United States)

Wilder, Bryan

2017-01-01

Our species is characterized by a great degree of cultural variation, both within and between populations. Understanding how group-level patterns of culture emerge from individual-level behaviour is a long-standing question in the biological and social sciences. We develop a simulation model capturing demographic and cultural dynamics relevant to human cultural evolution, focusing on the interface between population-level patterns and individual-level processes. The model tracks the distribution of variants of cultural traits across individuals in a population over time, conditioned on different pathways for the transmission of information between individuals. From these data, we obtain theoretical expectations for a range of statistics commonly used to capture population-level characteristics (e.g. the degree of cultural diversity). Consistent with previous theoretical work, our results show that the patterns observed at the level of groups are rooted in the interplay between the transmission pathways and the age structure of the population. We also explore whether, and under what conditions, the different pathways can be distinguished based on their group-level signatures, in an effort to establish theoretical limits to inference. Our results show that the temporal dynamic of cultural change over time retains a stronger signature than the cultural composition of the population at a specific point in time. Overall, the results suggest a shift in focus from identifying the one individual-level process that likely produced the observed data to excluding those that likely did not. We conclude by discussing the implications for empirical studies of human cultural evolution. PMID:28989786

Inferring individual-level processes from population-level patterns in cultural evolution.

Science.gov (United States)

Kandler, Anne; Wilder, Bryan; Fortunato, Laura

2017-09-01

Our species is characterized by a great degree of cultural variation, both within and between populations. Understanding how group-level patterns of culture emerge from individual-level behaviour is a long-standing question in the biological and social sciences. We develop a simulation model capturing demographic and cultural dynamics relevant to human cultural evolution, focusing on the interface between population-level patterns and individual-level processes. The model tracks the distribution of variants of cultural traits across individuals in a population over time, conditioned on different pathways for the transmission of information between individuals. From these data, we obtain theoretical expectations for a range of statistics commonly used to capture population-level characteristics (e.g. the degree of cultural diversity). Consistent with previous theoretical work, our results show that the patterns observed at the level of groups are rooted in the interplay between the transmission pathways and the age structure of the population. We also explore whether, and under what conditions, the different pathways can be distinguished based on their group-level signatures, in an effort to establish theoretical limits to inference. Our results show that the temporal dynamic of cultural change over time retains a stronger signature than the cultural composition of the population at a specific point in time. Overall, the results suggest a shift in focus from identifying the one individual-level process that likely produced the observed data to excluding those that likely did not. We conclude by discussing the implications for empirical studies of human cultural evolution.

Emotion-driven level generation

OpenAIRE

Togelius, Julian; Yannakakis, Georgios N.

2016-01-01

This chapter examines the relationship between emotions and level generation. Grounded in the experience-driven procedural content generation framework we focus on levels and introduce a taxonomy of approaches for emotion-driven level generation. We then review four characteristic level generators of our earlier work that exemplify each one of the approaches introduced. We conclude the chapter with our vision on the future of emotion-driven level generation.

Switching between global and local levels: the level repetition effect and its hemispheric asymmetry

Science.gov (United States)

Kéïta, Luc; Bedoin, Nathalie; Burack, Jacob A.; Lepore, Franco

2014-01-01

The global level of hierarchical stimuli (Navon’s stimuli) is typically processed quicker and better than the local level; further differential hemispheric dominance is described for local (left hemisphere, LH) and global (right hemisphere, RH) processing. However, neuroimaging and behavioral data indicate that stimulus category (letter or object) could modulate the hemispheric asymmetry for the local level processing. Besides, when the targets are unpredictably displayed at the global or local level, the participant has to switch between levels, and the magnitude of the switch cost increases with the number of repeated-level trials preceding the switch. The hemispheric asymmetries associated with level switching is an unresolved issue. LH areas may be involved in carrying over the target level information in case of level repetition. These areas may also largely participate in the processing of level-changed trials. Here we hypothesized that RH areas underly the inhibitory mechanism performed on the irrelevant level, as one of the components of the level switching process. In an experiment using a within-subject design, hierarchical stimuli were briefly presented either to the right or to the left visual field. 32 adults were instructed to identify the target at the global or local level. We assessed a possible RH dominance for the non-target level inhibition by varying the attentional demands through the manipulation of level repetitions (two or gour repeated-level trials before the switch). The behavioral data confirmed a LH specialization only for the local level processing of letter-based stimuli, and detrimental effect of increased level repetitions before a switch. Further, data provides evidence for a RH advantage in inhibiting the non-target level. Taken together, the data supports the notion of the existence of multiple mechanisms underlying level-switch effects. PMID:24723903

Sea level hazards: Altimetric monitoring of tsunamis and sea level rise

Science.gov (United States)

Hamlington, Benjamin Dillon

Whether on the short timescale of an impending tsunami or the much longer timescale of climate change-driven sea level rise, the threat stemming from rising and inundating ocean waters is a great concern to coastal populations. Timely and accurate observations of potentially dangerous changes in sea level are vital in determining the precautionary steps that need to be taken in order to protect coastal communities. While instruments from the past have provided in situ measurements of sea level at specific locations across the globe, satellites can be used to provide improved spatial and temporal sampling of the ocean in addition to producing more accurate measurements. Since 1993, satellite altimetry has provided accurate measurements of sea surface height (SSH) with near-global coverage. Not only have these measurements led to the first definitive estimates of global mean sea level rise, satellite altimetry observations have also been used to detect tsunami waves in the open ocean where wave amplitudes are relatively small, a vital step in providing early warning to those potentially affected by the impending tsunami. The use of satellite altimetry to monitor two specific sea level hazards is examined in this thesis. The first section will focus on the detection of tsunamis in the open ocean for the purpose of providing early warning to coastal inhabitants. The second section will focus on estimating secular trends using satellite altimetry data with the hope of improving our understanding of future sea level change. Results presented here will show the utility of satellite altimetry for sea level monitoring and will lay the foundation for further advancement in the detection of the two sea level hazards considered.

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

Science.gov (United States)

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

2012-03-01

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

Optimal maintenance policy incorporating system level and unit level for mechanical systems

Science.gov (United States)

Duan, Chaoqun; Deng, Chao; Wang, Bingran

2018-04-01

The study works on a multi-level maintenance policy combining system level and unit level under soft and hard failure modes. The system experiences system-level preventive maintenance (SLPM) when the conditional reliability of entire system exceeds SLPM threshold, and also undergoes a two-level maintenance for each single unit, which is initiated when a single unit exceeds its preventive maintenance (PM) threshold, and the other is performed simultaneously the moment when any unit is going for maintenance. The units experience both periodic inspections and aperiodic inspections provided by failures of hard-type units. To model the practical situations, two types of economic dependence have been taken into account, which are set-up cost dependence and maintenance expertise dependence due to the same technology and tool/equipment can be utilised. The optimisation problem is formulated and solved in a semi-Markov decision process framework. The objective is to find the optimal system-level threshold and unit-level thresholds by minimising the long-run expected average cost per unit time. A formula for the mean residual life is derived for the proposed multi-level maintenance policy. The method is illustrated by a real case study of feed subsystem from a boring machine, and a comparison with other policies demonstrates the effectiveness of our approach.

Excitation into 3p55p levels from the metastable levels of Ar

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jung, R. O.; Boffard, John B.; Anderson, L. W.; Lin, Chun C.

2007-01-01

Measurements of cross sections for electron-impact excitation out of the J=0 and J=2 3p 5 4s metastable levels of argon into nine of the ten levels of the 3p 5 5p manifold are presented in the energy range from threshold to 10 eV. A mixed target of atoms in both metastable levels was created by a hollow cathode discharge. Laser quenching was used to depopulate either one of the metastable levels, allowing separate measurements of the cross sections from each of the two metastable levels. Unlike the metastable excitation cross sections into 3p 5 4p levels, the cross sections into the 3p 5 5p levels are not found to be proportional to optical oscillator strengths

Liquid level controller

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mangus, J.D.; Redding, A.H.

1975-01-01

A system for maintaining two distinct sodium levels within the shell of a heat exchanger having a plurality of J-shaped modular tube bundles each enclosed in a separate shell which extends from a common base portion. A lower liquid level is maintained in the base portion and an upper liquid level is maintained in the shell enwrapping the long stem of the J-shaped tube bundles by utilizing standpipes with a notch at the lower end which decreases in open area the distance from the end of the stand pipe increases and a supply of inert gas fed at a constant rate to produce liquid levels, which will remain generally constant as the flow of liquid through the vessel varies

Sea Levels Online: Sea Level Variations of the United States Derived from National Water Level Observation Network Stations

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Water level records are a combination of the fluctuations of the ocean and the vertical land motion at the location of the station. Monthly mean sea level (MSL)...

24 CFR 990.175 - Utilities expense level: Computation of the current consumption level.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

...: Computation of the current consumption level. 990.175 Section 990.175 Housing and Urban Development... Calculating Formula Expenses § 990.175 Utilities expense level: Computation of the current consumption level. The current consumption level shall be the actual amount of each utility consumed during the 12-month...

Contemporary Arctic Sea Level

Science.gov (United States)

Cazenave, A. A.

2017-12-01

During recent decades, the Arctic region has warmed at a rate about twice the rest of the globe. Sea ice melting is increasing and the Greenland ice sheet is losing mass at an accelerated rate. Arctic warming, decrease in the sea ice cover and fresh water input to the Arctic ocean may eventually impact the Arctic sea level. In this presentation, we review our current knowledge of contemporary Arctic sea level changes. Until the beginning of the 1990s, Arctic sea level variations were essentially deduced from tide gauges located along the Russian and Norwegian coastlines. Since then, high inclination satellite altimetry missions have allowed measuring sea level over a large portion of the Arctic Ocean (up to 80 degree north). Measuring sea level in the Arctic by satellite altimetry is challenging because the presence of sea ice cover limits the full capacity of this technique. However adapted processing of raw altimetric measurements significantly increases the number of valid data, hence the data coverage, from which regional sea level variations can be extracted. Over the altimetry era, positive trend patterns are observed over the Beaufort Gyre and along the east coast of Greenland, while negative trends are reported along the Siberian shelf. On average over the Arctic region covered by satellite altimetry, the rate of sea level rise since 1992 is slightly less than the global mea sea level rate (of about 3 mm per year). On the other hand, the interannual variability is quite significant. Space gravimetry data from the GRACE mission and ocean reanalyses provide information on the mass and steric contributions to sea level, hence on the sea level budget. Budget studies show that regional sea level trends over the Beaufort Gyre and along the eastern coast of Greenland, are essentially due to salinity changes. However, in terms of regional average, the net steric component contributes little to the observed sea level trend. The sea level budget in the Arctic

Projecting future sea level

Science.gov (United States)

Cayan, Daniel R.; Bromirski, Peter; Hayhoe, Katharine; Tyree, Mary; Dettinger, Mike; Flick, Reinhard

2006-01-01

California’s coastal observations and global model projections indicate that California’s open coast and estuaries will experience increasing sea levels over the next century. Sea level rise has affected much of the coast of California, including the Southern California coast, the Central California open coast, and the San Francisco Bay and upper estuary. These trends, quantified from a small set of California tide gages, have ranged from 10–20 centimeters (cm) (3.9–7.9 inches) per century, quite similar to that estimated for global mean sea level. So far, there is little evidence that the rate of rise has accelerated, and the rate of rise at California tide gages has actually flattened since 1980, but projections suggest substantial sea level rise may occur over the next century. Climate change simulations project a substantial rate of global sea level rise over the next century due to thermal expansion as the oceans warm and runoff from melting land-based snow and ice accelerates. Sea level rise projected from the models increases with the amount of warming. Relative to sea levels in 2000, by the 2070–2099 period, sea level rise projections range from 11–54 cm (4.3–21 in) for simulations following the lower (B1) greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions scenario, from 14–61 cm (5.5–24 in) for the middle-upper (A2) emission scenario, and from 17–72 cm (6.7–28 in) for the highest (A1fi) scenario. In addition to relatively steady secular trends, sea levels along the California coast undergo shorter period variability above or below predicted tide levels and changes associated with long-term trends. These variations are caused by weather events and by seasonal to decadal climate fluctuations over the Pacific Ocean that in turn affect the Pacific coast. Highest coastal sea levels have occurred when winter storms and Pacific climate disturbances, such as El Niño, have coincided with high astronomical tides. This study considers a range of projected future

Nuclear Level Densities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grimes, S.M.

2005-01-01

Recent research in the area of nuclear level densities is reviewed. The current interest in nuclear astrophysics and in structure of nuclei off of the line of stability has led to the development of radioactive beam facilities with larger machines currently being planned. Nuclear level densities for the systems used to produce the radioactive beams influence substantially the production rates of these beams. The modification of level-density parameters near the drip lines would also affect nucleosynthesis rates and abundances

Adopting the EU sustainable performance scheme Level(s) in the Danish building sector

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kanafani, Kai; Rasmussen, Freja Nygaard; Zimmermann, Regitze Kjær

2018-01-01

to life cycle assessment (LCA) requirements within the Level(s) scheme. As a measure for the Danish building sector’s LCA practice, the specifications for LCAbyg, the official Danish building LCA tool, is used. In 2017, the European commission’s Joint Research Centre has launched Level(s) as a vo...

Stepwise latent class models for explaining group-level putcomes using discrete individual-level predictors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bennink, Margot; Croon, M.A.; Vermunt, J.K.

2015-01-01

Explaining group-level outcomes from individual-level predictors requires aggregating the individual-level scores to the group level and correcting the group-level estimates for measurement errors in the aggregated scores. However, for discrete variables it is not clear how to perform the

Low-level waste management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Levin, G.B.

1980-01-01

An overview of the current situation in the United States and a look to the future of low-level waste management are presented. Current problems and challenges are discussed, such as: the need of additional disposal sites in the future; risks and costs involved in transport of low-level wastes; reduction of low-level waste volume through smelting, incineration, and storage for wastes containing nuclides with short half lives; development of a national policy for the management of low-level waste, and its implementation through a sensible system of regulations. Establishing a success with low-level waste management should provide the momentum and public confidence needed to continue on and to resolve the technical and politically more difficult low-level waste problems

Reference handbook: Level detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-01-01

The purpose of this handbook is to provide Rocky Flats personnel with the information necessary to understand level measurement and detection. Upon completion of this handbook you should be able to do the following: List three reasons for measuring level. Describe the basic operating principles of the sight glass. Demonstrate proper techniques for reading a sight glass. Describe the basic operating principles of a float level detector. Describe the basic operating principles of a bubbler level indicating system. Explain the differences between a wet and dry reference leg indicating system, and describe how each functions. This handbook is designed for use by experienced Rocky Flats operators to reinforce and improve their current knowledge level, and by entry-level operators to ensure that they possess a minimum level of fundamental knowledge. Level Detectors is applicable to many job classifications and can be used as a reference for classroom work or for self-study. Although this reference handbook is by no means all-encompassing, you will gain enough information about this subject area to assist you in contributing to the safe operation of Rocky Flats Plant

Low-level radioactive waste, mixed low-level radioactive waste, and biomedical mixed waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1994-01-01

This document describes the proceedings of a workshop entitled: Low-Level Radioactive Waste, Mixed Low-Level Radioactive Waste, and Biomedical Mixed Waste presented by the National Low-Level Waste Management Program at the University of Florida, October 17-19, 1994. The topics covered during the workshop include technical data and practical information regarding the generation, handling, storage and disposal of low-level radioactive and mixed wastes. A description of low-level radioactive waste activities in the United States and the regional compacts is presented

Errors and conflict at the task level and the response level.

Science.gov (United States)

Desmet, Charlotte; Fias, Wim; Hartstra, Egbert; Brass, Marcel

2011-01-26

In the last decade, research on error and conflict processing has become one of the most influential research areas in the domain of cognitive control. There is now converging evidence that a specific part of the posterior frontomedian cortex (pFMC), the rostral cingulate zone (RCZ), is crucially involved in the processing of errors and conflict. However, error-related research has focused primarily on a specific error type, namely, response errors. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether errors on the task level rely on the same neural and functional mechanisms. Here we report a dissociation of both error types in the pFMC: whereas response errors activate the RCZ, task errors activate the dorsal frontomedian cortex. Although this last region shows an overlap in activation for task and response errors on the group level, a closer inspection of the single-subject data is more in accordance with a functional anatomical dissociation. When investigating brain areas related to conflict on the task and response levels, a clear dissociation was perceived between areas associated with response conflict and with task conflict. Overall, our data support a dissociation between response and task levels of processing in the pFMC. In addition, we provide additional evidence for a dissociation between conflict and errors both at the response level and at the task level.

Storage for low-level and intermediate-level radioactive wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-11-01

The objective of this report was to assess whether three nominated sites in Norway for underground storage of low-level and intermediate-level radioactive wastes would comply with safety standards and applicable laws and regulations. The site selection criteria are described and the report evaluates the technical, environmental and socio-economic suitability of the different sites. The site selection process eliminated two of the nominated sites, whereas one site was singled out. 28 refs., 14 figs., 10 tabs

Low magnesium level

Science.gov (United States)

Low magnesium level is a condition in which the amount of magnesium in the blood is lower than normal. The medical ... that convert or use energy ( metabolism ). When the level of magnesium in the body drops below normal, ...

IMMEDIATE RECIPROCAL CHANGES AT ADJACENT LEVEL FOLLOWING SINGLE-LEVEL ALIF

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Enrique Vargas Uribe

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Objective : To assess the segmental sagittal parameters and the adjacent mobile segment after interbody fusion by anterior approach in single-level L5-S1. Methods : Retrospective study. Inclusion: Interbody fusion by anterior approach (10°/15° angle, due to DDD, low-grade spondylolisthesis and/or stenosis without prior lumbar fusion. Thirty-five cases were included (25 women; mean age 47±15 years. Analysis of lumbar radiographs were performed preoperatively and 3 months after surgery. The following parameters were evaluated: lumbar lordosis; segmental lordosis L4-L5 and L5-S1; sacral and L5 slope. Two independent evaluators made the measurements. Student's t test was used. Results : There was correction of lordosis at the L5-S1 level, from an average of 19° prior to surgery to 28° three months after surgery (p<0.001. It was observed reduction of the L4-L5 angle from 17° to 14° (p <0.001. Moreover, there was a small, but statistically significant, reduction of L5 inclination from 17 ° to 13 ° (p=0.007 and increase in the sacral slope from 37° to 40° (p=0.002. The change of total lumbar lordosis was not significant: 52° versus 53° (p=0.461. Before surgical correction, lordosis of the L5-S1 level contributed, on average, 37% of lumbar lordosis, and after, 54% (p<0.001. The L4-L5 level accounted for 34% and decreased to 24% (p<0.001. Conclusion : In the group studied, it was observed a decrease in lordosis of the adjacent mobile level following the treatment of the degenerate level by anterior interbody fusion and concomitant increase in lordosis.

Nuclear level density

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cardoso Junior, J.L.

1982-10-01

Experimental data show that the number of nuclear states increases rapidly with increasing excitation energy. The properties of highly excited nuclei are important for many nuclear reactions, mainly those that go via processes of the compound nucleus type. In this case, it is sufficient to know the statistical properties of the nuclear levels. First of them is the function of nuclear levels density. Several theoretical models which describe the level density are presented. The statistical mechanics and a quantum mechanics formalisms as well as semi-empirical results are analysed and discussed. (Author) [pt

Estimation of subsurface-fracture orientation with the three-component crack-wave measurement; Kiretsuha sanjiku keisoku ni yoru chika kiretsumen no hoko suitei

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nagano, K; Sato, K [Muroran Institute of Technology, Hokkaido (Japan); Niitsuma, H [Tohoku University, Sendai (Japan)

1996-05-01

This paper reports experiments carried out to estimate subsurface-fracture orientation with the three-component crack-wave measurement. The experiments were performed by using existing subsurface cracks and two wells in the experimental field. An air gun as a sound source was installed directly above a subsurface crack intersection in one of the wells, and a three-component elastic wave detector was fixed in the vicinity of a subsurface crack intersection in the other well. Crack waves from the sound source were measured in a frequency bandwidth from 150 to 300 Hz. A coherence matrix was constituted relative to triaxial components of vibration in the crack waves; a coherent vector was sought that corresponds to a maximum coherent value of the matrix; and the direction of the longer axis in an ellipse (the direction being perpendicular to the crack face) was approximated in particle motions of the crack waves by using the vector. The normal line direction of the crack face estimated by using the above method was found to agree nearly well with the direction of the minimum crust compression stress measured in the normal line direction of the crack face existed in core samples collected from the wells, and measured at nearly the same position as the subsurface crack. 5 refs., 4 figs.

Adaptive Reference Levels in a Level-Crossing Analog-to-Digital Converter

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrew C. Singer

2008-11-01

Full Text Available Level-crossing analog-to-digital converters (LC ADCs have been considered in the literature and have been shown to efficiently sample certain classes of signals. One important aspect of their implementation is the placement of reference levels in the converter. The levels need to be appropriately located within the input dynamic range, in order to obtain samples efficiently. In this paper, we study optimization of the performance of such an LC ADC by providing several sequential algorithms that adaptively update the ADC reference levels. The accompanying performance analysis and simulation results show that as the signal length grows, the performance of the sequential algorithms asymptotically approaches that of the best choice that could only have been chosen in hindsight within a family of possible schemes.

Correlation of Salivary Glucose Level with Blood Glucose Level in Diabetes Mellitus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arati S. Panchbhai

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Objectives: There is alarming rise in number of people with diabetes mellitus over these years. If glucose in saliva is linked to glucose in blood it can be used to detect diabetes mellitus at an early stage. The present study is undertaken with the aim to assess the correlation of salivary glucose level with blood glucose level in people with diabetes mellitus. Material and Methods: For investigations, 2 sets of samples of people with diabetes and the age and sex matched non-diabetic subjects were recruited. The salivary glucose was analyzed in unstimulated whole saliva samples using glucose oxidase method. Pearson’s correlation coefficient test was applied to assess the correlation between salivary glucose level and blood glucose level. Results: The significant (P < 0.05 positive correlation of salivary glucose level and fasting blood glucose level was observed in people with uncontrolled diabetes in both the sets of samples.Conclusions: Although study suggests some potential for saliva as a marker in monitoring of diabetes mellitus, there are many aspects that need clarification before we reach to a conclusion.

Low-level Radioactive waste Management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-01-01

This meeting describes low-level radioactive waste management problems and contains 8 papers: 1 Low-level radioactive waste management: exemption concept and criteria used by international organizations. 2 Low-level radioactive waste management: french and foreign regulations 3 Low-level radioactive waste management in EDF nuclear power plants (FRANCE) 4 Low-level radioactive waste management in COGEMA (FRANCE) 5 Importance of low-level radioactive wastes in dismantling strategy in CEA (FRANCE) 6 Low-level radioactive waste management in hospitals 7 Low-level radioactive waste disposal: radiation protection laws 8 Methods of low-level radioactive materials measurements during reactor dismantling or nuclear facilities demolition (FRANCE)

Precision contact level gauge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krejci, M.; Pilat, M.; Stulik, P.

1977-01-01

Equipment was developed measuring the heavy water level in the TR-0 reactor core within an accuracy of several hundredths of a millimeter in a range of around 3.5 m and at a temperature of up to 90 degC. The equipment uses a vibrating needle contact as a high sensitivity level gauge and a servomechanical system with a motion screw carrying the gauge for monitoring and measuring the level in the desired range. The advantage of the unique level gauge consists in that that the transducer converts the measured level position to an electric signal, ie., pulse width, with high sensitivity and without hysteresis. (Kr)

Properties of 112Cd from the (n,n'γ) reaction: Levels and level densities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garrett, P. E.; Lehmann, H.; Jolie, J.; McGrath, C. A.; Yeh, Minfang; Younes, W.; Yates, S. W.

2001-01-01

Levels in 112 Cd have been studied through the (n,n'γ) reaction with monoenergetic neutrons. An extended set of experiments that included excitation functions, γ-ray angular distributions, and γγ coincidence measurements was performed. A total of 375 γ rays were placed in a level scheme comprising 200 levels (of which 238 γ-ray assignments and 58 levels are newly established) up to 4 MeV in excitation. No evidence to support the existence of 47 levels as suggested in previous studies was found, and these have been removed from the level scheme. From the results, a comparison of the level density is made with the constant temperature and back-shifted Fermi gas models. The back-shifted Fermi gas model with the Gilbert-Cameron spin cutoff parameter provided the best overall fit. Without using the neutron resonance information and only fitting the cumulative number of low-lying levels, the level density parameters extracted are a sensitive function of the maximum energy used in the fit

Disposal of high level and intermediate level radioactive wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Flowers, R.H.

1991-01-01

The waste products from the nuclear industry are relatively small in volume. Apart from a few minor gaseous and liquid waste streams, containing readily dispersible elements of low radiotoxicity, all these products are processed into stable solid packages for disposal in underground repositories. Because the volumes are small, and because radioactive wastes are latecomers on the industrial scene, a whole new industry with a world-wide technological infrastructure has grown up alongside the nuclear power industry to carry out the waste processing and disposal to very high standards. Some of the technical approaches used, and the Regulatory controls which have been developed, will undoubtedly find application in the future to the management of non-radioactive toxic wastes. The repository site outlined would contain even high-level radioactive wastes and spent fuels being contained without significant radiation dose rates to the public. Water pathway dose rates are likely to be lowest for vitrified high-level wastes with spent PWR fuel and intermediate level wastes being somewhat higher. (author)

Level dynamics: An approach to the study of avoided level crossings and transition to chaos

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, S.; Chu, S.Y.

1993-01-01

The Dyson-Pechukas level dynamics has been reformulated and made suitable for studying avoided level crossings and transition to chaos. The N-level dynamics is converted into a many-body problem of one-dimensional Coulomb gas with N-constituent particles having intrinsic excitations. It is shown that local fluctuation of the level distribution is generated by a large number of avoided level crossings. The role played by avoided level crossings in generating chaoticity in level dynamics is similar to the role played by short-range collisions in causing thermalization in many-body dynamics. Furthermore, the effect of level changing rates in producing avoided level crossings is the same as particle velocities in causing particle-particle collisions. A one-dimensional su(2) Hamiltonian has been constructed as an illustration of the level dynamics, showing how the avoided level crossings cause the transition from a regular distribution to the chaotic Gaussian orthogonal ensemble (GOE) distribution of the levels. The existence of the one-dimensional su(2) Hamiltonian which can show both GOE and Poisson level statistics is remarkable and deserves further investigation

Surface-Level Diversity and Decision-Making in Groups: When Does Deep-Level Similarity Help?

OpenAIRE

2006-01-01

Abstract We examined how surface-level diversity (based on race) and deep-level similarities influenced three-person decision-making groups on a hidden-profile task. Surface-level homogeneous groups perceived their information to be less unique and spent less time on the task than surface-level diverse groups. When the groups were given the opportunity to learn about their deep-level similarities prior to t...

LevelScheme: A level scheme drawing and scientific figure preparation system for Mathematica

Science.gov (United States)

Caprio, M. A.

2005-09-01

LevelScheme is a scientific figure preparation system for Mathematica. The main emphasis is upon the construction of level schemes, or level energy diagrams, as used in nuclear, atomic, molecular, and hadronic physics. LevelScheme also provides a general infrastructure for the preparation of publication-quality figures, including support for multipanel and inset plotting, customizable tick mark generation, and various drawing and labeling tasks. Coupled with Mathematica's plotting functions and powerful programming language, LevelScheme provides a flexible system for the creation of figures combining diagrams, mathematical plots, and data plots. Program summaryTitle of program:LevelScheme Catalogue identifier:ADVZ Program obtainable from: CPC Program Library, Queen's University of Belfast, N. Ireland Program summary URL:http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/summaries/ADVZ Operating systems:Any which supports Mathematica; tested under Microsoft Windows XP, Macintosh OS X, and Linux Programming language used:Mathematica 4 Number of bytes in distributed program, including test and documentation:3 051 807 Distribution format:tar.gz Nature of problem:Creation of level scheme diagrams. Creation of publication-quality multipart figures incorporating diagrams and plots. Method of solution:A set of Mathematica packages has been developed, providing a library of level scheme drawing objects, tools for figure construction and labeling, and control code for producing the graphics.

Levels of organization in biology: on the nature and nomenclature of ecology's fourth level.

Science.gov (United States)

Lidicker, William Z

2008-02-01

Viewing the universe as being composed of hierarchically arranged systems is widely accepted as a useful model of reality. In ecology, three levels of organization are generally recognized: organisms, populations, and communities (biocoenoses). For half a century increasing numbers of ecologists have concluded that recognition of a fourth level would facilitate increased understanding of ecological phenomena. Sometimes the word "ecosystem" is used for this level, but this is arguably inappropriate. Since 1986, I and others have argued that the term "landscape" would be a suitable term for a level of organization defined as an ecological system containing more than one community type. However, "landscape" and "landscape level" continue to be used extensively by ecologists in the popular sense of a large expanse of space. I therefore now propose that the term "ecoscape" be used instead for this fourth level of organization. A clearly defined fourth level for ecology would focus attention on the emergent properties of this level, and maintain the spatial and temporal scale-free nature inherent in this hierarchy of organizational levels for living entities.

Coupling of sea level and tidal range changes, with implications for future water levels.

Science.gov (United States)

Devlin, Adam T; Jay, David A; Talke, Stefan A; Zaron, Edward D; Pan, Jiayi; Lin, Hui

2017-12-05

Are perturbations to ocean tides correlated with changing sea-level and climate, and how will this affect high water levels? Here, we survey 152 tide gauges in the Pacific Ocean and South China Sea and statistically evaluate how the sum of the four largest tidal constituents, a proxy for the highest astronomical tide (HAT), changes over seasonal and interannual time scales. We find that the variability in HAT is significantly correlated with sea-level variability; approximately 35% of stations exhibit a greater than ±50 mm tidal change per meter sea-level fluctuation. Focusing on a subset of three stations with long records, probability density function (PDF) analyses of the 95% percentile exceedance of total sea level (TSL) show long-term changes of this high-water metric. At Hong Kong, the increase in tides significantly amplifies the risk caused by sea-level rise. Regions of tidal decrease and/or amplification highlight the non-linear response to sea-level variations, with the potential to amplify or mitigate against the increased flood risk caused by sea-level rise. Overall, our analysis suggests that in many regions, local flood level determinations should consider the joint effects of non-stationary tides and mean sea level (MSL) at multiple time scales.

Reactor water level control device

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hiramatsu, Yohei.

1980-01-01

Purpose: To increase the rapid response of the waterlevel control converting a reactor water level signal into a non-linear type, when the water level is near to a set value, to stabilize the water level reducting correlatively the reactor water level variation signal to stabilize greatly from the set value, and increasing the variation signal. Constitution: A main vapor flow quality transmitter detects the vapor flow generated in a reactor and introduced into a turbine. A feed water flow transmitter detects the quantity of a feed water flow from the turbine to the reactor, this detected value is sent to an addition operating apparatus. On the other hand, the power signal of the reactor water level transmitter is sent to the addition operating apparatus through a non-linear water level signal converter. The addition operation apparatus generates a signal for requesting the feed water flow quantity from both signals. Upon this occasion, the reactor water level signal converter makes small the reactor water level variation when the reactor level is close the set value, and when the water level deviates greatly from the set value, the reactor water level variation is made large thereby to improve the rapid response of the reactor coater level control. (Yoshino, Y.)

24 CFR 990.180 - Utilities expense level: Computation of the rolling base consumption level.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

...: Computation of the rolling base consumption level. 990.180 Section 990.180 Housing and Urban Development... Calculating Formula Expenses § 990.180 Utilities expense level: Computation of the rolling base consumption level. (a) General. (1) The rolling base consumption level (RBCL) shall be equal to the average of...

Influence of school-level and family-level variables on Chinese college students' aggression.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Jiawei; Yang, Jiarun; Yu, Yunmiao; Wang, Lin; Han, Dong; Zhu, Xiongzhao; He, Jincai; Qiu, Xiaohui; Yang, Xiuxian; Qiao, Zhengxue; Sui, Hong; Yang, Yanjie

2017-08-01

With the frequent occurrence of campus violence, scholars have devoted increasing attention to college students' aggression. This study aims to estimate the prevalence of aggression in Chinese university students and identify factors that could influence their aggression. We can thus find methods to reduce the incidence of college students' aggression in the future. A multi-stage stratified sampling procedure was used to select university students (N = 4565) aged 16-25 years in Harbin. The Aggression Questionnaire, the Adolescent Self-Rating Life Events Checklist and the Social Support Revalued Scale were used to collect data. Females reported lower levels of aggression than males (p aggression, and the model was highly significant (R 2  = .233, Ad R 2  = .230, p aggression is affected by gender, family-level and school-level variables. Aggression scores are significantly correlated with not only family-level or school-level variables independently, but their combination as well. We find that the risk factors for aggression include a dissatisfying profession, higher levels of study pressure, poor parental relationships, poor interpersonal relationships, the presence of siblings, punishment, health maladjustment, less subjective support, and lower levels of utilization of social support.

Relationships between the school-level and classroom-level ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

education; school-level environment; science education; South Africa. Introduction .... instrument to the primary school students (N = 1,077) of 31 distance-education primary school teachers ..... Centre for Curriculum, Transfer and Technology.

Passive synchronized Q-switching between a quasi-three-level and a four-level laser

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cheng, Haynes Pak Hay; Tidemand-Lichtenberg, Peter; Jensen, Ole Bjarlin

2011-01-01

Synchronized Q-switching between quasi-three-level and four-level lasers is interesting for sum-frequency generation into the blue and ultraviolet. We report, for the first time, stable synchronized Q-switching between a quasi-three-level laser at 946 nm and a four-level laser at 1064 nm in an all...

Intermittent sea-level acceleration

Science.gov (United States)

Olivieri, M.; Spada, G.

2013-10-01

Using instrumental observations from the Permanent Service for Mean Sea Level (PSMSL), we provide a new assessment of the global sea-level acceleration for the last ~ 2 centuries (1820-2010). Our results, obtained by a stack of tide gauge time series, confirm the existence of a global sea-level acceleration (GSLA) and, coherently with independent assessments so far, they point to a value close to 0.01 mm/yr2. However, differently from previous studies, we discuss how change points or abrupt inflections in individual sea-level time series have contributed to the GSLA. Our analysis, based on methods borrowed from econometrics, suggests the existence of two distinct driving mechanisms for the GSLA, both involving a minority of tide gauges globally. The first effectively implies a gradual increase in the rate of sea-level rise at individual tide gauges, while the second is manifest through a sequence of catastrophic variations of the sea-level trend. These occurred intermittently since the end of the 19th century and became more frequent during the last four decades.

ENRAF gauge reference level calculations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huber, J.H., Fluor Daniel Hanford

1997-02-06

This document describes the method for calculating reference levels for Enraf Series 854 Level Detectors as installed in the tank farms. The reference level calculation for each installed level gauge is contained herein.

Level density of 57Co

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mishra, V.; Boukharouba, N.; Brient, C.E.; Grimes, S.M.; Pedroni, R.S.

1994-01-01

Levels in 57 Co have been studied in the region of resolved levels (E 57 Fe(p,n) 57 Co neutron spectrum with resolution ΔE∼5 keV. Seventeen previously unknown levels are located. Level density parameters in the continuum region are deduced from thick target measurements of the same reaction and additional level density information is deduced from Ericson fluctuation studies of the reaction 56 Fe(p,n) 56 Co. A set of level density parameters is found which describes the level density of 57 Co at energies up to 14 MeV. Efforts to obtain level density information from the 56 Fe(d,n) 57 Co reaction were unsuccessful, but estimates of the fraction of the deuteron absorption cross section corresponding to compound nucleus formation are obtained

Liquid metal level measurement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hale, J.C.; Leyland, K.S.

1982-01-01

A liquid metal level indicator is described which can be used to measure, in a stainless steel tank, the level of a nuclear reactor coolant such as sodium. The instrument, which is based on the eddy current induction effect, gives readings over substantially the full depth of the tank and indicates the sense of change of level. (U.K.)

Correlation between blood glucose levels and salivary glucose levels with oral ulcer in diabetic patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fildzah Rahman

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Diabetes Mellitus (DM is a syndrome in metabolism of carbohydrates which indicated by the increased level of blood glucose and also may increase salivary glucose levels. Oral ulcer has been frequently recognized in diabetic patients, which can be due to increased glucose in oral fluids and immune dysfunction. This study aimed to determine the correlation of blood glucose levels and salivary glucose levels with oral ulcer in diabetic patients. Analytic observational study was carried out through the determination of blood glucose levels just by way of strip using a glucometer and salivary glucose levels with the method "GOD-PAP test enzymatic colorimetric". Oral ulcer was determined in presenting ulcer on 30 patients with DM. The results showed r = 0.228, which is higher salivary glucose levels followed by high levels of blood glucose, and intraoral examination of oral ulcer found in the whole sample and the most location commonly found in buccal mucosa and lingual. It was concluded that there is a correlation between blood glucose levels and salivary glucose levels, and glucose levels affect the occurrence of oral ulcer in patients with DM

[Evaluation of leptin levels in plasma and their reliance on other hormonal factors affecting tissue fat levels in people with various levels of endogenous cotisol].

Science.gov (United States)

Robaczyk, Maciej G

2002-01-01

The discovery of leptin (LEP) shed new light on mechanisms regulating body fat mass (BFM). In this aspect, interactions between LEP and glucocorticoids at hypothalamic level may be of great importance. Factors that influence plasma LEP levels have not been fully recognized and available data on LEP levels are often inconsistent. The aim of this study was to evaluate absolute and BFM-corrected plasma LEP levels and their diurnal variation, as well as to assess the relationship between LEP levels, body fat distribution, and hormones influencing body fat in subjects with various levels of endogenous cortisol and different nutritional status. Group I was composed of 14 women aged 14-58 yrs, BMI of 23.9-37.1 kg/m2, with hypercortisolism due to ACTH-dependent and ACTH-independent Cushing's syndrome (CUS). 17 women with visceral obesity (OTY) and normal or disturbed carbohydrate metabolism, i.e. impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and diabetes mellitus (DM), aged 24 do 50 yrs, BMI 30.0-46.1 kg/m2, were included in group II. Group III consisted of 14 women with Addison's disease (AD), aged 18 do 63 yrs, BMI 15.4-31.6 kg/m2. The control group IV (KON) included 17 healthy women with normal BMI. BMI, WHR, body composition, and body fat distribution (DEXA method) were assessed in all subjects. Basal plasma levels of LEP, beta-endorphin (B-EP), cortisol (F), insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) were measured with RIA test kits. Plasma adrenocorticotrophin (ACTH) levels, serum levels of insulin (IRI) and growth hormone (GH) were measured with IRMA test kits. Blood glucose (G) concentration was determined with an enzymatic method. Adiposity-corrected LEP levels were expressed as LEP/BFM and LEP/%BF indices. Fasting insulin resistance index (FIRI) was also calculated. Higher BFM and %BF values were found in the OTY group as compared with CUS KON and AD groups. BFM distribution did not differ in KON and AD groups whereas CUS subjects exhibited a higher accumulation of fat in the trunk

Translation of a High-Level Temporal Model into Lower Level Models: Impact of Modelling at Different Description Levels

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kraft, Peter; Sørensen, Jens Otto

2001-01-01

The paper attempts theoretically to clarify the interrelation between various levels of descriptions used in the modelling and the programming of information systems. We suggest an analysis where we characterise the description levels with respect to how precisely they may handle information abou...... and other textual models. We also consider the aptness of models that include procedural mechanisms such as active and object databases...

Sea level ~400 000 years ago (MIS 11: analogue for present and future sea-level?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. Q. Bowen

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Comparison of the sea-level today with that of 400 000 years ago (MIS 11, when the Earth's orbital characteristics were similar may provide, under conditions of natural variability, indications of future sea-level during the present interglacial. Then, as now, orbital eccentricity was low and precession dampened. Evidence for MIS 11 sea-level occurs on uplifting coastlines where shorelines with geochronological ages have been preserved. The sea-level term and the uplift term may be separated with an "uplift correction" formula. This discovers the original sea-level at which the now uplifted shoreline was fashioned. Estimates are based on average uplift rates of the "last interglacial" sea-level (MIS 5.5 using a range of estimates for sea-level and age at that time at different locations. These, with varying secular tectonic regimes in different ocean basins, provide a band of estimates for the MIS 11 sea-level. They do not support the hypothesis of an MIS 11 sea-level at ~20 m, and instead show that it was closer to its present level.

State-Level Reforms That Support College-Level Program Changes in North Carolina

Science.gov (United States)

Bowling, R. Edward; Morrissey, Sharon; Fouts, George M.

2014-01-01

This chapter describes the concurrent reforms occurring in North Carolina--both campus-level changes focused on such issues as developing structured programs of study and state-level reforms aimed at supporting the campus efforts.

