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Sample records for sino-american sf6 tracer

  1. Interlaboratory comparison of SF6-determinations used within the framework of tracer releases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vanderborght, B.

    1985-01-01

    An international intercomparison exercise, for determination of trace amounts of SF 6 in air was set up, to make interchange of experimental results or common tracer experiments possible between European laboratories. SCK, Belgium made 6 SF 6 samples in the 10 ppt to 10 ppb range. Samples were analyzed by CEN (F), CERL (UK), JRC (I), KEMA (NL), LHW (NL), NILU (N), APL (DK), WDB (FRG) and SCK (B). Very good agreement was obtained between SCK, CERL, APL and NILU. LHW and KEMA obtained systematically lower results than those four laboratories; the problem might originate in manufacturing of mother samples under high pressure. CEN and WDB work in a higher concentration range and their analysis of trace amounts is less accurate. JRC samples were contaminated and accuracy of their analysis cannot be evaluated. SF 6 samples in PVC plastic bags are not stable enough over long periods, especially with ambient temperature higher than 30 0 C. Transport of samples in plastic bags over long distances is not advisable when transport conditions cannot be well controlled

  2. Application of multiple tracers (SF6 and chloride) to identify the transport by characteristics of contaminant at two separate contaminated sites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, K. K.; Lee, S. S.; Kim, H. H.; Koh, E. H.; Kim, M. O.; Lee, K.; Kim, H. J.

    2016-12-01

    Multiple tracers were applied for source and pathway detection at two different sites. CO2 gas injected in the subsurface for a shallow-depth CO2 injection and leak test can be regarded as a potential contaminant source. Therefore, it is necessary to identify the migration pattern of CO2 gas. Also, at a DNAPL contaminated site, it is important to figure out the characteristics of plume evolution from the source zone. In this study, multiple tracers (SF6 and chloride) were used to evaluate the applicability of volatile and non-volatile tracers and to identify the characteristics of contaminant transport at each CO2 injection and leak test site and DNAPL contaminated site. Firstly, at the CO2 test site, multiple tracers were used to perform the single well push-drift-pull tracer test at total 3 specific depth zones. As results of tests, volatile and non-volatile tracers showed different mass recovery percentage. Most of chloride mass was recovered but less than half of SF6 mass was recovered due to volatile property. This means that only gaseous SF6 leak out to unsaturated zone. However, breakthrough curves of both tracers indicated similar peak time, effective porosity, and regional groundwater velocity. Also, at both contaminated sites, natural gradient tracer tests were performed with multiple tracers. With the results of natural gradient tracer test, it was possible to confirm the applicability of multiple tracers and to understand the contaminant transport in highly heterogeneous aquifer systems through the long-term monitoring of tracers. Acknowledgement: financial support was provided by the R&D Project on Environmental Management of Geologic CO2 Storage)" from the KEITI (Project Number: 2014001810003) and Korea Ministry of Environment as "The GAIA project (2014000540010)".

  3. Gas transport below artificial recharge ponds: insights from dissolved noble gases and a dual gas (SF6 and 3He) tracer experiment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clark, Jordan F; Hudson, G Bryant; Avisar, Dror

    2005-06-01

    A dual gas tracer experiment using sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) and an isotope of helium (3He) and measurements of dissolved noble gases was performed at the El Rio spreading grounds to examine gas transport and trapped air below an artificial recharge pond with a very high recharge rate (approximately 4 m day(-1)). Noble gas concentrations in the groundwater were greater than in surface water due to excess air formation showing that trapped air exists below the pond. Breakthrough curves of SF6 and 3He at two nearby production wells were very similar and suggest that nonequilibrium gas transfer was occurring between the percolating water and the trapped air. At one well screened between 50 and 90 m below ground, both tracers were detected after 5 days and reached a maximum at approximately 24 days. Despite the potential dilution caused by mixing within the production well, the maximum concentration was approximately 25% of the mean pond concentration. More than 50% of the SF6 recharged was recovered by the production wells during the 18 month long experiment. Our results demonstrate that at artificial recharge sites with high infiltration rates and moderately deep water tables, transport times between recharge locations and wells determined with gas tracer experiments are reliable.

  4. Dating of young groundwater using tritium and gaseous tracers (SF6, SF5CF3, CFC-12, H-1301): case study from southern Poland

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rozanski, Kazimierz; Bartyzel, Jakub; Dulinski, Marek; Kuc, Tadeusz; Sliwka, Ireneusz; Mochalski, Pawel; Kania, Jaroslaw; Witczak, Stanislaw