Groundwater Level Monitoring using Levelogger and the Importance of Long-Term Groundwater Level Data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nazran Harun; Ahmad Hasnulhadi Che Kamaruddin

2016-01-01

This review paper is focused on groundwater level monitoring using levelogger and the importance of long-term groundwater level data. The levelogger provides an inexpensive and convenient method to measure level, temperature and conductivity all in one probe. It can provide real time view as data is being recorded by the connected data logger. Water-level measurements from observation wells are the principal source of information about the hydrologic stresses acting on aquifers and how these stresses affect ground-water recharge, storage, and discharge. Long-term and systematic measurements of water levels provide essential data needed to evaluate changes in the resource over time to develop ground-water models, forecast trends and monitor the effectiveness of groundwater management. A significant advantage of this method of data collection and reporting are the groundwater level data can be updated real time. The accessibility of water level data is greatly enhanced by the Geographic Information System (GIS) to visually illustrate the locations of observation wells relative to relevant topographic, geologic, or hydrologic features. GIS and internet greatly enhance the capability for retrieval and transmittal of water-level data to potential users. (author)

Propagation & Level: Factors Influencing in the ICT Composite Index at the School Level

Science.gov (United States)

Aoki, Hiroyuki; Kim, JaMee; Lee, WonGyu

2013-01-01

Many nations are greatly affected by their education policies, and the educational level of different schools is relevant to a nation's ICT policy. In the area of ICT, Korea has achieved quite high levels of competency. This study analyzed the level of ICT competency of 4490 elementary and 2419 middle schools in Korea within the context of the…

Authentication Assurance Levels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kouzes, Richard T.; Cash, James R.; Devaney, David M.; Geelhood, Bruce D.; Hansen, Randy R.; Melton, Ronald B.; Pitts, W. Karl

2002-01-01

This Common Criteria approach has been applied to create a definition of Authentication Assurance Levels that can quantify the level of assurance reached for a system subject to a set of authentication procedures. The arms-control authentication application of the Common Criteria expands on more typical information security evaluations in that it must contend with information barriers and preclude sophisticated intentional subversion attempts.

Arctic Sea Level Reconstruction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Svendsen, Peter Limkilde

Reconstruction of historical Arctic sea level is very difficult due to the limited coverage and quality of tide gauge and altimetry data in the area. This thesis addresses many of these issues, and discusses strategies to help achieve a stable and plausible reconstruction of Arctic sea level from...... 1950 to today.The primary record of historical sea level, on the order of several decades to a few centuries, is tide gauges. Tide gauge records from around the world are collected in the Permanent Service for Mean Sea Level (PSMSL) database, and includes data along the Arctic coasts. A reasonable...... amount of data is available along the Norwegian and Russian coasts since 1950, and most published research on Arctic sea level extends cautiously from these areas. Very little tide gauge data is available elsewhere in the Arctic, and records of a length of several decades,as generally recommended for sea...

PEP liquid level system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lauritzen, T.; Sah, R.C.

1981-03-01

A liquid level system has been installed in the accelerator housing of the PEP storage ring. This instrument spans the entire 2.2 km circumference of the PEP project, and over one hundred readouts provide reference elevations which are used for the accurate alignment of accelerator components. The liquid level has proven to be extremely precise (+-0.10 mm) and quick to use, and it has contributed to the accurate alignment of PEP before beam turn-on. Since the liquid level readouts are rigidly attached to the accelerator housing, the liquid level has been a convenient means to monitor the settling of the accelerator housing

Mind the level: problems with two recent nation-level analyses in psychology

OpenAIRE

Kuppens, Toon; Pollet, Thomas V.

2014-01-01

Two recent articles (both published in Psychological Science) rely on nation-level data to address questions about psychological processes: Oishi and Diener (2014), referred to here as “OD,” and Hershfield et al. (2014), referred to as “HBW.” In our opinion, both articles contain problems with regard to the use and interpretation of nation-level data. The problems are (1) the failure to account for the statistical dependence of countries within regions, (2) the use of nation-level data with q...

Digital Levelling in Subterranean Spaces

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tomáš Jiřikovský

2007-06-01

Full Text Available For precision levelling works are now more often used digital levels and code-scale staffs. Advantages in (and problems with their application to the regular line-levelling are well known and described. However, when using the digital levelling for measurements in specific local geodetic networks, monitoring networks and inside of buildings and underground spaces, new problems appear with the signalisation of the observed points, readability of the code (non-uniform illumination, temperature changes etc. The article informs about the application of two types of digital levels (Sokkia SDL-2, Trimble Zeiss DiNi 12T in the experimental subterranean levelling network for the basement settlement monitoring of a ten-floor building; the solution of marking of the points, field calibration and the system calibration of digital levels.

Gamma spectrometry; level schemes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blachot, J.; Bocquet, J.P.; Monnand, E.; Schussler, F.

1977-01-01

The research presented dealt with: a new beta emitter, isomer of 131 Sn; the 136 I levels fed through the radioactive decay of 136 Te (20.9s); the A=145 chain (β decay of Ba, La and Ce, and level schemes for 145 La, 145 Ce, 145 Pr); the A=47 chain (La and Ce, β decay, and the level schemes of 147 Ce and 147 Pr) [fr

Contemporary sea level rise.

Science.gov (United States)

Cazenave, Anny; Llovel, William

2010-01-01

Measuring sea level change and understanding its causes has considerably improved in the recent years, essentially because new in situ and remote sensing observations have become available. Here we report on most recent results on contemporary sea level rise. We first present sea level observations from tide gauges over the twentieth century and from satellite altimetry since the early 1990s. We next discuss the most recent progress made in quantifying the processes causing sea level change on timescales ranging from years to decades, i.e., thermal expansion of the oceans, land ice mass loss, and land water-storage change. We show that for the 1993-2007 time span, the sum of climate-related contributions (2.85 +/- 0.35 mm year(-1)) is only slightly less than altimetry-based sea level rise (3.3 +/- 0.4 mm year(-1)): approximately 30% of the observed rate of rise is due to ocean thermal expansion and approximately 55% results from land ice melt. Recent acceleration in glacier melting and ice mass loss from the ice sheets increases the latter contribution up to 80% for the past five years. We also review the main causes of regional variability in sea level trends: The dominant contribution results from nonuniform changes in ocean thermal expansion.

Analysis of Cyberbullying Sensitivity Levels of High School Students and Their Perceived Social Support Levels

Science.gov (United States)

Akturk, Ahmet Oguz

2015-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to determine the cyberbullying sensitivity levels of high school students and their perceived social supports levels, and analyze the variables that predict cyberbullying sensitivity. In addition, whether cyberbullying sensitivity levels and social support levels differed according to gender was also…

Usage of link-level performance indicators for HSDPA network-level simulations in E-UMTS

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Brouwer, Frank; de Bruin, I.C.C.; Silva, João Carlos; Souto, Nuno; Cercas, Francisco; Correia, Américo

2004-01-01

The paper describes integration of HSDPA (high-speed downlink packet access) link-level simulation results into network-level simulations for enhanced UMTS. The link-level simulations model all physical layer features depicted in the 3GPP standards. These include: generation of transport blocks;

Area-Level and Individual-Level Factors for Teenage Motherhood: A Multilevel Analysis in Japan.

Science.gov (United States)

Baba, Sachiko; Iso, Hiroyasu; Fujiwara, Takeo

2016-01-01

Teenage motherhood is strongly associated with a range of disadvantages for both the mother and the child. No epidemiological studies have examined related factors for teenage motherhood at both area and individual levels among Japanese women. Therefore, we performed a multilevel analysis of nationwide data in Japan to explore the association of area- and individual-level factors with teenage motherhood. The study population comprised 21,177 mothers living in 47 prefectures who had their first, singleton baby between 10 and 17 January or between 10 and 17 July, 2001. Information on the prefecture in which the mothers resided was linked to prefecture-level variables. Primary outcomes were area-level characteristics (single-mother households, three-generation households, college enrollment, abortions, juvenile crime, and per capita income) and individual-level characteristics, and divided into tertiles or quintiles based on their variable distributions. Multilevel logistic regression analysis was then performed. There were 440 teenage mothers (2.1%) in this study. In addition to individual low level of education [adjusted odds ratio (OR), 7.40; 95% confidence interval (CI), 5.59-9.78], low income [4.23 (2.95-6.08)], and smoking [1.65 (1.31-2.07)], high proportions of single-mother households [1.72 (1.05-2.80)] and three-generation household [1.81 (1.17-2.78)], and per capita income [2.19 (1.06-3.81)] at an area level were positively associated, and high level of college enrollment [0.46 (0.25-0.83)] and lower crime rate [0.62 (0.40-0.98)] at area level were inversely associated with teenage motherhood compared with the corresponding women living in prefectures with the lowest levels of these variables. Our findings suggest that encouraging the completion of higher education and reducing the number of single-mother household at an area level may be important public health strategies to reduce teenage motherhood.

The future for the Global Sea Level Observing System (GLOSS) Sea Level Data Rescue

Science.gov (United States)

Bradshaw, Elizabeth; Matthews, Andrew; Rickards, Lesley; Aarup, Thorkild

2016-04-01

Historical sea level data are rare and unrepeatable measurements with a number of applications in climate studies (sea level rise), oceanography (ocean currents, tides, surges), geodesy (national datum), geophysics and geology (coastal land movements) and other disciplines. However, long-term time series are concentrated in the northern hemisphere and there are no records at the Permanent Service for Mean Sea Level (PSMSL) global data bank longer than 100 years in the Arctic, Africa, South America or Antarctica. Data archaeology activities will help fill in the gaps in the global dataset and improve global sea level reconstruction. The Global Sea Level Observing System (GLOSS) is an international programme conducted under the auspices of the WMO-IOC Joint Technical Commission for Oceanography and Marine Meteorology. It was set up in 1985 to collect long-term tide gauge observations and to develop systems and standards "for ocean monitoring and flood warning purposes". At the GLOSS-GE-XIV Meeting in 2015, GLOSS agreed on a number of action items to be developed in the next two years. These were: 1. To explore mareogram digitisation applications, including NUNIEAU (more information available at: http://www.mediterranee.cerema.fr/logiciel-de-numerisation-des-enregistrements-r57.html) and other recent developments in scanning/digitisation software, such as IEDRO's Weather Wizards program, to see if they could be used via a browser. 2. To publicise sea level data archaeology and rescue by: • maintaining and regularly updating the Sea Level Data Archaeology page on the GLOSS website • strengthening links to the GLOSS data centres and data rescue organisations e.g. linking to IEDRO, ACRE, RDA • restarting the sea level data rescue blog with monthly posts. 3. Investigate sources of funding for data archaeology and rescue projects. 4. Propose "Guidelines" for rescuing sea level data. These action items will aid the discovery, scanning, digitising and quality control

Float level indicator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grishchuk, M.Kh.; Laptev, A.G.; Pashkov, V.A.

1980-01-01

Specially developed level indicator is suggested with differential to-transformer converter of the float motion, operating in line with a movable electronic block, intended for indicating the level of the dissociating nitrogen tetroxide liquid phase. On the basis of the indicator elements the device is realized to measure the time of calibrated volume fillino. in by liquid nitrogen tetroxide in steady state operation of the experimental bench-marks [ru

Macro-level gender equality and alcohol consumption: a multi-level analysis across U.S. States.

Science.gov (United States)

Roberts, Sarah C M

2012-07-01

Higher levels of women's alcohol consumption have long been attributed to increases in gender equality. However, only limited research examines the relationship between gender equality and alcohol consumption. This study examined associations between five measures of state-level gender equality and five alcohol consumption measures in the United States. Survey data regarding men's and women's alcohol consumption from the 2005 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System were linked to state-level indicators of gender equality. Gender equality indicators included state-level women's socioeconomic status, gender equality in socioeconomic status, reproductive rights, policies relating to violence against women, and women's political participation. Alcohol consumption measures included past 30-day drinker status, drinking frequency, binge drinking, volume, and risky drinking. Other than drinker status, consumption is measured for drinkers only. Multi-level linear and logistic regression models adjusted for individual demographics as well as state-level income inequality, median income, and % Evangelical Protestant/Mormon. All gender equality indicators were positively associated with both women's and men's drinker status in models adjusting only for individual-level covariates; associations were not significant in models adjusting for other state-level characteristics. All other associations between gender equality and alcohol consumption were either negative or non-significant for both women and men in models adjusting for other state-level factors. Findings do not support the hypothesis that higher levels of gender equality are associated with higher levels of alcohol consumption by women or by men. In fact, most significant findings suggest that higher levels of equality are associated with less alcohol consumption overall. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Science Curriculum Guide, Level 4.

Science.gov (United States)

Newark School District, DE.

The fourth of four levels in a K-12 science curriculum is outlined. In Level 4 (grades 9-12), science areas include earth science, biology, chemistry, and physics. Six major themes provide the basis for study in all levels (K-12). These are: Change, Continuity, Diversity, Interaction, Limitation, and Organization. In Level 4, all six themes are…

PSA Level 2:Scope And Method Of PSA Level 2 For Nuclear Power Plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Widodo, Surip; Antariksawan, Anhar R.

2001-01-01

A study of scope and method of PSA Level 2 had been conducted. The background of the study is the need to gain the capability to well perform PSA Level 2 for nuclear facilities. This study is a literature survey. The scope of PSA Level 2 consists of generating plant damage states, accident progression analysis, and grouping source terms. Concerning accident progression analysis, several methods are used, among others event tree method, named accident progression event tree (APET) or containment event tree (CET), and fault tree method. The end result of PSA Level 2 is release end states which is grouped into release bins. The results will be used for PSA Level 3

Quantification of the level descriptors for the standard EQ-5D three-level system and a five-level version according to two methods

NARCIS (Netherlands)

M.F. Janssen (Bas); E. Birnie (Erwin); G.J. Bonsel (Gouke)

2008-01-01

textabstractObjectives: Our aim was to compare the quantitative position of the level descriptors of the standard EQ-5D three-level system (3L) and a newly developed, experimental five-level version (5L) using a direct and a vignette-based indirect method. Methods: Eighty-two respondents took part

Levels of valence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vera eShuman

2013-05-01

Full Text Available The distinction between the positive and the negative is fundamental in our emotional life. In appraisal theories, in particular in the component process model of emotion (Scherer, 1984, 2010, qualitatively different types of valence are proposed based on appraisals of (unpleasantness, goal obstructiveness/conduciveness, low or high power, self- (incongruence, and moral badness/goodness. This multifaceted conceptualization of valence is highly compatible with the frequent observation of mixed feelings in real life. However, it seems to contradict the one-dimensional conceptualization of valence often encountered in psychological theories, and the notion of valence as a common currency used to explain choice behavior. Here, we propose a framework to integrate the seemingly disparate conceptualizations of multifaceted valence and one-dimensional valence by suggesting that valence should be conceived at different levels, micro and macro. Micro-valences correspond to qualitatively different types of evaluations, potentially resulting in mixed feelings, whereas one-dimensional macro-valence corresponds to an integrative common currency to compare alternatives for choices. We propose that conceptualizing levels of valence may focus research attention on the mechanisms that relate valence at one level (micro to valence at another level (macro, leading to new hypotheses and addressing various concerns that have been raised about the valence concept, such as the valence-emotion relation.

Operational intervention levels (OILs): a tool to overcome differences in intervention levels?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kirchner, Gerald; Wirth, Erich

2008-01-01

The intervention levels for evacuation, sheltering and iodine blockade still differ in many countries, although international organisation like IAEA, NEA or ICRP aspire to harmonise them on an international level. Even if the dose values of the limits are in agreement, they are not necessarily comparable because the type of dose (projected dose, averted dose), the respected exposure pathways (external dose, inhalation, ingestion) or the integration time might differ significantly. The question is raised, how can harmonisation being achieved? International organisations recommend 'operational intervention levels' (OILs) for promptly assessing the results of environmental monitoring and to decide on protective actions. OILs are measurable values derived from dose limits. Best examples are the derived intervention levels for food and feed in the codex alimentarius or by the EC, which limit the ingestion dose to about 5 mSv/a. This paper discusses the properties and potential use of OILs, identifies and derives useful OILs and addresses their benefit in practise both for early and later countermeasures. Furthermore it is discussed whether OILs might be a useful tool to overcome national differences in intervention levels because an OIL value covers a relative wide range of the projected dose due to the uncertainty of the parameters needed for derivation. (author)

Comparison of norovirus RNA levels in outbreak-related oysters with background environmental levels.

Science.gov (United States)

Lowther, James A; Gustar, Nicole E; Hartnell, Rachel E; Lees, David N

2012-02-01

Norovirus is the principal agent of bivalve shellfish-associated gastroenteric illness worldwide. Numerous studies using PCR have demonstrated norovirus contamination in a significant proportion of both oyster and other bivalve shellfish production areas and ready-to-eat products. By comparison, the number of epidemiologically confirmed shellfish-associated outbreaks is relatively low. This suggests that factors other than the simple presence or absence of virus RNA are important contributors to the amount of illness reported. This study compares norovirus RNA levels in oyster samples strongly linked to norovirus or norovirus-type illness with the levels typically found in commercial production areas (non-outbreak-related samples). A statistically significant difference between norovirus levels in the two sets of samples was observed. The geometric mean of the levels in outbreak samples (1,048 copies per g) was almost one order of magnitude higher than for positive non-outbreak-related samples (121 copies per g). Further, while none of the outbreak-related samples contained fewer than 152 copies per g, the majority of positive results for non-outbreak-related samples was below this level. These observations support the concept of a dose-response for norovirus RNA levels in shellfish and could help inform the establishment of threshold criteria for risk management.

Quantification of the level descriptors for the standard EQ-5D three-level system and a five-level version according to two methods

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Janssen, M. F.; Birnie, E.; Bonsel, G. J.

2008-01-01

OBJECTIVES: Our aim was to compare the quantitative position of the level descriptors of the standard EQ-5D three-level system (3L) and a newly developed, experimental five-level version (5L) using a direct and a vignette-based indirect method. METHODS: Eighty-two respondents took part in the study.

Fasting and nonfasting lipid levels

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Langsted, Anne; Freiberg, Jacob J; Nordestgaard, Børge G

2008-01-01

Lipid profiles are usually measured after fasting. We tested the hypotheses that these levels change only minimally in response to normal food intake and that nonfasting levels predict cardiovascular events.......Lipid profiles are usually measured after fasting. We tested the hypotheses that these levels change only minimally in response to normal food intake and that nonfasting levels predict cardiovascular events....

Changing Sea Levels

Science.gov (United States)

Pugh, David

2004-04-01

Flooding of coastal communities is one of the major causes of environmental disasters world-wide. This textbook explains how sea levels are affected by astronomical tides, weather effects, ocean circulation and climate trends. Based on courses taught by the author in the U.K. and the U.S., it is aimed at undergraduate students at all levels, with non-basic mathematics being confined to Appendices and a website http://publishing.cambridge.org/resources/0521532183/.

Prediction of groundwater levels from lake levels and climate data using ANN approach

OpenAIRE

Dogan, Ahmet; Demirpence, Husnu; Cobaner, Murat

2008-01-01

There are many environmental concerns relating to the quality and quantity of surface and groundwater. It is very important to estimate the quantity of water by using readily available climate data for managing water resources of the natural environment. As a case study an artificial neural network (ANN) methodology is developed for estimating the groundwater levels (upper Floridan aquifer levels) as a function of monthly averaged precipitation, evaporation, and measured levels of Magnolia an...

Balanced Physical Exercise Increase Physical Fitness, Optimize Endorphin Levels, and Decrease Malondialdehyde Levels

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Erwin Adams Pangkahila

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Background: Physical fitness determines the level of human health. A good physical fitness can be achieved if conducted with a balance and active physical fitness. The aims of this study was to elucidate the effect of balanced physical exercise on physical fitness, endorphin levels, and malondialdehyde (MDA levels. Methods: This study was a true experimental with pretest-posttest control group design using 24 students of IKIP PGRI Denpasar. Selected samples divided into two groups: the control group given conventional physical training (P0 and the treatment group given balanced physical training (P1. Physical fitness tests was performed using Cooper method and blood sampling was done to evaluate the level of endorphins and MDA before (pre test and after (post test treatment of 8 weeks. The data of endorphin and MDA levels were analyzed using independent T test. Whereas, the physical fitness was analyzed using Mann-Whitney U test. Results: Physical fitness of the group given a balanced physical training was significantly higher compare to the group given a conventional physical training (p < 0.05. Balanced physical training was proven to enhance physical fitness as measured by the Cooper method better than conventional physical training. In contrast, the levels of endorphins of the balanced physical training group did not different with the conventional physical training group (p > 0.05. Levels of MDA of balanced physical training group also did not different with the conventional physical training group (p > 0.05. Conclusions: balanced physical training can maintain physical fitness of people and improve the health and quality of life. 

Estimation for origin of coals on biomaker analysis; Jinko sekitan oyobi tennen sekitan no biomaker bunseki ni yoru sekitan kigen busshitsu no suitei

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Suzuki, Y. [Geological Survey of Japan, Tsukuba (Japan); Sugimoto, Y. [National Institute of Materials and Chemical Research, Tsukuba (Japan); Okada, K. [Coal Mining Research Center, Tokyo (Japan)

1996-10-28

In order to study coal production processes, an estimation study was carried out on coal originating materials by using biomaker analysis. Test samples are original coals collected directly from a mine in Hokkaido (not having been subjected cleaning). Mixing and solvent extraction were performed after pulverization, and then tests were given on saturated hydrocarbon components divided by using a silicagel column chromatograph for the present study. It can be known from n-alkane distribution in the coal that low molecular alkane increases with increasing degree of coalification. Artificial coal made by wet-heating Metasequoia leaves contains only little n-alkane. Diterpenoid compound exists in the Taiheiyo and Akabira coals. Tetra-cyclic diterpernoid is contained abundantly in subtropical coniferous trees, serving as a parameter for warm environment. The compound is contained also in the Fushun coal, but not in Indonesian coals. Hopanoid constitution shows very high similarity, but H/C atomic ratio may vary largely even if the coalification is at the same degree. This is likely to be caused from difference in originating materials. Hopanoids are bacteria attributed substances, whose activities are not affected by the originating materials. 2 figs., 1 tab.

Caribbean Sea Level Network

Science.gov (United States)

von Hillebrandt-Andrade, C.; Crespo Jones, H.

2012-12-01

Over the past 500 years almost 100 tsunamis have been observed in the Caribbean and Western Atlantic, with at least 3510 people having lost their lives to this hazard since 1842. Furthermore, with the dramatic increase in population and infrastructure along the Caribbean coasts, today, millions of coastal residents, workers and visitors are vulnerable to tsunamis. The UNESCO IOC Intergovernmental Coordination Group for Tsunamis and other Coastal Hazards for the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions (CARIBE EWS) was established in 2005 to coordinate and advance the regional tsunami warning system. The CARIBE EWS focuses on four areas/working groups: (1) Monitoring and Warning, (2) Hazard and Risk Assessment, (3) Communication and (4) Education, Preparedness and Readiness. The sea level monitoring component is under Working Group 1. Although in the current system, it's the seismic data and information that generate the initial tsunami bulletins, it is the data from deep ocean buoys (DARTS) and the coastal sea level gauges that are critical for the actual detection and forecasting of tsunamis impact. Despite multiple efforts and investments in the installation of sea level stations in the region, in 2004 there were only a handful of sea level stations operational in the region (Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, Bermuda, Bahamas). Over the past 5 years there has been a steady increase in the number of stations operating in the Caribbean region. As of mid 2012 there were 7 DARTS and 37 coastal gauges with additional ones being installed or funded. In order to reach the goal of 100 operational coastal sea level stations in the Caribbean, the CARIBE EWS recognizes also the importance of maintaining the current stations. For this, a trained workforce in the region for the installation, operation and data analysis and quality control is considered to be critical. Since 2008, three training courses have been offered to the sea level station operators and data analysts. Other

Controlling low-level radioactive waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-01-01

This series of information sheets describes at a popular level the sources of low-level radioactive wastes, their associated hazards, methods of storage, transportation and disposal, and the Canadian regulations that cover low-level wastes

Effect of Crude Protein Levels in Concentrate and Concentrate Levels in Diet on Fermentation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dinh Van Dung

2014-06-01

Full Text Available The effect of concentrate mixtures with crude protein (CP levels 10%, 13%, 16%, and 19% and diets with roughage to concentrate ratios 80:20, 60:40, 40:60, and 20:80 (w/w were determined on dry matter (DM and organic matter (OM digestibility, and fermentation metabolites using an in vitro fermentation technique. In vitro fermented attributes were measured after 4, 24, and 48 h of incubation respectively. The digestibility of DM and OM, and total volatile fatty acid (VFA increased whereas pH decreased with the increased amount of concentrate in the diet (p<0.001, however CP levels of concentrate did not have any influence on these attributes. Gas production reduced with increased CP levels, while it increased with increasing concentrate levels. Ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N concentration and microbial CP production increased significantly (p<0.05 by increasing CP levels and with increasing concentrate levels in diet as well, however, no significant difference was found between 16% and 19% CP levels. Therefore, 16% CP in concentrate and increasing proportion of concentrate up to 80% in diet all had improved digestibility of DM and organic matter, and higher microbial protein production, with improved fermentation characteristics.

Policy and technical considerations for intermediate-level and low-level radioactive waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1977-01-01

This section has addressed issues, topics, and considerations related to low-level and intermediate-level wastes that are basic to developing and establishing environmental radiation protection criteria for radioactive wastes. Applicability of criteria, criteria considerations for sites, control of radiological impact to the population, and long-term considerations are discussed

Partitioning of high level liquid waste: experiences in plant level adoption

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Manohar, Smitha; Kaushik, C.P.

2016-01-01

High Level Radioactive Wastes are presently vitrified in borosilicate matrices in all our back end facilities in our country. This is in accordance with internationally endorsed methodology for the safe management of high level radioactive wastes. Recent advancements in the field of partitioning technology in our group, has presented us with an opportunity to have a fresh perspective on management of high level liquid radioactive wastes streams, that emanate from reprocessing operations. This paper will highlight our experiences with respect to both partitioning studies and vitrification practices, with a focus on waste volume reduction for final disposal. Incorporation of this technique has led to the implementation of the concept of recovering wealth from waste, a marked decrease on the load of disposal in deep geological repositories and serve as a step towards the vision of transmutation of long lived radionuclides

Monitoring Your Blood Sugar Level

Science.gov (United States)

... and NutritionHealth Insurance: Understanding What It CoversHigh Homocysteine Level: How It Affects Your Blood VesselsUnderstanding Your Medical ... Health Resources Healthcare Management Monitoring Your Blood Sugar Level Monitoring Your Blood Sugar Level Share Print What ...

Levels of Valence

Science.gov (United States)

Shuman, Vera; Sander, David; Scherer, Klaus R.

2013-01-01

The distinction between the positive and the negative is fundamental in our emotional life. In appraisal theories, in particular in the component process model of emotion (Scherer, 1984, 2010), qualitatively different types of valence are proposed based on appraisals of (un)pleasantness, goal obstructiveness/conduciveness, low or high power, self-(in)congruence, and moral badness/goodness. This multifaceted conceptualization of valence is highly compatible with the frequent observation of mixed feelings in real life. However, it seems to contradict the one-dimensional conceptualization of valence often encountered in psychological theories, and the notion of valence as a common currency used to explain choice behavior. Here, we propose a framework to integrate the seemingly disparate conceptualizations of multifaceted valence and one-dimensional valence by suggesting that valence should be conceived at different levels, micro and macro. Micro-valences correspond to qualitatively different types of evaluations, potentially resulting in mixed feelings, whereas one-dimensional macro-valence corresponds to an integrative “common currency” to compare alternatives for choices. We propose that conceptualizing levels of valence may focus research attention on the mechanisms that relate valence at one level (micro) to valence at another level (macro), leading to new hypotheses, and addressing various concerns that have been raised about the valence concept, such as the valence-emotion relation. PMID:23717292

Predictors of Placement in Lower Level versus Higher Level High School Mathematics

Science.gov (United States)

Archbald, Doug; Farley-Ripple, Elizabeth N.

2012-01-01

Educators and researchers have long been interested in determinants of access to honors level and college prep courses in high school. Factors influencing access to upper level mathematics courses are particularly important because of the hierarchical and sequential nature of this subject and because students who finish high school with only lower…

Convolutional Neural Networks for Text Categorization: Shallow Word-level vs. Deep Character-level

OpenAIRE

Johnson, Rie; Zhang, Tong

2016-01-01

This paper reports the performances of shallow word-level convolutional neural networks (CNN), our earlier work (2015), on the eight datasets with relatively large training data that were used for testing the very deep character-level CNN in Conneau et al. (2016). Our findings are as follows. The shallow word-level CNNs achieve better error rates than the error rates reported in Conneau et al., though the results should be interpreted with some consideration due to the unique pre-processing o...

Three Levels of Semiosis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Alrøe, Hugo Fjelsted

2016-01-01

This paper presents a second-order semiotic framework for ontological levels, which is based on the structure of semiosis in a more fundamental way than other existing approaches to semiotic levels. Building on the key semiotic concept of representation, three levels are posited: (1) non- or proto......-semiotic processes, without representation, such as physical or causal processes, (2) semiotic processes, with representation, such as the processes of life and cognition, and (3) second-order semiotic processes, with representation of representation, such as self-conscious and self-reflexive communicative processes....... This semiotic framework for ontological levels is compared with recent discussions of different ontological kinds of kinds such as indifferent and interactive kinds. This leads to the distinction between not two, but three kinds of kinds: indifferent, adaptive and reflexive kinds, of which the last two hitherto...

Specified assurance level sampling procedure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Willner, O.

1980-11-01

In the nuclear industry design specifications for certain quality characteristics require that the final product be inspected by a sampling plan which can demonstrate product conformance to stated assurance levels. The Specified Assurance Level (SAL) Sampling Procedure has been developed to permit the direct selection of attribute sampling plans which can meet commonly used assurance levels. The SAL procedure contains sampling plans which yield the minimum sample size at stated assurance levels. The SAL procedure also provides sampling plans with acceptance numbers ranging from 0 to 10, thus, making available to the user a wide choice of plans all designed to comply with a stated assurance level

Combinatorial nuclear level-density model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uhrenholt, H.; Åberg, S.; Dobrowolski, A.; Døssing, Th.; Ichikawa, T.; Möller, P.

2013-01-01

A microscopic nuclear level-density model is presented. The model is a completely combinatorial (micro-canonical) model based on the folded-Yukawa single-particle potential and includes explicit treatment of pairing, rotational and vibrational states. The microscopic character of all states enables extraction of level-distribution functions with respect to pairing gaps, parity and angular momentum. The results of the model are compared to available experimental data: level spacings at neutron separation energy, data on total level-density functions from the Oslo method, cumulative level densities from low-lying discrete states, and data on parity ratios. Spherical and deformed nuclei follow basically different coupling schemes, and we focus on deformed nuclei

Application of Adjusted Canonical Correlation Analysis (ACCA) to study the association between mathematics in Level 1 and Level 2 and performance of engineering disciplines in Level 2

Science.gov (United States)

Peiris, T. S. G.; Nanayakkara, K. A. D. S. A.

2017-09-01

Mathematics plays a key role in engineering sciences as it assists to develop the intellectual maturity and analytical thinking of engineering students and exploring the student academic performance has received great attention recently. The lack of control over covariates motivates the need for their adjustment when measuring the degree of association between two sets of variables in Canonical Correlation Analysis (CCA). Thus to examine the individual effects of mathematics in Level 1 and Level 2 on engineering performance in Level 2, two adjusted analyses in CCA: Part CCA and Partial CCA were applied for the raw marks of engineering undergraduates for three different disciplines, at the Faculty of Engineering, University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka. The joint influence of mathematics in Level 1 and Level 2 is significant on engineering performance in Level 2 irrespective of the engineering disciplines. The individual effect of mathematics in Level 2 is significantly higher compared to the individual effect of mathematics in Level 1 on engineering performance in Level 2. Furthermore, the individual effect of mathematics in Level 1 can be negligible. But, there would be a notable indirect effect of mathematics in Level 1 on engineering performance in Level 2. It can be concluded that the joint effect of mathematics in both Level 1 and Level 2 is immensely beneficial to improve the overall academic performance at the end of Level 2 of the engineering students. Furthermore, it was found that the impact mathematics varies among engineering disciplines. As partial CCA and partial CCA are not widely explored in applied work, it is recommended to use these techniques for various applications.

Modification of booming level for higher correlation with booming sensation; Booming level no koseidoka

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hatano, S; Hashimoto, T [Seikei University, Tokyo (Japan)

1997-10-01

In our previous study, we proposed a objective measure, i.e., Booming Level for quantifying booming sensation caused by car interior noise. In this paper, Booming Level was modified with its weighting function and within the process of calculation 1/3 octave band level was modified for the best match with subjective result. These modifications were conducted through a subjective experiment rating booming sensation with sounds having much lower frequency contents below 63Hz. With this modified Booming Level, we have obtained higher correlation for rating booming sensation with sounds having prominent low frequency components. 1 ref., 10 figs.

Multi-level spondylolysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Hersh, David S; Kim, Yong H; Razi, Afshin

2011-01-01

The incidence of isthmic spondylolysis is approximately 3% to 6% in the general population. Spondylolytic defects involving multiple vertebral levels, on the other hand, are extremely rare. Only a handful of reports have examined the outcomes of surgical treatment of multi-level spondylolysis. Here, we present one case of bilateral pars defects at L3, L4, and L5. The patient, a 46-year-old female, presented with lower back pain radiating into the left lower extremity. Radiographs and CT scans of the lumbar spine revealed bilateral pars defects at L3-L5. The patient underwent lumbar discectomy and interbody fusion of L4-S1 as well as direct repair of the pars defect at L3. There were no postoperative complications, and by seven months the patient had improved clinically. While previous reports describe the use of either direct repair or fusion in the treatment of spondylolysis, we are unaware of reports describing the use of both techniques at adjacent levels.

Enhancement of the FDOT's project level and network level bridge management analysis tools

Science.gov (United States)

2011-02-01

Over several years, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has been implementing the AASHTO Pontis Bridge Management System to support network-level and project-level decision making in the headquarters and district offices. Pontis is an int...

A Study of Army Civilian Entry Level and Mid-Level Program Management Leadership Development

Science.gov (United States)

2016-05-08

and mid-grade level positions is an important responsibility for senior leaders. Mentoring and coaching entry level and mid-grade level...Program Management Leadership Development Craig J. Maurice Defense Acquisition University Senior Service College Fellowship 2015-2016 Huntsville...requirements for the Army’s Senior Service College Fellowship (SSCF) under the direction of SSCF Director, Mr. John Daniels and Research Advisor, Mr. Van

Levels of Literary Meaning

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Klausen, Søren Harnow

2017-01-01

I argue that intentionalist theories of meaning and interpretation, like those of Hirsch and Juhl, have been insufficiently attentive to the different levels of authorial intention that are operative in literary works. By countenancing intentions on different levels – ranging from simple semantic...

Evaluations of average level spacings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liou, H.I.

1980-01-01

The average level spacing for highly excited nuclei is a key parameter in cross section formulas based on statistical nuclear models, and also plays an important role in determining many physics quantities. Various methods to evaluate average level spacings are reviewed. Because of the finite experimental resolution, to detect a complete sequence of levels without mixing other parities is extremely difficult, if not totally impossible. Most methods derive the average level spacings by applying a fit, with different degrees of generality, to the truncated Porter-Thomas distribution for reduced neutron widths. A method that tests both distributions of level widths and positions is discussed extensivey with an example of 168 Er data. 19 figures, 2 tables

Lead, cadmium and mercury levels in pregnancy: the need for international consensus on levels of concern.

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, C M; Golding, J; Emond, A M

2014-02-01

For heavy metals that have any degree of transfer though the placenta to the fetus, it is unlikely that there are safe limits for maternal blood levels. The only means of reducing fetal exposure is to minimise maternal exposure. There are few recommendations for levels of concern. With the exception of US recommendations for maternal Pb levels, but there are no international levels of concern or cut-off levels specifically for pregnancy for heavy metals, so that comparisons can generally only be made with national reference values relating to similar physiological statuses or age groups. These include recommendations for Cd levels by Germany (reference value for non-smoking adults aged 18-69 years, 1 µg/l) and for Hg by Germany (reference value for adults age 18-60 years with fish intake concern and recommended cut-off values. We also compare the levels with those found in other groups of pregnant women worldwide to strengthen the database for the development of levels of concern in pregnancy. The need for clarity of terminology in describing levels of concern is discussed. There is a pressing need for international consensus on levels of concern for all age groups and physiological statuses, particularly for pregnancy.

Preliminary investigation of the effects of sea-level rise on groundwater levels in New Haven, Connecticut

Science.gov (United States)

Bjerklie, David M.; Mullaney, John R.; Stone, Janet R.; Skinner, Brian J.; Ramlow, Matthew A.

2012-01-01

Global sea level rose about 0.56 feet (ft) (170 millimeters (mm)) during the 20th century. Since the 1960s, sea level has risen at Bridgeport, Connecticut, about 0.38 ft (115 mm), at a rate of 0.008 ft (2.56 mm + or - 0.58 mm) per year. With regional subsidence, and with predicted global climate change, sea level is expected to continue to rise along the northeast coast of the United States through the 21st century. Increasing sea levels will cause groundwater levels in coastal areas to rise in order to adjust to the new conditions. Some regional climate models predict wetter climate in the northeastern United States under some scenarios. Scenarios for the resulting higher groundwater levels have the potential to inundate underground infrastructure in lowlying coastal cities. New Haven is a coastal city in Connecticut surrounded and bisected by tidally affected waters. Monitoring of water levels in wells in New Haven from August 2009 to July 2010 indicates the complex effects of urban influence on groundwater levels. The response of groundwater levels to recharge and season varied considerably from well to well. Groundwater temperatures varied seasonally, but were warmer than what was typical for Connecticut, and they seem to reflect the influence of the urban setting, including the effects of conduits for underground utilities. Specific conductance was elevated in many of the wells, indicating the influence of urban activities or seawater in Long Island Sound. A preliminary steady-state model of groundwater flow for part of New Haven was constructed using MODFLOW to simulate current groundwater levels (2009-2010) and future groundwater levels based on scenarios with a rise of 3 ft (0.91 meters (m)) in sea level, which is predicted for the end of the 21st century. An additional simulation was run assuming a 3-ft rise in sea level combined with a 12-percent increase in groundwater recharge. The model was constructed from existing hydrogeologic information for the

Definition of Virtual Levels.

Science.gov (United States)

Shore, Bruce W.

1979-01-01

Presents an examination of graphical displays of solutions to time-dependent Schrodinger equation modeling a laser-excited three-level atom. It suggests that an energy level may be regarded as virtual when it is detuned from resonance by more than two Rabi frequencies. (Author/HM)

Low level waste repositories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hill, P.R.H.; Wilson, M.A.

1983-11-01

Factors in selecting a site for low-level radioactive waste disposal are discussed. South Australia has used a former tailings dam in a remote, arid location as a llw repository. There are also low-level waste disposal procedures at the Olympic Dam copper/uranium project

High-level language computer architecture

CERN Document Server

Chu, Yaohan

1975-01-01

High-Level Language Computer Architecture offers a tutorial on high-level language computer architecture, including von Neumann architecture and syntax-oriented architecture as well as direct and indirect execution architecture. Design concepts of Japanese-language data processing systems are discussed, along with the architecture of stack machines and the SYMBOL computer system. The conceptual design of a direct high-level language processor is also described.Comprised of seven chapters, this book first presents a classification of high-level language computer architecture according to the pr

Nucleonic level control in industries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eapen, A.C.; Rao, S.S.; Nair, R.S.

1979-01-01

The paper elicits the particular advantages of nucleonic level control methods in certain applications. The technique used is described briefly. Normal radioactive sources used and their selection for any application based on their characteristic emissions is explained. Level controller developed by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Bombay, is described including details regarding electronic circuitry and the radiation detector used. Its application in zinc powder plant to measure powder level in a hopper is described. Some of the typical applications of gamma-ray level controllers are mentioned. (auth.)

Other-than-high-level waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bray, G.R.

1976-01-01

The main emphasis of the work in the area of partitioning transuranic elements from waste has been in the area of high-level liquid waste. But there are ''other-than-high-level wastes'' generated by the back end of the nuclear fuel cycle that are both large in volume and contaminated with significant quantities of transuranic elements. The combined volume of these other wastes is approximately 50 times that of the solidified high-level waste. These other wastes also contain up to 75% of the transuranic elements associated with waste generated by the back end of the fuel cycle. Therefore, any detailed evaluation of partitioning as a viable waste management option must address both high-level wastes and ''other-than-high-level wastes.''

Street level society

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vinum, Christine; Nissen, Morten

2006-01-01

This paper aims to reflect on research findings from different empirical studies of social work with young drug users and socially excluded young people in Copenhagen. In the paper we account for historical changes in social policy and interventions into young people's drug taking in Copenhagen......, and partly from the decentralizing and specializing efforts characteristic of the Danish welfare state and its institutions. We discuss a general turn towards street level interventions to address the problems of social exclusion, as well as different attempts to create what we term street level heterotopias...

Low level waste disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barthoux, A.

1985-01-01

Final disposal of low level wastes has been carried out for 15 years on the shallow land disposal of the Manche in the north west of France. Final participant in the nuclear energy cycle, ANDRA has set up a new waste management system from the production center (organization of the waste collection) to the disposal site including the setting up of a transport network, the development of assessment, additional conditioning, interim storage, the management of the disposal center, records of the location and characteristics of the disposed wastes, site selection surveys for future disposals and a public information Department. 80 000 waste packages representing a volume of 20 000 m 3 are thus managed and disposed of each year on the shallow land disposal. The disposal of low level wastes is carried out according to their category and activity level: - in tumuli for very low level wastes, - in monoliths, a concrete structure, of the packaging does not provide enough protection against radioactivity [fr

GGDC Productivity Level Database : International Comparisons of Output, Inputs and Productivity at the Industry Level

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Inklaar, Robert; Timmer, Marcel P.

2008-01-01

In this paper we introduce the GGDC Productivity Level database. This database provides comparisons of output, inputs and productivity at a detailed industry level for a set of thirty OECD countries. It complements the EU KLEMS growth and productivity accounts by providing comparative levels and

Sea Level Rise Data Discovery

Science.gov (United States)

Quach, N.; Huang, T.; Boening, C.; Gill, K. M.

2016-12-01

Research related to sea level rise crosses multiple disciplines from sea ice to land hydrology. The NASA Sea Level Change Portal (SLCP) is a one-stop source for current sea level change information and data, including interactive tools for accessing and viewing regional data, a virtual dashboard of sea level indicators, and ongoing updates through a suite of editorial products that include content articles, graphics, videos, and animations. The architecture behind the SLCP makes it possible to integrate web content and data relevant to sea level change that are archived across various data centers as well as new data generated by sea level change principal investigators. The Extensible Data Gateway Environment (EDGE) is incorporated into the SLCP architecture to provide a unified platform for web content and science data discovery. EDGE is a data integration platform designed to facilitate high-performance geospatial data discovery and access with the ability to support multi-metadata standard specifications. EDGE has the capability to retrieve data from one or more sources and package the resulting sets into a single response to the requestor. With this unified endpoint, the Data Analysis Tool that is available on the SLCP can retrieve dataset and granule level metadata as well as perform geospatial search on the data. This talk focuses on the architecture that makes it possible to seamlessly integrate and enable discovery of disparate data relevant to sea level rise.

Tile-Level Annotation of Satellite Images Using Multi-Level Max-Margin Discriminative Random Field

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hong Sun

2013-05-01

Full Text Available This paper proposes a multi-level max-margin discriminative analysis (M3DA framework, which takes both coarse and fine semantics into consideration, for the annotation of high-resolution satellite images. In order to generate more discriminative topic-level features, the M3DA uses the maximum entropy discrimination latent Dirichlet Allocation (MedLDA model. Moreover, for improving the spatial coherence of visual words neglected by M3DA, conditional random field (CRF is employed to optimize the soft label field composed of multiple label posteriors. The framework of M3DA enables one to combine word-level features (generated by support vector machines and topic-level features (generated by MedLDA via the bag-of-words representation. The experimental results on high-resolution satellite images have demonstrated that, using the proposed method can not only obtain suitable semantic interpretation, but also improve the annotation performance by taking into account the multi-level semantics and the contextual information.

Achievement Level and Sex Differences in Levels of Interests and the Interest-Educational Choice Relationship

Science.gov (United States)

Schmitt, Neal

1978-01-01

The prediction of level of post-high-school educational choice was investigated using the theme scores of the Strong Vocational Interest Blank, sex and achievement level as predictors. Results indicated significant relationships between interests and educational choice, moderated in some cases by sex and achievement level. (Author)

The Circuit-Level Decoupling Modulation Strategy for Three-Level Neutral-Point-Clamped (TL-NPC) Inverter

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhang, Zhe; Thomsen, Ole Cornelius; Andersen, Michael A. E.

2011-01-01

In this paper, a circuit-level decoupling modulation strategy is proposed for the three-level (TL) neutral-point-clamped (NPC) inverters. With the proposed modulation scheme, the TL-NPC inverter can be decoupled into two three-level Buck converters in each defined operating section, which makes...

The Sugawara generators at arbitrary level

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gebert, R.W.; Koepsell, K.; Nicolai, H.

1996-04-01

We construct an explicit representation of the Sugawara generators for arbitrary level in terms of the homogeneous Heisenberg subalgebra, which generalizes the well-known expression at level 1. This is achieved by employing a physical vertex operator realization of the affine algebra at arbitrary level, in contrast to the Frenkel-Kac-Segal construction which uses unphysical oscillators and is restricted to level 1. At higher level, the new operators are transcendental functions of DDF oscillators unlike the quadratic expressions for the level-1 generators. An essential new feature of our construction is the appearance, beyond level 1, of new types of poles in the operator product expansions in addition to the ones at coincident points, which entail (controllable) non-localities in our formulas. We demonstrate the utility of the new formalism by explicitly working out some higher-level examples. Our results have important implications for the problem of constructing explicit representations for higher-level root spaces of hyperbolic Kac-Moody algebras, and E 10 in particular. (orig.)

Raised IL-6 Levels

African Journals Online (AJOL)

user

Cardiovascular Associated Complications in HIV. Positive Zambians before ... compare plasma levels of IL-6 in HIV positive and. HIV negative .... cancer. Results from this study showed that IL-6 levels in. HIV positive ART naive individuals were significantly higher than in the HIV positive individuals on ART. Our findings ...

The Barbados Sea Level Record

Science.gov (United States)

Fairbanks, R. G.; Mortlock, R. A.; Abdul, N. A.; Wright, J. D.; Cao, L.; Mey, J. L.

2013-12-01

Additional offshore drill cores, nearly 100 new radiometric dates, and more than 1000 kilometers of Multibeam mapping greatly enhance the Barbados Sea Level record. Extensive Multibeam mapping around the entire island covers approximately 2650 km2 of the sea bottom and now integrates the offshore reef topography and Barbados Sea Level Record with the unparalleled onshore core collection, digital elevation maps, and Pleistocene sea level record spanning the past one million years. The reef crest coral, Acropora palmata, remains the stalwart indicator of sea level for many reasons that are validated by our redundant sea level records and redundant dating via Th/U and Pa/U analyses. Microanalysis and densitometry studies better explain why Acropora palmata is so well preserved in the Pleistocene reef records and therefore why it is the species of choice for sea level reconstructions and radiometric dating. New drill cores into reefs that formed during Marine Isotope Stage 3 lead us to a model of diagenesis that allows us to better prospect for unaltered coral samples in older reefs that may be suitable for Th/U dating. Equally important, our diagenesis model reinforces our rigorous sample quality criteria in a more quantitative manner. The Barbados Sea Level record has a sampling resolution of better than 100 years throughout much of the last deglaciation showing unprecedented detail in redundant drill cores. The Melt Water Pulses (MWP1A and MWP1B) are well resolved and the intervening interval that includes the Younger Dryas reveals sea level changes in new detail that are consistent with the terrestrial records of ice margins (see Abdul et al., this section). More than 100 paired Th/U and radiocarbon ages place the Barbados Sea Level Record unambiguously on the radiocarbon time scale for direct comparisons with the terrestrial records of ice margin changes.

Association between blood glucose level derived using the oral glucose tolerance test and glycated hemoglobin level.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Hyoung Joo; Kim, Young Geon; Park, Jin Soo; Ahn, Young Hwan; Ha, Kyoung Hwa; Kim, Dae Jung

2016-05-01

Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) is widely used as a marker of glycemic control. Translation of the HbA1c level to an average blood glucose level is useful because the latter figure is easily understood by patients. We studied the association between blood glucose levels revealed by the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and HbA1c levels in a Korean population. A total of 1,000 subjects aged 30 to 64 years from the Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases Etiology Research Center cohort were included. Fasting glucose levels, post-load glucose levels at 30, 60, and 120 minutes into the OGTT, and HbA1c levels were measured. Linear regression of HbA1c with mean blood glucose levels derived using the OGTT revealed a significant correlation between these measures (predicted mean glucose [mg/dL] = 49.4 × HbA1c [%] - 149.6; R (2) = 0.54, p Glucose (ADAG) study and Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT) cohort. Discrepancies between our results and those of the ADAG study and DCCT cohort may be attributable to differences in the test methods used and the extent of insulin secretion. More studies are needed to evaluate the association between HbA1c and self monitoring blood glucose levels.

Level structure in 123Xe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luukko, A.; Hattula, J.; Helppi, H.; Knuuttila, O.

1980-09-01

The level structure of 123 Xe has been studied with 122 Te( 3 He,2n) and 123 Te( 3 He,3n) reactions using in-beam γ-ray spectroscopic methods. Band-like level structures based on the unique-parity hsub(11/2) neutron state and different low-j states are observed. The isomeric state proposed earlier is established at 185.4 keV with a half-life of 5.6+-0.3 μs, and a new spin assignment of 7/2 - is proposed for this level. A triaxial-rotor-model calculation has been performed to interprete the negative-parity level system. Because of the 7/2 - state, we do not obtain a consistent description of the negative-parity states with the triaxial rotor model, unlike the heavier odd-A Xe nuclei. On the other hand, the positive-parity level structures are interpreted in terms of the core-quasiparticle model supposing a vibrational core. This indicates different core shapes for the positive- and negative-parity level systems. (author)

Norms as Group-Level Constructs: Investigating School-Level Teen Pregnancy Norms and Behaviors.

Science.gov (United States)

Mollborn, Stefanie; Domingue, Benjamin W; Boardman, Jason D

2014-09-01

Social norms are a group-level phenomenon, but past quantitative research has rarely measured them in the aggregate or considered their group-level properties. We used the school-based design of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health to measure normative climates regarding teen pregnancy across 75 U.S. high schools. We distinguished between the strength of a school's norm against teen pregnancy and the consensus around that norm. School-level norm strength and dissensus were strongly (r = -0.65) and moderately (r = 0.34) associated with pregnancy prevalence within schools, respectively. Normative climate partially accounted for observed racial differences in school pregnancy prevalence, but norms were a stronger predictor than racial composition. As hypothesized, schools with both a stronger average norm against teen pregnancy and greater consensus around the norm had the lowest pregnancy prevalence. Results highlight the importance of group-level normative processes and of considering the local school environment when designing policies to reduce teen pregnancy.

Low-level effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Devine, R.T.; Chaput, R.L.

1987-01-01

Risk assignments can be made to given practices involving exposure to radiation, because sufficient data are available for the effects of high-dose, low-LET radiation and because sufficient exists in the methods of extrapolation to low doses and low dose rates. The confidence in the extrapolations is based on the fact that the risk is not expected to be overestimated, using the assumptions made (as opposed to the possibility that the extrapolations represent an accurate estimate of the risk). These risk estimates have been applied to the selection of permissible exposure levels, to show that various amounts of radiation involve no greater risk to the worker than the risk expected in another industry that is generally considered safe. The setting of standards for protection from exposure to low levels of ionizing radiation is made by expert committees at the national and international levels who weigh social factors as well as scientific factors. Data on low-level effects may be applied when assigning a ''probability of causation'' to a certain exposure of radiation. This has become a prominent method for arriving at an equitable award for damages caused by such exposure. The generation of these tables requires as many (if not more) social and political considerations as does the setting up of protection criteria. It is impossible to extract a purely scientific conclusion solely from the protection standards and other legal decisions. Sufficient information exists on low-LET radiation that safety standards for exposure can be rationally (if not scientifically) agreed upon

Low-level radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Myers, D.K.

1982-05-01

It is known that the normal incidence of cancer in human populations is increased by exposure to moderately high doses of ionizing radiation. At background radiation levels or at radiation levels which are 100 times greater, the potential health risks are considered to be directly proportional to the total accumulated dose of radiation. Some of the uncertainties associated with this assumption and with the accepted risk estimates have been critically reviewed in this document. The general scientific consensus at present suggests that the accepted risk estimates may exaggerate the actual risk of low levels of sparsely ionizing radiations (beta-, gamma- or X-rays) somewhat but are unlikely to overestimate the actual risks of densely ionizing radiations (fast neutrons, alpha-particles). At the maximum permissible levels of exposure for radiation workers in nuclear power stations, the potential health hazards in terms of life expectancy would be comparable to those encountered in transportation and public utilities or in the construction industry. At the average radiation exposures received by these workers in practice, the potential health hazards are similar to those associated with safe categories of industries. Uranium mining remains a relativly hazardous occupation. In terms of absolute numbers, the genetic hazards, which are less well established, are thought to be smaller than the carcinogenic hazards of radiation when only the first generation is considered but to be of the same order of magnitude as the carcinogenic hazards when the total number of induced genetic disorders is summed over all generations

Comparison of Reading Levels of Pharmacy Students and Reading Level of Primary Literature

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cathy H Ficzere

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Objectives: The project purpose was to evaluate pharmacy students’ reading levels using the Nelson-Denney Reading Test (NDRT and compare these results with the reading level of primary literature to investigate incongruities between student’s comprehension ability and the readability level of assigned reading in the curriculum. Methods: The NDRT was administered to first- through third-year student pharmacists to determine grade equivalents (GE for vocabulary and reading comprehension. Twenty articles previously identified as Patient-Oriented Evidence that Matters (POEMs were analyzed to determine the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level and Gunning-Fog Score. Student demographics, information regarding language spoken, and reading habits, were also assessed. Pearson product moment correlations, t-tests, ANOVA, and descriptive statistics were used to assess relationships between demographic data and NDRT scores. Results: One hundred students participated. The mean NDRT total grade equivalent (±SD was 16.95 ± 2.1 (median = 17.3. NDRT grade equivalents were statistically different for students with different racial or ethnic backgrounds (t(98=3.74, p=0.026, English as a second language (ESL students (t(98=5.19, p=0.021, and students that read works of fiction for pleasure (t(98=4.31, p=0.002. The average Gunning-Fog Score for all primary literature articles was 11.48, with the introduction section being the most complex. The average Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level was 17.04, with the results section scoring the lowest average grade level. Implications: While the overall reading grade level of our pharmacy students suggests that they are capable of comprehending reading assigned in the pharmacy curriculum, minority students and students for whom English is a second language may struggle with comprehending complex text. Conflict of Interest We declare no conflicts of interest or financial interests that the authors or members of their immediate families have

Colloids related to low level and intermediate level waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramsay, J.D.F.; Russell, P.J.; Avery, R.G.

1991-01-01

A comprehensive research investigation has been undertaken to improve the understanding of the potential role of colloids in the context of disposal and storage of low level and intermediate level waste immobilized in cement. Several topics have been investigated which include: (a) the study of the formation and characteristics of colloids in cement leachates; (b) the effects of the near-field aqueous chemistry on the characteristics of colloids in repository environments; (c) colloid sorption behaviour; (d) interactions of near-field materials with leachates; (e) characteristics of near-field materials in EC repository simulation tests; and (f) colloid migration behaviour. These experimental investigations should provide data and a basis for the development of transport models and leaching mechanisms, and thus relate directly to the part of the Task 3 programme concerned with migration and retention of radionuclides in the near field. 114 Figs.; 39 Tabs.; 12 Refs

Individuals with Asperger's disorder exhibit difficulty in switching attention from a local level to a global level.

Science.gov (United States)

Katagiri, Masatoshi; Kasai, Tetsuko; Kamio, Yoko; Murohashi, Harumitsu

2013-02-01

The purpose of the present study was to determine whether individuals with Asperger's disorder exhibit difficulty in switching attention from a local level to a global level. Eleven participants with Asperger's disorder and 11 age- and gender-matched healthy controls performed a level-repetition switching task using Navon-type hierarchical stimuli. In both groups, level-repetition was beneficial at both levels. Furthermore, individuals with Asperger's disorder exhibited difficulty in switching attention from a local level to a global level compared to control individuals. These findings suggested that there is a problem with the inhibitory mechanism that influences the output of enhanced local visual processing in Asperger's disorder.

Noise levels in Damascus city

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al-Oudat, M.; Maslmani, Y.

2004-01-01

Outdoor noise levels were measured at 22 sites in Damascus city. Sound level meter model NC-10 with a 20-140 dBA selectable range was used in the current investigation. At each site noise data were collected from 7 to 21 o'clock. The results showed that the noise levels were higher than WHO (World Health Organization) standard by 5-24.7 dB, 10-16 dB, 10-11 dB and 12-17 dB in residential, commercial, Commercial-industrial, and Heavy traffic streets respectively. Indoor and outdoor noise levels in some hospitals were higher than WHO standard by 15-28 dB and 19-23 dB respectively. The study showed that the authorities administration must take necessary procedures to reduce the noise levels in residential regions and in the regions surrounding the hospitals. (author)

The CDF level-3 trigger

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Devlin, T.

1993-01-01

The Collider Detector at Fermilab (CDF) has been operating at the Tevatron and collecting data on proton-antiproton interactions with collision rates above 250,000 Hz. Three levels of filtering select events for data logging at a rate of about 4 Hz. The Level 3 trigger provides most of the capabilities of the offline production programs for event reconstruction and physics analysis. The type of physics triggers, application of cuts, and combinations of logical requirements for event selection are controlled at run time by a trigger table using a syntax fully integrated with the Level 1 and Level 2 hardware triggers. The level 3 software operates in 48 RISC/UNIX processors (over 1000 mips) served by four 20-MByte/sec data buses for input, output and control. The system architecture, debugging, code validation, error reporting, analysis capabilities and performance will be described

Plasma Glucose Level Is Predictive of Serum Ammonia Level After Retrograde Occlusion of Portosystemic Shunts.

Science.gov (United States)

Ishikawa, Tsuyoshi; Aibe, Yuki; Matsuda, Takashi; Iwamoto, Takuya; Takami, Taro; Sakaida, Isao

2017-09-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate predictors of reduction in ammonia levels by occlusion of portosystemic shunts (PSS) in patients with cirrhosis. Forty-eight patients with cirrhosis (21 women, 27 men; mean age, 67.8 years) with PSS underwent balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration (BRTO) at one institution between February 2008 and June 2014. The causes of cirrhosis were hepatitis B in one case, hepatitis C in 20 cases, alcohol in 15 cases, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis in eight cases, and other conditions in four cases. The Child-Pugh classes were A in 24 cases, B in 23 cases, and C in one case. The indication for BRTO was gastric varices in 40 cases and hepatic encephalopathy in eight cases. Testing was conducted before and 1 month after the procedure. Statistical analyses were performed to identify predictors of a clinically significant decline in ammonia levels after BRTO. Occlusion of PSS resulted in a clinically significant decrease in ammonia levels accompanied by increased portal venous flow and improved Child-Pugh score. Univariate analyses showed that a reduction in ammonia levels due to BRTO was significantly related to lower plasma glucose levels, higher RBC counts, and higher hemoglobin concentration before the treatment. Furthermore, multivariate logistic regression identified preoperative plasma glucose level as the strongest independent predictor of a significant ammonia reduction in response to BRTO. In addition, although BRTO resulted in significantly declined ammonia levels in patients with normal glucose tolerance before the procedure, ammonia levels were not significantly decreased after shunt occlusion in patients with diabetes mellitus or impaired glucose tolerance before BRTO, according to 75-g oral glucose tolerance test results. Preoperative plasma glucose level is a useful predictor of clinically significant ammonia reduction resulting from occlusion of PSS in patients with cirrhosis. Even if PSS are present, control

Fasting Lipoprotein Lipase Protein Levels Can Predict a Postmeal Increment of Triglyceride Levels in Fasting Normohypertriglyceridemic Subjects.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsuzaki, Kokoro; Kotani, Kazuhiko; Yamada, Kazunori; Sakane, Naoki

2016-09-01

Although a postprandial increment in triglyceride (TG) levels is considered to be a risk factor for atherogenesis, tests (e.g., fat load) to assess postprandial changes in TG levels cannot be easily applied to clinical practice. Therefore, fasting markers that predict postprandial TG states are needed to be developed. One current candidate is lipoprotein lipase (LPL) protein, a molecule that hydrides TGs. This study investigated whether fasting LPL levels could predict postprandial TG levels. A total of 17 subjects (11 men, 6 women, mean age 52 ± 11 years) with normotriglyceridemia during fasting underwent the meal test. Several fasting parameters, including LPL, were measured for the area under the curve of postprandial TGs (AUC-TG). The subjects' mean fasting TG level was 1.30 mmol/l, and their mean LPL level was 41.6 ng/ml. The subjects' TG levels increased after loading (they peaked after two postprandial hours). Stepwise multiple regression analysis demonstrated that fasting TG levels were a predictor of the AUC-TG. In addition, fasting LPL mass levels were found to be a predictor of the AUC-TG (β = 0.65, P fasting TG levels. Fasting LPL levels may be useful to predict postprandial TG increment in this population. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Seismic Level 2 PSA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dirksen, Gerben; Pellissetti, Manuel; Duncan-Whiteman, Paul

2014-01-01

For most external events, the calculation of the core damage frequency (CDF) in Level 1 PSA is sufficient to be able to show that the contribution of the event to the plant risk is negligible. However, it is not sufficient to compare the CDF due to the external event to the total plant CDF; instead the Level 1 PSA result for the event should be compared to the large early release frequency (LERF), or alternatively arguments should be given why the CDF from the external event will not contribute mostly to LERF. For seismic events in particular, it can often not be easily excluded that sequences leading to core damage would not also result in LERF. Since the confinement function is one of the most essential functions for Level 2 PSA, special care must be taken of the containment penetrations. For example systems with containment penetrations that are normally closed during operation or are designed to withstand more than the maximum containment pressure are normally screened out in the Level 2 PSA for the containment isolation function, however the possibility of LOCA in such systems due to an earthquake may nevertheless lead to containment bypass. Additionally, the functionality of passive features may be compromised in case of a beyond design earthquake. In the present paper, we present crucial ingredients of a methodology for a Level 2 seismic PSA. This methodology consists of the following steps: Extension of the seismic equipment list (SEL) to include Level 2 PSA relevant systems (e.g. containment isolation system, features for core melt stabilization, hydrogen mitigation systems), Determination of the systems within the existing SEL with increased demands in case of severe accidents, Determination of essential components for which a dedicated fragility analysis needs to be performed. (author)

55Co level properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lodin, G.; Nilsson, L.; Erlandsson, B.; Lyttkens, J.

1975-01-01

The decay pf low-lying levels in 55 Co has been studied by means of the 54 Fe(d,nγ) 55 Co reaction. Neutron energies were determined by time-of-flight techniques using a pulsed incident beam and a large liquid scintillator. Gamma rays in coincidence with neutrons were detected by a Ge(Li)spectrometer, Three levels at 4720.8+-0.6, 4747.1+-0.6 and 5172.4+-0.6 keV were strongly populated. The 4720 and 5172 keV levels have earlier been identified as the isobaric analogues of the 55 Fe ground state and first excited state. On the basis of a comparison of the present results with previous particle-transfer reaction studies it is suggested that the ground state analogue is split into the 4720 and 4747 keV levels. A study of excitation functions of 54 Fe(d,n)transitions at incident deuteron energies between 5.0 and 6.0 MeV show that the spectroscopic strengths obtained from (d,n) experiments in this mass region at these energies depend strongly on the incident energy. (Auth.)

RPython high-level synthesis

Science.gov (United States)

Cieszewski, Radoslaw; Linczuk, Maciej

2016-09-01

The development of FPGA technology and the increasing complexity of applications in recent decades have forced compilers to move to higher abstraction levels. Compilers interprets an algorithmic description of a desired behavior written in High-Level Languages (HLLs) and translate it to Hardware Description Languages (HDLs). This paper presents a RPython based High-Level synthesis (HLS) compiler. The compiler get the configuration parameters and map RPython program to VHDL. Then, VHDL code can be used to program FPGA chips. In comparison of other technologies usage, FPGAs have the potential to achieve far greater performance than software as a result of omitting the fetch-decode-execute operations of General Purpose Processors (GPUs), and introduce more parallel computation. This can be exploited by utilizing many resources at the same time. Creating parallel algorithms computed with FPGAs in pure HDL is difficult and time consuming. Implementation time can be greatly reduced with High-Level Synthesis compiler. This article describes design methodologies and tools, implementation and first results of created VHDL backend for RPython compiler.

Low-level Radioactivity Measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hurtgen, C.

2002-01-01

The objectives of the research performed in the area of low-level radioactivity measurements are (1) to maintain and develop techniques for the measurement of low-level environmental and biological samples, (2) to measure these samples by means of low-background counters (liquid scintillators, proportional counters, ZnS counters, alpha spectrometry), (3) to support and advise the nuclear and non-nuclear industry on problems of radioactive contamination and low-level radioactivity measurements; (4) to maintain and improve the quality assurance system according to the ISO17025 standard; and (5) to assess the internal dose from occupational intakes of radionuclides of workers of the nuclear industry. Progress and achievements in these areas in 2001 are reported

Low-level Radioactivity Measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hurtgen, C.

2001-01-01

The objectives of the research performed in the area of low-level radioactivity measurements are (1) to maintain and develop techniques for the measurement of low-level environmental and biological samples, (2) to measure these samples by means of low-background counters (liquid scintillators, proportional counters, ZnS counters, alpha spectrometry), (3) to support and advice the nuclear and non-nuclear industry in matters concerning radioactive contamination and/or low-level radioactivity measurements; (4) to maintain the quality assurance system according to the EN45001/ISO17025 standard; and (5) to assess the internal dose from occupational intakes of radionuclides of workers of the nuclear industry. Progress and achievements in these areas in 2000 are reported

Patient satisfaction in outpatient healthcare services at secondary level vs. tertiary level

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Velikj-Stefanovska Vesna

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. Patients satisfaction is a very important part of any clinical practice both for evaluation and improvement of healthcare services. Objective. The aim of this study was to determine patient satisfaction with public outpatient healthcare services at secondary and tertiary level and to assess possible differences between the two levels. Methods. In a quantitative cross-sectional study, a convenient sample of 646 patients who experienced public outpatient healthcare services at the secondary and tertiary level during the last two months were interviewed. Patient satisfaction questionnaires, with statements regarding various aspects of satisfaction, were completed during face-to-face interviews (response rate 84.6%. The research instrument was tested for internal consistency using the Cronbach’s coefficient alpha estimate. Results. The patients were significantly more satisfied in tertiary than in secondary outpatient healthcare facilities in almost all aspects of assessment related to general settings, nurse/administrative staff performance and physician performance (p<0.001. The patients in the secondary healthcare services (SHCS were more satisfied than in the tertiary healthcare services (THCS but only regarding the information on location (83.9% vs.78.3% and possibilities to enter and move inside the department (88.8% vs. 83.3%. Analysis of data for SHCS and THCS showed that there was no significant difference between the mean overall satisfaction scores with regard to patients’ gender, age, marital status, educational level, employment and number of visits. Conclusion. There is a need to improve the current level of patient-provider relationship and communication, as well as that of hospital environment, while special efforts should be made to address the problem of patient waiting time and hospital bureaucracy.

Packaged low-level waste verification system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tuite, K.; Winberg, M.R.; McIsaac, C.V. [Idaho National Engineering Lab., Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

1995-12-31

The Department of Energy through the National Low-Level Waste Management Program and WMG Inc. have entered into a joint development effort to design, build, and demonstrate the Packaged Low-Level Waste Verification System. Currently, states and low-level radioactive waste disposal site operators have no method to independently verify the radionuclide content of packaged low-level waste that arrives at disposal sites for disposition. At this time, the disposal site relies on the low-level waste generator shipping manifests and accompanying records to ensure that low-level waste received meets the site`s waste acceptance criteria. The subject invention provides the equipment, software, and methods to enable the independent verification of low-level waste shipping records to ensure that the site`s waste acceptance criteria are being met. The objective of the prototype system is to demonstrate a mobile system capable of independently verifying the content of packaged low-level waste.

Psilocybin impairs high-level but not low-level motion perception.

Science.gov (United States)

Carter, Olivia L; Pettigrew, John D; Burr, David C; Alais, David; Hasler, Felix; Vollenweider, Franz X

2004-08-26

The hallucinogenic serotonin(1A&2A) agonist psilocybin is known for its ability to induce illusions of motion in otherwise stationary objects or textured surfaces. This study investigated the effect of psilocybin on local and global motion processing in nine human volunteers. Using a forced choice direction of motion discrimination task we show that psilocybin selectively impairs coherence sensitivity for random dot patterns, likely mediated by high-level global motion detectors, but not contrast sensitivity for drifting gratings, believed to be mediated by low-level detectors. These results are in line with those observed within schizophrenic populations and are discussed in respect to the proposition that psilocybin may provide a model to investigate clinical psychosis and the pharmacological underpinnings of visual perception in normal populations.

Getting started with LevelDB

CERN Document Server

Dent, Andy

2013-01-01

The book is a concise guide for using LevelDB. It explains database concepts and the use of C++, ranging from the basics all the way to high level topics in an easy to follow, step-by-step format.The book is meant for developers who want an embedded database for their applications. Experienced programmers can pick up on the sophisticated data mapping patterns and tuning tips.Getting Started with LevelDB requires a minimal background in programming in C++ or Objective-C for OS/X or iOS and familiarity with XCode. Therefore it teaches enough C++ to use LevelDB without presuming any C++ knowledge

The association between estimated average glucose levels and fasting plasma glucose levels in a rural tertiary care centre

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Raja Reddy P

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The level of hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c, also known as glycated hemoglobin, determines how well a patient’s blood glucose level has been controlled over the previous 8-12 weeks. HbA1c levels help patients and doctors understand whether a particular diabetes treatment is working and whether adjustments need to be made to the treatment. Because the HbA1c level is a marker of blood glucose for the previous 60- 90 days, average blood glucose levels can be estimated using HbA1c levels. Aim in the present study was to investigate the relationship between estimated average glucose levels, as calculated by HbA1c levels, and fasting plasma glucose levels. Methods: Type 2 diabetes patients attending medicine outpatient department of RL Jalappa hospital, Kolar between March 2010 and July 2012 were taken. The estimated glucose levels (mg/dl were calculated using the following formula: 28.7 x HbA1c-46.7. Glucose levels were determined using the hexokinase method. HbA1c levels were determined using an HPLC method. Correlation and independent t- test was the test of significance for quantitative data. Results: A strong positive correlation between fasting plasma glucose level and estimated average blood glucose levels (r=0.54, p=0.0001 was observed. The difference was statistically significant. Conclusion: Reporting the estimated average glucose level together with the HbA1c level is believed to assist patients and doctors determine the effectiveness of blood glucose control measures.

Method for steam generator water level measurement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Srinivasan, J.S.

1991-01-01

This paper describes a nuclear power plant, a method of controlling the steam generator water level, wherein the steam generator has an upper level tap corresponding to an upper level, a lower level, a riser positioned between the lower and upper taps, and level sensor means for indicating water level between a first range limit and a second range limit, the sensor means being connected to at least the lower tap. It comprises: calculating a measure of velocity head at about the lower level tap; calculating a measure of full water level as the upper level less the measure of velocity head; calibrating the level sensor means to provide an output at the first limit corresponding to an input thereto representative of the measure of full level; calculating a high level setpoint equal to the level of the riser less a bias amount which is a function of the position of the riser relative to the span between the taps; and controlling the water level when the sensor means indicates that the high level setpoint has been reached

Fetuin-A levels in hyperthyroidism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bariş Onder Pamuk

2013-01-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: Fetuin-A is a protein secreted from the liver that inhibits arterial calcification deposition and can contribute to insulin resistance. Hyperthyroidism is also associated with insulin resistance. It is not known whether hyperthyroidism has an effect on fetuin-A levels. METHODS: We measured fetuin-A levels and homeostasis model of assessment-insulin resistance before hyperthyroidism treatment was initiated and after euthyroidism was achieved. A total of 42 patients diagnosed with hyperthyroidism were enrolled in this study. Fetuin-A, insulin, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, fasting blood glucose, free T3 (fT3, free T4 (fT4, and thyrotropin were measured before and after euthyroidism was established. RESULTS: Basal fasting blood glucose, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, insulin, c-peptide, homeostasis model of assessment-insulin resistance, fT3, fT4 and fetuin-A levels were significantly decreased after euthyroidism was achieved (Table 1. Basal fasting blood glucose (r:0.407, p:0.008, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (r:0.523, p<0.0001, insulin (r:0.479, p:0.001, homeostasis model of assessment-insulin resistance (r:0.541, p<0.0001, fT3 (r:0.492, p:0.001 and fT4 (r:0.473, p:0.002 were positively correlated with basal fetuin-A levels. Basal thyrotropin levels were significantly negatively correlated (r:-0.553, p<0.0001 with basal fetuin-A levels. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that hyperthyroidism influences fetuin-A levels.

A Three Level Framework for Closed-Loop Supply Chain Management—Linking Society, Chain and Actor Level

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stefan Seuring

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Supply chain management and closed-loop supply chain management (CLSCM have developed into established concepts in recent years. The related material cycles and product returns form an important part of all related processes with high potential for reducing environmental burden. The paper proposes a framework for (environmentally triggered closed-loop supply chain management, spanning three different levels: the societal or governance, the chain and the actor level. Within each level, a set of activities or processes can be identified. Taken together, the levels allow a comprehensive analysis of a closed-loop supply chain system. This is illustrated building on two case studies in the textile and apparel industry, where closed-loop supply chains have been designed to take specific apparel products back. The case studies are analyzed against all three levels and allow exemplification of related challenges and interrelations among the three levels. The three levels contribute to the further comprehension of the multiple issues having to be taken into account for successfully implementing closed-loop supply chains.

GRAP, Gamma-Ray Level-Scheme Assignment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Franklyn, C.B.

2002-01-01

1 - Description of program or function: An interactive program for allocating gamma-rays to an energy level scheme. Procedure allows for searching for new candidate levels of the form: 1) L1 + G(A) + G(B) = L2; 2) G(A) + G(B) = G(C); 3) G(A) + G(B) = C (C is a user defined number); 4) L1 + G(A) + G(B) + G(C) = L2. Procedure indicates intensity balance of feed and decay of each energy level. Provides for optimization of a level energy (and associated error). Overall procedure allows for pre-defining of certain gamma-rays as belonging to particular regions of the level scheme, for example, high energy transition levels, or due to beta- decay. 2 - Method of solution: Search for cases in which the energy difference between two energy levels is equal to a gamma-ray energy within user-defined limits. 3 - Restrictions on the complexity of the problem: Maximum number of gamma-rays: 999; Maximum gamma ray energy: 32000 units; Minimum gamma ray energy: 10 units; Maximum gamma-ray intensity: 32000 units; Minimum gamma-ray intensity: 0.001 units; Maximum number of levels: 255; Maximum level energy: 32000 units; Minimum level energy: 10 units; Maximum error on energy, intensity: 32 units; Minimum error on energy, intensity: 0.001 units; Maximum number of combinations: 6400 (ca); Maximum number of gamma-ray types : 127

System-level musings about system-level science (Invited)

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, W.

2009-12-01

In teleology, a system has a purpose. In physics, a system has a tendency. For example, a mechanical system has a tendency to lower its potential energy. A thermodynamic system has a tendency to increase its entropy. Therefore, if geospace is seen as a system, what is its tendency? Surprisingly or not, there is no simple answer to this question. Or, to flip the statement, the answer is complex, or complexity. We can understand generally why complexity arises, as the geospace boundary is open to influences from the solar wind and Earth’s atmosphere and components of the system couple to each other in a myriad of ways to make the systemic behavior highly nonlinear. But this still begs the question: What is the system-level approach to geospace science? A reductionist view might assert that as our understanding of a component or subsystem progresses to a certain point, we can couple some together to understand the system on a higher level. However, in practice, a subsystem can almost never been observed in isolation with others. Even if such is possible, there is no guarantee that the subsystem behavior will not change when coupled to others. Hence, there is no guarantee that a subsystem, such as the ring current, has an innate and intrinsic behavior like a hydrogen atom. An absolutist conclusion from this logic can be sobering, as one would have to trace a flash of aurora to the nucleosynthesis in the solar core. The practical answer, however, is more promising; it is a mix of the common sense we call reductionism and awareness that, especially when strongly coupled, subsystems can experience behavioral changes, breakdowns, and catastrophes. If the stock answer to the systemic tendency of geospace is complexity, the objective of the system-level approach to geospace science is to define, measure, and understand this complexity. I will use the example of magnetotail dynamics to illuminate some key points in this talk.

Tree-level formalism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brandhuber, Andreas; Spence, Bill; Travaglini, Gabriele

2011-01-01

We review two novel techniques used to calculate tree-level scattering amplitudes efficiently: MHV diagrams, and on-shell recursion relations. For the MHV diagrams, we consider applications to tree-level amplitudes and focus in particular on the N=4 supersymmetric formulation. We also briefly describe the derivation of loop amplitudes using MHV diagrams. For the recursion relations, after presenting their general proof, we discuss several applications to massless theories with and without supersymmetry, to theories with massive particles, and to graviton amplitudes in general relativity. This article is an invited review for a special issue of Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Theoretical devoted to 'Scattering amplitudes in gauge theories'. (review)

A Character Level Based and Word Level Based Approach for Chinese-Vietnamese Machine Translation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Phuoc Tran

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Chinese and Vietnamese have the same isolated language; that is, the words are not delimited by spaces. In machine translation, word segmentation is often done first when translating from Chinese or Vietnamese into different languages (typically English and vice versa. However, it is a matter for consideration that words may or may not be segmented when translating between two languages in which spaces are not used between words, such as Chinese and Vietnamese. Since Chinese-Vietnamese is a low-resource language pair, the sparse data problem is evident in the translation system of this language pair. Therefore, while translating, whether it should be segmented or not becomes more important. In this paper, we propose a new method for translating Chinese to Vietnamese based on a combination of the advantages of character level and word level translation. In addition, a hybrid approach that combines statistics and rules is used to translate on the word level. And at the character level, a statistical translation is used. The experimental results showed that our method improved the performance of machine translation over that of character or word level translation.

A Character Level Based and Word Level Based Approach for Chinese-Vietnamese Machine Translation.

Science.gov (United States)

Tran, Phuoc; Dinh, Dien; Nguyen, Hien T

2016-01-01

Chinese and Vietnamese have the same isolated language; that is, the words are not delimited by spaces. In machine translation, word segmentation is often done first when translating from Chinese or Vietnamese into different languages (typically English) and vice versa. However, it is a matter for consideration that words may or may not be segmented when translating between two languages in which spaces are not used between words, such as Chinese and Vietnamese. Since Chinese-Vietnamese is a low-resource language pair, the sparse data problem is evident in the translation system of this language pair. Therefore, while translating, whether it should be segmented or not becomes more important. In this paper, we propose a new method for translating Chinese to Vietnamese based on a combination of the advantages of character level and word level translation. In addition, a hybrid approach that combines statistics and rules is used to translate on the word level. And at the character level, a statistical translation is used. The experimental results showed that our method improved the performance of machine translation over that of character or word level translation.

The management of high-level radioactive wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lennemann, Wm.L.

1979-01-01

The definition of high-level radioactive wastes is given. The following aspects of high-level radioactive wastes' management are discussed: fuel reprocessing and high-level waste; storage of high-level liquid waste; solidification of high-level waste; interim storage of solidified high-level waste; disposal of high-level waste; disposal of irradiated fuel elements as a waste

Nuclear systems of level measurement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lara, A.J.; Cabrera, M.J.

1992-01-01

In the industry there are processes in which is necessary to maintain the products level controlled which are handled for their transformation. The majority of such processes and by the operation conditions, they do not admit measure systems of level of invasive type then the application of nuclear techniques for level measurement results a big aid in these cases, since all the system installation is situated beyond frontiers of vessels that contain the product for measuring. In the Department of Nuclear Technology Applications of Mexican Petroleum Institute was developed a level measurement system by gamma rays transmission which operates in the Low Density Polyethylene plant of Petrochemical Complex Escolin at Poza Rica, Veracruz, Mexico. (Author)

Determination of the level of noise in nurseries and pre-schools and the teachers′ level of annoyance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ozan Gokdogan

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Objective: The aim of this article is to determine the level of noise in nurseries and pre-schools and also to compare measured levels with standard levels and evaluate the teachers’ level of annoyance. Materials and Methods: The level of noise was measured in three different schools. A total of 162 students, whose ages were between 3 and 6 years, and 12 teachers were included the study. Every age groups’ level of noise was measured during sleeping, gaming, and eating activity. In addition, teachers’ annoyance was assessed in different age groups. Results: The 4- to 6-year-old groups were found to have higher level of sounds than 3-year-old group. Eating period was found to be the highest level of sound whereas sleeping was found the lowest. Furthermore, teachers’ annoyance was found higher as the age decreased. Conclusion: Nurseries and pre-schools have noisy environment both for the students and the teachers. High level of noise, which has bad effects on health, is a public health problem. Both the students’ families and teachers must be aware of this annoying situation.

42 CFR 124.503 - Compliance level.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Compliance level. 124.503 Section 124.503 Public... Unable To Pay § 124.503 Compliance level. (a) Annual compliance level. Subject to the provisions of this... persons unable to pay if it provides for the fiscal year uncompensated services at a level not less than...

Method of measuring reactor water level

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shinohara, Kaoru.