    2013-04-01

    Groundwater is an important source of potable water in many countries. While it covers ca. 50% of the global drinking water needs, in Europe this share is even higher, reaching approximately 70%. Nowadays, this strategic resource is at risk due to anthropogenic pollutants of various nature entering shallow aquifers. Proper management of groundwater resources requires thorough understanding of groundwater dynamics on time scales characteristic for the history of pollutant input to groundwater. The bomb-tritium has been used for several decades now as a tracer of choice to detect recent recharge and to quantify groundwater residence times on time scales extending from several years to several decades. The lumped-parameter modeling was the most often employed approach in this context. Since nowadays atmospheric concentrations of tritium are approaching natural levels in most parts of the world, the usage of this tracer has become more problematic. Therefore, there is a growing interest in alternative indicators of groundwater age in shallow aquifers. Anthropogenic trace gases present in the atmosphere, such as freons (CFC-11, CFC-12, CFC-113) and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), have been applied in numerous case studies as substitutes of tritium. Here we present the results of a comprehensive study aimed at quantifying mean residence time of groundwater in the recharge area of porous sandy aquifer system located in the southern Poland. The principal economic role of the aquifer, consisting of two water-bearing strata, is to provide potable water for public and private users. The yield of the aquifer is insufficient to meet all the needs and, as a consequence, licensing conflicts arise between water supply companies and industry on the amount of water available for safe exploitation. To quantify residence time distribution (RTD) functions of water parcels arriving at the production wells located in the recharge area of the aquifer, tritium along with several gaseous tracers

  5. Sino-American Corporation in Peru

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Wang Mingcai; Xu Yunming

    1996-01-01

    @@ Sino-American Oil Development Corporation (hereinafter referred to as"SODC") has taken part in the international operation activities in petroleum exploration and development in Latin-American area since 1992 and some progress has been made. At present, SODC is carrying out the operations within the Sixth and Seventh Blocks of Tarara oil field of the Republic of Peru and gains a good prestige.

  6. Measurement of the odor impact of a waste deposit using the SF6-tracer method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roetzer, H.; Muehldorf, V.; Riesing, J.

    1994-12-01

    Landfill gas emitted from a waste deposit often causes odor nuisance in the vicinity. For a new sanitary landfill to be established in an area where also other sources of odor existed, very low limits for additional odor nuisance were given by local authorities. To verify that the odor concentrations were below these limit values, the odor contributions of different sources had to be distinguished. Olfactometric methods, using human observers to estimate the intensity of odors, were not applicable to this problem. For direct measurements by analytical methods concentrations of odorous substances were too small. Therefore a tracer method was applied to measure the odor impact of the sanitary landfill to its environment. The emitted landfill gas was labelled with the tracer gas SF 6 . The tracer gas was parted to even amounts and released through ten special nozzles equally distributed over the surface of the landfill. In the area around the landfill the concentration of the tracer gas was measured by collecting air samples and analysing them with a gas chromatograph with an electron capture detector. Fifteen air sampling units were used to collect eight consecutive air samples at each selected point. These measurements gave the relation between the emission of landfill gas and the resulting concentrations in ambient air. With these transmission coefficients the concentrations of odorous gases at the sampling points were evaluated, using the emission concentrations measured by analytical techniques at the landfiIl site. The resulting odor concentrations were compared with values of odor thresholds to establish the odor impact of the waste deposit on the environment. (author)

  7. SF6 ventilation study at Agnew Lake Mines, Ontario

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1979-03-01

    In September 1978, James F. MacLaren Limited was awarded a contract by the Canada Centre for Mineral and Energy Technology (CANMET) to undertake a ventilation study at an underground uranium mine using sulphur hexafluoride (SF 6 ) as a tracer gas. The mine selected for the study was that of Agnew Lake Mines Limited in Northern Ontario. This is a relatively new mine with the combined mine/mill facilities first operational in mid-1977. Uranium is recovered from broken ore by in-situ leaching. The ventilation study was divided into two phases. A laboratory study was undertaken to develop a practical sampling technique, provide an evaluation of the logistics of long range sample transport and develop a laboratory analytical technique. Field programmes demonstrated the SF 6 tracer gas technique for mine ventilation trouble-shooting with the intent of providing information which will lead to more efficient use of existing mine ventilation capacity. This report outlines the findings of the laboratory study and the two field programmes

  8. Gas exchange rates measured using a dual-tracer (SF6 and3he) method in the coastal waters of Korea

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Hyun-Woo; Lee, Kitack; Kaown, Duk-In

    2008-03-01

    Over a period of 5 days between August 12 and 17, 2005, we performed a gas exchange experiment using the dual tracer method in a tidal coastal ocean located off the southern coast of Korea. The gas exchange rate was determined from temporal changes in the ratio of3He to SF6 measured daily in the surface mixed layer. The measured gas exchange rate ( k CO 2), normalized to a Schmidt number of 600 for CO2 in fresh water at 20°C, was approximately 5.0 cm h-1 at a mean wind speed of 3.9 m s-1 during the study period. This value is significantly less than those obtained from floating chamber-based experiments performed previously in estuarine environments, but is similar in magnitude to values obtained using the dual tracer method in river and tidal coastal waters and values predicted on the basis of the relationship between the gas exchange rate and wind speed (Wanninkhof 1992), which is generally applicable to the open ocean. Our result is also consistent with the relationship of Raymond and Cole (2001), which was derived from experiments carried out in estuarine environments using222Rn and chlorofluorocarbons along with measurements undertaken in the Hudson River, Canada, using SF6 and3He. Our results indicate that tidal action in a microtidal region did not discernibly enhance the measured k CO 2 value.

  9. Dielectric properties for SF6 and SF6 mixtures predicted from basic data

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kline, L.E.; Davies, D.K.; Chen, C.L.; Chantry, P.J.

    1979-01-01

    We have calculated α and eta, the ionization and attachment coefficients, and (E/N) *, the limiting breakdown electric-field--to--gas-density ratio, in SF 6 and SF 6 mixtures by numerically solving the Boltzmann equation for the electron energy distribution. The calculations require a knowledge of several electron collision cross sections. Published momentum transfer and ionization cross sections for SF 6 were used. We measured various attachment cross sections for SF 6 using electron-beam techniques with mass spectrometric ion detection. We determined a total cross section for electronic excitation of SF 6 by comparing the predicted values of α, eta, and (E/N) * with our measured values obtained from spatial current growth experiments in SF 6 in uniform fields over an extended range of E/N. With this self-consistent set of SF 6 cross sections, together with published He and N 2 cross sections, it was then possible to predict the dielectric properties of SF 6 -He and SF 6 -N 2 mixtures. Published experimental values of α for the SF 6 -He mixtures lie between the values of α calculated with and without ionization of SF 6 by excited He atoms. Published experimental values of (E/N) * agree with our calculations to within 5% in both the SF 6 -He and the SF 6 -N 2 mixtures

  10. Dielectric properties for SF6 and SF6 mixtures predicted from basic data

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kline, L.E.; Davies, D.K.; Chen, C.L.; Chantry, P.J.

    1978-01-01

    α and eta, the ionization and attachment coefficients, and (E/N)*, the limiting breakdown electric field-to-gas density ratio, in SF 6 and SF 6 mixtures were calculated by numerically solving the Boltzmann equation for the electron energy distribution. The calculations require a knowledge of several electron collision cross sections. Published momentum transfer and ionization cross sections for SF 6 were used. Various attachment cross sections for SF 6 were measured by using electron beam techniques with mass spectrometric ion detection. A total cross section for electronic excitation of SF 6 was determined by comparing the predicted values of α, eta, and (E/N)* with measured values obtained from spatial current growth experiments in SF 6 in uniform fields over an extended range of E/N. With this self-consistent set of SF 6 cross sections, together with published He cross sections, it was then possible to predict the dielectric properties of SF 6 --He mixtures. Published experimental values of α for these mixtures lie between the values of α calculated with and without ionization of SF 6 by excited He atoms. Published experimental values of (E/N)* agree with the calculations to within 5%. 11 figures

  11. Transport mechanisms for synoptic, seasonal and interannual SF6 variations and "age" of air in troposphere

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    K. Miyazaki

    2009-02-01

    Full Text Available We use an atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM driven chemistry-transport model (ACTM to simulate the evolution of sulfur hexafluoride (SF6 in the troposphere. The model results are compared with continuous measurements at 6 sites over 71° N–90° S. These comparisons demonstrate that the ACTM simulations lie within the measurement uncertainty over the analysis period (1999–2006 and capture salient features of synoptic, seasonal and interannual SF6 variability. To understand transport timescales of SF6 within the troposphere, transport times of air parcels from the surface to different regions of the troposphere ("age" are estimated from a simulation of an idealized tracer. The age estimation error and its sensitivity to the selection of reanalysis meteorology for ACTM nudging or the tracer transport by deep cumulus convection as represented in the model are discussed. Monthly-mean, 2-box model exchange times (τex are calculated from both the observed and simulated SF6 time series at the 6 observing sites and show favorable agreement, suggesting that the ACTM adequately represents large-scale interhemispheric transport. The simulated SF6 variability is further investigated through decomposition of the mixing ratio time-tendency into advective, convective, and vertical diffusive components. The transport component analysis illustrates the role of each process in SF6 synoptic variability at the site level and provides insight into the seasonality of τex.

  12. SF6 and the greenhouse effect

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gjaerde, Anne Cathrine; Rein, Asgaut; Hegerberg, Rolf; Kulsetaas, John

    1997-01-01

    The gas SF 6 (sulfur hexafluoride) is much used as an insulation medium in electric switchgear and breakers. However, there has been some recent concern about the possible contribution of SF 6 to the global greenhouse effect. This report presents some collected facts about SF 6 emission. The concentration of SF 6 in the atmosphere is very low and will probably remain so until the end of the next century. Hence the contribution of SF 6 to the greenhouse effect is negligible. Most of the SF 6 emission comes from the magnesium and aluminium industries. In 1993, SF 6 emission from switchgear in the Norwegian distribution grid corresponded to only 0.2 per million of the CO 2 emission in Norway. But the quantity of SF 6 accumulated in electric switchgear is considerable. However, losing it to the atmosphere can be avoided by using recirculation or destruction systems for SF 6 in connection with maintenance and replacement of components. Norwegian climate policy aims at taking measures against SF 6 and other climate gases on a par with CO 2 . Taxation measures have been suggested for SF 6 . Atmospheric SF 6 does not influence the ozone layer. 3 refs., 8 figs

  13. Evaluation of stratospheric age of air from CF4, C2F6, C3F8, CHF3, HFC-125, HFC-227ea and SF6; implications for the calculations of halocarbon lifetimes, fractional release factors and ozone depletion potentials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leedham Elvidge, Emma; Bönisch, Harald; Brenninkmeijer, Carl A. M.; Engel, Andreas; Fraser, Paul J.; Gallacher, Eileen; Langenfelds, Ray; Mühle, Jens; Oram, David E.; Ray, Eric A.; Ridley, Anna R.; Röckmann, Thomas; Sturges, William T.; Weiss, Ray F.; Laube, Johannes C.