1979-01-01

Purpose: To provide a water level measuring system so that a reactor water level detecting signal can be corrected in correspondence to a recirculation flow, thereby to carry out a correct water level detection in a wide range of the reactor. Method: According to the operation record of a precursor reactor, the ratio Δh of the lowering of the water level due to the recirculation flow is lowered in proportion to the ratiowith respect to the rated differential pressure of the recirculation flow. Accordingly, the flow of recirculation pump is measured by an elbow differential pressure generator utilizing an elbow of a pipe, and the measured value is multiplied by a gain by a ratio setter, and therefter, an addition computation is carried out by an adder for correcting the signal from a water level detector. When the signal from the water level detector is corrected in this manner, the influence of the lowering of the water level due to the recirculation flow can be removed, and an interlocker predetermined in the defined water level can be actuated, thus the influence of the dynamic pressure due to the recirculation flow acting on the instrumental pipe line detecting the reactor water level can be removed effectively. (Yoshino, Y.)

Low-level-waste-treatment handbook

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clinton, S.D.; Goeller, H.E.; Holladay, D.W.; Donaldson, T.L.

1982-01-01

The initial draft of the Low-Level Waste Treatment Handbook has been prepared and submitted to the DOE Low-Level Waste Management Program for review and comment. A revised draft is scheduled to be delivered to DOE Headquarters in December 1982. The Handbook is designed to be useful to all individuals and groups concerned with low-level wastes. It is one of several volumes that will ultimately comprise a Low-Level Waste Technology Handbook. The objective of the Low-Level Waste Treatment Handbook is to present an overview of current practices related to the segregation, classification, volume reduction, solidification, handling, packaging, and transportation of LLW for disposal in a shallow land burial facility. The Handbook is intended to serve as a guide to individuals interested in the treatment and handling of low-level radioactive waste. The Handbook will not explicitly tell the user how to design and operate LLW treatment facilities, but rather will identify (1) kinds of information required to evaluate the options, (2) methods that may be used to evaluate these options, and (3) limitations associated with the selection of the treatment options. The focus of the Handbook is providing guidance on how to do waste treatment for disposal by shallow land burial

Reactor water level control device

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Utagawa, Kazuyuki.

1993-01-01

A device of the present invention can effectively control fluctuation of a reactor water level upon power change by reactor core flow rate control operation. That is, (1) a feedback control section calculates a feedwater flow rate control amount based on a deviation between a set value of a reactor water level and a reactor water level signal. (2) a feed forward control section forecasts steam flow rate change based on a reactor core flow rate signal or a signal determining the reactor core flow rate, to calculate a feedwater flow rate control amount which off sets the steam flow rate change. Then, the sum of the output signal from the process (1) and the output signal from the process (2) is determined as a final feedwater flow rate control signal. With such procedures, it is possible to forecast the steam flow rate change accompanying the reactor core flow rate control operation, thereby enabling to conduct preceding feedwater flow rate control operation which off sets the reactor water level fluctuation based on the steam flow rate change. Further, a reactor water level deviated from the forecast can be controlled by feedback control. Accordingly, reactor water level fluctuation upon power exchange due to the reactor core flow rate control operation can rapidly be suppressed. (I.S.)

Comparable clinical and radiological outcomes between skipped-level and all-level plating for open-door laminoplasty.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheung, Jason Pui Yin; Cheung, Prudence Wing Hang; Cheung, Amy Yim Ling; Lui, Darren; Cheung, Kenneth M C

2018-06-01

To compare the clinical and radiological outcomes between skipped-level and all-level plating for cervical laminoplasty. Patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) treated by open-door laminoplasty with minimum 2-year postoperative follow-up were included. All patients had opening from C3-6 or C3-7 and were divided into skipped-level or all-level plating groups. Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) scores and canal measurements were obtained preoperatively, immediate (within 1 week) postoperatively, and at 2, 6 weeks, 3, 6 and 12 months postoperatively. Paired t test was used for comparative analysis. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was used to determine the canal expansion cutoff for spring-back closure. A total of 74 subjects were included with mean age of 66.1 ± 11.3 years at surgery. Of these, 32 underwent skipped-level plating and 42 underwent all-level plating. No significant differences were noted between the two groups at baseline and follow-up. Spring-back closure was observed in up to 50% of the non-plated levels within 3 months postoperatively. The cutoff for developing spring-back closure was 7 mm canal expansion for C3-6. No differences were observed in JOA scores and recovery rates between the two groups. None of the patients with spring-back required reoperation. There were no significant differences between skipped-level and all-level plating in terms of JOA or recovery rate, and canal diameter differences. This has tremendous impact on saving costs in CSM management as up to two plates per patient undergoing a standard C3-6 laminoplasty may be omitted instead of four plates to every level to achieve similar clinical and radiological outcomes. III. These slides can be retrieved under Electronic Supplementary Material.

Why is the Groundwater Level Rising? A Case Study Using HARTT to Simulate Groundwater Level Dynamic.

Science.gov (United States)

Yihdego, Yohannes; Danis, Cara; Paffard, Andrew

2017-12-01

  Groundwater from a shallow unconfined aquifer at a site in coastal New South Wales has been causing recent water logging issues. A trend of rising groundwater level has been anecdotally observed over the last 10 years. It was not clear whether the changes in groundwater levels were solely natural variations within the groundwater system or whether human interference was driving the level up. Time series topographic images revealed significant surrounding land use changes and human modification to the environment of the groundwater catchment. A statistical model utilising HARTT (multiple linear regression hydrograph analysis method) simulated the groundwater level dynamics at five key monitoring locations and successfully showed a trend of rising groundwater level. Utilising hydrogeological input from field investigations, the model successfully simulated the rise in the water table over time to the present day levels, whilst taking into consideration rainfall and land changes. The underlying geological/land conditions were found to be just as significant as the impact of climate variation. The correlation coefficient for the monitoring bores (MB), excluding MB4, show that the groundwater level fluctuation can be explained by the climate variable (rainfall) with the lag time between the atypical rainfall and groundwater level ranging from 4 to 7 months. The low R2 value for MB4 indicates that there are factors missing in the model which are primarily related to human interference. The elevated groundwater levels in the affected area are the result of long term cumulative land use changes, instigated by humans, which have directly resulted in detrimental changes to the groundwater aquifer properties.

An architectural approach to level design

CERN Document Server

Totten, Christopher W

2014-01-01

Explore Level Design through the Lens of Architectural and Spatial Experience TheoryWritten by a game developer and professor trained in architecture, An Architectural Approach to Level Design is one of the first books to integrate architectural and spatial design theory with the field of level design. It explores the principles of level design through the context and history of architecture, providing information useful to both academics and game development professionals.Understand Spatial Design Principles for Game Levels in 2D, 3D, and Multiplayer ApplicationsThe book presents architectura

14 CFR 91.861 - Base level.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Base level. 91.861 Section 91.861... level. (a) U.S. Operators. The base level of a U.S. operator is equal to the number of owned or leased... to paragraphs (a) (1) and (2). (1) The base level of a U.S. operator shall be increased by a number...

Level playing field with political tact

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Onderstal, S.; Appelman, M.

2004-01-01

Businesses, interest groups and policy administrators plead for a level playing field. However, those administrators interpret the level playing field notion in different ways and thus create confusion. In this article the level playing field is explained and a framework discussed by means of which the government can study policy problems in which the level playing field is of importance [nl

Low-level Radioactivity Measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Churtgen, C.

2007-01-01

The low-level radioactivity measurements service performs measurements of alpha or beta emitters on various types of low-radioactivity samples (biological and environmental) from internal and external clients. to maintain and develop techniques concerning the measurement of low-level radioactivity of alpha and beta emitting radionuclides in environmental or biological samples; to measure these samples by means of low-background counters (liquid scintillators, proportional counters, ZnS counters and alpha-spectrometers); to support and advise the nuclear and non-nuclear industry on problems of radioactive contamination or low level radioactivity measurements; to maintain the quality assurance system according to the ISO17025 standard for which we obtained the Beltest accreditation in 1998; to assess the internal dose from occupational intakes of radionuclides for workers of the nuclear industry;

Optimal Levels of Embeddedness

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Kristina Vaarst

Co-location of industry professionals often leads to development of collaboration networks, and multiple studies have emphasized the benefits of embedded collaboration. Due to higher levels of trust, embedded collaboration reduces transaction costs and facilitates ready knowledge exchanged. Other...... on regional level data on co-location of knowledge workers, workplaces, and cultural amenities. Two papers build on individual level data from the Danish film industry. The first paper analyses why the importance of co-location differs between groups of knowledge workers and aim to explain centralization...... in localized collaboration networks is so essential, it affects location choices. The second paper challenges the proposition of embeddedness as an absolute term through an analysis of costs and benefits of embeddedness in an industry network. The results show that the association between embeddedness...

Features, Events, and Processes: System Level

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

D. McGregor

2004-04-19

The primary purpose of this analysis is to evaluate System Level features, events, and processes (FEPs). The System Level FEPs typically are overarching in nature, rather than being focused on a particular process or subsystem. As a result, they are best dealt with at the system level rather than addressed within supporting process-level or subsystem level analyses and models reports. The System Level FEPs also tend to be directly addressed by regulations, guidance documents, or assumptions listed in the regulations; or are addressed in background information used in development of the regulations. This evaluation determines which of the System Level FEPs are excluded from modeling used to support the total system performance assessment for license application (TSPA-LA). The evaluation is based on the information presented in analysis reports, model reports, direct input, or corroborative documents that are cited in the individual FEP discussions in Section 6.2 of this analysis report.

Study on estimating fluid force acting on a hull during maneuvering movement; Soju undoji no sentai ni sayosuru ryutairyoku no suitei ni kansuru kenkyu

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yukawa, K; Kijima, K [Kyushu University, Fukuoka (Japan). Faculty of Engineering

1997-10-01

With types of general cargo vessel and VLCC vessel as the object of discussion, a method was discussed to estimate fluid force acting theoretically on a hull during maneuvering movement, taking frame line shape into consideration. A vortex model was improved by giving consideration of time-based decay on intensity of discrete vortex lines based on the Rankine vortex. Modeling of flow fields around a hull was attempted to deal with movements in which width and draft are small as compared with the ship length, and turning angle speed and deviation angle are small. It was assumed that the ship speed is slow and effects of waves can be disregarded. Specular images of the hull were taken with regard to free surface, and handled as a double body model. Speed potential to express flow fields around a hull is required to satisfy the following five boundary conditions of Laplace, substance surface, free vortex layers, infinity and exfoliation. The potential may be handled as a two-dimensional problem in a field near the hull by using assumption of a slender and long body and conformal mapping. It was found possible to estimate hull fluid force with relatively good accuracy. Fine linear coefficients derived from the estimation were used to have performed highly accurate determination on course stabilization. 5 refs., 6 figs., 2 tabs.

Tyre noise predictions from computed road surface texture induced contact pressure; Romen no outotsu ni kiinsuru sesshoku atsuryoku ni yoru tire soon no suitei

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mikami, T. [Japan Automobile Research Institute Inc., Tsukuba (Japan)

1999-07-01

A method for tire/road noise prediction is studied based on the result of road surface profile measurement (horizontal direction measurement interval 3mm, horizontal direction measurement accuracy 8{mu}m, distance measured 1655m, using a laser-aided profile meter). The obtained road surface profile is used for the calculation of contact pressure that occurs between the tire tread and road surface (using the 2-dimensional calculation model of Clapp et al.). For the examination of the relationship between the contact pressure and generated noise, tire noise is measured using a microphone array provided near the tire circumference. The frequency spectral ratio between the generated noise and contact pressure is determined as a transmission function. It may be said that the transmission function is unique to the tire, not dependent on the road surface profile. The road surface profile is determined by use of the transmission function, and this enables the prediction of the noise from the tire. Noises were measured on several kinds of road surfaces different in coarseness for a passenger car and truck, and the values from these actual measurements are compared with the predicted values, and then it is found that the prediction model is valid. (NEDO)

Culture at the Country Level

OpenAIRE

Maseland, R.K.J.; Hoorn, A.A.J. van; Herk, H. van; Torelli, C.J.

2017-01-01

This chapter introduces and critically discusses the idea of measuring the culture of countries and cross-national differences therein. We start by elaborating the theoretical foundations for studying culture at the country level. We highlight the use of countries or nations as a unit of analysis and pay special attention to the way in which a group-level construct such as culture has implications at lower levels of analysis, affecting the values and beliefs of individuals. After briefly trac...

Circulating Irisin Levels Are Not Regulated by Nutritional Status, Obesity, or Leptin Levels in Rodents.

Science.gov (United States)

Quiñones, Mar; Folgueira, Cintia; Sánchez-Rebordelo, Estrella; Al-Massadi, Omar

2015-01-01

Irisin is a cleaved and secreted fragment of fibronectin type III domain containing 5 (FNDC5) that is mainly released by skeletal muscle and was proposed to mediate the beneficial effects of exercise on metabolism. In the present study we aim to investigate the regulation of the circulating levels of irisin in obese animal models (diet-induced obese (DIO) rats and leptin-deficient (ob/ob) mice), as well as the influence of nutritional status and leptin. Irisin levels were measured by Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) and Radioimmunoassay (RIA). Serum irisin levels remained unaltered in DIO rats and ob/ob mice. Moreover, its circulating levels were also unaffected by fasting, leptin deficiency, and exogenous leptin administration in rodents. In spite of these negative results we find a negative correlation between irisin and insulin in DIO animals and a positive correlation between irisin and glucose under short-term changes in nutritional status. Our findings indicate that serum irisin levels are not modulated by different physiological settings associated to alterations in energy homeostasis. These results suggest that in rodents circulating levels of irisin are not involved in the pathophysiology of obesity and could be unrelated to metabolic status; however, further studies should clarify its precise role in states of glucose homeostasis imbalance.

Circulating Irisin Levels Are Not Regulated by Nutritional Status, Obesity, or Leptin Levels in Rodents

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mar Quiñones

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Irisin is a cleaved and secreted fragment of fibronectin type III domain containing 5 (FNDC5 that is mainly released by skeletal muscle and was proposed to mediate the beneficial effects of exercise on metabolism. In the present study we aim to investigate the regulation of the circulating levels of irisin in obese animal models (diet-induced obese (DIO rats and leptin-deficient (ob/ob mice, as well as the influence of nutritional status and leptin. Irisin levels were measured by Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA and Radioimmunoassay (RIA. Serum irisin levels remained unaltered in DIO rats and ob/ob mice. Moreover, its circulating levels were also unaffected by fasting, leptin deficiency, and exogenous leptin administration in rodents. In spite of these negative results we find a negative correlation between irisin and insulin in DIO animals and a positive correlation between irisin and glucose under short-term changes in nutritional status. Our findings indicate that serum irisin levels are not modulated by different physiological settings associated to alterations in energy homeostasis. These results suggest that in rodents circulating levels of irisin are not involved in the pathophysiology of obesity and could be unrelated to metabolic status; however, further studies should clarify its precise role in states of glucose homeostasis imbalance.

Progress on the national low level radioactive waste repository and national intermediate level waste store

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perkins, C.

2003-01-01

The Australian Government is committed to establishing two purpose-built facilities for the management of Australia's radioactive waste; the national repository for disposal of low level and short-lived intermediate level ('low level') waste, and the national store for storage of long-lived intermediate level ('intermediate level') waste. It is strongly in the interests of public security and safety to secure radioactive waste by disposal or storage in facilities specially designed for this purpose. The current arrangements where waste is stored under ad hoc arrangements at hundreds of sites around Australia does not represent international best practice in radioactive waste management. Environmental approval has been obtained for the national repository to be located at Site 40a, 20 km east of Woomera in South Australia, and licences are currently being sought from the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) to site, construct and operate the facility. The national repository may be operating in 2004 subject to obtaining the required licences. The national store will be located on Australian Government land and house intermediate level waste produced by Australian Government departments and agencies. The national store will not be located in South Australia. Short-listing of potentially suitable sites is expected to be completed soon

Field vibration test of a long-span cable-stayed bridge by large exciters. Daishinpuku kashin ni yoru chodai shachokyo no jikkyo shindo jikken

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Okauchi, I. (Chuo University, Tokyo (Japan). Faculty of Science and Engineering); Miyata, T. (Yokohama National University, Yokohama (Japan). Faculty of Engineering); Sasaki, N. (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd., Tokyo (Japan)); Tatsumi, M.

1992-10-15

Long-span cable-stayed bridge requires indispensably discussions on safety against gale and earthquake, and correct assessment on its inherent vibration characteristics at the design stage is critical. However, theoretical assessment on structural decay is difficult, hence it is desirable to make measurement and verification upon its completion. This paper reports the result of measurements and considerations on a three-span continuous steel cable-stayed bridge with a length of 790 m (185 m + 420 m + 185 m) spanning between Hitsuishi Island and Iwakuro Island in the Kojima-Sakaide route of the Honshu-Shikoku connecting bridge. Large shaking machines were used to give girders vibrations with large amplitudes (10 cm at maximum), and high-accuracy measurements were made. The measurements verified the reasonability of the dynamic design for the bridge. The measured value of the logarithmic decay rate [delta] as the major experimental data presented that bending vibration is large as a whole, with torsional vibration somewhat smaller, and all the design values were on safety side. Confirmation was made on amplitude dependence of the decay rate, the inherent modes of low-order vibrations, and coupled behaviors among the girders, cables, and towers. 16 refs., 13 figs., 3 tabs.

Aerodynamics of the cable of cable-stayed bridges; Shachokyo cable no kuriki shindo tokusei no rikai to soreni motozuku kuriki seishinho no teian

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Matsumoto, M. [Kyoto University, Kyoto (Japan). Faculty of Engineering; Aoki, J.; Fuji, D. [West Japan Railway Company, Osaka (Japan); Kitayama, N. [Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co. Ltd., Tokyo (Japan); Daito, Y. [Kyoto University, Kyoto (Japan)

1996-07-21

Wind tunnel tests were conducted assuming the aerodynamics of the cable of cable-stayed bridges especially in the case of strong wind with rain. Based on the results, an aerodynamic damping method was proposed. Factors of the rain vibration generation include the three-dimensional axial flow behind the cable, which is formed by the wind direction deviation angle, the upper side water flow on the cable surface formed by the rain, and the Karman vortex shedding, which are not uniform in the span direction. Newly proposed cable with elliptical plates showed an effective dumping performance. It restrains the formation of water flow due to its profile, and is effective for unstableness due to water flow formation. Distribution of the axial flow in the cable span direction was made clear. Three-dimensionality of the vortex shedding was greatly affected by this axial flow. Frequency of the Karman vortex shedding changed in the wide band by the axial flow. It was suggested that three-dimensionality of the flow field is enhanced by the rolling vibration, resulting in the unstableness of heaving vibration. 5 refs., 15 figs.

Heated junction thermocouple level measurement apparatus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bevilacqua, F.; Burger, J.M.

1984-01-01

A liquid level sensing apparatus senses the level of liquid surrounding the apparatus. A plurality of axially spaced sensors are enclosed in a separator tube. The separator tube tends to collapse the level of a two-phase fluid within the separator tube into essentially a liquid phase and a gaseous phase where the collapsed level bears a relationship to the coolant inventory outside the separator tube. The level of the liquid phase is sensed by level sensing apparatus. The separator tube contains inlet-outlet ports near the top and bottom thereof to equalize the liquid level inside and outside the separator tube when the level fluctuates or the water within the separator tube flashes to steam. Each sensor is comprised of a heater, a heated thermocouple junction and an unheated thermocouple junction within an elongated heat conductive housing. The heated portion of housing is enclosed in a splash guard with inlet-outlet ports near the top and bottom to equalize the liquid level inside and outside the splash guardand to eliminate the spurious indications of liquid level change which may arise if water droplets contact the housing in the region of the heater. To prevent steam bubbles entrained in a two-phase fluid cross flow from entering the lateral inlet-outlet ports of the separator tube, the separator tube is enclosed in support tube which may in turn be enclosed in an otherwise unused control element assembly shroud. The lateral inlet-outlet ports of separator tube are axially offset from lateral inlet-outlet ports of support tube at least where support tube is subjected to cross flow. The shroud is open on the bottom and has lateral inlet-outlet ports to facilitate liquid level fluctuations to equalize inside and outside shroud

Correlation of Salivary Glucose Level with Blood Glucose Level in Diabetes Mellitus

OpenAIRE

Arati S. Panchbhai

2012-01-01

ABSTRACT Objectives There is alarming rise in number of people with diabetes mellitus over these years. If glucose in saliva is linked to glucose in blood it can be used to detect diabetes mellitus at an early stage. The present study is undertaken with the aim to assess the correlation of salivary glucose level with blood glucose level in people with diabetes mellitus. Material and Methods For investigations, 2 sets of samples of people with diabetes and the age and sex matched non-diabetic ...

Estimating sea-level allowances for Atlantic Canada under conditions of uncertain sea-level rise

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B. Greenan

2015-03-01

Full Text Available This paper documents the methodology of computing sea-level rise allowances for Atlantic Canada in the 21st century under conditions of uncertain sea-level rise. The sea-level rise allowances are defined as the amount by which an asset needs to be raised in order to maintain the same likelihood of future flooding events as that site has experienced in the recent past. The allowances are determined by combination of the statistics of present tides and storm surges (storm tides and the regional projections of sea-level rise and associated uncertainty. Tide-gauge data for nine sites from the Canadian Atlantic coast are used to derive the scale parameters of present sea-level extremes using the Gumbel distribution function. The allowances in the 21st century, with respect to the year 1990, were computed for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC A1FI emission scenario. For Atlantic Canada, the allowances are regionally variable and, for the period 1990–2050, range between –13 and 38 cm while, for the period 1990–2100, they range between 7 and 108 cm. The negative allowances in the northern Gulf of St. Lawrence region are caused by land uplift due to glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA.

Transportation and disposal configuration for DOE-managed low-level and mixed low-level waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnsen, T.

1993-06-01

This report briefly examines the current U.S. Department of Energy complex-wide configuration for transportation and disposal of low-level and mixed low-level waste, and also retraces the historical sequence of events and rationale that has guided its development. The study determined that Nevada Test Site and the Hanford Site are the only two sites that currently provide substantial disposal services for offsite low-level waste generators. It was also determined that mixed low-level waste shipments are infrequent and are generally limited to shipments to offsite commercial treatment facilities or other Department of Energy sites for storage. The current alignment of generator to disposal site for low-level waste shipments is generally consistent with the programmatic mission of the generator; that is, defense-generated waste is shipped to the Nevada Test Site and research-generated waste is transported to the Hanford Site. The historical development of the current configuration was resurrected by retrieving Department of Energy documentation and interviewing both current and former department and contractor personnel. According to several accounts, the basic framework of the system was developed during the late 1970s, and was reportedly based on the ability of the disposal site to manage a given waste form. Documented evidence to support this reasoning, however, could not be uncovered

Performance evaluation of laser guided leveler

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M.A. Hoque

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The study was conducted at Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI farm on clay loam soil during Rabi season of 2010-2011. The treatments consisted of laser land leveling (T1 and control (non-leveled (T2. A preliminary field survey was done using staff gage. Initially a base station was established to dispense laser ray uniformly. The laser ray erected from base station guided the sensor of the stuff gage and the leveler. Elevation data was collected from the different points of the field and made an average. The maximum gage reading were 247.0 cm and the minimum gage reading was 219.2 cm. Average gage readings of the laser leveled plot was 235.66 cm that was settled for auto adjustment. Therefore, huge amount of soils (16.46 cm high was cut from the highest point and subsequently had to fill to the low points. Finally, an equal gage reading of 235.66 cm was observed after leveling the plot. The laser leveler (Leica MLS700 was used hitching with a TAFE tractor. The field was leveled with manual control initially and finally it was operated with auto adjustment. Two operators, 25 litter diesels and total 6 hours time were required during this leveling. Wheat was cultivated in leveled land (T1 and non-leveled land (T2. Laser leveling was insured for improvement in nutrient use efficiencies, option for precision farming, reduces weed problems, and improves uniformity of crop maturity. There was better distribution of water in leveled plot, which helped to reduce irrigation application time 1 hour. Due to uniformity of moisture content improved germination and crop establishment was found which reflected in higher plant population (239 m-2. Maximum yield (3.41 t ha-1 was obtained in T1 due to longer panicle (10.89 cm, more grain per plant (27.47 and 1000 grain weight (47.38 g compared to yield of T2 (2.62 t ha-1.

2-deoxyglucose tissue levels and insulin levels following tolazamide dosing in normal and obese mice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Skillman, C.A.; Fletcher, H.P.

1986-01-01

The effect of tolazamide (TZ), a sulfonylurea, on 14 C-2-deoxyglucose ( 14 C-2DG) tissue distribution and insulin levels of normal and obese mice was investigated using an in vivo physiological method. Acute doses of TZ (50 mg/kg ip) increased 14 C-2DG levels in gastrocnemius muscle and retroperitoneal fat and produced a transient elevation of insulin which most likely accounts for the increased 14 C-2DG levels in muscle and fat. The results demonstrate that the in vivo 14 C-2DG method produced results consistent with known actions of sulfonylureas on in vitro hexose assimilation in muscle and fat. Subchronic treatment (7 days) with TZ 50 mg/kg ip twice daily did not result in increased insulin-stimulated 14 C-2DG tissue levels in normal mice when compared to saline treated controls. However, insulin levels were lower in mice treated subchronically with TZ compared to saline controls suggesting an enhancement of insulin action. Viable yellow obese mice represent a model of maturity onset obesity presenting with insulin resistance. The insulin resistance of this obese strain appears to reside in the fat tissue as assessed by comparing 14 C-2DG tissue levels of obese mice with lean littermate controls. Subchronic TZ treatment had no effect on 14 C-2DG uptake in fat or muscle tissue of viable yellow obese mice and did not alter their plasma insulin levels. It appears that genetically obese viable mice may be resistant to subchronic treatment with TZ. (author)

Trait-level and week-level regulatory focus as a motivation to craft a job

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Petrou, P.; Demerouti, E.

2015-01-01

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to address regulatory focus (promotion vs prevention) as a trait-level variable and a week-level variable linked to employee job crafting behaviors (i.e. seeking resources, seeking challenges and reducing demands). The authors hypothesized that while promotion

Relationship between salivary levels of cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone levels in saliva and chronic periodontitis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Siddhi Mudrika

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Aim: The aim was to investigate the association between cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA levels in patients with periodontitis and healthy controls. Materials and Methods: Cortisol and DHEA levels in saliva were determined in 20 subjects, with clinical examinations including oral hygiene index, sulcus bleeding index (Muhlemann and Son and probing depth was also performed. Statistical Analysis: Data were analyzed with the help of SPSS software package (version 7.0, and the significance level was set at 95% confidence interval. Mann-Whitney test and t-test were used to see the correlation between the groups. Results: In cortisol and DHEA the mean and standard deviation of periodontitis group were (2.6 ± 0.37 and (66.7 ± 8.7 respectively. Conclusion: This shows there is an increase in the mean value of cortisol and DHEA in periodontitis than the control group. Salivary cortisol and DHEA level were found to be increased in concordance with disease severity. This was statistically significant with P < 0.001.

Correlation of salivary glucose level with blood glucose level in diabetes mellitus.

Science.gov (United States)

Gupta, Shreya; Nayak, Meghanand T; Sunitha, J D; Dawar, Geetanshu; Sinha, Nidhi; Rallan, Neelakshi Singh

2017-01-01

Saliva is a unique fluid, which is important for normal functioning of the oral cavity. Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a disease of absolute or relative insulin deficiency characterized by insufficient secretion of insulin by pancreatic beta-cells. The diagnosis of diabetes through blood is difficult in children, older adults, debilitated and chronically ill patients, so diagnosis by analysis of saliva can be potentially valuable as collection of saliva is noninvasive, easier and technically insensitive, unlike blood. The aim of the study was to correlate blood glucose level (BGL) and salivary glucose level (SGL) in DM patients. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 120 patients, who were categorized as 40 controlled diabetics, 40 uncontrolled diabetics and 40 healthy, age- and sex-matched individuals constituted the controls. The blood and unstimulated saliva samples were collected from the patients at the different intervals for fasting, random and postprandial levels. These samples were then subjected for analysis of glucose in blood and saliva using glucose oxidase/peroxidase reagent in HITACHI 902 (R) Automatic analyzer, and the results were recorded. The mean SGLs were higher in uncontrolled and controlled diabetic groups than in nondiabetic group. A highly statistically significant correlation was found between fasting saliva glucose and fasting blood glucose in all the groups. With increase in BGL, increase in SGL was observed in patients with diabetes suggesting that SGL can be used for monitoring glycemic level in DM.

Interaction between High-Level and Low-Level Image Analysis for Semantic Video Object Extraction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrea Cavallaro

2004-06-01

Full Text Available The task of extracting a semantic video object is split into two subproblems, namely, object segmentation and region segmentation. Object segmentation relies on a priori assumptions, whereas region segmentation is data-driven and can be solved in an automatic manner. These two subproblems are not mutually independent, and they can benefit from interactions with each other. In this paper, a framework for such interaction is formulated. This representation scheme based on region segmentation and semantic segmentation is compatible with the view that image analysis and scene understanding problems can be decomposed into low-level and high-level tasks. Low-level tasks pertain to region-oriented processing, whereas the high-level tasks are closely related to object-level processing. This approach emulates the human visual system: what one “sees” in a scene depends on the scene itself (region segmentation as well as on the cognitive task (semantic segmentation at hand. The higher-level segmentation results in a partition corresponding to semantic video objects. Semantic video objects do not usually have invariant physical properties and the definition depends on the application. Hence, the definition incorporates complex domain-specific knowledge and is not easy to generalize. For the specific implementation used in this paper, motion is used as a clue to semantic information. In this framework, an automatic algorithm is presented for computing the semantic partition based on color change detection. The change detection strategy is designed to be immune to the sensor noise and local illumination variations. The lower-level segmentation identifies the partition corresponding to perceptually uniform regions. These regions are derived by clustering in an N-dimensional feature space, composed of static as well as dynamic image attributes. We propose an interaction mechanism between the semantic and the region partitions which allows to

Modeling Multi-Level Systems

CERN Document Server

Iordache, Octavian

2011-01-01

This book is devoted to modeling of multi-level complex systems, a challenging domain for engineers, researchers and entrepreneurs, confronted with the transition from learning and adaptability to evolvability and autonomy for technologies, devices and problem solving methods. Chapter 1 introduces the multi-scale and multi-level systems and highlights their presence in different domains of science and technology. Methodologies as, random systems, non-Archimedean analysis, category theory and specific techniques as model categorification and integrative closure, are presented in chapter 2. Chapters 3 and 4 describe polystochastic models, PSM, and their developments. Categorical formulation of integrative closure offers the general PSM framework which serves as a flexible guideline for a large variety of multi-level modeling problems. Focusing on chemical engineering, pharmaceutical and environmental case studies, the chapters 5 to 8 analyze mixing, turbulent dispersion and entropy production for multi-scale sy...

Relative Sea Level, Tidal Range, and Extreme Water Levels in Boston Harbor from 1825 to 2016

Science.gov (United States)

Talke, S. A.; Kemp, A.; Woodruff, J. D.

2017-12-01

Long time series of water-level measurements made by tide gauges provide a rich and valuable observational history of relative sea-level change, the frequency and height of extreme water levels and evolving tidal regimes. However, relatively few locations have available tide-gauge records longer than 100 years and most of these places are in northern Europe. This spatio-temporal distribution hinders efforts to understand global-, regional- and local-scale trends. Using newly-discovered archival measurements, we constructed a 200 year, instrumental record of water levels, tides, and storm surges in Boston Harbor. We detail the recovery, datum reconstruction, digitization, quality assurance, and analysis of this extended observational record. Local, decadally-averaged relative sea-level rose by 0.28 ± 0.05 m since the 1820s, with an acceleration of 0.023 ±0.009 mm/yr2. Approximately 0.13 ± 0.02 m of the observed RSL rise occurred due to ongoing glacial isostatic adjustment, and the remainder occurred due to changes in ocean mass and volume associated with the onset of modern mean sea-level rise. Change-point analysis of the new relative sea level record confirms that anthropogenic rise began in 1924-1932, which is in agreement with global mean sea level estimates from the global tide gauge network. Tide range decreased by 5.5% between 1830 and 1910, likely due in large part to anthropogenic development. Storm tides in Boston Harbor are produced primarily by extratropical storms during the November-April time frame. The three largest storm tides occurred in 1851, 1909, and 1978. Because 90% of the top 20 storm tides since 1825 occurred during a spring tide, the secular change in tide range contributes to a slight reduction in storm tide magnitudes. However, non-stationarity in storm hazard was historically driven primarily by local relative sea-level rise; a modest 0.2 m increase in relative sea level reduces the 100 year high water mark to a once-in-10 year event.

Intracochlear Position of Cochlear Implants Determined Using CT Scanning versus Fitting Levels: Higher Threshold Levels at Basal Turn.

Science.gov (United States)

van der Beek, Feddo B; Briaire, Jeroen J; van der Marel, Kim S; Verbist, Berit M; Frijns, Johan H M

2016-01-01

In this study, the effects of the intracochlear position of cochlear implants on the clinical fitting levels were analyzed. A total of 130 adult subjects who used a CII/HiRes 90K cochlear implant with a HiFocus 1/1J electrode were included in the study. The insertion angle and the distance to the modiolus of each electrode contact were determined using high-resolution CT scanning. The threshold levels (T-levels) and maximum comfort levels (M-levels) at 1 year of follow-up were determined. The degree of speech perception of the subjects was evaluated during routine clinical follow-up. The depths of insertion of all the electrode contacts were determined. The distance to the modiolus was significantly smaller at the basal and apical cochlear parts compared with that at the middle of the cochlea (p basal end of the cochlea (3.4 dB). Additionally, the M-levels, which were fitted in our clinic using a standard profile, also increased toward the basal end, although with a lower amplitude (1.3 dB). Accordingly, the dynamic range decreased toward the basal end (2.1 dB). No correlation was found between the distance to the modiolus and the T-level or the M-level. Furthermore, the correlation between the insertion depth and stimulation levels was not affected by the duration of deafness, age at implantation or the time since implantation. Additionally, the T-levels showed a significant correlation with the speech perception scores (p stimulation levels of the cochlear implants were affected by the intracochlear position of the electrode contacts, which were determined using postoperative CT scanning. Interestingly, these levels depended on the insertion depth, whereas the distance to the modiolus did not affect the stimulation levels. The T-levels increased toward the basal end of the cochlea. The level profiles were independent of the overall stimulation levels and were not affected by the biographical data of the patients, such as the duration of deafness, age at

Level tracking in detailed reactor simulations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aktas, B.; Mahaffy, J.H. [Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States)

1995-09-01

We introduce a useful test problem for judging the performance of reactor safety codes in situations where moving two-phase mixture levels are present. The test problem tracks a two-phase liquid level as it rises and then falls back to its original position. Pure air exists above the level, and a low void air-water mixture is below the level. Conditions are subcooled and isothermal to remove complications resulting from failures of interfacial heat transfer packages to properly account for the level. Comparisons are made between the performance of current versions of CATHARE, RELAP5, TRAC-BF1, and TRAC-PF1. These system codes are based on finite-difference methods with a fixed, Eulerian staggered grid in space. When a partially filled cell with a mixture level discontinuity becomes the donor cell, the sharp changes in fluid properties across the interface results in numerical oscillations of various terms. Furthermore, the cell-to-cell convection of mass, momentum and energy are inaccurately predicted nearby a mixture level. To adequately model moving mixture levels, an efficient discontinuity tracking method for the finite-difference Eulerian approximations is described. This model had been implemented in the TRAC-BWR code for the two-phase mixture level tracking since the TRAC-BD1 Version (released April 1984). The result of the test problem run by the current version of TRAC-BF1/MOD1 with the mixture level tracking model shows some peculiar behavior of the variables such as velocities, pressures and interfacial terms. A systematic approach to improving performance of the tracking method is described. Implementing this approach in TRAC-BF1/MOD1 has shown a major improvement in the results.

The ZEUS second level calorimeter trigger

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jong, S.J. de.

1990-01-01

ZEUS is a detector for the HERA ep collider, consisting of several large components. The most important being the inner tracking detectors, which are positioned nearest to the interaction point, the calorimeter surrounding the inner tracking detectors and the muon detectors on the outside of the experimental setup. Each component will deliver a vast amount of information. In order to keep this information manageable, data is preprocessed and condensed per component and then combined to obtain the final global trigger result. The main subject of this thesis is the second level calorimeter trigger processor of the ZEUS detector. In order to be able to reject the unwanted events passing the first level, the topological event signature will have to be used at the second level. The most demanding task of the second level is the recognition of local energy depositions corresponding to isolated electrons and hadron jets. Also part of the work performed by the first level will be repeated with a higher level of accuracy. Additional information not available to the first level trigger will be processed and will be made available to the global second level trigger decision module. For the second level calorimeter trigger processor a special VME module, containing two transputers, has been developed. The second level calorimeter trigger algorithm described in this thesis was tested with simulated events, that were tracked through a computer simulation of the ZEUS detector. A part of this thesis is therefore devoted to the description of the various Monte Carlo models and the justification of the way in which they were used. (author). 132 refs.; 76 figs.; 18 tabs

State level operations and interaction with facility level systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bellinger, J.

1989-01-01

The role of the State System of Accounting for and Control of Nuclear Materials at the State level, particularly the role of the National Authority, in ensuring that both national and international safeguards objectives are met is discussed. The legislative basis for the National Authority is examined. The activities of Australia's National Authority - the Australian Safeguards Office - are described

Sea Level Changes: Determination and Effects

Science.gov (United States)

Woodworth, P. L.; Pugh, D. T.; DeRonde, J. G.; Warrick, R. G.; Hannah, J.

The measurement of sea level is of fundamental importance to a wide range of research in climatology, oceanography, geology and geodesy. This volume attempts to cover many aspects of the field. The volume opens with a description by Bolduc and Murty of one of the products stemming from the development of tide gauge networks in the northern and tropical Atlantic. This work is relevant to the growth of the Global Sea Level Observing System (GLOSS), the main goal of which is to provide the world with an efficient, coherent sea level monitoring system for océanographie and climatological research. The subsequent four papers present results from the analysis of existing tide gauge data, including those datasets available from the Permanent Service for Mean Sea Level and the TOGA Sea Level Center. Two of the four, by Wroblewski and by Pasaric and Orlic, are concerned with European sea level changes, while Yu Jiye et al. discuss inter-annual changes in the Pacific, and Wang Baocan et al. describe variability in the Changjiang estuary in China. The papers by El- Abd and A wad, on Red Sea levels, are the only contributions to the volume from the large research community of geologists concerned with sea level changes.

Competitiveness levels in cattle herd farms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pedro Rocha Marques

2015-03-01

Full Text Available The aim of this experiment was to identify improvement demands for farms with different levels of competitiveness in the west of Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil. A total of 63 owners of large farms were interviewed (farms with an area greater than 900ha by applying a semi-structured questionnaire, guided by four drivers: technology (TEC, management (MAN, market relations (MR and the institutional environment (IE.It was used the Statistical Analysis System 9.2 software to perform the cluster analysis and identify farmers' characteristics. Three random clusters with different levels of competitiveness were observed: low competitiveness level (LCL, middle competitiveness level (MCL and high competitiveness level (HCL. The 29 variables (sub factors were evaluated in the cluster analysis according to level of impact on competitiveness, being classified into variables of high, medium or low impact. Stratification was carried out, ranking demands for improvements from aspects attributed by experts in relation to sub factors. The farmers with low competitiveness level (LTL had an unfavorable status for MAN, while the farmers belonging to clusters MCL and HCL have, respectively, favorable and neutral status for the same driver. The management characteristics determined the level of competitiveness of the farms surveyed

Experimental level densities of atomic nuclei

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guttormsen, M.; Bello Garrote, F.L.; Eriksen, T.K.; Giacoppo, F.; Goergen, A.; Hagen, T.W.; Klintefjord, M.; Larsen, A.C.; Nyhus, H.T.; Renstroem, T.; Rose, S.J.; Sahin, E.; Siem, S.; Tornyi, T.G.; Tveten, G.M. [University of Oslo, Department of Physics, Oslo (Norway); Aiche, M.; Ducasse, Q.; Jurado, B. [University of Bordeaux, CENBG, CNRS/IN2P3, B.P. 120, Gradignan (France); Bernstein, L.A.; Bleuel, D.L. [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA (United States); Byun, Y.; Voinov, A. [Ohio University, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Athens, Ohio (United States); Gunsing, F. [CEA Saclay, DSM/Irfu/SPhN, Cedex (France); Lebois, L.; Leniau, B.; Wilson, J. [Institut de Physique Nucleaire d' Orsay, Orsay Cedex (France); Wiedeking, M. [iThemba LABS, P.O. Box 722, Somerset West (South Africa)

2015-12-15

It is almost 80 years since Hans Bethe described the level density as a non-interacting gas of protons and neutrons. In all these years, experimental data were interpreted within this picture of a fermionic gas. However, the renewed interest of measuring level density using various techniques calls for a revision of this description. In particular, the wealth of nuclear level densities measured with the Oslo method favors the constant-temperature level density over the Fermi-gas picture. From the basis of experimental data, we demonstrate that nuclei exhibit a constant-temperature level density behavior for all mass regions and at least up to the neutron threshold. (orig.)