    2018-03-01

    In a changing climate, potential stratospheric circulation changes require long-term monitoring. Stratospheric trace gas measurements are often used as a proxy for stratospheric circulation changes via the mean age of air values derived from them. In this study, we investigated five potential age of air tracers - the perfluorocarbons CF4, C2F6 and C3F8 and the hydrofluorocarbons CHF3 (HFC-23) and HFC-125 - and compare them to the traditional tracer SF6 and a (relatively) shorter-lived species, HFC-227ea. A detailed uncertainty analysis was performed on mean ages derived from these new tracers to allow us to confidently compare their efficacy as age tracers to the existing tracer, SF6. Our results showed that uncertainties associated with the mean age derived from these new age tracers are similar to those derived from SF6, suggesting that these alternative compounds are suitable in this respect for use as age tracers. Independent verification of the suitability of these age tracers is provided by a comparison between samples analysed at the University of East Anglia and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. All five tracers give younger mean ages than SF6, a discrepancy that increases with increasing mean age. Our findings qualitatively support recent work that suggests that the stratospheric lifetime of SF6 is significantly less than the previous estimate of 3200 years. The impact of these younger mean ages on three policy-relevant parameters - stratospheric lifetimes, fractional release factors (FRFs) and ozone depletion potentials - is investigated in combination with a recently improved methodology to calculate FRFs. Updates to previous estimations for these parameters are provided.

  14. Elevated source SF6-tracer dispersion experiments in the Copenhagen area. Preliminary results II

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gryning, S.E.; Lyck, E.

    1980-01-01

    The results from 10 experiments, performed in neutral to unstable meteorological conditions, are reported from an ongoing series of elevated-source, urban-scale tracer dispersion experiments in the Copenhagen area. The tracer is released at a height of 115 m from the TV-tower in GLADSAXE, a suburb of Copenhagen, with tracer sampling units positioned at ground-level in 1 to 3 crosswind series, 2 to 6 km downwind of the tower. The lateral dispersion parameter, sigma(y), was estimated from the measured tracer concentration distribution and compared with values of sigma(y), computed by 1) methods based on wind variance measured during the experiments and 2) methods based on a stability classification of the atmospheric conditions. The wind-variance based methods proved superior in predicting the variation of sigma(y) compared with the stability based methods. Moreover, some of the former methods produced significantly biased estimates of sigma(y). The measured tracer concentration distributions were also crosswind integrated, chi(CWI). Estimates of chi(CWI) were computed using sigma (z) -values derived from the aforementioned computations assuming a Gaussian-type vertical tracer concentration distribution. A comparison is measured and calculated values of chi(CWI) showed no significant differences in the ability of the methods to predict the variation of chi(CWI). Only one method, the EPA, came out with a mean fractional error outside the range +-20% which constitutes the uncertainty in the absolute tracer concentration associated with the calibration of the gas chromatograph for tracer analysis

  15. Preliminary comparison of MP sparking characteristics for SF6 insulating gas mixtures and pure SF6

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lindgren, R.; Wegner, H.E.

    1978-01-01

    Operation of the Brookhaven MP-7 tandem Van de Graaff accelerator with pure SF 6 insulating gas is described. Sparking and terminal voltage were monitored and are compared for operation with a mixture of SF 6 , N 2 , CO 2 and O 2 . The accelerator was found to be more difficult to operate with pure SF 6

  16. Electron Transport Coefficients and Effective Ionization Coefficients in SF6-O2 and SF6-Air Mixtures Using Boltzmann Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wei, Linsheng; Xu, Min; Yuan, Dingkun; Zhang, Yafang; Hu, Zhaoji; Tan, Zhihong

    2014-10-01

    The electron drift velocity, electron energy distribution function (EEDF), density-normalized effective ionization coefficient and density-normalized longitudinal diffusion velocity are calculated in SF6-O2 and SF6-Air mixtures. The experimental results from a pulsed Townsend discharge are plotted for comparison with the numerical results. The reduced field strength varies from 40 Td to 500 Td (1 Townsend=10-17 V·cm2) and the SF6 concentration ranges from 10% to 100%. A Boltzmann equation associated with the two-term spherical harmonic expansion approximation is utilized to gain the swarm parameters in steady-state Townsend. Results show that the accuracy of the Boltzmann solution with a two-term expansion in calculating the electron drift velocity, electron energy distribution function, and density-normalized effective ionization coefficient is acceptable. The effective ionization coefficient presents a distinct relationship with the SF6 content in the mixtures. Moreover, the E/Ncr values in SF6-Air mixtures are higher than those in SF6-O2 mixtures and the calculated value E/Ncr in SF6-O2 and SF6-Air mixtures is lower than the measured value in SF6-N2. Parametric studies conducted on these parameters using the Boltzmann analysis offer substantial insight into the plasma physics, as well as a basis to explore the ozone generation process.

  17. EPA's SF6 Emission Reduction Partnership: Maximizing the Benefits of SF6 Emission Reductions for Electric Utilities

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Blackman, Jerome; Kantamaneni, Ravi

    2004-01-01

    .... Under ideal conditions, SF6 would remain contained within transmission equipment. In reality, however, SF6 is inadvertently emitted into the atmosphere as leaks develop during various stages of the equipment's life cycle...

  18. Halon-1301, a new Groundwater Age Tracer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beyer, Monique; van der Raaij, Rob; Morgenstern, Uwe; Jackson, Bethanna

    2015-04-01

    Groundwater dating is an important tool to assess groundwater resources in regards to direction and time scale of groundwater flow and recharge and to assess contamination risks and manage remediation. To infer groundwater age information, a combination of different environmental tracers, such as tritium and SF6, are commonly used. However ambiguous age interpretations are often faced, due to a limited set of available tracers and limitations of each tracer method when applied alone. There is a need for additional, complementary groundwater age tracers. We recently discovered that Halon-1301, a water soluble and entirely anthropogenic gaseous substance, may be a promising candidate [Beyer et al, 2014]. Halon-1301 can be determined along with SF6, SF5CF3 and CFC-12 in groundwater using a gas chromatography setup with attached electron capture detector developed by Busenberg and Plummer [2008]. Halon-1301 has not been assessed in groundwater. This study assesses the behaviour of Halon-1301 in water and its suitability as a groundwater age tracer. We determined Halon-1301 in 17 groundwater and various modern (river) waters sites located in 3 different groundwater systems in the Wellington Region, New Zealand. These waters have been previously dated with tritium, CFC-12, CFC-11 and SF6 with mean residence times ranging from 0.5 to over 100 years. The waters range from oxic to anoxic and some show evidence of CFC contamination or degradation. This allows us to assess the different properties affecting the suitability of Halon-1301 as groundwater age tracer, such as its conservativeness in water and local contamination potential. The samples are analysed for Halon-1301 and SF6simultaneously, which allows identification of issues commonly faced when using gaseous tracers such as contamination with modern air during sampling. Overall we found in the assessed groundwater samples Halon-1301 is a feasible new groundwater tracer. No sample indicated significantly elevated

  19. Multi-tracer approach (18O, 3H/3He, CFC, SF6, 35S) to find the best emergency drinking water supply, Vorarlberg, Austria

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kralik, Martin; Vergnaud, Virginie; Uriostegui, Stephanie; Esser, Bradley

    2016-04-01

    To provide an emergency drinking water supply in case of catastrophic events (regional chemical accidents, floods, earth quakes etc.), wells and springs should be known which are fed by a large reservoir. Such reservoirs provide a good filtering capacity and long Mean Residence Times (MRTs) of the raw water. Their existence allows to use these resources for longer periods excluding the danger of contamination. This provides the water authorities the necessary time to set measures to protect the general water supply. After preselection of 16 wells and springs all over the territory of the province of Vorarlberg at the western end of Austria by the local water authority, these wells and springs were measured (water temperature, electric conductivity, pH and dissolved oxygen content) and sampled monthly for δ 18O/2H measurements over the winter half-year 2013/14. At the same time the tritium concentrations of the October and March samples were measured as well. Based on the variation of the monthly on-site measurements and the δ 18O/2H results 12 wells and springs were selected for further investigations. On these sites samples for 3H/3He, CFC-11/12/113, SF6 and sulphur-35 measurements were collected in August 2014. As expected from a humid alpine area, non of the selected springs or wells showed really long MRTs. Five out of 16 investigated sites are regarded as well suited to be used as emergency water source with a range of MRTs of 9 - 30 years. Five springs and wells are regarded of limited suitability due to the shorter MRTs of 5 - 9 years. In two springs the 3H/3He method could not be applied due to He-degassing in a karst-system and during sampling. CFC and SF6 excess at some sites with anthropogenic and geogenic sources hampered the utilisation of these gases as dating tool, but they were useful as source tracers. Sulphur-35 was detected in two wells only, indicating contribution of very young water (< 1 year). In both cases MRTs of 13 - 17 years, calculated

  20. The field tracer test study of atmospheric dispersion in Fujian Huian Nuclear Power Plant site

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hu Erbang; Xin Cuntian; Yan Jiangyu; Ren Zhiqiang; Xuan Yiren; Jia Peirong

    2003-01-01

    The SF 6 tracer tests and its main results completed in site of Fujian Huian Nuclear Power Plant during summer, 2002, are described. A total of 15 times of SF 6 tracer tests were done in the July, in which the time of atmospheric stability B, C, D, E is respectively 3, 2, 9, 1 based on ΔT-U method and the time of B, D, E is respectively 1, 11, 3 based on ΔT method. About 50 samples were collected in each SF 6 tracer tests, the maximum of sample distance from the tower in which the SF 6 tracer was released is about 15 km. The values of p y , p z , q y , q z in the formula of diffusion parameters is determined. Finally the above diffusion parameters are compared with P-G curve, Briggs diffusion parameters and those obtained from turbulence observation and wind tunnel simulation test done in the past time. (authors)

  1. Supershort avalanche electron beam in SF6 and krypton

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Cheng; Tarasenko, Victor F.; Gu, Jianwei; Baksht, Evgeni Kh.; Beloplotov, Dmitry V.; Burachenko, Alexander G.; Yan, Ping; Lomaev, Mikhail I.; Shao, Tao