Automatic Control of Silicon Melt Level

Science.gov (United States)

Duncan, C. S.; Stickel, W. B.

1982-01-01

A new circuit, when combined with melt-replenishment system and melt level sensor, offers continuous closed-loop automatic control of melt-level during web growth. Installed on silicon-web furnace, circuit controls melt-level to within 0.1 mm for as long as 8 hours. Circuit affords greater area growth rate and higher web quality, automatic melt-level control also allows semiautomatic growth of web over long periods which can greatly reduce costs.

Perceptions Versus National-Level Differences

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dow, Douglas; Håkanson, Lars; Ambos, Björn

2014-01-01

Purpose: This chapter bridges the gap between two distinct approaches to the concept of psychic distance – measuring it in terms of people’s perceptions of distance or in terms of exogenous national-level differences. The two approaches are reconciled in a “refined and integrative” definition......-makers, fully capture the impact of national-level differences on trade and FDI flows; however, if such measures of perceptions are not available, a simple selection of four national-level differences will still capture 80% of the same effect....

Optimum Safety Levels for Breakwaters

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Burcharth, H. F.; Sørensen, John Dalsgaard

2005-01-01

Optimum design safety levels for rock and cube armoured rubble mound breakwaters without superstructure are investigated by numerical simulations on the basis of minimization of the total costs over the service life of the structure, taking into account typical uncertainties related to wave...... statistics and structure response. The study comprises the influence of interest rate, service lifetime, downtime costs and damage accumulation. Design limit states and safety classes for breakwaters are discussed. The results indicate that optimum safety levels are somewhat higher than the safety levels...

Enhanced Waste Tank Level Model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Duignan, M.R.

1999-06-24

'With the increased sensitivity of waste-level measurements in the H-Area Tanks and with periods of isolation, when no mass transfer occurred for certain tanks, waste-level changes have been recorded with are unexplained.'

Multi-level learning: improving the prediction of protein, domain and residue interactions by allowing information flow between levels

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

McDermott Drew

2009-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Proteins interact through specific binding interfaces that contain many residues in domains. Protein interactions thus occur on three different levels of a concept hierarchy: whole-proteins, domains, and residues. Each level offers a distinct and complementary set of features for computationally predicting interactions, including functional genomic features of whole proteins, evolutionary features of domain families and physical-chemical features of individual residues. The predictions at each level could benefit from using the features at all three levels. However, it is not trivial as the features are provided at different granularity. Results To link up the predictions at the three levels, we propose a multi-level machine-learning framework that allows for explicit information flow between the levels. We demonstrate, using representative yeast interaction networks, that our algorithm is able to utilize complementary feature sets to make more accurate predictions at the three levels than when the three problems are approached independently. To facilitate application of our multi-level learning framework, we discuss three key aspects of multi-level learning and the corresponding design choices that we have made in the implementation of a concrete learning algorithm. 1 Architecture of information flow: we show the greater flexibility of bidirectional flow over independent levels and unidirectional flow; 2 Coupling mechanism of the different levels: We show how this can be accomplished via augmenting the training sets at each level, and discuss the prevention of error propagation between different levels by means of soft coupling; 3 Sparseness of data: We show that the multi-level framework compounds data sparsity issues, and discuss how this can be dealt with by building local models in information-rich parts of the data. Our proof-of-concept learning algorithm demonstrates the advantage of combining levels, and opens up

A level switch with a sound tube

OpenAIRE

赤池, 誠規

2017-01-01

Level switches are sensor with an electrical contact output at a specific liquid, powder or bulk level. Most of traditional level switches are not suitable for harsh environments. The level switch in this study connects a loudspeaker on top end of the sound tube. When liquid, powder or bulk closes bottom end of the sound tube, the level switch turns on. The level switch is suitable for harsh environments and easy to install. The aim of this study is to propose a level switch with a sound tube...

Individuals with Asperger’s Disorder Exhibit Difficulty in Switching Attention from a Local Level to a Global Level

OpenAIRE

Katagiri, Masatoshi; Kasai, Tetsuko; Kamio, Yoko; Murohashi, Harumitsu

2013-01-01

The purpose of the present study was to determine whether individuals with Asperger’s disorder exhibit difficulty in switching attention from a local level to a global level. Eleven participants with Asperger’s disorder and 11 age- and gendermatched healthy controls performed a level-repetition switching task using Navontype hierarchical stimuli. In both groups, level-repetition was beneficial at both levels. Furthermore, individuals with Asperger’s disorder exhibited difficulty in switchi...

Level of evidence gap in orthopedic research.

Science.gov (United States)

Baldwin, Keith D; Bernstein, Joseph; Ahn, Jaimo; McKay, Scott D; Sankar, Wudbhav N

2012-09-01

Level of evidence is the most widely used metric for the quality of a publication, but instances exist in which a Level I study is neither feasible nor desirable. The goal of this study was to evaluate the level of evidence gap in current orthopedic research, which the authors defined as the disparity between the level of evidence that would be required to optimally answer the primary research question and the level of evidence that was actually used. Five orthopedic surgeons (K.D.B., J.B., J.A., S.D.M., W.N.S.) evaluated blinded articles from the first 6 months of 2010 in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (American Volume) (JBJS-Am), classifying the study type and design and extracting a primary research question from each article. Each evaluator then defined the study type and method, along with the level of evidence that would ideally be used to address the primary research question. The level of evidence gap was then calculated by subtracting the actual level of evidence of the manuscript from the level of evidence of the idealized study. Of the 64 JBJS-Am manuscripts eligible for analysis, the average level of evidence was between Level II and III (mean, 2.73). The average level of evidence gap was 1.06 compared with the JBJS-Am-designated level of evidence and 1.28 compared with the evaluators' assessment. Because not all questions require Level I studies, level of evidence alone may not be the best metric for the quality of orthopedic surgery literature. Instead, the authors' concept of a level of evidence gap may be a better tool for assessing the state of orthopedic research publications. Copyright 2012, SLACK Incorporated.

Low potassium level

Science.gov (United States)

... treat and prevent low level of potassium. These foods include: Avocados Baked potato Bananas Bran Carrots Cooked lean beef Milk Oranges Peanut butter Peas and beans Salmon Seaweed Spinach Tomatoes Wheat germ

Lake Level Reconstructions

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Records of past lake levels, mostly related to changes in moisture balance (evaporation-precipitation). Parameter keywords describe what was measured in this data...

Multi-Level Secure Local Area Network

OpenAIRE

Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Center for Information Systems Studies Security and Research (CISR)

2011-01-01

Multi-Level Secure Local Area Network is a cost effective, multi-level, easy to use office environment leveraging existing high assurance technology. The Department of Defense and U.S. Government have an identified need to securely share information classified at differing security levels. Because there exist no commercial solutions to this problem, NPS is developing a MLS LAN. The MLS LAN extends high assurance capabilities of an evaluated multi-level secure system to commercial personal com...

Level 2 and level 2.5 large deviation functionals for systems with and without detailed balance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoppenau, J; Nickelsen, D; Engel, A

2016-01-01

Large deviation functions are an essential tool in the statistics of rare events. Often they can be obtained by contraction from a so-called level 2 or level 2.5 large deviation functional characterizing the empirical density and current of the underlying stochastic process. For Langevin systems obeying detailed balance, the explicit form of the level 2 functional has been known ever since the mathematical work of Donsker and Varadhan. We rederive the Donsker–Varadhan result using stochastic path-integrals. We than generalize the derivation to level 2.5 large deviation functionals for non-equilibrium steady states and elucidate the relation between the large deviation functionals and different notions of entropy production in stochastic thermodynamics. Finally, we discuss some aspects of the contractions to level 1 large deviation functions and illustrate our findings with examples. (paper)

Detecting sea-level hazards: Simple regression-based methods for calculating the acceleration of sea level

Science.gov (United States)

Doran, Kara S.; Howd, Peter A.; Sallenger,, Asbury H.

2016-01-04

This report documents the development of statistical tools used to quantify the hazard presented by the response of sea-level elevation to natural or anthropogenic changes in climate and ocean circulation. A hazard is a physical process (or processes) that, when combined with vulnerability (or susceptibility to the hazard), results in risk. This study presents the development and comparison of new and existing sea-level analysis methods, exploration of the strengths and weaknesses of the methods using synthetic time series, and when appropriate, synthesis of the application of the method to observed sea-level time series. These reports are intended to enhance material presented in peer-reviewed journal articles where it is not always possible to provide the level of detail that might be necessary to fully support or recreate published results.

Optimal Guaranteed Service Time and Service Level Decision with Time and Service Level Sensitive Demand

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sangjun Park

2014-01-01

Full Text Available We consider a two-stage supply chain with one supplier and one retailer. The retailer sells a product to customer and the supplier provides a product in a make-to-order mode. In this case, the supplier’s decisions on service time and service level and the retailer’s decision on retail price have effects on customer demand. We develop optimization models to determine the optimal retail price, the optimal guaranteed service time, the optimal service level, and the optimal capacity to maximize the expected profit of the whole supply chain. The results of numerical experiments show that it is more profitable to determine the optimal price, the optimal guaranteed service time, and the optimal service level simultaneously and the proposed model is more profitable in service level sensitive market.

Level density from realistic nuclear potentials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Calboreanu, A.

2006-01-01

Nuclear level density of some nuclei is calculated using a realistic set of single particle states (sps). These states are derived from the parameterization of nuclear potentials that describe the observed sps over a large number of nuclei. This approach has the advantage that one can infer level density for nuclei that are inaccessible for a direct study, but are very important in astrophysical processes such as those close to the drip lines. Level densities at high excitation energies are very sensitive to the actual set of sps. The fact that the sps spectrum is finite has extraordinary consequences upon nuclear reaction yields due to the leveling-off of the level density at extremely high excitation energies wrongly attributed so far to other nuclear effects. Single-particle level density parameter a parameter is extracted by fitting the calculated densities to the standard Bethe formula

Low-level lasers on microRNA and uncoupling protein 2 mRNA levels in human breast cancer cells

Science.gov (United States)

Canuto, K. S.; Teixeira, A. F.; Rodrigues, J. A.; Paoli, F.; Nogueira, E. M.; Mencalha, A. L.; Fonseca, A. S.

2017-06-01

MicroRNA is short non-coding RNA and is a mediator of post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression. In addition, uncoupling proteins (UCPs) regulate thermogenesis, metabolic and energy balance, and decrease reactive oxygen species production. Both microRNA and UCP2 expression can be altered in cancer cells. At low power, laser wavelength, frequency, fluence and emission mode deternube photobiological responses, which are the basis of low-level laser therapy. There are few studies on miRNA and UCP mRNA levels after low-level laser exposure on cancer cells. In this work, we evaluate the micrRNA (mir-106b and mir-15a) and UCP2 mRNA levels in human breast cancer cells exposed to low-level lasers. MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells were exposed to low-level red and infrared lasers, total RNA was extracted for cDNA synthesis and mRNA levels by real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction were evaluated. Data show that mir-106b and mir-15a relative levels are not altered, but UCP2 mRNA relative levels are increased in MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells exposed to low-level red and infrared lasers at fluences used in therapeutic protocols.

Low-level lasers alter mRNA levels from traditional reference genes used in breast cancer cells

Science.gov (United States)

Teixeira, A. F.; Canuto, K. S.; Rodrigues, J. A.; Fonseca, A. S.; Mencalha, A. L.

2017-07-01

Cancer is among the leading causes of mortality worldwide, increasing the importance of treatment development. Low-level lasers are used in several diseases, but some concerns remains on cancers. Reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) is a technique used to understand cellular behavior through quantification of mRNA levels. Output data from target genes are commonly relative to a reference that cannot vary according to treatment. This study evaluated reference genes levels from MDA-MB-231 cells exposed to red or infrared lasers at different fluences. Cultures were exposed to red and infrared lasers, incubated (4 h, 37 °C), total RNA was extracted and cDNA synthesis was performed to evaluate mRNA levels from ACTB, GUSB and TRFC genes by RT-qPCR. Specific amplification was verified by melting curves and agarose gel electrophoresis. RefFinder enabled data analysis by geNorm, NormFinder and BestKeeper. Specific amplifications were obtained and, although mRNA levels from ACTB, GUSB or TRFC genes presented no significant variation through traditional statistical analysis, Excel-based tools revealed that the use of these reference genes are dependent of laser characteristics. Our data showed that exposure to low-level red and infrared lasers at different fluences alter the mRNA levels from ACTB, GUSB and TRFC in MDA-MB-231 cells.

Background noise levels in Europe

OpenAIRE

Gjestland, Truls

2008-01-01

- This report gives a brief overview of typical background noise levels in Europe, and suggests a procedure for the prediction of background noise levels based on population density. A proposal for the production of background noise maps for Europe is included.

Analysis of relationship between blood lipid metabolism levels and hs-CRP levels in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

You Fengjian

2011-01-01

Objective: To study the relationship between blood lipid metabolism levels and hs-CRP levels in the patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Methods: The levels of plasma blood lipid (with biochemistry) and serum hs-CRP(with high-sensitive immuno turbidimetry) were determined in 96 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease as well as 68 normal controls. Results: The plasma blood lipid levels in 96 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were significantly lower than those in 68 controls, plasma TC and LDL-C levels were not much difference (P>0.05), plasma HDL-C level was significantly difference (P<0.05), but TG and Lp (a) levels were very prominently difference (P<0.01). And the plasma hs-CRP level was significantly increased also (P<0.01). The close relationship was between blood lipid and hs-CRP levels. Conclusion: The study of relationship between blood lipid levels and hs-CRP levels in patients with COPD was helpful for understand the disease process as well as possible mechanisms. (authors)

Guideline level-3 PSA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roelofsen, P.M.; Van der Steen, J.

1993-09-01

For several applications of radioactive materials calculations must be executed to determine the radiation risk for the population. A guideline for the risk calculation method of two main sources: nuclear power plants, and other intended and unintended activities with radioactive materials, is given. The standards, recommendations and regulations in this report concern mainly the analysis of the radiological (external) consequences of nuclear power plant accidents, classified as level-3 PSA (Probabilistic Safety Analysis). Level-3 PSA falls within the scales 5-7 of the International Nuclear Event Scale (INES). The standards, etc., focus on the risks for groups of people and the so-called maximum individual risk. In chapter two the standards and regulations are formulated for each part of level-3 PSA: the source term spectrum, atmospheric distribution and deposition, exposure to radiation doses and calculation of radiation doses, dose-response relationships, measures to reduce the effect of radiation doses, design basis accidents, and finally uncertainty analysis. In chapter four, modelled descriptions are given of the standards and regulations, which could or should be used in a calculation program in case of level-3 PSA. In chapter three the practical execution of a probabilistic consequences analysis, the collection of input data and the presentation of the results are dealt with. 2 figs., 14 tabs., 64 refs

On the assessment of shooting sounds : Loudness-level weightings versus A- and C-weighted sound exposure levels (L)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vos, J.; Geurtsen, F.W.M.

2003-01-01

As an alternative to the A-weighted sound exposure level (ASEL) Schomer et al. [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 110, 2390-2397 (2001)] used the equal-loudness level contours as a dynamic filter to determine the loudness-level-weighted sound exposure level (LLSEL). From their analyses they concluded that the

The Correlation Between Schizophrenic Patients' Level of Internalized Stigma and Their Level of Hope.

Science.gov (United States)

Olçun, Zeynep; Şahin Altun, Özlem

2017-08-01

The aim of this study is to determine the correlation between schizophrenic patients' level of internalized stigma and their level of hope. The population of the study consisted of patients who had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and also met the study inclusion criteria. The study sample selection from the population was not further divided; the study was conducted with 76 patients. The data of the study were collected using a personal information form, the Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness (ISMI) Scale, and Herth Hope Scale. The patients' mean score on the Internalized Stigma Scale was 72.78±16.05. Their score on the Hope Scale is 50.36±11.91. A significant negative correlation was found between the total mean scores of ISMI and the Herth Hope Scale (r=-0.360, pHope Scale (r=0.510, phope levels were found to be moderate. A significant negative correlation was found between internalized stigma and hope. This study also found a significant positive correlation between the stigma resistance of patients and their hope levels. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Non-contact optical Liquid Level Sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Kiseleva, L. L.; Tevelev, L. V.; Shaimukhametov, R. R.

2016-06-01

Information about characteristics of the optical liquid level sensor are present. Sensors are used to control of the light level limit fluid - water, kerosene, alcohol, solutions, etc. Intrinsically safe, reliable and easy to use. The operating principle of the level sensor is an optoelectronic infrared device.

Energetics and dynamics of atomic uranium levels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miron, E.

1978-01-01

New methods for discovering and identifying new electronic levels of atomic uranium and measuring parameters, such as radiative lifetimes and absorption cross-sections, are described. The uranium atoms are produced within an especially designed induction-heated oven. The uranium vapor is irradiated by nitrogen laser pumped, pulsed dye lasers. The various measurements are accomplished by detection of laser induced fluorescence from selectively excited levels. 138 atomic-uranium odd levels in the region 32260-34900 cm -1 and 16 even levels in the region 49500-49900 cm -1 are reported. Unique J values are presented for 64 levels and partial assignment (two possibilities) for 42 levels. Radiative lifetimes are presented for 134 levels. Absorption cross sections were measured for 12 transitions. Isotope shifts of 17 levels are given. Cross-sections for internal excitation transfer in uranium which are induced by collisions with argon atoms, are presented for 11 levels. (author)

High potassium level

Science.gov (United States)

... level is very high, or if you have danger signs, such as changes in an ECG . Emergency ... Seifter JL. Potassium disorders. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine . 25th ed. Philadelphia, PA: ...

Comparing the standard EQ-5D three-level system with a five-level version

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Janssen, Mathieu F.; Birnie, Erwin; Haagsma, Juanita A.; Bonsel, Gouke J.

2008-01-01

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is a head-to-head comparison of the performance of the three-level EQ-5D (3L) and a newly developed five-level version (5L). METHODS: Eighty-two respondents valued 15 standardized disease descriptions and their own health on three response scales (3L, 5L, and visual

Levels of Processing in Mild Disabilities.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Hilawani, Yasser A.; And Others

This study examined the effects of the second level (intermediate acoustical processing of rhyming words) and the third level (deep-semantic processing of words in sentences) of the "levels of processing" framework on memory performance of four types of intermediate-grade students (52 "normal" students, 50 students with…

Low-level waste program technical strategy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bledsoe, K.W.

1994-01-01

The Low-Level Waste Technical Strategy document describes the mechanisms which the Low-Level Waste Program Office plans to implement to achieve its mission. The mission is to manage the receipt, immobilization, packaging, storage/disposal and RCRA closure (of the site) of the low-level Hanford waste (pretreated tank wastes) in an environmentally sound, safe and cost-effective manner. The primary objective of the TWRS Low-level waste Program office is to vitrify the LLW fraction of the tank waste and dispose of it onsite

Serum gonadotropins levels in childhood

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hertogh, R. De; Vankrieken, L.; Wolter, R.; Vliet, G. Van

1989-01-01

The complex changes in serum LH and FSH levels from infancy to adulthood are diversely evaluated by radioimmunoassays or bioassays. The relative lack of sensitivity and specificity of radioimmunoassay, using polyclonal antibodies, could possibly be overcome by new immunoradiometric assays, using specific antibodies to LH and FSH. Significant differences were indeed observed between radioimmunoassays and immunoradiometric assays. During the prepubertal period, LH levels, measured by the immunoradiometric assays, were below the sensitivity of the method in the majority of the samples. LH levels were, however, well detectable when measured with radioimmunoassay, showing the heterogeneity of circulating LH structures. At the onset of puberty, LH levels increased at least 3 to 4 times in both sexes, when measured with immunoradiometric assays, whereas their increase was only 20 to 60% with the radioimmunoassays. FSH levels remained well detectable in the prepubertal period whether measured by immunoradiometric or radioimmunoassays. At pubertal onset, FSH increase in both sexes was more important in the immunoradiometric assays. The results obtained with immunoradiometric assays give a better insight into the quantitative and qualitative function of the gonadotropes during childhood. The almost complete absence of LH during the prepubertal period and the steep increase at the onset of puberty better reflects the reported data obtained with bioassays. The persistance of significant levels of FSH in the prepubertal ages, and the lesser increase at the onset of puberty, when compared with LH, illustrates that the individual regulation of LH and FSH secretion vary over time and is influenced by developmental factors. (author)

Guide for intervention levels in radiological accidents

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Jong Tai; Khang, Byung Oui; Lee, Goan Yup; Han, Gee Yang [Korea Atomic Energy Resesrch Institute, Taejon (Korea, Republic of)

2001-03-15

Based on IAEA SS109 and ICRP63, intervention levels and action levels are derived using cost-benefit approach method. Intervention levels are optimized so that the net benefit from protective measures will be maximized. Evacuation, sheltering, relocation, permanent resettlement, administration of stable iodine and food restriction are included in protective measures. Intervention levels are calculated using site specific parameters in Korea. As a results of calculation, general intervention levels are similar to IAEA recommendation and action levels for food restriction are a little higher than IAEA recommendation and Japan guide. Guide on intervention levels in Korea is also suggested based on the calculated results.

High-level Petri Nets

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

various journals and collections. As a result, much of this knowledge is not readily available to people who may be interested in using high-level nets. Within the Petri net community this problem has been discussed many times, and as an outcome this book has been compiled. The book contains reprints...... of some of the most important papers on the application and theory of high-level Petri nets. In this way it makes the relevant literature more available. It is our hope that the book will be a useful source of information and that, e.g., it can be used in the organization of Petri net courses. To make......High-level Petri nets are now widely used in both theoretical analysis and practical modelling of concurrent systems. The main reason for the success of this class of net models is that they make it possible to obtain much more succinct and manageable descriptions than can be obtained by means...

Transmutations across hierarchical levels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O'Neill, R.V.

1977-01-01

The development of large-scale ecological models depends implicitly on a concept known as hierarchy theory which views biological systems in a series of hierarchical levels (i.e., organism, population, trophic level, ecosystem). The theory states that an explanation of a biological phenomenon is provided when it is shown to be the consequence of the activities of the system's components, which are themselves systems in the next lower level of the hierarchy. Thus, the behavior of a population is explained by the behavior of the organisms in the population. The initial step in any modeling project is, therefore, to identify the system components and the interactions between them. A series of examples of transmutations in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems are presented to show how and why changes occur. The types of changes are summarized and possible implications of transmutation for hierarchy theory, for the modeler, and for the ecological theoretician are discussed

Sea level and climate variations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Oerlemans, J.

1985-01-01

Review paper, ESA Symposium on Application of Satellite Data to Climate Modelling. Alpbach (Austria) Sea level is an essential component of the climate system, on which many human activities in the coastal zone depend. Climate variations leading to changes in relative sea level are

5 CFR 351.403 - Competitive level.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 5 Administrative Personnel 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Competitive level. 351.403 Section 351... FORCE Scope of Competition § 351.403 Competitive level. (a)(1) Each agency shall establish competitive levels consisting of all positions in a competitive area which are in the same grade (or occupational...

Blood Glucose Levels and Problem Behavior

Science.gov (United States)

Valdovinos, Maria G.; Weyand, David

2006-01-01

The relationship between varying blood glucose levels and problem behavior during daily scheduled activities was examined. The effects that varying blood glucose levels had on problem behavior during daily scheduled activities were examined. Prior research has shown that differing blood glucose levels can affect behavior and mood. Results of this…

Levels of organization : a deflationary account

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Eronen, Markus I.

The idea of levels of organization plays a central role in the philosophy of the life sciences. In this article, I first examine the explanatory goals that have motivated accounts of levels of organization. I then show that the most state-of-the-art and scientifically plausible account of levels of

Multiple-level lumbar spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Xinyu; Wang, Lianlei; Yuan, Suomao; Tian, Yonghao; Zheng, Yanping; Li, Jianmin

2015-03-01

Lumbar spondylolysis and isthmic spondylolisthesis occur most commonly at only one spinal level. The authors report on 13 cases of lumbar spondylolysis with spondylolisthesis at multiple levels. During July 2007-March 2012, multiple-level spondylolysis associated with spondylolisthesis was diagnosed in 13 patients (10 male, 3 female) at Qilu Hospital of Shandong University. The mean patient age was 43.5 ± 14.6 years. The duration of low-back pain was 11.7 ± 5.1 months. Spondylolysis occurred at L-2 in 2 patients, L-3 in 4 patients, L-4 in all patients, and L-5 in 5 patients. Spondylolysis occurred at 3 spinal levels in 3 patients and at 2 levels in 10 patients. All patients had spondylolisthesis at 1 or 2 levels. Japanese Orthopaedic Association and visual analog scale scores were used to evaluate preoperative and postoperative neurological function and low-back pain. All patients underwent pedicle screw fixation and interbody fusion or direct pars interarticularis repair. Both low-back pain scores improved significantly after surgery (p spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis occurred more often in men. Most multiplelevel lumbar spondylolysis occurred at 2 spinal levels and was associated with sports, trauma, or heavy labor. Multiplelevel lumbar spondylolysis occurred mostly at L3-5; associated spondylolisthesis usually occurred at L-4 and L-5, mostly at L-4. The treatment principle was the same as that for single-level spondylolisthesis.

Salivary cytokine levels in early gingival inflammation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Belstrøm, Daniel; Damgaard, Christian; Könönen, Eija

2017-01-01

Salivary protein levels have been studied in periodontitis. However, there is lack of information on salivary cytokine levels in early gingival inflammation. The aim of this study was to determine salivary levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), interleukin (IL)-8, monocyte chemoattr......Salivary protein levels have been studied in periodontitis. However, there is lack of information on salivary cytokine levels in early gingival inflammation. The aim of this study was to determine salivary levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), interleukin (IL)-8, monocyte...

Darboux transformation for two-level system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bagrov, V.; Baldiotti, M.; Gitman, D.; Shamshutdinova, V. [Instituto de Fisica, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Caixa Postal 66318-CEP, 05315-970 Sao Paulo, S.P. (Brazil)

2005-06-01

We develop the Darboux procedure for the case of the two-level system. In particular, it is demonstrated that one can construct the Darboux intertwining operator that does not violate the specific structure of the equations of the two-level system, transforming only one real potential into another real potential. We apply the obtained Darboux transformation to known exact solutions of the two-level system. Thus, we find three classes of new solutions for the two-level system and the corresponding new potentials that allow such solutions. (Abstract Copyright [2005], Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Lead levels - blood

Science.gov (United States)

Blood lead levels ... is used to screen people at risk for lead poisoning. This may include industrial workers and children ... also used to measure how well treatment for lead poisoning is working. Lead is common in the ...

Water level measurement uncertainty during BWR instability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Torok, R.C.; Derbidge, T.C.; Healzer, J.M.

1994-01-01

This paper addresses the performance of the water-level measurement system in a boiling water reactor (BWR) during severe instability oscillations which, under some circumstances, can occur during an anticipated transient without SCRAM (ATWS). Test data from a prototypical mock-up of the water-level measurement system was used to refine and calibrate a water-level measurement system model. The model was then used to predict level measurement system response, using as boundary conditions vessel pressures calculated by ppercase RETRAN for an ATWS/instability event.The results of the study indicate that rapid pressure changes in the reactor pressure vessel which cause oscillations in downcomer water level, coupled with differences in instrument line lengths, can produce errors in the sensed water level. Using nominal parameters for the measurement system components, a severe instability transient which produced a 0.2 m peak-to-minimum water-level oscillation in the vessel downcomer was predicted to produce pressure difference equivalent to a 0.7 m level oscillation at the input to the differential pressure transmitter, 0.5 m oscillation at the output of the transmitter, and an oscillation of 0.3 m on the water-level indicator in the control room. The level measurement system error, caused by downcomer water-level oscillations and instrument line length differential, is mitigated by damping both in the differential pressure transmitter used to infer level and in the control room display instrument. ((orig.))

Mining level of control in medical organizations.

Science.gov (United States)

Çalimli, Olgu; Türkeli, Serkan; Eken, Emir Gökberk; Gönen, Halil Emre

2014-01-01

In literature of strategic management, there are three layers of control defined in organizational structures. These layers are strategic, tactical and operational, in which resides senior, medium level and low level managers respectively. In strategic level, institutional strategies are determined according to senior managers' perceived state of organization. In tactical level, this strategy is processed into methods and activities of a business management plan. Operational level embodies actions and functions to sustain specified business management plan. An acknowledged lead organization in Turkish medical area is examined using case study and data mining method in the scope of this paper. The level of decisions regarded in managerial purposes evaluated through chosen organization's business intelligence event logs report. Hence specification of management level importance of medical organizations is made. Case study, data mining and descriptive statistical method of taken case's reports present that positions of "Chief Executive Officer", "Outpatient Center Manager", "General Manager", monitored and analyzed functions of operational level management more frequently than strategic and tactical level. Absence of strategic management decision level research in medical area distinguishes this paper and consequently substantiates its significant contribution.

On 165Ho level scheme

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ardisson, Claire; Ardisson, Gerard.

1976-01-01

A 165 Ho level scheme was constructed which led to the interpretation of sixty γ rays belonging to the decay of 165 Dy. A new 702.9keV level was identified to be the 5/2 - member of the 1/2 ) 7541{ Nilsson orbit. )] [fr

Firm-Level Corruption in Vietnam

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rand, John; Tarp, Finn

This paper uses a unique panel dataset on firm-level corruption. It contains quantitative information on bribe payments by a sample of formal and informal Vietnamese firms. We show that bribe incidence is highly associated with firm-level differences in (i) visibility, (ii) sunk costs, (iii...

The effect of serum magnesium levels and serum endothelin-1 levels on bone mineral density in protein energy malnutrition.

Science.gov (United States)

Ozturk, C F; Karakelleoglu, C; Orbak, Z; Yildiz, L

2012-06-01

An inadequate and imbalanced intake of protein and energy results in protein-energy malnutrition (PEM). It is known that bone mineral density and serum magnesium levels are low in malnourished children. However, the roles of serum magnesium and endothelin-1 (ET-1) levels in the pathophysiology of bone mineralization are obscure. Thus, the relationships between serum magnesium and ET-1 levels and the changes in bone mineral density were investigated in this study. There was a total of 32 subjects, 25 of them had PEM and seven were controls. While mean serum ET-1 levels of the children with kwashiorkor and marasmus showed no statistically significant difference, mean serum ET-1 levels of both groups were significantly higher than that of the control group. Serum magnesium levels were lower than normal value in 9 (36%) of 25 malnourished children. Malnourished children included in this study were divided into two subgroups according to their serum magnesium levels. While mean serum ET-1 levels in the group with low magnesium levels were significantly higher than that of the group with normal magnesium levels (p malnutrition. Our study suggested that lower magnesium levels and higher ET-1 levels might be important factors in changes of bone mineral density in malnutrition. We recommend that the malnourished patients, especially with hypomagnesaemia, should be treated with magnesium early.

Processing TES Level-2 Data

Science.gov (United States)

Poosti, Sassaneh; Akopyan, Sirvard; Sakurai, Regina; Yun, Hyejung; Saha, Pranjit; Strickland, Irina; Croft, Kevin; Smith, Weldon; Hoffman, Rodney; Koffend, John;

SGR-76 gamma radiation level indicator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chubinskij-Nadezhdin, I.V.

1978-01-01

The design of a gamma-radiation level indicator is described; the instrument is part of a mobile radiometric laboratory (MRL). The design of the instrument permits gamma-radiation dose rates recording at 0.2-200 R/hr, and signals on gamma-background levels. The instrument has two separate threshold levels of signalling actuation. The light signalling at the first level is precautionary, and the sound signalling at the second level indicates the necessity of taking a decision as to whether or not the MRL can remain in the gamma-radiation field. Halogenic counters operating in a current mode are used as detectors. The basic error in recording the dose rate amounts to +-25%. Overall dimensions of the instrument 150x280x100 mm; weight less than 2.5 kg

Effects of Higher and Lower Level Writing-To-Learn Assignments on Higher and Lower Level Examination Questions

Science.gov (United States)

Nevid, Jeffrey S.; Ambrose, Michael A.; Pyun, Yea Seul

2017-01-01

Our study examined whether brief writing-to-learn assignments linked to lower and higher levels in Bloom's taxonomy affected performance differentially on examination performance in assessing these skill levels. Using a quasi-random design, 91 undergraduate students in an introductory psychology class completed eight lower level and eight higher…

Directions in low-level radioactive waste management: A brief history of commercial low-level radioactive waste disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-10-01

This report presents a history of commercial low-level radioactive waste management in the United States, with emphasis on the history of six commercially operated low-level radioactive waste disposal facilities. The report includes a brief description of important steps that have been taken during the 1980s to ensure the safe disposal of low-level waste in the 1990s and beyond. These steps include the issuance of Title 10 Code of Federal Regulations Part 61, Licensing Requirements for the Land Disposal of Radioactive Waste, the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Act of 1980, the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Amendments Act of 1985, and steps taken by states and regional compacts to establish additional disposal sites. 42 refs., 13 figs., 1 tab

Noise in restaurants: levels and mathematical model.

Science.gov (United States)

To, Wai Ming; Chung, Andy

2014-01-01

Noise affects the dining atmosphere and is an occupational hazard to restaurant service employees worldwide. This paper examines the levels of noise in dining areas during peak hours in different types of restaurants in Hong Kong SAR, China. A mathematical model that describes the noise level in a restaurant is presented. The 1-h equivalent continuous noise level (L(eq,1-h)) was measured using a Type-1 precision integral sound level meter while the occupancy density, the floor area of the dining area, and the ceiling height of each of the surveyed restaurants were recorded. It was found that the measured noise levels using Leq,1-h ranged from 67.6 to 79.3 dBA in Chinese restaurants, from 69.1 to 79.1 dBA in fast food restaurants, and from 66.7 to 82.6 dBA in Western restaurants. Results of the analysis of variance show that there were no significant differences between means of the measured noise levels among different types of restaurants. A stepwise multiple regression analysis was employed to determine the relationships between geometrical and operational parameters and the measured noise levels. Results of the regression analysis show that the measured noise levels depended on the levels of occupancy density only. By reconciling the measured noise levels and the mathematical model, it was found that people in restaurants increased their voice levels when the occupancy density increased. Nevertheless, the maximum measured hourly noise level indicated that the noise exposure experienced by restaurant service employees was below the regulated daily noise exposure value level of 85 dBA.

Noise in restaurants: Levels and mathematical model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wai Ming To

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Noise affects the dining atmosphere and is an occupational hazard to restaurant service employees worldwide. This paper examines the levels of noise in dining areas during peak hours in different types of restaurants in Hong Kong SAR, China. A mathematical model that describes the noise level in a restaurant is presented. The 1-h equivalent continuous noise level (Leq,1-h was measured using a Type-1 precision integral sound level meter while the occupancy density, the floor area of the dining area, and the ceiling height of each of the surveyed restaurants were recorded. It was found that the measured noise levels using Leq,1-h ranged from 67.6 to 79.3 dBA in Chinese restaurants, from 69.1 to 79.1 dBA in fast food restaurants, and from 66.7 to 82.6 dBA in Western restaurants. Results of the analysis of variance show that there were no significant differences between means of the measured noise levels among different types of restaurants. A stepwise multiple regression analysis was employed to determine the relationships between geometrical and operational parameters and the measured noise levels. Results of the regression analysis show that the measured noise levels depended on the levels of occupancy density only. By reconciling the measured noise levels and the mathematical model, it was found that people in restaurants increased their voice levels when the occupancy density increased. Nevertheless, the maximum measured hourly noise level indicated that the noise exposure experienced by restaurant service employees was below the regulated daily noise exposure value level of 85 dBA.

Blood creatinine level in postmortem cases.

Science.gov (United States)

Nishida, Atsushi; Funaki, Hironao; Kobayashi, Masaki; Tanaka, Yuka; Akasaka, Yoshihisa; Kubo, Toshikazu; Ikegaya, Hiroshi

2015-05-01

Blood chemical analysis for the diagnosis of diseases in forensic cases should be conducted in the same way as for clinical cases. However, it is sometimes difficult to obtain serum samples in forensic cases because of postmortem changes such as hemolysis and putrefaction. This study aimed to evaluate renal function in postmortem cases by blood creatinine analysis. The blood creatinine level was measured by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) using whole blood samples taken from 77 postmortem cases, and the relationships between blood creatinine level, postmortem interval, and cause of death were examined. The median blood creatinine level was found to be 1.15 mg/dL, with no significant differences between blood samples taken from different parts of the body. The blood creatinine level was stable for 3 days after death and gradually increased after that period, in line with a previous study using enzymatic analysis that found the serum creatinine level was stable in the early postmortem period. The blood creatinine level was high in the cases of blunt injury, intoxication, and in deaths caused by fire. This was considered to reflect acute renal dysfunction. However, the postmortem blood creatinine level remained higher than the clinical normal value despite omitting cases with renal dysfunction from the analysis. Therefore, we next investigated the change in postmortem creatinine levels in mice and found that the blood creatinine level increased with the emergence of rigor mortis. Our findings indicate that HPLC is useful in the postmortem evaluation of renal function even in the cases where serum cannot be obtained. However, the presence of rigor mortis should be considered in the evaluation of blood creatinine values. Copyright © 2014 Forensic Science Society. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

30 CFR 62.120 - Action level.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Action level. 62.120 Section 62.120 Mineral... OCCUPATIONAL NOISE EXPOSURE § 62.120 Action level. If during any work shift a miner's noise exposure equals or exceeds the action level the mine operator must enroll the miner in a hearing conservation program that...

10 CFR 850.23 - Action level.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Action level. 850.23 Section 850.23 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY CHRONIC BERYLLIUM DISEASE PREVENTION PROGRAM Specific Program Requirements § 850.23 Action level. (a) The responsible employer must include in its CBDPP an action level that is no greater than 0.2 µg...

Water level monitoring device in nuclear reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miura, Kiyohide; Otake, Tomohiro.

1988-01-01

Purpose: To monitor the water level in a pressure vessel of BWR type nuclear reactors at high accuracy by improving the compensation functions. Constitution: In the conventional water level monitor in a nuclear reactor, if the pressure vessel is displaced by the change of the pressure in the reactor or the temperature of the reactor water, the relative level of the reference water head in a condensation vessel is changed to cause deviation between the actual water level and the indicated water level to reduce the monitoring accuracy. According to the invention, means for detecting the position of the reference water head and means for detection the position in the condensation vessel are disposed to the pressure vessel. Then, relative positional change between the condensation vessel and the reference water head is calculated based on detection sinals from both of the means. The water level is compensated and calculated by water level calculation means based on the relative positional change, water level signals from the level gage and the pressure signals from the pressure gage. As a result, if the pressure vessel is displaced due to the change of the temperature or pressure, it is possible to measure the reactor water level accurately thereby remakably improve the reliability for the water level control in the nuclear reactor. (Horiuchi, T.)

Marr's levels and the minimalist program.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Mark

2017-02-01

A simple change to a cognitive system at Marr's computational level may entail complex changes at the other levels of description of the system. The implementational level complexity of a change, rather than its computational level complexity, may be more closely related to the plausibility of a discrete evolutionary event causing that change. Thus the formal complexity of a change at the computational level may not be a good guide to the plausibility of an evolutionary event introducing that change. For example, while the Minimalist Program's Merge is a simple formal operation (Berwick & Chomsky, 2016), the computational mechanisms required to implement the language it generates (e.g., to parse the language) may be considerably more complex. This has implications for the theory of grammar: theories of grammar which involve several kinds of syntactic operations may be no less evolutionarily plausible than a theory of grammar that involves only one. A deeper understanding of human language at the algorithmic and implementational levels could strengthen Minimalist Program's account of the evolution of language.

Individuals with Asperger's Disorder Exhibit Difficulty in Switching Attention from a Local Level to a Global Level

Science.gov (United States)

Katagiri, Masatoshi; Kasai, Tetsuko; Kamio, Yoko; Murohashi, Harumitsu

2013-01-01

The purpose of the present study was to determine whether individuals with Asperger's disorder exhibit difficulty in switching attention from a local level to a global level. Eleven participants with Asperger's disorder and 11 age- and gender-matched healthy controls performed a level-repetition switching task using Navon-type hierarchical…

High bicarbonate levels in narcoleptic children.

Science.gov (United States)

Franco, Patricia; Junqua, Aurelie; Guignard-Perret, Anne; Raoux, Aude; Perier, Magali; Raverot, Veronique; Claustrat, Bruno; Gustin, Marie-Paule; Inocente, Clara Odilia; Lin, Jian-Sheng

2016-04-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the levels of plasma bicarbonate levels in narcoleptic children. Clinical, electrophysiological data and bicarbonate levels were evaluated retrospectively in children seen in our paediatric national reference centre for hypersomnia. The cohort included 23 control subjects (11.5 ± 4 years, 43% boys) and 51 patients presenting de-novo narcolepsy (N) (12.7 ± 3.7 years, 47% boys). In narcoleptic children, cataplexy was present in 78% and DQB1*0602 was positive in 96%. The control children were less obese (2 versus 47%, P = 0.001). Compared with control subjects, narcoleptic children had higher bicarbonate levels (P = 0.02) as well as higher PCO2 (P < 0.01) and lower venous pH gas (P < 0.01). Bicarbonate levels higher than 27 mmol L(-1) were found in 41.2% of the narcoleptic children and 4.2% of the controls (P = 0.001). Bicarbonate levels were correlated with the Adapted Epworth Sleepiness Scale (P = 0.01). Narcoleptic patients without obesity often had bicarbonate levels higher than 27 mmol L (-1) (55 versus 25%, P = 0.025). No differences were found between children with and without cataplexy. In conclusion, narcoleptic patients had higher bicarbonate plasma levels compared to control children. This result could be a marker of hypoventilation in this pathology, provoking an increase in PCO2 and therefore a respiratory acidosis, compensated by an increase in plasma bicarbonates. This simple screening tool could be useful for prioritizing children for sleep laboratory evaluation in practice. © 2015 European Sleep Research Society.