    2016-03-01

    Runaway electrons play an important role in the avalanche formation in nanosecond- and subnanosecond- pulse discharges. In this paper, characteristics of a supershort avalanche electron beam (SAEB) generated at the subnanosecond and nanosecond breakdown in sulfur hexafluoride (SF6 ) in an inhomogeneous electric field were studied. One pulser operated at negative polarity with voltage pulse amplitude of ˜130 kV and rise time of 0.3 ns. The other pulser operated at negative polarity with voltage pulse amplitude of 70 kV and rise time of ˜1.6 ns . SAEB parameters in SF6 are compared with those obtained in krypton (Kr), nitrogen (N2 ), air, and mixtures of SF6 with krypton or nitrogen. Experimental results showed that SAEB currents appeared during the rise-time of the voltage pulse for both pulsers. Moreover, amplitudes of the SAEB current in SF6 and Kr approximately ranged from several to tens of milliamps at atmospheric pressure, which were smaller than those in N2 and air (ranging from hundreds of milliamps to several amperes). Furthermore, the concentration of SF6 additive could significantly reduce the SAEB current in N2-SF6 mixture, but it slightly affected the SAEB current in Kr -SF6 mixture because of the atomic/molecular ionization cross section of the gas had a much greater impact on the SAEB current rather than the electronegativity.

  2. Supershort avalanche electron beam in SF_{6} and krypton

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cheng Zhang (章程

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Runaway electrons play an important role in the avalanche formation in nanosecond- and subnanosecond- pulse discharges. In this paper, characteristics of a supershort avalanche electron beam (SAEB generated at the subnanosecond and nanosecond breakdown in sulfur hexafluoride (SF_{6} in an inhomogeneous electric field were studied. One pulser operated at negative polarity with voltage pulse amplitude of ∼130  kV and rise time of 0.3 ns. The other pulser operated at negative polarity with voltage pulse amplitude of 70 kV and rise time of ∼1.6  ns. SAEB parameters in SF_{6} are compared with those obtained in krypton (Kr, nitrogen (N_{2}, air, and mixtures of SF_{6} with krypton or nitrogen. Experimental results showed that SAEB currents appeared during the rise-time of the voltage pulse for both pulsers. Moreover, amplitudes of the SAEB current in SF_{6} and Kr approximately ranged from several to tens of milliamps at atmospheric pressure, which were smaller than those in N_{2} and air (ranging from hundreds of milliamps to several amperes. Furthermore, the concentration of SF_{6} additive could significantly reduce the SAEB current in N_{2}-SF_{6} mixture, but it slightly affected the SAEB current in Kr-SF_{6} mixture because of the atomic/molecular ionization cross section of the gas had a much greater impact on the SAEB current rather than the electronegativity.

  3. Measurements of waste tank passive ventilation rates using tracer gases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huckaby, J.L.; Olsen, K.B.; Sklarew, D.S.; Evans, J.C.; Remund, K.M.

    1997-09-01

    This report presents the results of ventilation rate studies of eight passively ventilated high-level radioactive waste tanks using tracer gases. Head space ventilation rates were determined for Tanks A-101, AX-102, AX-103, BY-105, C-107, S-102, U-103, and U-105 using sulfur hexafluoride (SF 6 ) and/or helium (He) as tracer gases. Passive ventilation rates are needed for the resolution of several key safety issues. These safety issues are associated with the rates of flammable gas production and ventilation, the rates at which organic salt-nitrate salt mixtures dry out, and the estimation of organic solvent waste surface areas. This tracer gas study involves injecting a tracer gas into the tank headspace and measuring its concentration at different times to establish the rate at which the tracer is removed by ventilation. Tracer gas injection and sample collection were performed by SGN Eurisys Service Corporation and/or Lockheed Martin Hanford Corporation, Characterization Project Operations. Headspace samples were analyzed for He and SF 6 by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). The tracer gas method was first demonstrated on Tank S-102. Tests were conducted on Tank S-102 to verify that the tracer gas was uniformly distributed throughout the tank headspace before baseline samples were collected, and that mixing was sufficiently vigorous to maintain an approximately uniform distribution of tracer gas in the headspace during the course of the study. Headspace samples, collected from a location about 4 in away from the injection point and 15, 30, and 60 minutes after the injection of He and SF 6 , indicated that both tracer gases were rapidly mixed. The samples were found to have the same concentration of tracer gases after 1 hour as after 24 hours, suggesting that mixing of the tracer gas was essentially complete within 1 hour

  4. Self-focusing in SF6

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ackerhalt, J.R.; Galbraith, H.W.

    1981-01-01

    It is shown by explicit calculation of previously published quasicontinuum model that the molecular susceptibility rapidly approaches zero as higher excited states of the molecule become populated. Hence the overtones of the ν 3 -pumped mode are totally responsible for the self focusing effects in SF 6 . The ν 3 ladder contribution to the susceptibility is calculated. The vibrational model is a classical triply degenerate anharmonic oscillator in the Cartesian basis with the anharmonicity parameters chosen to be consistent with the latest spectroscopic analysis of the 3ν 3 overtone spectrum. The rotational structure is represented by a distribution of these oscillators where the distribution is chosen to correspond to the spectrum of the ν 3 fundamental. Good agreement is found with the 300 0 in self-focusing data of Nowak and Ham at CO 2 P(28), P(20) and P(10) in SF 6

  5. Decomposition of Potent Greenhouse Gases SF6, CF4 and SF5CF3 by Dielectric Barrier Discharge

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Renxi; Wang Jingting; Cao Xu; Hou Huiqi

    2016-01-01

    For their distinguished global warming potential (GWP100) and long atmosphere lifespan, CF 4 , SF 6 and SF 5 CF 3 were significant in the field of greenhouse gas research. The details of discharging character and the optimal parameter were discussed by using a Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) reactor to decompose these potent greenhouse gases in this work. The results showed that SF 6 could be decomposed by 92% under the conditions of 5 min resident time and 3000 V applied voltage with the partial pressure of 2.0 kPa, 28.2 kPa, and 1.8 kPa for SF 6 , air and water vapor, respectively. 0.4 kPa CF 4 could be decomposed by 98.2% for 4 min resident time with 30 kPa Ar added. The decomposition of SF 5 CF 3 was much more effective than that of SF 6 and CF 4 and moreover, 1.3 kPa SF 5 CF 3 , discharged with 30 kPa O 2 , Ar and air, could not be detected when the resident time was 80 s, 40 s, and 120 s, respectively. All the results indicated that DBD was a feasible technique for the abatement of potent greenhouse gases. (paper)

  6. Two-temperature transport coefficients of SF6–N2 plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang, Fei; Chen, Zhexin; Wu, Yi; Rong, Mingzhe; Wang, Chunlin; Guo, Anxiang; Liu, Zirui

    2015-01-01

    Sulfur hexafluoride (SF 6 ) is widely adopted in electric power industry, especially in high-voltage circuit breakers and gas-insulated switchgear. However, the use of SF 6 is limited by its high liquidation temperature and high global warming potential. Recently, research shows SF 6 –N 2 mixture, which shows environmental friendliness and good electrical properties, may be a feasible substitute for pure SF 6 . This paper is devoted to the calculation of and transport coefficients of SF 6 –N 2 mixture under both LTE (local thermodynamic equilibrium) and non-LTE condition. The two–temperature mass action law was used to determine the composition. The transport coefficients were calculated by classical Chapman–Enskog method simplified by Devoto. The thermophysical properties are presented for electron temperatures of 300–40 000 K, ratios of electron to heavy species temperature of 1–10 and N 2 mole fraction of 0%–100% at atmospheric pressure. The ionization processes under both LTE and non-LTE have been discussed. The results show that deviations from local thermodynamic equilibrium significantly affect the properties of SF 6 –N 2 plasma, especially before the plasma is fully ionized. The different influence of N 2 on properties for SF 6 –N 2 plasma in and out of LTE has been found. The results will serve as reliable reference data for computational simulation of the behavior of SF 6 –N 2 plasmas

  7. Emissions from SF6 appliances in Norway. Additional report No. 2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gjarede, Anne Cathrine

    1999-01-01

    The report presents facts regarding the Norwegian SF 6 emissions and the significance for the Norwegian climatic gas accounts in order to evaluate whether 12-24 kV SF 6 appliances are environmentally acceptable. Estimations show that emissions from such equipment contribute with about 0.2 % of the total Norwegian CO 2 emissions in 1993. The SF 6 which is stored in electric appliances, may either be recycled or decomposed to more environmentally acceptable end products. The report concludes that the contribution to the greenhouse effects from SF 6 appliances is minimal

  8. Electrochemical and Infrared Absorption Spectroscopy Detection of SF6 Decomposition Products

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ming Dong

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6 gas-insulated electrical equipment is widely used in high-voltage (HV and extra-high-voltage (EHV power systems. Partial discharge (PD and local heating can occur in the electrical equipment because of insulation faults, which results in SF6 decomposition and ultimately generates several types of decomposition products. These SF6 decomposition products can be qualitatively and quantitatively detected with relevant detection methods, and such detection contributes to diagnosing the internal faults and evaluating the security risks of the equipment. At present, multiple detection methods exist for analyzing the SF6 decomposition products, and electrochemical sensing (ES and infrared (IR spectroscopy are well suited for application in online detection. In this study, the combination of ES with IR spectroscopy is used to detect SF6 gas decomposition. First, the characteristics of these two detection methods are studied, and the data analysis matrix is established. Then, a qualitative and quantitative analysis ES-IR model is established by adopting a two-step approach. A SF6 decomposition detector is designed and manufactured by combining an electrochemical sensor and IR spectroscopy technology. The detector is used to detect SF6 gas decomposition and is verified to reliably and accurately detect the gas components and concentrations.