Vision in high-level football officials.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

António Manuel Gonçalves Baptista

Full Text Available Officiating in football depends, at least to some extent, upon adequate visual function. However, there is no vision standard for football officiating and the nature of the relationship between officiating performance and level of vision is unknown. As a first step in characterising this relationship, we report on the clinically-measured vision and on the perceived level of vision in elite-level, Portuguese football officials. Seventy-one referees (R and assistant referees (AR participated in the study, representing 92% of the total population of elite level football officials in Portugal in the 2013/2014 season. Nine of the 22 Rs (40.9% and ten of the 49 ARs (20.4% were international-level. Information about visual history was also gathered. Perceived vision was assessed using the preference-values-assigned-to-global-visual-status (PVVS and the Quality-of-Vision (QoV questionnaire. Standard clinical vision measures (including visual acuity, contrast sensitivity and stereopsis were gathered in a subset (n = 44, 62% of the participants. Data were analysed according to the type (R/AR and level (international/national of official, and Bonferroni corrections were applied to reduce the risk of type I errors. Adopting criterion for statistical significance of p<0.01, PVVS scores did not differ between R and AR (p = 0.88, or between national- and international-level officials (p = 0.66. Similarly, QoV scores did not differ between R and AR in frequency (p = 0.50, severity (p = 0.71 or bothersomeness (p = 0.81 of symptoms, or between international-level vs national-level officials for frequency (p = 0.03 or bothersomeness (p = 0.07 of symptoms. However, international-level officials reported less severe symptoms than their national-level counterparts (p<0.01. Overall, 18.3% of officials had either never had an eye examination or if they had, it was more than 3 years previously. Regarding refractive correction, 4.2% had undergone refractive surgery and

Examining the Level of Career maturity among Foreign Asian Students by measuring Academic Level

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mustafa Tekke

2013-02-01

Full Text Available The Asian individuals are dependent and collectivist compared with the western individuals that are independent and individualistic. Foreign Asian students choosing similar courses with their country friends do not reveal their career maturity and also lead to negative effect on their choices.  This study aims at examining the level of career maturity of foreign Asian students in Malaysia based on academic level by using the Career Maturity Inventory. Two hundred and twenty nine ( Male=106, Female= 123 international students studying in various semesters completed the Career Maturity Inventory and it was reported that there were no significant differences between respondents of different academic semesters with regard to level of career maturity, this might reflect an educational level bias in the construction of the career decision-making. The findings of the current study are not consistent with theoretical expectations and prior research that international undergraduate senior students would be having higher career maturity than international undergraduate fresh students. Research emphasizes the reason behind might result from dependent and collectivist Asian culture that leading to fresh international students are higher career maturity compared to senior international students.

Is sea-level rising?

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Unnikrishnan, A.S.

correction in the estimation of trends obtained for tide gauge records. The altimeter data permits to prepare spatial maps of sea-level rise trends. We present a map prepared for the Indian Ocean (Figure 4) north of 10oS , which shows a fairly uniform... drawn information from research papers published by the author and report of the IPCC AR5 WG1 Chapter 13: Sea Level Changes, in which the author has served as a ‘Lead Author’. Figure1 is prepared using data from the University of Colorado. Nerem, R...

DETERMINATION OF ORGANIZATIONAL STRESS AND ORGANIZATIONAL BURNOUT LEVELS OF MID LEVEL MANAGERS WORKING IN FOUR AND FIVE STAR HOTEL BUSINESSES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sevket Yirik

2015-04-01

Full Text Available The present study emphasizes the concepts of stress and organizational stress which are the main concepts constituting theoretical foundation of the research; evaluates influences of stress on organization; discusses the concept of organizational burnout as well as its sub-dimensions; and analyses organizational stress and burnout levels of mid level managers working in four and five star hotels. The purpose of this study is to analyze the relationship between organizational stress and organizational burnout levels of mid level managers of four and five star hotel businesses. Survey has been conducted on 318 employees of four and five star hotels operating in Alanya, Turkey. According to the analysis of data, it has been observed that ages of mid level managers have an influence on their organizational stress and burnout levels. Genders of mid level managers are influential on their organizational stress levels while they have no influence on their burnout levels. Education levels of managers influence their organizational stress levels while they have no influence on their burnout levels. The departments of managers are influential both on organizational stress and burnout. Positions of managers influence their burnout levels while they have no influence on their organizational stress levels.

Level of emotional awareness in the general French population: effects of gender, age, and education level.

Science.gov (United States)

Nandrino, Jean-Louis; Baracca, Margaret; Antoine, Pascal; Paget, Virginie; Bydlowski, Sarah; Carton, Solange

2013-01-01

The Levels of Emotional Awareness Scale (LEAS) developed by Lane et al. (1990) measures the ability of a subject to discriminate his or her own emotional state and that of others. The scale is based on a cognitive-developmental model in which emotional awareness increases in a similar fashion to intellectual functions. Because studies performed using North American and German populations have demonstrated an effect of age, gender, and level of education on the ability to differentiate emotional states, our study attempts to evaluate whether these factors have the same effects in a general French population. 750 volunteers (506 female, 244 male), who were recruited from three regions of France (Lille, Montpellier, Paris), completed the LEAS. The sample was divided into five age groups and three education levels. The results of the LEAS scores for self and others and the total score showed a difference in the level of emotional awareness for different age groups, by gender and education level. A higher emotional level was observed for younger age groups, suggesting that emotional awareness depends on the cultural context and generational societal teachings. Additionally, the level of emotional awareness was higher in women than in men and lower in individuals with less education. This result might be explained by an educational bias linked to gender and higher education whereby expressive ability is reinforced. In addition, given the high degree of variability in previously observed scores in the French population, we propose a standard based on our French sample.

Trophic assimilation efficiency markedly increases at higher trophic levels in four-level host-parasitoid food chain.

Science.gov (United States)

Sanders, Dirk; Moser, Andrea; Newton, Jason; van Veen, F J Frank

2016-03-16

Trophic assimilation efficiency (conversion of resource biomass into consumer biomass) is thought to be a limiting factor for food chain length in natural communities. In host-parasitoid systems, which account for the majority of terrestrial consumer interactions, a high trophic assimilation efficiency may be expected at higher trophic levels because of the close match of resource composition of host tissue and the consumer's resource requirements, which would allow for longer food chains. We measured efficiency of biomass transfer along an aphid-primary-secondary-tertiary parasitoid food chain and used stable isotope analysis to confirm trophic levels. We show high efficiency in biomass transfer along the food chain. From the third to the fourth trophic level, the proportion of host biomass transferred was 45%, 65% and 73%, respectively, for three secondary parasitoid species. For two parasitoid species that can act at the fourth and fifth trophic levels, we show markedly increased trophic assimilation efficiencies at the higher trophic level, which increased from 45 to 63% and 73 to 93%, respectively. In common with other food chains, δ(15)N increased with trophic level, with trophic discrimination factors (Δ(15)N) 1.34 and 1.49‰ from primary parasitoids to endoparasitic and ectoparasitic secondary parasitoids, respectively, and 0.78‰ from secondary to tertiary parasitoids. Owing to the extraordinarily high efficiency of hyperparasitoids, cryptic higher trophic levels may exist in host-parasitoid communities, which could alter our understanding of the dynamics and drivers of community structure of these important systems. © 2016 The Authors.

Readability Levels of Dental Patient Education Brochures.

Science.gov (United States)

Boles, Catherine D; Liu, Ying; November-Rider, Debra

2016-02-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate dental patient education brochures produced since 2000 to determine if there is any change in the Flesch-Kincaid grade level readability. A convenience sample of 36 brochures was obtained for analysis of the readability of the patient education material on multiple dental topics. Readability was measured using the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level through Microsoft Word. Pearson's correlation was used to describe the relationship among the factors of interest. Backward model selection of multiple linear regression model was used to investigate the relationship between Flesch-Kincaid Grade level and a set of predictors included in this study. A convenience sample (n=36) of dental education brochures produced from 2000 to 2014 showed a mean Flesch-Kincaid reading grade level of 9.15. Weak to moderate correlations existed between word count and grade level (r=0.40) and characters count and grade level (r=0.46); strong correlations were found between grade level and average words per sentence (r=0.70), average characters per word (r=0.85) and Flesch Reading Ease (r=-0.98). Only 1 brochure out of the sample met the recommended sixth grade reading level (Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level 5.7). Overall, the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level of all brochures was significantly higher than the recommended sixth grade reading level (preadability of the brochures. However, the majority of the brochures analyzed are still testing above the recommended sixth grade reading level. Copyright © 2016 The American Dental Hygienists’ Association.

Capacitance level probe, Type FSK 88

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vogt, W.

2001-01-01

The aim of the capacitive level probe, Type FSK 88, is to supervise the level within vessels continuously and to signalize alterations immediately. Since 1987 the level probe is installed in the pool for burn up fuel elements and in the reactor containment sump of BWRs, PWRs and WWERs. The capacitive level probe of type FSK 88 was qualified for Loss of Coolant Accidents and seismic events according to international rules. The measuring principle takes credit from the fact that the dielectric with different dielectric constants in a condensator changes the capacity of the condensator. (Authors)

Level design concept, theory, and practice

CERN Document Server

Kremers, Rudolf

2009-01-01

Good or bad level design can make or break any game, so it is surprising how little reference material exists for level designers. Beginning level designers have a limited understanding of the tools and techniques they can use to achieve their goals, or even define them. This book is the first to use a conceptual and theoretical foundation to build such a set of practical tools and techniques. It is tied to no particular technology or genre, so it will be a useful reference for many years to come. Kremers covers many concepts universal to level design, such as interactivity, world building, im

Higher-level Innovization

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bandaru, Sunith; Tutum, Cem Celal; Deb, Kalyanmoy

2011-01-01

we introduce the higher-level innovization task through an application of a manufacturing process simulation for the Friction Stir Welding (FSW) process where commonalities among two different Pareto-optimal fronts are analyzed. Multiple design rules are simultaneously deciphered from each front...

High-level, but not low-level, motion perception is impaired in patients with schizophrenia.

Science.gov (United States)

Kandil, Farid I; Pedersen, Anya; Wehnes, Jana; Ohrmann, Patricia

2013-01-01

Smooth pursuit eye movements are compromised in patients with schizophrenia and their first-degree relatives. Although research has demonstrated that the motor components of smooth pursuit eye movements are intact, motion perception has been shown to be impaired. In particular, studies have consistently revealed deficits in performance on tasks specific to the high-order motion area V5 (middle temporal area, MT) in patients with schizophrenia. In contrast, data from low-level motion detectors in the primary visual cortex (V1) have been inconsistent. To differentiate between low-level and high-level visual motion processing, we applied a temporal-order judgment task for motion events and a motion-defined figure-ground segregation task using patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls. Successful judgments in both tasks rely on the same low-level motion detectors in the V1; however, the first task is further processed in the higher-order motion area MT in the magnocellular (dorsal) pathway, whereas the second task requires subsequent computations in the parvocellular (ventral) pathway in visual area V4 and the inferotemporal cortex (IT). These latter structures are supposed to be intact in schizophrenia. Patients with schizophrenia revealed a significantly impaired temporal resolution on the motion-based temporal-order judgment task but only mild impairment in the motion-based segregation task. These results imply that low-level motion detection in V1 is not, or is only slightly, compromised; furthermore, our data restrain the locus of the well-known deficit in motion detection to areas beyond the primary visual cortex.

Association of Lead Levels and Cerebral Palsy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Neha Bansal MD

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Background: Cerebral palsy is a common motor disability in childhood. Raised lead levels affect cognition. Children with cerebral palsy may have raised lead levels, further impairing their residual cognitive motor and behavioral abilities. Environmental exposure and abnormal eating habits may lead to increased lead levels. Aims and Objectives: To measure blood lead levels in children with cerebral palsy and compare them with healthy neurologically normal children. To correlate blood lead levels with environmental factors. Material and Methods: Design: Prospective case-control study. Setting: Tertiary care hospital. Participants: Cases comprised 34 children with cerebral palsy, and controls comprised 34 neurologically normal, age- and sex-matched children. Methods: Clinical and demographic details were recorded as per proforma. Detailed environmental history was recorded to know the source of exposure to lead. These children were investigated and treated as per protocol. Venous blood was collected in ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid vials for analysis of blood lead levels. Lead levels were estimated by Schimadzu Flame AA-6800 (atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 17. P < .05 was taken as significant. Results: Mean blood lead levels were 9.20 ± 8.31 µg/dL in cerebral palsy cases and 2.89 ± 3.04 µg/dL in their controls (P < .001. Among children with cerebral palsy, 19 (55.88% children had blood lead levels ≥5 µg/dL. Lead levels in children with pica were 12.33 ± 10.02 µg/dL in comparison to children with no history of pica, 6.70 ± 4.60 µg/dL (P = .029. No correlation was found between hemoglobin and blood lead levels in cases and controls. Conclusion: In our study, blood lead levels are raised in children with cerebral palsy. However, further studies are required to show effects of raised levels in these children.

Development Track of Different County-Level Towns

OpenAIRE

ZHANG, Haijiao; ZHANG, Zhenghe

2015-01-01

County-level town is important space carrier of China’s urbanization and the emphasis and key of strategic distribution for urbanization. Backwardness of county-level towns limits nearby transfer of surplus labor. To promote development of county-level towns, on the basis of classifying county-level towns, this paper analyzed motive and resistance factors of evolution of different county-level towns using historical data collection and statistical method, comparative approach, typical case ...

Bioactive antibiotic levels in the human aorta.

Science.gov (United States)

Mutch, D; Richards, G; Brown, R A; Mulder, D S

1982-12-01

A new bioassay was used to determine the level of active antibiotic within the aortic wall in 24 patients undergoing elective aortic surgery involving prosthetic grafts. The patients were divided into three groups and received either cefazolin, clindamycin, or cefoxitin intravenously at the induction of general anesthesia. Cefazolin and cefoxitin attained satisfactory tissue levels. Clindamycin did not reach therapeutic levels in the aortic wall. Blood levels did not correlate well with tissue levels.

Progress on the national low level radioactive waste repository and national intermediate level waste store

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perkins, C.

2001-01-01

Over the last few years, significant progress has been made towards siting national, purpose-built facilities for Australian radioactive waste. In 2001, after an eight year search, a preferred site and two alternatives were identified in central-north South Australia for a near-surface repository for Australian low level (low level and short-lived intermediate level) radioactive waste. Site 52a at Everts Field West on the Woomera Prohibited Area was selected as the preferred site as it performs best against the selection criteria, particularly with respect to geology, ground water, transport and security. Two alternative sites, Site 45a and Site 40a, east of the Woomera-Roxby Downs Road, were also found to be highly suitable for the siting of the national repository. A project has commenced to site a national store for intermediate (long-lived intermediate level) radioactive waste on Commonwealth land for waste produced by Commonwealth agencies. Public input has been sought on relevant selection criteria

Level densities in nuclear physics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beckerman, M.

1978-01-01

In the independent-particle model nucleons move independently in a central potential. There is a well-defined set of single- particle orbitals, each nucleon occupies one of these orbitals subject to Fermi statistics, and the total energy of the nucleus is equal to the sum of the energies of the individual nucleons. The basic question is the range of validity of this Fermi gas description and, in particular, the roles of the residual interactions and collective modes. A detailed examination of experimental level densities in light-mass system is given to provide some insight into these questions. Level densities over the first 10 MeV or so in excitation energy as deduced from neutron and proton resonances data and from spectra of low-lying bound levels are discussed. To exhibit some of the salient features of these data comparisons to independent-particle (shell) model calculations are presented. Shell structure is predicted to manifest itself through discontinuities in the single-particle level density at the Fermi energy and through variatons in the occupancy of the valence orbitals. These predictions are examined through combinatorial calculations performed with the Grover [Phys. Rev., 157, 832(1967), 185 1303(1969)] odometer method. Before the discussion of the experimenta results, statistical mechanical level densities for spherical nuclei are reviewed. After consideration of deformed nuclei, the conclusions resulting from this work are drawn. 7 figures, 3 tables

Fluorescent optical liquid-level sensor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weiss, Jonathan D.

2000-01-01

An optical method of detecting a liquid level is presented that uses fluorescence radiation generated in an impurity-doped glass or plastic slab. In operation, the slab is inserted into the liquid and pump light is coupled into it so that the light is guided by the slab-air interface above the liquid and escapes into the liquid just below its surface. Since the fluorescence is generated only in that section of the slab above the liquid, the fluorescence power will monotonically decrease with increasing liquid level. Thus, a relationship can be established between any signal proportional to it and the liquid level. Because optical fibers link the pump source and the detector of fluorescence radiation to the sensor, no electrical connections are needed in or near the liquid. Their absence vastly decreases the hazard associated with placing a liquid-level sensor in a potentially explosive environment. A laboratory prototype, consisting of a methyl styrene slab doped with an organic dye, has been built and successfully tested in water. Its response to liquid level when pumped by a tunable argon-ion laser at 476, 488, and 496 nm, and by a blue LED, is presented and shown to be consistent with theory. The fluorescence spectra, optical efficiency, temperature, and other effects are also presented and discussed. (c) 2000 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers

Space elevator systems level analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Laubscher, B. E. (Bryan E.)

2004-01-01

The Space Elevator (SE) represents a major paradigm shift in space access. It involves new, untried technologies in most of its subsystems. Thus the successful construction of the SE requires a significant amount of development, This in turn implies a high level of risk for the SE. This paper will present a systems level analysis of the SE by subdividing its components into their subsystems to determine their level of technological maturity. such a high-risk endeavor is to follow a disciplined approach to the challenges. A systems level analysis informs this process and is the guide to where resources should be applied in the development processes. It is an efficient path that, if followed, minimizes the overall risk of the system's development. systems level analysis is that the overall system is divided naturally into its subsystems, and those subsystems are further subdivided as appropriate for the analysis. By dealing with the complex system in layers, the parameter space of decisions is kept manageable. Moreover, A rational way to manage One key aspect of a resources are not expended capriciously; rather, resources are put toward the biggest challenges and most promising solutions. This overall graded approach is a proven road to success. The analysis includes topics such as nanotube technology, deployment scenario, power beaming technology, ground-based hardware and operations, ribbon maintenance and repair and climber technology.

Sea level trends in Southeast Asian seas

Science.gov (United States)

Strassburg, M. W.; Hamlington, B. D.; Leben, R. R.; Manurung, P.; Lumban Gaol, J.; Nababan, B.; Vignudelli, S.; Kim, K.-Y.

2015-05-01

Southeast Asian seas span the largest archipelago in the global ocean and provide a complex oceanic pathway connecting the Pacific and Indian oceans. The Southeast Asian sea regional sea level trends are some of the highest observed in the modern satellite altimeter record that now spans almost 2 decades. Initial comparisons of global sea level reconstructions find that 17-year sea level trends over the past 60 years exhibit good agreement with decadal variability associated with the Pacific Decadal Oscillation and related fluctuations of trade winds in the region. The Southeast Asian sea region exhibits sea level trends that vary dramatically over the studied time period. This historical variation suggests that the strong regional sea level trends observed during the modern satellite altimeter record will abate as trade winds fluctuate on decadal and longer timescales. Furthermore, after removing the contribution of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) to sea level trends in the past 20 years, the rate of sea level rise is greatly reduced in the Southeast Asian sea region. As a result of the influence of the PDO, the Southeast Asian sea regional sea level trends during the 2010s and 2020s are likely to be less than the global mean sea level (GMSL) trend if the observed oscillations in wind forcing and sea level persist. Nevertheless, long-term sea level trends in the Southeast Asian seas will continue to be affected by GMSL rise occurring now and in the future.

Biomechanics of Artificial Disc Replacements Adjacent to a 2-Level Fusion in 4-Level Hybrid Constructs: An In Vitro Investigation

Science.gov (United States)

Liao, Zhenhua; Fogel, Guy R.; Wei, Na; Gu, Hongsheng; Liu, Weiqiang

2015-01-01

Background The ideal procedure for multilevel cervical degenerative disc diseases remains controversial. Recent studies on hybrid surgery combining anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) and artificial cervical disc replacement (ACDR) for 2-level and 3-level constructs have been reported in the literature. The purpose of this study was to estimate the biomechanics of 3 kinds of 4-level hybrid constructs, which are more likely to be used clinically compared to 4-level arthrodesis. Material/Methods Eighteen human cadaveric spines (C2–T1) were evaluated in different testing conditions: intact, with 3 kinds of 4-level hybrid constructs (hybrid C3–4 ACDR+C4–6 ACDF+C6–7ACDR; hybrid C3–5ACDF+C5–6ACDR+C6–7ACDR; hybrid C3–4ACDR+C4–5ACDR+C5–7ACDF); and 4-level fusion. Results Four-level fusion resulted in significant decrease in the C3–C7 ROM compared with the intact spine. The 3 different 4-level hybrid treatment groups caused only slight change at the instrumented levels compared to intact except for flexion. At the adjacent levels, 4-level fusion resulted in significant increase of contribution of both upper and lower adjacent levels. However, for the 3 hybrid constructs, significant changes of motion increase far lower than 4P at adjacent levels were only noted in partial loading conditions. No destabilizing effect or hypermobility were observed in any 4-level hybrid construct. Conclusions Four-level fusion significantly eliminated motion within the construct and increased motion at the adjacent segments. For all 3 different 4-level hybrid constructs, ACDR normalized motion of the index segment and adjacent segments with no significant hypermobility. Compared with the 4-level ACDF condition, the artificial discs in 4-level hybrid constructs had biomechanical advantages compared to fusion in normalizing adjacent level motion. PMID:26694835

Multi level configuration of ETO products

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Petersen, Thomas Ditlev; Jørgensen, Kaj Asbjørn; Hvolby, Hans-Henrik

2007-01-01

The paper introduces and defines central concepts related to multi level configuration and analyzes which challenges an engineer to order company must deal with to be able to realize a multi level configuration system. It is argued that high flexibility can be achieved and focus can be directed...... in certain business processes if a multi level configuration system is realized....

Liquid level detector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dean, A.P.; Pendleton, J.R.

1982-01-01

A device is described for locating the level of the liquid metal in a sodium cooled nuclear reactor by using a movable probe equipped to signal a phase change with null on arrival at the interface between two conductively differing media. (U.K.)

Extending the Instrumental Record of Sea-Level Change: A 1300-Year Sea-Level Record From Eastern Connecticut

Science.gov (United States)

Donnelly, J. P.; Cleary, P.

2002-12-01

The instrumental record of sea-level change in the northeastern United States extends back to the early 20th century and at New York City (NYC) extends back to 1856. These tide gauge records indicate that sea level has risen at a rate of 2.5 to 4 mm/year over the last 100-150 years. Geologic evidence of sea-level change in the region over the last 2,000 years indicates rates of sea-level rise of about 1 mm/year or less. The discordance between the instrumental and geologic records is frequently cited as potentially providing evidence that anthropogenic warming of the climate system has resulted in an increase in the rate of sea-level rise. In order to begin to test the hypothesis that acceleration in the rate of sea-level rise has occurred in the last 150 years due to anthropogenic climate warming, accurate and precise information on the timing of the apparent acceleration in sea-level rise are needed. Here we construct a high-resolution relative sea-level record for the past 1350 years by dating basal salt marsh peat samples above a glacial erratic in a western Connecticut salt marsh. Preservation of marsh vegetation remains in the sediment record that has a narrow vertical habitat range at the upper end of the tidal range provides information on past sea levels. { \\it Spartina patens} (marsh hay) and { \\it Juncus gerardi} (black rush) dominate both the modern marsh and their remains are the major constituent of the marsh sediments and occur in the modern marsh between mean high water (MHW) and mean highest high water. We use the elevation distribution of modern plant communities to estimate the relationship of sediment samples to paleo-mean high water. The chronology is based on 15 radiocarbon ages, supplemented by age estimates derived from the horizons of industrial Pb pollution and pollen indicative of European land clearance. Thirteen of the radiocarbon ages and the Pb and pollen data come from samples taken along a contact between marsh peat and a glacial

Directions in low-level radioactive waste management: A brief history of commercial low-level radioactive waste disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-08-01

This report presents a history of commercial low-level radioactive waste disposal in the United States, with emphasis on the history of six commercially operated low-level radioactive waste disposal facilities. The report includes a brief description of important steps that have been taken during the last decade to ensure the safe disposal of low-level radioactive waste in the 1990s and beyond. These steps include the issuance of comprehensive State and Federal regulations governing the disposal of low-level radioactive waste, and the enactment of Federal laws making States responsible for the disposal of such waste generated within their borders

Alarming levels of carboxyhemoglobin in banked blood.

Science.gov (United States)

Ehlers, Melissa; Labaze, Georges; Hanakova, Marcela; McCloskey, David; Wilner, George

2009-06-01

To determine the level of carboxyhemoglobin found in banked blood in the Albany, NY region. A retrospective descriptive analysis of carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) levels in a series of packed red blood cell (PRBC) units. The blood bank of a university tertiary care hospital in Albany, NY. All PRBC units considered for possible use in pediatric cardiac surgery were first analyzed for levels of COHb. Only those units with COHb levels of <1.5% were deemed acceptable for use during pediatric cardiac surgery. A sample of blood drawn from the sample side arm of each PRBC unit was analyzed on a Chiron 855 Blood Gas Analyzer (Chiron Inc, Emeryville, CA, now Siemens/Bayer RapidLab 865) to determine the level of COHb. The average COHb level was 0.78% (standard deviation +/- 1.48%), and out of the 468 units tested, 48 (10.3%) had COHb levels of 1.5% or greater. The highest recorded COHb level was 12%. The transfusion of PRBC units may artificially elevate readings of COHb and cause confusion over possible causes. Certain high-risk populations (eg, cyanotic neonates undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass) may be especially at risk. Although levels of COHb in the US blood supply are dropping, institutions may want to consider analyzing COHb levels in their PRBC units before transfusion in these high-risk populations.

Fetuin-A levels in hyperthyroidism.

Science.gov (United States)

Pamuk, Bariş Onder; Yilmaz, Hamiyet; Topcuoglu, Tugba; Bilgir, Oktay; Çalan, Ozlem; Pamuk, Gulseren; Ertugrul, Derun Taner

2013-01-01

Fetuin-A is a protein secreted from the liver that inhibits arterial calcification deposition and can contribute to insulin resistance. Hyperthyroidism is also associated with insulin resistance. It is not known whether hyperthyroidism has an effect on fetuin-A levels. We measured fetuin-A levels and homeostasis model of assessment-insulin resistance before hyperthyroidism treatment was initiated and after euthyroidism was achieved. A total of 42 patients diagnosed with hyperthyroidism were enrolled in this study. Fetuin-A, insulin, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, fasting blood glucose, free T3 (fT3), free T4 (fT4), and thyrotropin were measured before and after euthyroidism was established. Basal fasting blood glucose, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, insulin, c-peptide, homeostasis model of assessment-insulin resistance, fT3, fT4 and fetuin-A levels were significantly decreased after euthyroidism was achieved (Table 1). Basal fasting blood glucose (r:0.407, p:0.008), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (r:0.523, phyperthyroidism influences fetuin-A levels.

Systematics of nuclear level density parameters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bucurescu, Dorel; Egidy, Till von

2005-01-01

The level density parameters for the back-shifted Fermi gas (both without and with energy-dependent level density parameter) and the constant temperature models have been determined for 310 nuclei between 18 F and 251 Cf by fitting the complete level schemes at low excitation energies and the s-wave neutron resonance spacings at the neutron binding energies. Simple formulae are proposed for the description of the two parameters of each of these models, which involve only quantities available from the mass tables. These formulae may constitute a reliable tool for extrapolating to nuclei far from stability, where nuclear level densities cannot be measured

Relationships between the School-Level and Classroom-Level Environment in Secondary Schools in South Africa

Science.gov (United States)

Aldridge, Jill M.; Fraser, Barry J.; Laugksch, Rüdiger C.

2011-01-01

We report research into associations between the school-level and classroom-level environment in science classrooms in South Africa. An instrument, developed to assess students' perceptions of their classroom learning environment as a means of monitoring and guiding changes towards outcomes-based education, was administered to 2,638 Grade 8…

SEA-LEVEL RISE. Sea-level rise due to polar ice-sheet mass loss during past warm periods.

Science.gov (United States)

Dutton, A; Carlson, A E; Long, A J; Milne, G A; Clark, P U; DeConto, R; Horton, B P; Rahmstorf, S; Raymo, M E

2015-07-10

Interdisciplinary studies of geologic archives have ushered in a new era of deciphering magnitudes, rates, and sources of sea-level rise from polar ice-sheet loss during past warm periods. Accounting for glacial isostatic processes helps to reconcile spatial variability in peak sea level during marine isotope stages 5e and 11, when the global mean reached 6 to 9 meters and 6 to 13 meters higher than present, respectively. Dynamic topography introduces large uncertainties on longer time scales, precluding robust sea-level estimates for intervals such as the Pliocene. Present climate is warming to a level associated with significant polar ice-sheet loss in the past. Here, we outline advances and challenges involved in constraining ice-sheet sensitivity to climate change with use of paleo-sea level records. Copyright © 2015, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Serum ALT levels as a surrogate marker for serum HBV DNA levels in HBeAg-negative pregnant women.

Science.gov (United States)

Sangfelt, Per; Von Sydow, Madeleine; Uhnoo, Ingrid; Weiland, Ola; Lindh, Gudrun; Fischler, Björn; Lindgren, Susanne; Reichard, Olle

2004-01-01

In Stockholm, Sweden, the majority of pregnant women positive for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) are hepatitis Be antigen (HBeAg) negative. Newborns to HBeAg positive mothers receive vaccination and hepatitis B immunoglobulin (HBIg). Newborns to HBeAg negative mothers receive vaccine and HBIg only if the mothers have elevated ALT levels. The aim of this study was to retrospectively evaluate ALT levels as a surrogate marker for HBV DNA levels in HBeAg negative carrier mothers. Altogether 8947 pregnant women were screened for HBV markers from 1999 to 2001 at the Virology Department, Karolinska Hospital. Among mothers screened 192 tested positive for HBsAg (2.2%). 13 of these samples could not be retrieved. Of the remaining 179 sera, 8 (4%) tested positive for HBeAg and 171 (95.5%) were HBeAg negative. Among the HBeAg negative mothers, 9 had HBV DNA levels > 10(5) copies/ml, and of these 7 had normal ALT levels indicating low sensitivity of an elevated ALT level as a surrogate marker for high HBV DNA level. Furthermore, no correlation was found between ALT and HBV DNA levels. Hence, it is concluded that the use of ALT as a surrogate marker for high viral replication in HBeAg negative mothers could be questioned.

The VGLC: The Video Game Level Corpus

OpenAIRE

Summerville, Adam James; Snodgrass, Sam; Mateas, Michael; Ontañón, Santiago

2016-01-01

Levels are a key component of many different video games, and a large body of work has been produced on how to procedurally generate game levels. Recently, Machine Learning techniques have been applied to video game level generation towards the purpose of automatically generating levels that have the properties of the training corpus. Towards that end we have made available a corpora of video game levels in an easy to parse format ideal for different machine learning and other game AI researc...

Atomic energy levels and Grotrian diagrams

CERN Document Server

Bashkin, Stanley

1975-01-01

Atomic Energy Levels and Grotrian Diagrams, Volume I: Hydrogen I - Phosphorus XV presents diagrams of various elements that show their energy level and electronic transitions. The book covers the first 15 elements according to their atomic number. The text will be of great use to researchers and practitioners of fields such as astrophysics that requires pictorial representation of the energy levels and electronic transitions of elements.

The Effects of Promoting Educational Level on the Development of Reading Comprehension Levels in Hearing-Impaired Students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad Reza Sarmadi

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Background and Aim: Hearing-impaired students have some delays in learning language skills such as reading because of hearing loss. To study the effect of promoting educational level on the development of reading comprehension, the students of the 4th grade of elementary and last year guidance school were compared based on international test of reading literacy.Methods: The project was cross-sectional and the tool used was the international standard booklet of PIRLS 2001. Thirty-six students selected with moderately severe and severe hearing loss from the 4th grade of elementary and last year guidance school from Shahriar, Robatkarim, Karaj and Hashtgerd, Iran, exceptional schools. Comparative statistical analysis was performed using t-test.Results: The first level (focus on and retrieve explicity information showed a meaningful difference between the last year guidance school and the 4th grade of elementary students (p<0.05, but there were no significant differences in other levels, make straightforward information-interpret and integrate ideas-examine and evaluate content, (p> 0.05.Conclusion: Hearing-impaired students have difficulties in understanding in deep levels of reading despite promoting educational level. Thus, in making policies for special trainings, continuing the rehabilitation in guidance and high school levels to promote the complex levels of comprehension should be taken more into consideration.

Middle Level Learning.

Science.gov (United States)

Wyman, Richard M., Jr.; Young, Katherine A.; Sliger, Bruce; Kafi, Patricia; Singer, Alan; Lamme, Linda Leonard

1998-01-01

Presents five brief articles related to middle-level learning. The articles are, "Using Children's Diaries to Teach the Oregon Trail"; "Living the Geography of Joseph and Temperance Brown"; "The ABCs of Small Grant Acquisition for Social Studies"; "Isomo Loruko: The Yoruba Naming Ceremony"; and "Child…

Level width broadening effect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Jingshang

2003-01-01

In file-6 for double-differential cross sections, the level width broadening effect should be taken into account properly due to Heisenberg' uncertainty. Besides level width broadening effect, the energy resolution in the measurements is also needed in fitting measurement procedure. In general, the traditional normal Gaussian expansion is employed. However, to do so in this way the energy balance could not be held. For this reason, the deformed Gaussian expansion functions with exponential form for both the single energy point and continuous spectrum are introduced, with which the normalization and energy balance conditions could be held exactly in the analytical form. (author)

Enhancing GCE A-Level Programmes.

Science.gov (United States)

Holding, Gordon

This document, which is based on the findings of a study of 10 further education (FE) colleges throughout the United Kingdom, is intended to help FE colleges review and enhance their curriculum for 16- to 19-year-old students in General Certificate of Education (GCE) A-level (Advanced Level) courses. Discussed first are the following reasons for…

Statistical interpretation of low energy nuclear level schemes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Egidy, T von; Schmidt, H H; Behkami, A N

1988-01-01

Nuclear level schemes and neutron resonance spacings yield information on level densities and level spacing distributions. A total of 75 nuclear level schemes with 1761 levels and known spins and parities was investigated. The A-dependence of level density parameters is discussed. The spacing distributions of levels near the groundstate indicate transitional character between regular and chaotic properties while chaos dominates near the neutron binding energy.

Leptin levels in infertile males

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jahan, S.; Bibi, R.; Ahmed, S.

2011-01-01

Objective: To determine the leptin levels in the serum of normal, sub fertile and infertile men. Study Design: Analytical study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Animal Sciences Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad, National Institute of Health (NIH), Islamabad and Dr. Salma and Kafeel Medical Centre, Islamabad, from April to December 2009. Methodology: Serum leptin levels hormonal concentrations (LH, FSH and testosterone) were determined by EIA in 154 males including 24 (15.58%) fertile, 19 (12.34%) polyzoospermic (PZs), 26 (16.88%) teratozoospermic (TZs), 27 (17.53%) astheno-teratozoospermic (ATZs), 18 (11.69%) oligozoospermic (OZs), 18 (11.69%) oligo-astheno-teratozoospermic (OATZs), 11 (7.14%) obstructive azoospermic (OBST-AZOOs) and 11 (7.14%) non-obstructive azoospermic (NON-OBST-AZOOs). BMI was also determined, divided into groups of greater than 24. Hormonal concentrations were compared by ANOVA and correlation was performed by using Graph pad prism version 5. Results: Significantly high levels of leptin concentrations were found in fertile (p 24 compared to fertile and infertile male patients with BMI 24. Leptin showed a significant positive correlation with LH (p < 0.01) and FSH (p < 0.002) and a significant negative correlation with testosterone (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Abnormal leptin level was significantly associated with fertility problems in males. Providing a link between leptin and reproduction factors contributing in control of testosterone and gonadotropins secretion in many aspects depending on fertility status in male subjects. BMI appears to have significant association with serum leptin levels. (author)

Translating National Level Forest Service Goals to Local Level Land Management: Carbon Sequestration

Science.gov (United States)

McNulty, S.; Treasure, E.

2017-12-01

The USDA Forest Service has many national level policies related to multiple use management. However, translating national policy to stand level forest management can be difficult. As an example of how a national policy can be put into action, we examined three case studies in which a desired future condition is evaluated at the national, region and local scale. We chose to use carbon sequestration as the desired future condition because climate change has become a major area of concern during the last decade. Several studies have determined that the 193 million acres of US national forest land currently sequester 11% to 15% of the total carbon emitted as a nation. This paper provides a framework by which national scale strategies for maintaining or enhancing forest carbon sequestration is translated through regional considerations and local constraints in adaptive management practices. Although this framework used the carbon sequestration as a case study, this framework could be used with other national level priorities such as the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) or the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

Low-level radioactive waste treatment technology. Low-level radioactive waste management handbook series

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1984-07-01

Each generator of low-level radioactive waste must consider three sequential questions: (1) can the waste in its as-generated form be packaged and shipped to a disposal facility; (2) will the packaged waste be acceptable for disposal; and (3) if so, is it cost effective to dispose of the waste in its as-generated form. These questions are aimed at determining if the waste form, physical and chemical characteristics, and radionuclide content collectively are suitable for shipment and disposal in a cost-effective manner. If not, the waste management procedures will involve processing operations in addition to collection, segregation, packaging, shipment, and disposal. This handbook addresses methods of treating and conditioning low-level radioactive waste for shipment and disposal. A framework is provided for selection of cost-effective waste-processing options for generic categories of low-level radioactive waste. The handbook is intended as a decision-making guide that identifies types of information required to evaluate options, methods of evaluation, and limitations associated with selection of any of the processing options

Global and local level density models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koning, A.J.; Hilaire, S.; Goriely, S.

2008-01-01

Four different level density models, three phenomenological and one microscopic, are consistently parameterized using the same set of experimental observables. For each of the phenomenological models, the Constant Temperature Model, the Back-shifted Fermi gas Model and the Generalized Superfluid Model, a version without and with explicit collective enhancement is considered. Moreover, a recently published microscopic combinatorial model is compared with the phenomenological approaches and with the same set of experimental data. For each nuclide for which sufficient experimental data exists, a local level density parameterization is constructed for each model. Next, these local models have helped to construct global level density prescriptions, to be used for cases for which no experimental data exists. Altogether, this yields a collection of level density formulae and parameters that can be used with confidence in nuclear model calculations. To demonstrate this, a large-scale validation with experimental discrete level schemes and experimental cross sections and neutron emission spectra for various different reaction channels has been performed

Report on survey on geothermal development promotion in fiscal 1999. Report on survey on environmental effects - noise and vibration (No. B-5, Busadake Area); 1999 nendo chinetsu kaihatsu sokushin chosa. Kankyo eikyo chosa (soon shindo) hokokusho (No.B-5 Busadake chiiki)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2000-03-01

Identification of noise and vibration levels and evaluation on environmental effects were performed in association with the excavation in the geothermal investigation well drilling point (well N11-MD-3) and the vicinity thereof in the Busadake area in Hokkaido. In the survey, noise and vibration were measured before and during the well excavation at the well drilling point and nearby four points (boundary of the drilling premises, 500-m point, Kawakita Spa and the entrance to the mountain stream of petroleum). In addition, a distance decay survey was carried out at five points in one direction from the well drilling point. The result of the noise measurement showed the value of about 30 to 50 dB before the well excavation at the drilling point and its vicinity, and about 40 to 60 dB during the excavation. The vibration was about 40 dB at the boundary of the premises during the excavation, whereas the places other than them showed the lower limit of measurement. In the distance decay of the noise, 75 dB at the 10-m point decayed to 50 dB or lower in the 200-m point, while the vibration level of 75 dB decayed to 30 dB or lower in the 100-m point. These facts lead to a conception that the noise and vibration in association with the well drilling would not give great influence on the neighboring environment. (NEDO)

BWR level estimation using Kalman Filtering approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garner, G.; Divakaruni, S.M.; Meyer, J.E.

1986-01-01

Work is in progress on development of a system for Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) vessel level validation and failure detection. The levels validated include the liquid level both inside and outside the core shroud. This work is a major part of a larger effort to develop a complete system for BWR signal validation. The demonstration plant is the Oyster Creek BWR. Liquid level inside the core shroud is not directly measured during full power operation. This level must be validated using measurements of other quantities and analytic models. Given the available sensors, analytic models for level that are based on mass and energy balances can contain open integrators. When such a model is driven by noisy measurements, the model predicted level will deviate from the true level over time. To validate the level properly and to avoid false alarms, the open integrator must be stabilized. In addition, plant parameters will change slowly with time. The respective model must either account for these plant changes or be insensitive to them to avoid false alarms and maintain sensitivity to true failures of level instrumentation. Problems are addressed here by combining the extended Kalman Filter and Parity Space Decision/Estimator. The open integrator is stabilized by integrating from the validated estimate at the beginning of each sampling interval, rather than from the model predicted value. The model is adapted to slow plant/sensor changes by updating model parameters on-line

Association of Lead Levels and Cerebral Palsy

Science.gov (United States)

Bansal, Neha; Aggarwal, Anju; Faridi, M. M. A.; Sharma, Tusha; Baneerjee, B. D.

2017-01-01

Background: Cerebral palsy is a common motor disability in childhood. Raised lead levels affect cognition. Children with cerebral palsy may have raised lead levels, further impairing their residual cognitive motor and behavioral abilities. Environmental exposure and abnormal eating habits may lead to increased lead levels. Aims and Objectives: To measure blood lead levels in children with cerebral palsy and compare them with healthy neurologically normal children. To correlate blood lead levels with environmental factors. Material and Methods: Design: Prospective case-control study. Setting: Tertiary care hospital. Participants: Cases comprised 34 children with cerebral palsy, and controls comprised 34 neurologically normal, age- and sex-matched children. Methods: Clinical and demographic details were recorded as per proforma. Detailed environmental history was recorded to know the source of exposure to lead. These children were investigated and treated as per protocol. Venous blood was collected in ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid vials for analysis of blood lead levels. Lead levels were estimated by Schimadzu Flame AA-6800 (atomic absorption spectrophotometer). Data were analyzed using SPSS version 17. P pica were 12.33 ± 10.02 µg/dL in comparison to children with no history of pica, 6.70 ± 4.60 µg/dL (P = .029). No correlation was found between hemoglobin and blood lead levels in cases and controls. Conclusion: In our study, blood lead levels are raised in children with cerebral palsy. However, further studies are required to show effects of raised levels in these children. PMID:28491920

Top-level categories of constitutively organized material entities--suggestions for a formal top-level ontology.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lars Vogt

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Application oriented ontologies are important for reliably communicating and managing data in databases. Unfortunately, they often differ in the definitions they use and thus do not live up to their potential. This problem can be reduced when using a standardized and ontologically consistent template for the top-level categories from a top-level formal foundational ontology. This would support ontological consistency within application oriented ontologies and compatibility between them. The Basic Formal Ontology (BFO is such a foundational ontology for the biomedical domain that has been developed following the single inheritance policy. It provides the top-level template within the Open Biological and Biomedical Ontologies Foundry. If it wants to live up to its expected role, its three top-level categories of material entity (i.e., 'object', 'fiat object part', 'object aggregate' must be exhaustive, i.e. every concrete material entity must instantiate exactly one of them.By systematically evaluating all possible basic configurations of material building blocks we show that BFO's top-level categories of material entity are not exhaustive. We provide examples from biology and everyday life that demonstrate the necessity for two additional categories: 'fiat object part aggregate' and 'object with fiat object part aggregate'. By distinguishing topological coherence, topological adherence, and metric proximity we furthermore provide a differentiation of clusters and groups as two distinct subcategories for each of the three categories of material entity aggregates, resulting in six additional subcategories of material entity.We suggest extending BFO to incorporate two additional categories of material entity as well as two subcategories for each of the three categories of material entity aggregates. With these additions, BFO would exhaustively cover all top-level types of material entity that application oriented ontologies may use as templates. Our

System level modeling and component level control of fuel cells

Science.gov (United States)

Xue, Xingjian

This dissertation investigates the fuel cell systems and the related technologies in three aspects: (1) system-level dynamic modeling of both PEM fuel cell (PEMFC) and solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC); (2) condition monitoring scheme development of PEM fuel cell system using model-based statistical method; and (3) strategy and algorithm development of precision control with potential application in energy systems. The dissertation first presents a system level dynamic modeling strategy for PEM fuel cells. It is well known that water plays a critical role in PEM fuel cell operations. It makes the membrane function appropriately and improves the durability. The low temperature operating conditions, however, impose modeling difficulties in characterizing the liquid-vapor two phase change phenomenon, which becomes even more complex under dynamic operating conditions. This dissertation proposes an innovative method to characterize this phenomenon, and builds a comprehensive model for PEM fuel cell at the system level. The model features the complete characterization of multi-physics dynamic coupling effects with the inclusion of dynamic phase change. The model is validated using Ballard stack experimental result from open literature. The system behavior and the internal coupling effects are also investigated using this model under various operating conditions. Anode-supported tubular SOFC is also investigated in the dissertation. While the Nernst potential plays a central role in characterizing the electrochemical performance, the traditional Nernst equation may lead to incorrect analysis results under dynamic operating conditions due to the current reverse flow phenomenon. This dissertation presents a systematic study in this regard to incorporate a modified Nernst potential expression and the heat/mass transfer into the analysis. The model is used to investigate the limitations and optimal results of various operating conditions; it can also be utilized to perform the

High spin levels in 151Ho

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gizon, J.; Gizon, A.; Andre, S.; Genevey, J.; Jastrzebski, J.; Kossakowski, R.; Moszinski, M.; Preibisz, Z.

1981-02-01

We report here on the first study of the level structure of 151 Ho. High spin levels in 151 Ho have been populated in the 141 Pr + 16 O and 144 Sm + 12 C reactions. The level structure has been established up to 6.6 MeV energy and the spins and particles determined up to 49/2 - . Most of the proposed level configurations can be explained by the coupling of hsub(11/2) protons to fsub(7/2) and/or hsub(9/2) neutrons. An isomer with 14 +- 3 ns half-life and a delayed gamma multiplicity equal to 17 +- 2 has been found. Its spin is larger than 57/2 h units

Ventilation influence upon indoor air radon level

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tian Deyuan

1995-01-01

Levels of indoor radon in air are studied by a continuous electrostatic radon monitor under normal living conditions to evaluate the influence of air conditioned ventilation on indoor air radon level. Results show that the indoor air radon concentrations are not much more than those without household conditioner living condition, although using household conditioner requires a sealed room which should lead to a higher radon level. Turning on air conditioner helps lower indoor radon level. Therefore, the total indoor air Rn levels are normal > ventilation > exhaust or in-draft > exhaust plus in-draft

Individual-Level, Partnership-Level, and Sexual Event-Level Predictors of Condom Use During Receptive Anal Intercourse Among HIV-Negative Men Who Have Sex with Men in Los Angeles.

Science.gov (United States)

Pines, Heather A; Gorbach, Pamina M; Weiss, Robert E; Reback, Cathy J; Landovitz, Raphael J; Mutchler, Matt G; Mitsuyasu, Ronald T

2016-06-01

We examined individual-level, partnership-level, and sexual event-level factors associated with condom use during receptive anal intercourse (RAI) among 163 low-income, racially/ethnically diverse, HIV-negative men who have sex with men (MSM) in Los Angeles (2007-2010). At baseline, 3-month, and 12-month visits, computer-assisted self-interviews collected information on ≤3 recent male partners and the last sexual event with those partners. Factors associated with condom use during RAI at the last sexual event were identified using logistic generalized linear mixed models. Condom use during RAI was negatively associated with reporting ≥ high school education (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 0.32, 95 % confidence interval [CI] 0.11-0.96) and methamphetamine use, specifically during RAI events with non-main partners (AOR = 0.20, 95 % CI 0.07-0.53) and those that included lubricant use (AOR = 0.20, 95 % CI 0.08-0.53). Condom use during RAI varies according to individual-level, partnership-level, and sexual event-level factors that should be considered in the development of risk reduction strategies for this population.

Crest Level Optimization of the Multi Level Overtopping based Wave Energy Converter Seawave Slot-Cone Generator

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kofoed, Jens Peter; Osaland, E.

2005-01-01

The paper describes the optimization of the crest levels and geometrical layout of the SSG structure, focusing on maximizing the obtained potential energy in the overtopping water. During wave tank testing at AAU average overtopping rates into the individual reservoirs have been measured. The ini......The paper describes the optimization of the crest levels and geometrical layout of the SSG structure, focusing on maximizing the obtained potential energy in the overtopping water. During wave tank testing at AAU average overtopping rates into the individual reservoirs have been measured....... The initial tests led to an expression describing the derivative of the overtopping rate with respect to the vertical distance. Based on this, numerical optimizations of the crest levels, for a number of combinations of wave conditions, have been performed. The hereby found optimal crest levels have been...

Nuclear level mixing resonance spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coussement, R.; Put, P.; Scheveneels, G.; Hardeman, F.

1985-01-01

The existent methods for measuring quadrupole interactions are not suited to nuclei with lifetimes in the micro-seconds to minutes region. AD/NQR, a possible candidate in this lifetime gap, has not yet succeeded in overcoming its predicted difficulties. A new resonant method, recently developed and based on the principles of level mixing (cfr atomic spectroscopy) covers this less accessible lifetime range. Many other kinds of resonances can be described according to the level mixing formalism. The particular example of NMR as a level mixing resonance (LMR) is discussed. The underlying theory of LMR and its important consequences, leading to some interesting features of the method, is briefly formulated. Two successfully performed measurements demonstrate the feasibility and the predicted characteristics of this new promising method. (orig.)

Temperature and level measurements realized for Nuclear Safety Level Improvement of Slovak NPPs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Badiar, S.; Slanina, M.; Stanc, S.; Golan, P.; Krupa, J.

2001-01-01

Process of continual safety improvement in the individual Slovak nuclear power plants has been in progress since the beginning of nineties with the objective to upgrade the safety level of units in operation up to the European standards. In the framework of these activities, safety instrumentation systems with 1E qualification for the control of WWER reactor coolant systems were built and added. Methods for implementation of safety instrumentation systems for monitoring temperature and level in reactor coolant systems in the particular plants in Slovakia are presented showing the objectives and methods of their implementation. (Authors)

Geoelectric study in attempt to detect of deformation around slice gate in the embankment; Hiteiko eizoho wo mochiita himon shuhen no yurumi ryoiki no suitei

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Natori, T; Nakayama, Y [Hokkaido Sapporo Public Works Office, Sapporo (Japan); Hashimoto, Y; Matsuo, J [OYO Corp., Tokyo (Japan)

1997-10-22

For the river structures, such as slice gates and slice pipes, constructed on the weak ground, structures often come out due to forced settlement of embankment, which results in the formation of cavity and loose ground. These deformations can cause disasters due to leakage by water channel and fracture of bank. It is significant to detect and grasp these situations in early stage. In this study, resistivity imaging was conducted around slice gate in several times, to estimate the loose region based on the difference in the obtained resistivity data. Resistivity was measured in two times with a certain interval using the same line. The loose region around the slice gate was estimated from the change of saturation condition and the saturation line by considering the difference. Even in the case when judgment was hard by a single measurement, it was possible to estimate the loose region based on the difference from multiple measurements. 3 refs., 6 figs.

Abnormal ''Contamination' Levels On Garden Appliances

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

German, U.; Levinson, S.; Elmelech, V.; Pelled, O.; Tshuva, A.; Laichter, Y.

1999-01-01

During routine contamination checks we encountered an abnormal high level of Alpha and Beta emitting radioisotopes on working gloves of employees of the gardening department. It came out that the source was due to ''contamination'' levels on steering wheels of some gardening machines. In order to ensure that no real contamination of these workers was involved , a series of checks was started to identity the source of the abnormal levels found during monitoring

Serum homocystein level in patients with scleroderma.

Science.gov (United States)

Nazarinia, Mohammadali; Shams, Mesbah; Kamali Sarvestani, Eskandar; Shenavande, Saeede; Khademalhosseini, Maryam; Khademalhosseini, Zeinab

2013-01-01

Systemic Sclerosis (SSc) is a systemic connective tissue disease. In this study, we compared the serum Homocystein (Hcy) level between patients with SSc and normal control group. The current study was conducted to determine whether serum Hcy levels are elevated in SSc patients and whether there is any correlation between Hcy levels and RP, Gastro intestinal and lung involvement. Forty one patients who fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for SSc (39 females and 5 males) and Forty four community-based healthy individuals (sex and age matched) were enrolled in to the study. Serum Hcy, vitamin B12, and folate levels were determined. Thirty three patients (70.45%) had GI involvement, twenty two patients (50%) had lung involvement and twenty seven patients (61.36%) had Raynaud's phenomena. Mean serum Hcy level in control group was 22.78 ± 6.018 μmol/L and in case group was 19.43 ± 7.205 μmol/L, shows that the serum Hcy level in control group was significantly higher than patients (P = 0.020). Serum Hcy level is significantly lower in SSc patients than in control group. There is no statistically significant correlation between serum Hcy level and organ involvements.

Forecasting Water Levels Using Artificial Neural Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shreenivas N. Londhe

2011-06-01

Full Text Available For all Ocean related activities it is necessary to predict the actual water levels as accurate as possible. The present work aims at predicting the water levels with a lead time of few hours to a day using the technique of artificial neural networks. Instead of using the previous and current values of observed water level time series directly as input and output the water level anomaly (difference between the observed water level and harmonically predicted tidal level is calculated for each hour and the ANN model is developed using this time series. The network predicted anomaly is then added to harmonic tidal level to predict the water levels. The exercise is carried out at six locations, two in The Gulf of Mexico, two in The Gulf of Maine and two in The Gulf of Alaska along the USA coastline. The ANN models performed reasonably well for all forecasting intervals at all the locations. The ANN models were also run in real time mode for a period of eight months. Considering the hurricane season in Gulf of Mexico the models were also tested particularly during hurricanes.

Causes for contemporary regional sea level changes.

Science.gov (United States)

Stammer, Detlef; Cazenave, Anny; Ponte, Rui M; Tamisiea, Mark E

2013-01-01

Regional sea level changes can deviate substantially from those of the global mean, can vary on a broad range of timescales, and in some regions can even lead to a reversal of long-term global mean sea level trends. The underlying causes are associated with dynamic variations in the ocean circulation as part of climate modes of variability and with an isostatic adjustment of Earth's crust to past and ongoing changes in polar ice masses and continental water storage. Relative to the coastline, sea level is also affected by processes such as earthquakes and anthropogenically induced subsidence. Present-day regional sea level changes appear to be caused primarily by natural climate variability. However, the imprint of anthropogenic effects on regional sea level-whether due to changes in the atmospheric forcing or to mass variations in the system-will grow with time as climate change progresses, and toward the end of the twenty-first century, regional sea level patterns will be a superposition of climate variability modes and natural and anthropogenically induced static sea level patterns. Attribution and predictions of ongoing and future sea level changes require an expanded and sustained climate observing system.

Examining the Level of Career maturity among Foreign Asian Students by measuring Academic Level

OpenAIRE

Mustafa Tekke; Faiz Bin Adam Ghani

2013-01-01

The Asian individuals are dependent and collectivist compared with the western individuals that are independent and individualistic. Foreign Asian students choosing similar courses with their country friends do not reveal their career maturity and also lead to negative effect on their choices.  This study aims at examining the level of career maturity of foreign Asian students in Malaysia based on academic level by using the Career Maturity Inventory. Two hundred and twenty nine ( Male=106, ...

Body mass index and serum lipid levels

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pedro Javier Navarrete Mejía

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Objective: To identify the association between the body mass index (BMI and serum lipid levels in adult people. Material and Methods: Observational, transversal and retrospective study. Non experimental investigation design. The population was conformed for people treated in private health centers in Metropolitan Lima. The evaluations of the BMI and the laboratorial tests to know the seric concentration of lipids were taken between October 2014 and October 2015. It was determined the association between the BMI and the seric lipid levels using the Chi2 test. People with comorbidity that could modify the seric levels of lipids were excluded. Results: 39.7% of people studied were male and 60.3% were female. The average age was 34.2 years old. 40.7% (1227/3016 of population were obese and overweight. The results show a higher level of obesity or overweight in male people over female (54.6% and 33% respectively. 19.7% (594/3016 of the tested people presented high triglycerides seric levels. 27.9% (841/3016 presented high cholesterol levels and 38.8% (1146/3016 presented low cHDL levels. The cLDL levels and cVLDL levels were similar in both groups (male and female. Conclusions: The investigation determined the significant statistical association between the BMI and triglycerides (p < 0.05, cholesterol (p < 0.05 and cHDL (p < 0.05.

Level of Sexual Myths Level in Premature Ejaculation Cases

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mehmet Gunes

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Objective: The aim of this study is to determine level of belief in sexual myths in the cases of premature ejacula­tion (PE which is the most common sexual dysfunction in men. Methods: This study included 100 cases who applied Di­cle University Faculty of Medicine hospitals meet prema­ture ejaculation criteria of DSM-5 and 70 healthy controls. Sociodemographic data form, Hamilton Depression Rat­ing Scale (HDS, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAS, Arizona Sexual Experience Scale (ASES-Men form and Sexual Myths Evaluation Form were applied to partici­pants. Results: In the study, rate of belief in sexual myths in PE cases was found significantly higher than healthy controls. In the PE cases, education time less than 10 years, the presence of comorbid sexual dysfunction were found to be statistically significant factors that increase the level of belief in sexual myths in the PE cases, HDS (p=0.0002, HAS (p=0.0001, ASES (p=0.0004 scores were statisti­cally significantly higher than the control group. In the loss of sexual desire in men with comorbid ASES (p=0.0001, with ED, ASES (p=0.001 and HDS (p=0.040 scores were found statistically significantly higher. Conclusions: Sexual information should be given in the appropriate age by educated person in educational insti­tutions.

A Model to Determine the Level of Serum Aldosterone in the Workers Attributed to the Combined Effects of Sound Pressure Level, Exposure Time and Serum Potassium Level: A Field-Based Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Parvin Nassiri

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Background Occupational exposure to excessive noise is one of the biggest work-related challenges in the world. This phenomenon causes the release of stress-related hormones, which in turn, negatively affects cardiovascular risk factors. Objectives The current study study aimed to determine the level of workers’ serum aldosterone in light of the combined effect of sound pressure level, exposure time and serum potassium level. Methods This cross-sectional, descriptive, analytical study was conducted on 45 workers of Gol-Gohar Mining and Industrial Company in the fall of 2014. The subjects were divided into three groups (one control and two case groups, each including 15 workers. Participants in the control group were selected from workers with administrative jobs (exposure to the background noise. On the other hand, participants in the case groups were selected from the concentrator and pelletizing factories exposed to excessive noise. Serum aldosterone and potassium levels of participants were assessed at three different time intervals: at the beginning of the shift and before exposure to noise (7:30 - 8:00 AM, during exposure to noise (10:00 - 10:30 AM, and during continuous exposure (1:30 - 2:00 PM. The obtained data were transferred into SPSS ver. 18. Repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA was used to develop the statistical model of workers’ aldosterone level in light of the combined effect of sound pressure level, exposure time, and serum potassium level. Results The results of the final statistical model to determine the level of serum aldosterone based on the combined effect of sound pressure level, exposure time and serum potassium level indicated that the sound pressure level had a significant influence on the human’s serum aldosterone level (P = 0.04. In addition, the effects of exposure time and serum potassium on aldosterone level were statistically significant with P-values of 0.008 and 0.001, respectively. Conclusions

Low-level radioactive waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McLaren, L.H.

1983-03-01

This bibliography contains information on low-level radioactive waste included in the Department of Energy's Energy Data Base for January through December 1982. The abstracts are grouped by subject category as shown in the table of contents. Entries in the subject index also facilitate access by subject, e.g., Low-Level Radioactive Wastes/Transport. Within each category the arrangement is by report number for reports, followed by nonreports in reverse chronological order. These citations are to research reports, journal articles, books, patents, theses, and conference papers from worldwide sources. Five indexes, each proceded by a brief description, are provided: Corporate Author, Personal Author, Subject, Contract Number, and Report Number. 492 references

Vortex-induced vibrations of circular cylinder in cross flow at supercritical Reynolds numbers; Chorinkai Reynolds su ryoiki ni okeru enchu no uzu reiki shindo

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kawamura, T.; Nakao, T.; Takahashi, M.; Hayashi, M.; Goto, N. [Hitachi, Ltd., Tokyo (Japan)

1999-07-25

Vortex-induced vibrations were measured for a circular cylinder subjected to a water cross flow at supercritical Reynolds numbers for a wide range of reduced velocities. Turbulence intensities were changed from 1% to 13% in order to investigate the effect of the Strouhal number on the region of synchronization by symmetrical and Karman vortex shedding. The reduced damping of the test cylinder was about 0.1 in water. The surface roughness of the cylinder was a mirror-polished surface. Strouhal number decreased from about 0.48 to 0.29 with increasing turbulence intensity. Synchronized vibrations were observed even at supercritical Reynolds numbers where fluctuating fluid force was small. Reduced velocities at which drag and lift direction lock-in by Karman vortex shedding were initiated decreased with increasing Strouhal number. When Strouhal number was about 0.29, the self-excited vibration in drag direction by symmetrical vortex shedding began at which the frequency ratio of Karman vortex shedding frequency to the natural frequency of cylinder was 0.32. (author)

Wind-induced cable vibrations and countermeasures of cables of PC cable-stayed bridge. PC syachokyo keburu no kaze ni yoru shindo to sono taisaku

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yoneda, M. (Kawada Industries Inc., Tokyo (Japan))

1994-05-01

In recent years, long span of cable-stayed bridges is remarkable. The wind-induced cable vibration called as line vibration and wake galloping was given as an important problem not only in the steel cable-stayed bridges but also in the PC cable-stayed bridges. The technical engineers in design of the cable-stayed bridges have many times to confront the problems on the vibration control of cables, it is considered that sufficient understand of the wind-induced vibration and countermeasures for cables of the PC cable-stayed bridges is necessary. Many reports on the countermeasure examples and trend of vibration control centred on cables of the cable-stayed bridges have been published. In this paper, the wind-induced vibration of cables in the cable-stayed bridges was reviewed, the examples of countermeasures of vibration control on cables in the PC cable-stayed bridges was mainly introduced. The remaining tasks and future prospects on vibration control of the PC cable-stayed bridges were described. 14 refs., 13 figs., 4 tabs.

Price competition, level-k theory and communication

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wengström, Erik Roland

2008-01-01

This paper analyzes communication in a price competition game using the level-$k$ theory of bounded rationality. The level-k analysis predicts prices to be higher with communication than without. Our experimental evidence lends support to the view that communication affects subjects in a way...... that is compatible with the level-k model, indicating that people lie in order to fool other players that they believe do less thinking. Moreover, the results indicate that the predictive power of the level-k model does crucially depend on the possibility for high level players to form homogenous beliefs about...

Disposal of 'De Minimis' level radioactive waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shukri bin Othman

1991-01-01

Based on the hypothesis that any increase in radiation dose will enhance the danger risk of radiation effect, there is no safety limit that can be used in the context of waste disposal. However, ICRP document No. 46(1985) recommended for there to be a dose or risk limit that can be considered as negligible thereby doing away with the necessarily to have a legal procedure for radiation protection. Various radiation level terminology such as negligible level, threshold level and exemption level have been introduced. But the one receiving most attention is de Minimis level since it has a legal connection. Several countries have allowed the exemption of radioactive materials in Malaysia are only involved with small quantities, consideration should be given to the use of de Minimis level

Comparison of energy performance requirements levels

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Spiekman, Marleen; Thomsen, Kirsten Engelund; Rose, Jørgen

This summary report provides a synthesis of the work within the EU SAVE project ASIEPI on developing a method to compare the energy performance (EP) requirement levels among the countries of Europe. Comparing EP requirement levels constitutes a major challenge. From the comparison of for instance...... the present Dutch requirement level (EPC) of 0,8 with the present Flemish level of E80, it can easily be seen that direct comparison is not possible. The conclusions and recommendations of the study are presented in part A. These constitute the most important result of the project. Part B gives an overview...... of all other project material related to that topic, which allows to easily identify the most pertinent information. Part C lists the project partners and sponsors....

Review of A-level chemistry content

OpenAIRE

Read, David; Harrison, Charles

2010-01-01

This document is a review of the content of the A-level Chemistry specifications from the main UK exam boards (Scottish highers not included - sorry!). These A-level specifications commenced teaching in September 2008. Students entering university in 2010 will have studied the new A-levels, and this document is intended to help academics to identify what students will have covered. The document also contains a summary of discussions which took place between teachers and academics at our annua...

Department of Energy pretreatment of high-level and low-level wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McGinnis, C.P.; Hunt, R.D.

1995-01-01

The remediation of the 1 x 10 8 gal of highly radioactive waste in the underground storage tanks (USTs) at five US Department of Energy (DOE) sites is one of DOE's greatest challenges. Therefore, the DOE Office of Environmental Management has created the Tank Focus Area (TFA) to manage an integrated technology development program that results in the safe and efficient remediation of UST waste. The TFA has divided its efforts into five areas, which are safety, characterization, retrieval/closure, pretreatment, and immobilization. All DOE pretreatment activities are integrated by the Pretreatment Technical Integration Manager of the TFA. For FY 1996, the 14 pretreatment tasks are divided into 3 systems: supernate separations, sludge treatment, and solid/liquid separation. The plans and recent results of these TFA tasks, which include two 25,000-gal demonstrations and two former TFA tasks on Cs removal, are presented. The pretreatment goals are to minimize the volume of high-level waste and the radioactivity in low-level waste

A Container-based Trusted Multi-level Security Mechanism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Li Xiao-Yong

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Multi-level security mechanism has been widely applied in the military, government, defense and other domains in which information is required to be divided by security-level. Through this type of security mechanism, users at different security levels are provided with information at corresponding security levels. Traditional multi-level security mechanism which depends on the safety of operating system finally proved to be not practical. We propose a container-based trusted multi-level security mechanism in this paper to improve the applicability of the multi-level mechanism. It guarantees multi-level security of the system through a set of multi-level security policy rules and trusted techniques. The technical feasibility and application scenarios are also discussed. The ease of realization, strong practical significance and low cost of our method will largely expand the application of multi-level security mechanism in real life.

A Comparison of the Capability of Sensitivity Level 3 and Sensitivity Level 4 Fluorescent Penetrants to Detect Fatigue Cracks in Aluminum

Science.gov (United States)

Parker, Bradford, H.

2009-01-01

Historically both sensitivity level 3 and sensitivity level 4 fluorescent penetrants have been used to perform NASA Standard Level inspections of aerospace hardware. In April 2008, NASA-STD-5009 established a requirement that only sensitivity level 4 penetrants were acceptable for inspections of NASA hardware. Having NASA contractors change existing processes or perform demonstration tests to certify sensitivity level 3 penetrants posed a potentially huge cost to the Agency. This study was conducted to directly compare the probability of detection sensitivity level 3 and level 4 penetrants using both Method A and Method D inspection processes. The study results strongly support the conclusion that sensitivity level 3 penetrants are acceptable for NASA Standard Level inspections

Leveling up? An inter-neighborhood experiment on parochialism and the efficiency of multi-level public goods provision

OpenAIRE

Gallier, Carlo; Goeschl, Timo; Kesternich, Martin; Lohse, Johannes; Reif, Christiane; Römer, Daniel

2017-01-01

Many public goods can be provided at different spatial levels. Evidence from social identity theory and in-group favoritism raises the possibility that where higher-level provision is more efficient, subjects’ narrow concern for local outcomes (parochialism) could harm efficiency. Building on the experimental paradigm of multi-level public good games and the ‘neighborhood attachment’ concept, we conduct an artefactual field experiment with 600 participants in a setting conducive to parochial...

Study on a quantitative evaluation method of equipment maintenance level and plant safety level for giant complex plant system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aoki, Takayuki

2010-01-01

In this study, a quantitative method on maintenance level which is determined by the two factors, maintenance plan and field work implementation ability by maintenance crew is discussed. And also a quantitative evaluation method on safety level for giant complex plant system is discussed. As a result of consideration, the following results were obtained. (1) It was considered that equipment condition after maintenance work was determined by the two factors, maintenance plan and field work implementation ability possessed by maintenance crew. The equipment condition determined by the two factors was named as 'equipment maintenance level' and its quantitative evaluation method was clarified. (2) It was considered that CDF in a nuclear power plant, evaluated by using a failure rate counting the above maintenance level was quite different from CDF evaluated by using existing failure rates including a safety margin. Then, the former CDF was named as 'plant safety level' of plant system and its quantitative evaluation method was clarified. (3) Enhancing equipment maintenance level means an improvement of maintenance quality. That results in the enhancement of plant safety level. Therefore, plant safety level should be always watched as a plant performance indicator. (author)

Integrated at the neighbourhood level

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Putri, Prathiwi Widyatmi

2017-01-01

Cities in the Global South are generally vast due to urban sprawl. They are characterised by a varying level of density, and enclaves of informal settlements. Within this context, this article addresses the limits of large-scale and centralised water systems. It seeks to understand, qualitatively......-spatial characteristics of local communities can be accommodated. Smaller-scale development intervention also means stimulating creativity in planning and policy-making processes to address water-infrastructure needs at local levels and opens possibilities for integrating water-infrastructures with public space....... Such a decentralised approach matters to improve the overall socio-spatial quality of a neighbourhood, however it requires, in parallel, new institutional mechanisms to provide a coherent water and environmental management system at the urban level. This article argues for a synergy of two axes: the water sector...

Effect of Short-term 900 MHz low level electromagnetic radiation exposure on blood serotonin and glutamate levels.

Science.gov (United States)

Eris, A H; Kiziltan, H S; Meral, I; Genc, H; Trabzon, M; Seyithanoglu, H; Yagci, B; Uysal, O

2015-01-01

Long term exposure to low level electromagnetic radiation (LLER) by using cellular phones causes serious health problems. Ten male Wistar Albino rats were anesthetized 30 min before the LLER exposure, 0.5 ml blood was taken from the tail vein of rats in order to determine control values. Rats were grouped by three and placed on a plexi-glass flat. A fixed equivalent frequency emitter device was used. A sign to be an electromagnetic field 15.14 V/m (608 mW/m(2)) in strength in the head region with 100 kHz FM modulation at 900 MHz was applied to the animals. After calculating the ideal position for the device, electromagnetic LLER energy was applied for 45 minutes from a distance to be equal with energy transmitted by a mobile phone from a 0.5-1 cm distance to their head regions. After 1.5 hours and before the rats awoke, 0.5 ml of blood was taken from the tail veins in order to determine the treatment values. Plasma 5-HT and glutamate levels were measured by enzyme immunoassay (EIA) using commercial kits. It was found that a single 45 min of LLER exposure increased the blood 5-HT level significantly, but did not change the glutamate level of rats. It was concluded that even a single 45 min of LLER exposure may produce an increase in 5-HT level without changing the blood glutamate level. Increased 5-HT level may lead to a retarded learning and a deficit in spatial memory (Tab. 2, Fig. 2, Ref. 24).

Empirically Examining the Performance of Approaches to Multi-Level Matching to Study the Effect of School-Level Interventions

Science.gov (United States)

Hallberg, Kelly; Cook, Thomas D.; Figlio, David

2013-01-01

The goal of this paper is to provide guidance for applied education researchers in using multi-level data to study the effects of interventions implemented at the school level. Two primary approaches are currently employed in observational studies of the effect of school-level interventions. One approach employs intact school matching: matching…

Mixed and Low-Level Treatment Facility Project

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1992-04-01

This appendix contains the mixed and low-level waste engineering design files (EDFS) documenting each low-level and mixed waste stream investigated during preengineering studies for Mixed and Low-Level Waste Treatment Facility Project. The EDFs provide background information on mixed and low-level waste generated at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory. They identify, characterize, and provide treatment strategies for the waste streams. Mixed waste is waste containing both radioactive and hazardous components as defined by the Atomic Energy Act and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, respectively. Low-level waste is waste that contains radioactivity and is not classified as high-level waste, transuranic waste, spent nuclear fuel, or 11e(2) byproduct material as defined by DOE 5820.2A. Test specimens of fissionable material irradiated for research and development only, and not for the production of power or plutonium, may be classified as low-level waste, provided the concentration of transuranic is less than 100 nCi/g. This appendix is a tool that clarifies presentation format for the EDFS. The EDFs contain waste stream characterization data and potential treatment strategies that will facilitate system tradeoff studies and conceptual design development. A total of 43 mixed waste and 55 low-level waste EDFs are provided.

Mixed and Low-Level Treatment Facility Project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-04-01

This appendix contains the mixed and low-level waste engineering design files (EDFS) documenting each low-level and mixed waste stream investigated during preengineering studies for Mixed and Low-Level Waste Treatment Facility Project. The EDFs provide background information on mixed and low-level waste generated at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory. They identify, characterize, and provide treatment strategies for the waste streams. Mixed waste is waste containing both radioactive and hazardous components as defined by the Atomic Energy Act and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, respectively. Low-level waste is waste that contains radioactivity and is not classified as high-level waste, transuranic waste, spent nuclear fuel, or 11e(2) byproduct material as defined by DOE 5820.2A. Test specimens of fissionable material irradiated for research and development only, and not for the production of power or plutonium, may be classified as low-level waste, provided the concentration of transuranic is less than 100 nCi/g. This appendix is a tool that clarifies presentation format for the EDFS. The EDFs contain waste stream characterization data and potential treatment strategies that will facilitate system tradeoff studies and conceptual design development. A total of 43 mixed waste and 55 low-level waste EDFs are provided

Processing AIRS Scientific Data Through Level 3

Science.gov (United States)

Granger, Stephanie; Oliphant, Robert; Manning, Evan

2010-01-01

The Atmospheric Infra-Red Sounder (AIRS) Science Processing System (SPS) is a collection of computer programs, known as product generation executives (PGEs). The AIRS SPS PGEs are used for processing measurements received from the AIRS suite of infrared and microwave instruments orbiting the Earth onboard NASA's Aqua spacecraft. Early stages of the AIRS SPS development were described in a prior NASA Tech Briefs article: Initial Processing of Infrared Spectral Data (NPO-35243), Vol. 28, No. 11 (November 2004), page 39. In summary: Starting from Level 0 (representing raw AIRS data), the AIRS SPS PGEs and the data products they produce are identified by alphanumeric labels (1A, 1B, 2, and 3) representing successive stages or levels of processing. The previous NASA Tech Briefs article described processing through Level 2, the output of which comprises geo-located atmospheric data products such as temperature and humidity profiles among others. The AIRS Level 3 PGE samples selected information from the Level 2 standard products to produce a single global gridded product. One Level 3 product is generated for each day s collection of Level 2 data. In addition, daily Level 3 products are aggregated into two multiday products: an eight-day (half the orbital repeat cycle) product and monthly (calendar month) product.

Sea-level Variation Along the Suez Canal

Science.gov (United States)

Eid, F. M.; Sharaf El-Din, S. H.; Alam El-Din, K. A.

1997-05-01

The variation of sea level at 11 stations distributed along the Suez Canal was studied during the period from 1980 to 1986. The ranges of variation in daily mean sea level at Port Said and Port Tawfik are about 60 and 120 cm, respectively. The minimum range of daily variation is at Kantara (47 cm). The fluctuations of the monthly mean sea level between the two ends of the Suez Canal vary from one season to another. From July to December, the sea level at Port Said is higher than that at Port Tawfik, with the maximum difference (10·5 cm) in September. During the rest of the year, the mean sea level at Port Tawfik is higher than that at Port Said, with the maximum difference (31·5 cm) in March. The long-term variations of the annual mean sea level at both Port Said and Port Tawfik for the period from 1923 to 1986 showed a positive trend. The sea level at Port Said increased by about 27·8 cm century -1while it increased by only 9·1 cm century -1at Port Tawfik. This indicates that the difference between sea level at Port Said and Port Tawfik has decreased with time.

Levels of narrative analysis in health psychology.

Science.gov (United States)

Murray, M

2000-05-01

The past 10-15 years have seen a rapid increase in the study of narrative across all the social sciences. It is sometimes assumed that narrative has the same meaning irrespective of the context in which it is expressed. This article considers different levels of narrative analysis within health psychology. Specifically, it considers the character of health and illness narratives as a function of the personal, interpersonal, positional and societal levels of analysis. At the personal level of analysis narratives are portrayed as expressions of the lived experience of the narrator. At the interpersonal level of analysis the narrative is one that is co-created in dialogue. At the positional level of analysis the analysis considers the differences in social position between the narrator and the listener. The societal level of analysis is concerned with the socially shared stories that are characteristic of certain communities or societies. The challenge is to articulate the connections between these different levels of narrative analysis and to develop strategies to promote emancipatory narratives.

Maternal serum levels of adiponectin in preeclampsia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khosrowbeygi, A.; Ahmadvand, H.

2009-01-01

The results of the serum levels of adiponectin in pre eclamptic patients are conflicting. Objective: The aim of the present study was to assess serum levels of adiponectin in women with pre eclampsia compared with healthy pregnant women. Methods: A cross-sectional study was designed. The case group consisted of women with pre eclampsia (n=30). The control group consisted of 30 matched normal pregnant women. Serum levels of adiponectin were assessed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method. Results: Serum levels of adiponectin were significantly higher in the pre eclamptic group than those in the normal control group. In the pre eclamptic patients serum levels of adiponectin showed a significant negative correlation with body mass index while no correlation was found in the normal pregnant women. In women with pre eclampsia, levels of adiponectin were decreased significantly in the overweight women compared with normal weight women, while in the control group no significant difference was observed. Conclusion: In conclusion, elevation of adiponectin levels might be a physiological feedback response to minimize endothelial dysfunction in pre eclamptic patients. (author)

Level of service at airport passenger terminals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tasić Tamara D.

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Airport terminals are designed by level of service standards which are regulated by International Air Transport Association (IATA. Level of service offered to passengers, regarding to the primary processes, is not necessarily equivalent to the level of service perceived by them. The fact that passengers spending longer times in terminals makes the secondary processes more important in passenger experience. Aiming to improving airport attractiveness, and business success, passenger perception is approached by paying close attention. This paper discusses the two aspects of level of service. Concept of level of service used in air traffic industry with purpose of designing and planning of passenger terminal is derived from the Highway Capacity Manual. Subject of the paper regards last changes which have been introduced during 2014. Second part of the paper explains the needs of examining and analyzing passenger perception from the management point of view, and gives overview of methods which are conducted during researches. Similarities and differences are shown among measurements of level of service and perceived level of service, including the importance of these aspects mutual complementing.

Radiation Level Changes at RAM Package Surfaces

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Opperman, Erich [Washington Savannah River Company; Hawk, Mark B [ORNL; Kapoor, Ashok [U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Packaging and Transportation; Natali, Ronald [R. B. Natali Consulting, Inc.

2010-01-01

This paper will explore design considerations required to meet the regulations that limit radiation level variations at external surfaces of radioactive material (RAM) packages. The radiation level requirements at package surfaces (e.g. TS-R-1 paragraphs 531 and 646) invoke not only maximum radiation levels, but also strict limits on the allowable increase in the radiation level during transport. This paper will explore the regulatory requirements by quantifying the amount of near surface movement and/or payload shifting that results in a 20% increase in the radiation level at the package surface. Typical IP-2, IP-3, Type A and Type B packaging and source geometries will be illustrated. Variations in surface radiation levels are typically the result of changes in the geometry of the surface due to an impact, puncture or crush event, or shifting and settling of radioactive contents.

Students’ thinking level based on intrapersonal intelligence

Science.gov (United States)

Sholikhati, Rahadian; Mardiyana; Retno Sari Saputro, Dewi

2017-12-01

This research aims to determine the students’ thinking level based on bloom taxonomy guidance and reviewed from students' Intrapersonal Intelligence. Taxonomy bloom is a taxonomy that classifies the students' thinking level into six, ie the remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing, creating, and evaluating levels. Students' Intrapersonal Intelligence is the intelligence associated with awareness and knowledge of oneself. The type of this research is descriptive research with qualitative approach. The research subject were taken by one student in each Intrapersonal Intelligence category (high, moderate, and low) which then given the problem solving test and the result was triangulated by interview. From this research, it is found that high Intrapersonal Intelligence students can achieve analyzing thinking level, subject with moderate Intrapersonal Intelligence being able to reach the level of applying thinking, and subject with low Intrapersonal Intelligence able to reach understanding level.

Vision in high-level football officials.

Science.gov (United States)

Baptista, António Manuel Gonçalves; Serra, Pedro M; McAlinden, Colm; Barrett, Brendan T

2017-01-01

Officiating in football depends, at least to some extent, upon adequate visual function. However, there is no vision standard for football officiating and the nature of the relationship between officiating performance and level of vision is unknown. As a first step in characterising this relationship, we report on the clinically-measured vision and on the perceived level of vision in elite-level, Portuguese football officials. Seventy-one referees (R) and assistant referees (AR) participated in the study, representing 92% of the total population of elite level football officials in Portugal in the 2013/2014 season. Nine of the 22 Rs (40.9%) and ten of the 49 ARs (20.4%) were international-level. Information about visual history was also gathered. Perceived vision was assessed using the preference-values-assigned-to-global-visual-status (PVVS) and the Quality-of-Vision (QoV) questionnaire. Standard clinical vision measures (including visual acuity, contrast sensitivity and stereopsis) were gathered in a subset (n = 44, 62%) of the participants. Data were analysed according to the type (R/AR) and level (international/national) of official, and Bonferroni corrections were applied to reduce the risk of type I errors. Adopting criterion for statistical significance of pfootball officials were similar to published normative values for young, adult populations and similar between R and AR. Clinically-measured vision did not differ according to officiating level. Visual acuity measured with and without a pinhole disc indicated that around one quarter of participants may be capable of better vision when officiating, as evidenced by better acuity (≥1 line of letters) using the pinhole. Amongst the clinical visual tests we used, we did not find evidence for above-average performance in elite-level football officials. Although the impact of uncorrected mild to moderate refractive error upon officiating performance is unknown, with a greater uptake of eye examinations, visual

Levels of Literacy.

Science.gov (United States)

Nettle, Keith

Democracy in western countries now depends on literacy at every level: censuses by which governments can plan for the future; elections which are the cornerstone of democratic choice; local meetings which have agendas and minutes--the whole apparatus of social living is organized and recorded through literacy. This paper is concerned with how…

Can patients determine the level of their dysphagia?

Science.gov (United States)

Ashraf, Hafiz Hamad; Palmer, Joanne; Dalton, Harry Richard; Waters, Carolyn; Luff, Thomas; Strugnell, Madeline; Murray, Iain Alexander

2017-02-14

To determine if patients can localise dysphagia level determined endoscopically or radiologically and association of gender, age, level and pathology. Retrospective review of consecutive patients presenting to dysphagia hotline between March 2004 and March 2015 was carried out. Demographics, clinical history and investigation findings were recorded including patient perception of obstruction level (pharyngeal, mid sternal or low sternal) was documented and the actual level of obstruction found on endoscopic or radiological examination (if any) was noted. All patients with evidence of obstruction including oesophageal carcinoma, peptic stricture, Schatzki ring, oesophageal pouch and cricopharyngeal hypertrophy were included in the study who had given a perceived level of dysphagia. The upper GI endoscopy reports (barium study where upper GI endoscopy was not performed) were reviewed to confirm the distance of obstructing lesion from central incisors. A previously described anatomical classification of oesophagus was used to define the level of obstruction to be upper, middle or lower oesophagus and this was compared with patient perceived level. Three thousand six hundred and sixty-eight patients were included, 42.0% of who were female, mean age 70.7 ± 12.8 years old. Of those with obstructing lesions, 726 gave a perceived level of dysphagia: 37.2% had oesophageal cancer, 36.0% peptic stricture, 13.1% pharyngeal pouches, 10.3% Schatzki rings and 3.3% achalasia. Twenty-seven point five percent of patients reported pharyngeal level (upper) dysphagia, 36.9% mid sternal dysphagia and 25.9% lower sternal dysphagia (9.5% reported multiple levels). The level of obstructing lesion seen on diagnostic testing was upper (17.2%), mid (19.4%) or lower (62.9%) or combined (0.3%). When patients localised their level of dysphagia to a single level, the kappa statistic was 0.245 ( P dysphagia were accurate in localising the obstructing pathology. With respect to pathology, patients

Decrease in plasma high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels at puberty in boys with delayed adolescence: correlation with plasma testosterone levels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kirkland, R.T.; Keenan, B.S.; Probstfield, J.L.; Patsch, W.; Lin, T.L.; Clayton, G.W.; Insull, W. Jr.

1987-01-01

A three-phase study tested the hypothesis that the decrease in the high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) level observed in boys at puberty is related to an increase in the plasma testosterone concentration. In phase I, 57 boys aged 10 to 17 years were categorized into four pubertal stages based on clinical parameters and plasma testosterone levels. These four groups showed increasing plasma testosterone values and decreasing HDL-C levels. In phase II, 14 boys with delayed adolescence were treated with testosterone enanthate. Plasma testosterone levels during therapy were in the adult male range. Levels of HDL-C decreased by a mean of 7.4 mg/dL (0.20 mmol/L) and 13.7 mg/dL (0.35 mmol/L), respectively, after the first two doses. In phase III, 13 boys with delayed adolescence demonstrated increasing plasma testosterone levels and decreasing HDL-C levels during spontaneous puberty. Levels of HDL-C and apolipoprotein A-1 were correlated during induced and spontaneous puberty. Testosterone should be considered a significant determinant of plasma HDL-C levels during pubertal development

Can Diuretics Decrease Your Potassium Level?

Science.gov (United States)

... of low potassium? Can diuretics decrease your potassium level? Answers from Sheldon G. Sheps, M.D. Yes, ... your urine. This can lead to low potassium levels in your blood (hypokalemia). Signs and symptoms of ...

Update on low-level waste compacts and state agencies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tenan, M.; Rabbe, D.; Thompson, P.

1995-01-01

This article updates information on the following agencies involved in low-level radioactive wastes: Appalachian States Low-Level Radioactive Waste Commission; Central Interstate Low-Level radioactive Waste Commission; Central Midwest Interstate Low-Level radioactive Waste Compact; Massachusetts Low-Level radioactive Waste Management Board; Michigan Low-Level Radioactive Waste Authority; Midwest Interstate Low-Level Radioactive Waste Commission; New York State Low-Level Radioactive Waste Siting Commission; Northeast Interstate Low-Level Radioactive Waste Compact; Northwest Interstate Compact on Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management; Rocky Mountain Low-Level Radioactive Waste Board; Southeast Compact Commission for Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management;Southwest Low-Level Radioactive Waste Commission; Texas Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Authority

Assessment of studies and researches on warehousing - High-level and intermediate-level-long-lived radioactive wastes - December 2012

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2013-01-01

This large report first presents the approach adopted for the study and research on the warehousing of high-level and intermediate-level-long-lived radioactive wastes. It outlines how reversible storage and warehousing are complementary, discusses the lessons learned from researches performed by the CEA on long duration warehousing, presents the framework of studies and researches performed since 2006, and presents the scientific and technical content of studies and researches (warehousing need analysis, search for technical options providing complementarity with storage, extension or creation of warehousing installations). The second part addresses high-level and intermediate-level-long-lived radioactive waste parcels, indicates their origins and quantities. The third part proposes an analysis of warehousing capacities: existing capacities, French industrial experience in waste parcel warehousing, foreign experience in waste warehousing. The fourth part addresses reversible storage in deep geological formation: storage safety functions, storage reversibility, storage parcels, storage architecture, chronicle draft. The fifth part proposes an inventory of warehousing needs in terms of additional capacities for the both types of wastes (high-level, and intermediate-level-long-lived), and discusses warehousing functionalities and safety objectives. The sixth and seventh parts propose a detailed overview of design options for warehousing installations, respectively for high-level and for intermediate-level-long-lived waste parcels: main technical issues, feasibility studies of different concepts or architecture shapes, results of previous studies and introduction to studies performed since 2011, possible evolutions of the HA1, HA2 and MAVL concepts. The eighth chapter reports a phenomenological analysis of warehousing and the optimisation of material selection and construction arrangements. The last part discusses the application of researches to the extension of the

Concept of economic readiness levels assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Yuniaristanto, Sutopo, W.; Widiyanto, A.; Putri, A. S.

2017-11-01

This research aims to build a concept of Economic Readiness Level (ERL) assessment for incubation center. ERL concept is arranged by considering both market and business aspects. Every aspect is divided into four phases and each of them consists of some indicators. Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) is used to develop the ERL in calculating the weight of every single aspect and indicator. Interval scale between 0 and 4 is also applied in indicator assessment. In order to calculate ERL, score in every indicator and the weight of both the aspect and indicator are considered. ERL value is able to show in detail the innovative product readiness level from economic sight, market and business aspect. There are four levels in Economic Readiness Level scheme which are investigation, feasibility, planning and introduction.

On Optimum Safety Levels of Breakwaters

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Burcharth, Hans F.; Sørensen, John Dalsgaard

2006-01-01

The paper presents results from numerical simulations performed with the objective of identifying optimum design safety levels of conventional rubble mound and caisson breakwaters, corresponding to the lowest costs over the service life of the structures. The work is related to the PIANC Working...... Group 47 on "Selection of type of breakwater structures". The paper summaries results given in Burcharth and Sorensen (2005) related to outer rubble mound breakwaters but focus on optimum safety levels for outer caisson breakwaters on low and high rubble foundations placed on sea beds strong enough...... to resist geotechnical slip failures. Optimum safety levels formulated for use both in deterministic and probabilistic design procedures are given. Results obtained so far indicate that the optimum safety levels for caisson breakwaters are much higher than for rubble mound breakwaters....

Indoor radon levels in coastal Karnataka

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Narayana, Y.; Radhakrishna, A.P.; Somashekarappa, H.M.; Karunakara, N.; Balakrishna, K.M.; Siddappa, K.

1995-01-01

Indoor radon levels have been measured in selected dwellings of coastal Karnataka using LR-115 type II peelable films and it is found to vary from 28.4 to 45.6 Bq m -3 with a geometric mean value of 35.7 Bq m -3 . The annual effective dose equivalent to the population of the region due to inhalation of radon was estimated from the measured data on radon level and is found to be in the range 1.9 - 3.1 mSv y -1 with a mean value 2.4 mSv y -1 . The correlation between indoor radon level and radium content in the underlying soil were studied. No definite correlation was observed to exist between indoor radon level and radium content in soil. (author). 24 refs., 2 tabs

Assessing Flood Risk Under Sea Level Rise and Extreme Sea Levels Scenarios: Application to the Ebro Delta (Spain)

Science.gov (United States)

Sayol, J. M.; Marcos, M.

2018-02-01

This study presents a novel methodology to estimate the impact of local sea level rise and extreme surges and waves in coastal areas under climate change scenarios. The methodology is applied to the Ebro Delta, a valuable and vulnerable low-lying wetland located in the northwestern Mediterranean Sea. Projections of local sea level accounting for all contributions to mean sea level changes, including thermal expansion, dynamic changes, fresh water addition and glacial isostatic adjustment, have been obtained from regionalized sea level projections during the 21st century. Particular attention has been paid to the uncertainties, which have been derived from the spread of the multi-model ensemble combined with seasonal/inter-annual sea level variability from local tide gauge observations. Besides vertical land movements have also been integrated to estimate local relative sea level rise. On the other hand, regional projections over the Mediterranean basin of storm surges and wind-waves have been used to evaluate changes in extreme events. The compound effects of surges and extreme waves have been quantified using their joint probability distributions. Finally, offshore sea level projections from extreme events superimposed to mean sea level have been propagated onto a high resolution digital elevation model of the study region in order to construct flood hazards maps for mid and end of the 21st century and under two different climate change scenarios. The effect of each contribution has been evaluated in terms of percentage of the area exposed to coastal hazards, which will help to design more efficient protection and adaptation measures.

Microcontroller based multi-channel ultrasonic level monitoring system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ambastha, K.P.; Chaudhari, Y.V.; Singh, Inder Jeet; Chadda, V.K.

2004-01-01

Microcontroller based Multi-channel Ultrasonic Level Monitoring System developed by Computer Division is based on echo ranging techniques to monitor level. The transmitter directs an ultrasonic burst towards the liquid, which gets reflected from the top of the liquid surface. The time taken for ultrasound to travel from the transmitter to the top of liquid surface is measured and used to calculate the liquid level. The system provides for temperature compensation for accurate measurement as the ultrasound velocity depends on the ambient temperature. It can measure liquid level up to 5 meters. A single monitor can be used to measure level in 6 tanks. PC connectivity has been provided via RS 232 and RS 485 for remote operation and data logging of level. A GUI program developed using LABVIEW package displays level on PC monitor. The program provides for pictorial as well as numerical display for level and temperature in the front panel on the PC monitor. A user can monitor level for any or all tanks from the PC. One unit is installed at CIRUS for measuring level in Acid/ Alkali tanks and one is installed at APSARA for measuring water level in the reactor pool. (author)

Elevated level of polysaccharides in a high level UV-B tolerant cell ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Jane

2011-04-26

Apr 26, 2011 ... A cell line of Bupleurum scorzonerifolium Willd with high level ... mechanisms to repair UV-induced damages via repairing ... for treatment or prevention of solar radiation. ..... working as both UV-B absorbing compounds and.

Reasons for Low Levels of Interactivity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Etter, Michael

2013-01-01

The interactivity levels of online CSR communication are typically low. This study explores the reasons for the low levels of interactivity in the popular social media tool Twitter. An analysis of 41,864 Twitter messages (tweets) from the thirty most central corporate accounts in a CSR Twitter...... network is conducted. Comparisons (t-test) between CSR tweets and general tweets and between specialized CSR Twitter accounts and general accounts reveal that the low levels of interactivity are due to a reactive interaction approach and a lack of specialization....

Russian State Leveling Network (present and future)

Science.gov (United States)

Mazurova, Elena; Kopeikin, Sergei; Karpik, Aleksander

2017-04-01

In August 2016 the sixth session of the United Nations Committee of Experts of Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM) endorsed the roadmap for the development of a Global Geodetic Reference Frame (GGRF) and urged countries to join efforts for its creation. In response to the UN appeal in this article describes the current state of the high-precision Leveling Network in Russia and prospects of its development. In this paper, we consider projects related to the construction of new high-precision leveling lines by the classical methods, as well as issues of creating high-precision leveling network, associated with the development and implementation of a fundamentally new method of determining heights in geodesy - chronometric leveling based on the application of quantum metrology of time and the fundamental laws of general relativity. Keywords: leveling network, chronometric leveling, quantum metrology of time, the general theory of relativity.

Transportable type neutron level indicators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khatskevich, M.V.; Kalinin, O.V.; Moskovkin, V.N.; Molchanov, A.V.; Bobkov, A.D.; Rabotnov, Yu.A.

1979-01-01

Some peculiarities of designing level neutron converters (LNC) for portable indicators or level neutron relays are considered. The effect of the LNC geometry and other factors on measurement errors has been studied. Calibration results of the LNC with a neutron reflector and without it are presented. It is shown that the problem of level monitoring with the help of portable indicators can be solved practically for any volume, provided two LNC modifications with reflectors are available: the NPU-G modification with horizontal location of a counter for large volumes and the NPU-V with vertical location of a counter for lesser volumes. A possibility of perfecting LNC performances by shielding the counter with thermal neutron absorbers has been studied. The design of the NPU-V modification for the NIUP-2 level indicator is described. It is intended for tubes and cylinders 30-100 mm in diameter. Measurements carried out on different steel and aluminium vessels with a diameter ranging from 300 to 100 mm and a wall thickness of up to 16 mm with the help of the NPU-V and NPU-G modifications proved the efficiency of the LNC to control a variety of products (kerosine, gasoline, oils, acids, alkalis) [ru

Food Image Recognition via Superpixel Based Low-Level and Mid-Level Distance Coding for Smart Home Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiannan Zheng

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Food image recognition is a key enabler for many smart home applications such as smart kitchen and smart personal nutrition log. In order to improve living experience and life quality, smart home systems collect valuable insights of users’ preferences, nutrition intake and health conditions via accurate and robust food image recognition. In addition, efficiency is also a major concern since many smart home applications are deployed on mobile devices where high-end GPUs are not available. In this paper, we investigate compact and efficient food image recognition methods, namely low-level and mid-level approaches. Considering the real application scenario where only limited and noisy data are available, we first proposed a superpixel based Linear Distance Coding (LDC framework where distinctive low-level food image features are extracted to improve performance. On a challenging small food image dataset where only 12 training images are available per category, our framework has shown superior performance in both accuracy and robustness. In addition, to better model deformable food part distribution, we extend LDC’s feature-to-class distance idea and propose a mid-level superpixel food parts-to-class distance mining framework. The proposed framework show superior performance on a benchmark food image datasets compared to other low-level and mid-level approaches in the literature.

EAP high-level product architecture

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Guðlaugsson, Tómas Vignir; Mortensen, Niels Henrik; Sarban, Rahimullah

2013-01-01

EAP technology has the potential to be used in a wide range of applications. This poses the challenge to the EAP component manufacturers to develop components for a wide variety of products. Danfoss Polypower A/S is developing an EAP technology platform, which can form the basis for a variety...... of EAP technology products while keeping complexity under control. High level product architecture has been developed for the mechanical part of EAP transducers, as the foundation for platform development. A generic description of an EAP transducer forms the core of the high level product architecture...... the function of the EAP transducers to be changed, by basing the EAP transducers on a different combination of organ alternatives. A model providing an overview of the high level product architecture has been developed to support daily development and cooperation across development teams. The platform approach...

High Level Radioactive Waste Management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-01-01

The proceedings of the second annual international conference on High Level Radioactive Waste Management, held on April 28--May 3, 1991, Las Vegas, Nevada, provides information on the current technical issue related to international high level radioactive waste management activities and how they relate to society as a whole. Besides discussing such technical topics as the best form of the waste, the integrity of storage containers, design and construction of a repository, the broader social aspects of these issues are explored in papers on such subjects as conformance to regulations, transportation safety, and public education. By providing this wider perspective of high level radioactive waste management, it becomes apparent that the various disciplines involved in this field are interrelated and that they should work to integrate their waste management activities. Individual records are processed separately for the data bases

Deafness and motor abilities level

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A Zwierzchowska

2008-09-01

Full Text Available The audition injury hinders some motor motions and the organised coordination at the higher level and may be a cause of disturbances and disorder in some motor abilities adoption. It was assumed that deafness including its aetiology and injury mechanism may significantly influence the motor development of human being. The study aimed in checking if the deafness, as a result of various unfavourable factors, determines the motor development of children and youngsters. Consequently the dependency between qualitative features i.e.: signed motor level and aetiology, audition injury mechanism and the deafness degree was examined. The mechanism and aetiology of hearing correlated with the motor abilities displayed statistically significant dependencies in few motor trials only. Revealed correlations regarded mostly the coordination trials excluding the flexibility one. Statistically significant dependencies between the audition diminution and the motor abilities level were not found.

Suppression device for the reactor water level lowering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kasuga, Hajime; Kasuga, Hiroshi.

1984-01-01

Purpose: To suppress the lowering in the reactor water level so as to avoid unnecessary actuation of ECCS upon generation of transient changes which forecasts the lowering of the reactor water level in a BWR type reactor. Constitution: There are provided a water level suppression signal generator for generating a water level suppression signal upon generation of a transient change signal which forecasts the water level lowering in a nuclear reactor and a recycling flow rate controller that applies a recycling flow rate control signal to a recycling pump drive motor by the water level lowering suppression signal. The velocity of the recycling pump is controlled by a reactor scram signal by way of the water level lowering suppresion signal generator and a recycling flow rate controller. Then, the recycling reactor core flow rate is decreased and the void amount in the reactor is transiently increased where the water level tends to increase. Accordingly, the water level lowering by the scram is moderated by the increasing tendency of the water level. (Ikeda, J.)

COMPARISON OF SUCCESS OF SLOVENIAN TOP LEVEL ATHLETES AT SENIOR AND JUNIOR COMPETITION LEVEL

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mitija Samardžija Pavletič

2014-12-01

We found that the Slovenian athletes in senior competition level on average achieve top level results at the age of 27. Furthermore, we found out that a half (49 % of the athletes who achieved excellent results in senior category had not achieved superb results earlier in junior category, and that almost 30 % of athletes who achieved their best results at major competitions on senior levels failed to obtain the status of an athlete of perspective class at the time when they competed in junior category. We have come to the conclusion that unlike the sportsmen achieving top results only a small group of sportswomen achieve top level results. We recommend a systemic analysis of expert professional work in individual sports, adoption of certain measures to improve the competencies of sports managers who coordinate the work of expert teams and the contribution of many other stakeholders who are co-creators of top sports achievements. In addition, we would further suggest the analysis of the categorisation system, particularly in the area of determining the status of perspective athlete. We believe it would be wise to carry out a further in-depth research that would respond to the question who are the key stakeholders and how to influence them in order to reduce the result dropout rate of top young athletes in the transition period to senior categories and to increase the total number of top athletes.

Level monitoring system with pulsating sensor—Application to online level monitoring of dashpots in a fast breeder reactor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Malathi, N.; Sahoo, P., E-mail: sahoop@igcar.gov.in; Ananthanarayanan, R.; Murali, N. [Real Time Systems Division, Electronics, Instrumentation and Radiological Safety Group, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam 603102 (India)

2015-02-15

An innovative continuous type liquid level monitoring system constructed by using a new class of sensor, viz., pulsating sensor, is presented. This device is of industrial grade and it is exclusively used for level monitoring of any non conducting liquid. This instrument of unique design is suitable for high resolution online monitoring of oil level in dashpots of a sodium-cooled fast breeder reactor. The sensing probe is of capacitance type robust probe consisting of a number of rectangular mirror polished stainless steel (SS-304) plates separated with uniform gaps. The performance of this novel instrument has been thoroughly investigated. The precision, sensitivity, response time, and the lowest detection limit in measurement using this device are <0.01 mm, ∼100 Hz/mm, ∼1 s, and ∼0.03 mm, respectively. The influence of temperature on liquid level is studied and the temperature compensation is provided in the instrument. The instrument qualified all recommended tests, such as environmental, electromagnetic interference and electromagnetic compatibility, and seismic tests prior to its deployment in nuclear reactor. With the evolution of this level measurement approach, it is possible to provide dashpot oil level sensors in fast breeder reactor for the first time for continuous measurement of oil level in dashpots of Control and Safety Rod Drive Mechanism during reactor operation.

Low-level waste workshops. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1983-01-01

The Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Act of 1980 specifies that each state is responsible for the disposal of the low-level waste which is generated within its boundaries. The Act states that such wastes can be most safely and efficiently managed on a regional basis through compacts. It also defines low-level waste as waste which is not classified as high-level radioactive waste, transuranic waste, spent nuclear fuel, or by-product material as defined in the Atomic Energy Act of 1954. The Policy Act also stipulates that regional agreements or compacts shall not be applicable to the transportation, management, or disposal of low-level radioactive waste from atomic energy defense activities or federal research and development activities. It also specifies that agreements or compacts shall take affect on January 1, 1986, upon Congressional approval. In February 1983, the US Department of Energy awarded a grant to the Council of State Governments' Midwestern Office. The grant was to be used to fund workshops for legislation on low-level radioactive waste issues. The purpose of the workshops was to provide discussion specifically on the Midwest Interstate Compact on Low-Level Radioactive Waste. Legislators from the states which were eligible to join the compact were invited: Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Virginia, Kansas and Nebraska were also eligible but had joined other compacts. Consequently, they weren't invited to the workshops. The Governor's office of West Virginia expressed interest in the compact, and its legislators were invited to attend a workshop. Two workshops were held in March. This report is a summary of the proceedings which details the concerns of the compact and expresses the reasoning behind supporting or not supporting the compact

Development of a low-level radioactive waste shipper model. National Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1983-03-01

During 1982, Inter/Face Associates, Inc., conducted a low-level radioactive waste management survey of Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) licensees in Massachusetts for the US Department of Energy's National Low-Level Waste Management Program. In the process of conducting the survey, a model was developed, based on existing NRC license classification systems, that would identify licensees who ship low-level waste for disposal. This report presents the model and documents the procedures used in developing and testing it. After the model was tested, several modifications were developed with the goal of determining the model's ability to identify waste shippers under different parameters. The report includes a discussion of the modifications

Levels of radioactivity in Qatar

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al-Thani, A.A.; Abdul-Majid, S.; Mohammed, K.

1995-01-01

The levels of natural and man-made radioactivity in soil and seabed were measured in Qatar to assess radiation exposure levels and to evaluate any radioactive contamination that may have reached the country from fallout or due to the Chernobyl accident radioactivity release. Qatar peninsula is located on the Arabian Gulf, 4500 km from Chernobyl, and has an area of ∼11,600 km 2 and a population of ∼600,000

Metaheuristics for bi-level optimization

CERN Document Server

2013-01-01

This book provides a complete background on metaheuristics to solve complex bi-level optimization problems (continuous/discrete, mono-objective/multi-objective) in a diverse range of application domains. Readers learn to solve large scale bi-level optimization problems by efficiently combining metaheuristics with complementary metaheuristics and mathematical programming approaches. Numerous real-world examples of problems demonstrate how metaheuristics are applied in such fields as networks, logistics and transportation, engineering design, finance and security.

Features, Events, and Processes: system Level

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

D. McGregor

2004-10-15

The purpose of this analysis report is to evaluate and document the inclusion or exclusion of the system-level features, events, and processes (FEPs) with respect to modeling used to support the total system performance assessment for the license application (TSPA-LA). A screening decision, either Included or Excluded, is given for each FEP along with the technical basis for screening decisions. This information is required by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) at 10 CFR 63.113 (d, e, and f) (DIRS 156605). The system-level FEPs addressed in this report typically are overarching in nature, rather than being focused on a particular process or subsystem. As a result, they are best dealt with at the system level rather than addressed within supporting process-level or subsystem-level analyses and models reports. The system-level FEPs also tend to be directly addressed by regulations, guidance documents, or assumptions listed in the regulations; or are addressed in background information used in development of the regulations. For included FEPs, this analysis summarizes the implementation of the FEP in the TSPA-LA (i.e., how the FEP is included). For excluded FEPs, this analysis provides the technical basis for exclusion from the TSPA-LA (i.e., why the FEP is excluded). The initial version of this report (Revision 00) was developed to support the total system performance assessment for site recommendation (TSPA-SR). This revision addresses the license application (LA) FEP List (DIRS 170760).

Features, Events, and Processes: system Level

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

D. McGregor

2004-01-01

The purpose of this analysis report is to evaluate and document the inclusion or exclusion of the system-level features, events, and processes (FEPs) with respect to modeling used to support the total system performance assessment for the license application (TSPA-LA). A screening decision, either Included or Excluded, is given for each FEP along with the technical basis for screening decisions. This information is required by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) at 10 CFR 63.113 (d, e, and f) (DIRS 156605). The system-level FEPs addressed in this report typically are overarching in nature, rather than being focused on a particular process or subsystem. As a result, they are best dealt with at the system level rather than addressed within supporting process-level or subsystem-level analyses and models reports. The system-level FEPs also tend to be directly addressed by regulations, guidance documents, or assumptions listed in the regulations; or are addressed in background information used in development of the regulations. For included FEPs, this analysis summarizes the implementation of the FEP in the TSPA-LA (i.e., how the FEP is included). For excluded FEPs, this analysis provides the technical basis for exclusion from the TSPA-LA (i.e., why the FEP is excluded). The initial version of this report (Revision 00) was developed to support the total system performance assessment for site recommendation (TSPA-SR). This revision addresses the license application (LA) FEP List (DIRS 170760)

Can patients determine the level of their dysphagia?

Science.gov (United States)

Ashraf, Hafiz Hamad; Palmer, Joanne; Dalton, Harry Richard; Waters, Carolyn; Luff, Thomas; Strugnell, Madeline; Murray, Iain Alexander

2017-01-01

AIM To determine if patients can localise dysphagia level determined endoscopically or radiologically and association of gender, age, level and pathology. METHODS Retrospective review of consecutive patients presenting to dysphagia hotline between March 2004 and March 2015 was carried out. Demographics, clinical history and investigation findings were recorded including patient perception of obstruction level (pharyngeal, mid sternal or low sternal) was documented and the actual level of obstruction found on endoscopic or radiological examination (if any) was noted. All patients with evidence of obstruction including oesophageal carcinoma, peptic stricture, Schatzki ring, oesophageal pouch and cricopharyngeal hypertrophy were included in the study who had given a perceived level of dysphagia. The upper GI endoscopy reports (barium study where upper GI endoscopy was not performed) were reviewed to confirm the distance of obstructing lesion from central incisors. A previously described anatomical classification of oesophagus was used to define the level of obstruction to be upper, middle or lower oesophagus and this was compared with patient perceived level. RESULTS Three thousand six hundred and sixty-eight patients were included, 42.0% of who were female, mean age 70.7 ± 12.8 years old. Of those with obstructing lesions, 726 gave a perceived level of dysphagia: 37.2% had oesophageal cancer, 36.0% peptic stricture, 13.1% pharyngeal pouches, 10.3% Schatzki rings and 3.3% achalasia. Twenty-seven point five percent of patients reported pharyngeal level (upper) dysphagia, 36.9% mid sternal dysphagia and 25.9% lower sternal dysphagia (9.5% reported multiple levels). The level of obstructing lesion seen on diagnostic testing was upper (17.2%), mid (19.4%) or lower (62.9%) or combined (0.3%). When patients localised their level of dysphagia to a single level, the kappa statistic was 0.245 (P dysphagia were accurate in localising the obstructing pathology. With respect to

Standard Industry Fare Level

Data.gov (United States)

Department of Transportation — Standard Industry Fare Level was establish after airline deregulation to serve as the standard against which a statutory zone of operating expense reasonableness was...

Online Hemodiafiltration Reduces Bisphenol A Levels.

Science.gov (United States)

Quiroga, Borja; Bosch, Ricardo J; Fiallos, Ruth A; Sánchez-Heras, Marta; Olea-Herrero, Nuria; López-Aparicio, Pilar; Muñóz-Moreno, Carmen; Pérez-Alvarsan, Miguel Angel; De Arriba, Gabriel

2017-02-01

Several uremic toxins have been identified and related to higher rates of morbidity and mortality in dialysis patients. Bisphenol A (BPA) accumulates in patients with chronic kidney disease. The aim of this study is to demonstrate the usefulness of online hemodiafiltration (OL-HDF) in reducing BPA levels. Thirty stable hemodialysis patients were selected to participate in this paired study. During three periods of 3 weeks each, patients were switched from high-flux hemodialysis (HF-HD) to OL-HDF, and back to HF-HD. BPA levels were measured in the last session of each period (pre- and post-dialysis) using ELISA and HPLC. Twenty-two patients (mean age 73 ± 14 years; 86.4% males) were included. Measurements of BPA levels by HPLC and ELISA assays showed a weak but significant correlation (r = 0.218, P = 0.012). BPA levels decreased in the OL-HDF period of hemodialysis, in contrast to the HF-HD period when they remained stable (P = 0.002). In conclusion, OL-HDF reduced BPA levels in dialysis patients. © 2016 International Society for Apheresis, Japanese Society for Apheresis, and Japanese Society for Dialysis Therapy.

Decision-level adaptation in motion perception.

Science.gov (United States)

Mather, George; Sharman, Rebecca J

2015-12-01

Prolonged exposure to visual stimuli causes a bias in observers' responses to subsequent stimuli. Such adaptation-induced biases are usually explained in terms of changes in the relative activity of sensory neurons in the visual system which respond selectively to the properties of visual stimuli. However, the bias could also be due to a shift in the observer's criterion for selecting one response rather than the alternative; adaptation at the decision level of processing rather than the sensory level. We investigated whether adaptation to implied motion is best attributed to sensory-level or decision-level bias. Three experiments sought to isolate decision factors by changing the nature of the participants' task while keeping the sensory stimulus unchanged. Results showed that adaptation-induced bias in reported stimulus direction only occurred when the participants' task involved a directional judgement, and disappeared when adaptation was measured using a non-directional task (reporting where motion was present in the display, regardless of its direction). We conclude that adaptation to implied motion is due to decision-level bias, and that a propensity towards such biases may be widespread in sensory decision-making.

FINANCIAL CRISIS FROM THE MACROECONOMIC LEVEL TO THE MICROECONOMIC LEVEL

OpenAIRE

SANDA GHEORGHE GABRIEL; ENEA CONSTANTA

2014-01-01

The current economic and financial crisis, beyond the problems it generates both at micro and macro level, should determine an adaptation of the mechanisms, institutions and monetary / financial policies to the real economy we are facing. The issue of financial crises is extremely complex, including a series of quantitative and qualitative factors, financial, economic, social, ethical, technological and human, which can intervene and influence the financial operations in a...

Organic farming at the farm level

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jacobsen, Brian H.; Madsen, Niels; Ørum, Jens Erik

as part of a larger project entitled “Economic analyses of the future development of organic farming – effects at the field, farm, sector and macroeconomic level”. The project links effects at the field-level with analyses at the farm level. These effects are then used in sector and macroeconomic analyses......, which are described in other reports from Food and Resource Economic Institute (Jacobsen, 2005 and Andersen et al., 2005). This gives coherent results from the field to the macroeconomic level regarding changes in technology and legislation.......The purpose of this report is to present possible impacts of new technology and changes in legislation on the profitability of different types of organic farms. The aim is also to look at both the current and future trends in the organic area in Denmark. The farm level analyses are carried out...

A review of low-level radioactive waste compacts on a national level

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brenneman, F.N.

1985-01-01

Since the 1950s, increased quantities of low-level radioactive waste (LLW) have been produced in the United States as a result of the use of radioactive materials in medical diagnoses and treatment, research, industrial processes, and electrical power generation by nuclear plants. With increasing volumes of commercially generated waste, the private sector was encouraged to develop LLW disposal facilities, to be licensed by the AEC or by AEC Agreement states. In 1962, the commercially operated Beaty, Nevada low-level waste facility was opened. During the ensuing nine years, five additional low-level waste disposal facilities opened, resulting, although not planned, in a regional distribution of such facilities. A number of technical and regulatory issues were raised over a period of two years by states and federal agencies, and, for the most part, were resolved. The NRC, DOE, and DOT reviewed and commented on the compacts throughout the drafting of compact language. Comments addressed the scope of the compacts (''management'' vs. ''disposal''), inspection of NRC licensees, regulatory roles of compact commissions, and regulatory requirements inconsistent with federal regulations, to name a few. Among those unresolved issues in some compacts is the definition of LLW, which varies among the compacts. Those in PL96-573 and the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 were both used, with and without variations. The definition of transuranic waste and those concentrations allowable at the disposal facilities are not uniform in the compacts

Uncertainties in estimating working level months

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnson, J.R.

1978-11-01

A statistical procedure is presented that can be used to estimate the number of Working Level (WL) measurements that are required to calculate the average WL to any required precision, at given confidence levels. The procedure assumes that the WL measurements have a normal distribution. WL measurement from Canadian Uranium mines are used to illustrate a procedure of insuring that estimated Working Level Months can be calculated to the required precision. An addendum reports the results of tests of normality of the WL data using the W-test and the Kolmagornov-Smirnov test. (author)

Can biomass responses to warming at plant to ecosystem levels be predicted by leaf-level responses?

Science.gov (United States)

Xia, J.; Shao, J.; Zhou, X.; Yan, W.; Lu, M.

2015-12-01

Global warming has the profound impacts on terrestrial C processes from leaf to ecosystem scales, potentially feeding back to climate dynamics. Although numerous studies had investigated the effects of warming on C processes from leaf to plant and ecosystem levels, how leaf-level responses to warming scale up to biomass responses at plant, population, and community levels are largely unknown. In this study, we compiled a dataset from 468 papers at 300 experimental sites and synthesized the warming effects on leaf-level parameters, and plant, population and ecosystem biomass. Our results showed that responses of plant biomass to warming mainly resulted from the changed leaf area rather than the altered photosynthetic capacity. The response of ecosystem biomass to warming was weaker than those of leaf area and plant biomass. However, the scaling functions from responses of leaf area to plant biomass to warming were different in diverse forest types, but functions were similar in non-forested biomes. In addition, it is challenging to scale the biomass responses from plant up to ecosystem. These results indicated that leaf area might be the appropriate index for plant biomass response to warming, and the interspecific competition might hamper the scaling of the warming effects on plant and ecosystem levels, suggesting that the acclimation capacity of plant community should be incorporated into land surface models to improve the prediction of climate-C cycle feedback.

Continuous sea-level reconstructions beyond the Pleistocene: improving the Mediterranean sea-level method

Science.gov (United States)

Grant, K.; Rohling, E. J.; Amies, J.

2017-12-01

Sea-level (SL) reconstructions over glacial-interglacial timeframes are critical for understanding the equilibrium response of ice sheets to sustained warming. In particular, continuous and high-resolution SL records are essential for accurately quantifying `natural' rates of SL rise. Global SL changes are well-constrained since the last glacial maximum ( 20,000 years ago, ky) by radiometrically-dated corals and paleoshoreline data, and fairly well-constrained over the last glacial cycle ( 150 ky). Prior to that, however, studies of ice-volume:SL relationships tend to rely on benthic δ18O, as geomorphological evidence is far more sparse and less reliably dated. An alternative SL reconstruction method (the `marginal basin' approach) was developed for the Red Sea over 500 ky, and recently attempted for the Mediterranean over 5 My (Rohling et al., 2014, Nature). This method exploits the strong sensitivity of seawater δ18O in these basins to SL changes in the relatively narrow and shallow straits which connect the basins with the open ocean. However, the initial Mediterranean SL method did not resolve sea-level highstands during Northern Hemisphere insolation maxima, when African monsoon run-off - strongly depleted in δ18O - reached the Mediterranean. Here, we present improvements to the `marginal basin' sea-level reconstruction method. These include a new `Med-Red SL stack', which combines new probabilistic Mediterranean and Red Sea sea-level stacks spanning the last 500 ky. We also show how a box model-data comparison of water-column δ18O changes over a monsoon interval allows us to quantify the monsoon versus SL δ18O imprint on Mediterranean foraminiferal carbonate δ18O records. This paves the way for a more accurate and fully continuous SL reconstruction extending back through the Pliocene.

Effort levels of the partners in networked manufacturing

Science.gov (United States)

Chai, G. R.; Cai, Z.; Su, Y. N.; Zong, S. L.; Zhai, G. Y.; Jia, J. H.

2017-08-01

Compared with traditional manufacturing mode, could networked manufacturing improve effort levels of the partners? What factors will affect effort level of the partners? How to encourage the partners to improve their effort levels? To answer these questions, we introduce network effect coefficient to build effort level model of the partners in networked manufacturing. The results show that (1) with the increase of the network effect in networked manufacturing, the actual effort level can go beyond the ideal level of traditional manufacturing. (2) Profit allocation based on marginal contribution rate would help improve effort levels of the partners in networked manufacturing. (3) The partners in networked manufacturing who wishes to have a larger distribution ratio must make a higher effort level, and enterprises with insufficient effort should be terminated in networked manufacturing.

The Mobi-C cervical disc for one-level and two-level cervical disc replacement: a review of the literature

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alvin MD

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Matthew D Alvin,1,2 Thomas E Mroz1,3,41Cleveland Clinic Center for Spine Health, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA; 2Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA; 3Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA; 4Department of Neurological Surgery, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USABackground: Cervical disc arthroplasty (CDA is a novel motion-preserving procedure that is an alternative to fusion. The Mobi-C disc prosthesis, one of many Food and Drug Administration (FDA-approved devices for CDA, is the only FDA-approved prosthesis for two-level CDA. Hence, it may allow for improved outcomes compared with multilevel fusion procedures.Purpose: To critically assess the available literature on CDA with the Mobi-C prosthesis, with a focus on two-level CDA.Methods: All clinical articles involving the Mobi-C disc prosthesis for CDA through September 1, 2014 were identified on Medline. Any paper that presented Mobi-C CDA clinical results was included. Study design, sample size, length of follow-up, use of statistical analysis, quality of life outcome scores, conflict of interest, and complications were recorded.Results: Fifteen studies were included that investigated Mobi-C CDA, only one of which was a level Ib randomized control trial. All studies included showed non-inferiority of one-level Mobi-C CDA to one-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF. Only one study analyzed outcomes of one-level versus two-level Mobi-C CDA, and only one study analyzed two-level Mobi-C CDA versus two-level ACDF. In comparison with other cervical disc prostheses, the Mobi-C prosthesis is associated with higher rates of heterotopic ossification (HO. Studies with conflicts of interest reported lower rates of HO. Adjacent segment degeneration or disease, along with other complications, were not assessed in most studies.Conclusion: One-level Mobi-C CDA is non-inferior, but not superior, to one-level ACDF for patients

High levels of Porphyromonas gingivalis-induced immunoglobulin G2 are associated with lower high-density lipoprotein levels in chronic periodontitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Ardila, Carlos M; Guzmán, Isabel C

2016-11-01

To investigate the association between the presence of Porphyromonas gingivalis-induced immunoglobulin G antibodies and the high-density lipoprotein (HDL) level. A total of 108 individuals were examined. The presence of P. gingivalis was detected using primers designed to target the 16S rRNA gene sequence. Peripheral blood was collected from each subject to determine the levels of P. gingivalis-induced IgG1 and IgG2 serum antibodies. The HDL levels were determined using fully enzymatic methods. A higher proportion of periodontitis patients had high levels of P. gingivalis-induced IgG1 and IgG2, and the proportion of subjects with a HDL level of chronic periodontitis patients. In the unadjusted regression model, the presence of high levels of P. gingivalis-induced IgG2 was associated with a HDL level of periodontitis patients with high levels of P. gingivalis-induced IgG2 showed 3.2 more chances of having pathological HDL levels (odds ratio = 3.2, 95% confidence interval = 1.2-9.8). High levels of P. gingivalis-induced IgG2 were associated with low HDL concentrations in patients with periodontitis, which suggests that the response of the host to periodontal infection may play an important role in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases. © 2015 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.