  9. Electrochemical and Infrared Absorption Spectroscopy Detection of SF6 Decomposition Products

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dong, Ming; Ren, Ming; Ye, Rixin

    2017-01-01

    Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) gas-insulated electrical equipment is widely used in high-voltage (HV) and extra-high-voltage (EHV) power systems. Partial discharge (PD) and local heating can occur in the electrical equipment because of insulation faults, which results in SF6 decomposition and ultimately generates several types of decomposition products. These SF6 decomposition products can be qualitatively and quantitatively detected with relevant detection methods, and such detection contributes to diagnosing the internal faults and evaluating the security risks of the equipment. At present, multiple detection methods exist for analyzing the SF6 decomposition products, and electrochemical sensing (ES) and infrared (IR) spectroscopy are well suited for application in online detection. In this study, the combination of ES with IR spectroscopy is used to detect SF6 gas decomposition. First, the characteristics of these two detection methods are studied, and the data analysis matrix is established. Then, a qualitative and quantitative analysis ES-IR model is established by adopting a two-step approach. A SF6 decomposition detector is designed and manufactured by combining an electrochemical sensor and IR spectroscopy technology. The detector is used to detect SF6 gas decomposition and is verified to reliably and accurately detect the gas components and concentrations. PMID:29140268

  10. Age dating and flow path evaluation of groundwater by SF6 and microbe in the foot of Mt. Fuji, central Japan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamamoto, Chisato; Tsujimura, Maki; Kato, Kenji; Nagaosa, Kazuyo; Sakakibara, Koichi; Umei, Yohei; Ohara, Kazuma

    2016-04-01

    A variety of industries are developed at the foot of volcanic mountains in Japan and the groundwater is major source for industrial activity in those regions. The age of groundwater has been estimated to be from 10 to 30 years in Mt. Fuji regions by using 36Cl and 3H. However, the age has not been evaluated using SF6 with higher time resolution in these regions. Also, the total number of prokaryotes shows a specific value in each spring water, suggesting different path and age of the groundwater. Therefore, we aim to estimate residence time and the groundwater flow in three dimensions using the multi-tracers approach; CFCs, SF6, the total number of prokaryotes, the stable isotopes of oxygen-18, deuterium. We collected totally 25 spring water samples in Mt. Fuji and analyzed concentration of inorganic ions, the stable isotopes of oxygen-18, deuterium, CFCs, SF6. The apparent age of the spring water was estimated to be ranging from 4 to 19 years at the foot of Mt. Fuji. These results are reasonable as considering the existed age data by36Cl (Tosaki, 2008) in this region. The spring water with younger age tends to show higher total number of prokaryotes, suggesting that the groundwater flows dominantly through the shallow and young lava with the higher total number of prokaryotes, leads to younger age. Focusing on a specific spring water, the seasonal change of SF6 and total number of prokaryotes were monitored. The spring water showed a younger age and higher total number of prokaryotes during the high water flow season, whereas it showed an older age and lower total number of prokaryotes. Therefore, the total number of prokaryotes shows a good negative correlation with the residence time of the spring/ groundwater in space and time. This shows a possibility that the total number of prokaryotes could be a useful tracer of groundwater for time and space in the three dimensions information.

  11. Laser Spectroscopy on Ozone Destruction by SF6 Decomposed Products

    OpenAIRE

    北嶋, 巌; 村上, 和幸; 田中, 淳一; 岡井, 善四郎

    2002-01-01

    This paper reports on the identification of the SF6 decomposed products and the possibility of the ozone destruction by it. SF6 gas absorbs very strongly the 10.6μm P branch of C02 laser beam,so that the trace detection under ppb will be easily performed by the laser photo-acoustic method. We observed a new absorption spectra within the 9.6μm P branch resulted from the decomposed molecules after 2 hours 1 Hz-pulsed discharge of SF6 gas. As a resu1t ofthe gas chromatograph, it will be assumed ...

  12. Study on SF6 trace experiment in Lianyungang Nuclear Power Plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hu Erbang; Yan Jiangyu; Zhang Yongyi; Wen Lianzhong

    2001-01-01

    10 times SF 6 trace experiments were successfully performed in August 1997 on a very complex terrain of Lianyungang Nuclear Power Plant in order to obtain plume trajectory and diffusion parameters. SF 6 is released from the top of a tower of 100 m. The sample points are arranged not only on the sample lines but also on the areas near residences. About 50 samples are obtained in each SF 6 trace experiment. The samples of SF 6 are analysed by the GC-ECD method. The weather stability is 5 times C and D stabilities respectively if using P-G method or 10 times D stabilities if using ΔT-U method. A least-square method is adopted to obtain the diffusion parameters from diffusion equation. Meanwhile the effect on the diffusion parameters from sampling time is measured based on the above SF 6 trace experiment

  13. Research on technology of online gas chromatograph for SF6 decomposition products

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, L.; Fan, X. P.; Zhou, Y. Y.; Tang, N.; Zou, Z. L.; Liu, M. Z.; Huang, G. J.

    2017-12-01

    Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) decomposition products were qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed by several gas chromatographs in the laboratory. Test conditions and methods were selected and optimized to minimize and eliminate the SF6’ influences on detection of other trace components. The effective separation and detection of selected characteristic gases were achieved. And by comparison among different types of gas chromatograph, it was found that GPTR-S101 can effectively separate and detect SF6 decomposition products and has best the best detection limit and sensitivity. On the basis of GPTR-S101, online gas chromatograph for SF6decomposition products (GPTR-S201) was developed. It lays the foundation for further online monitoring and diagnosis of SF6.

  14. Ground-based FTIR retrievals of SF6 on Reunion Island

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Zhou

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available SF6 total columns were successfully retrieved from FTIR (Fourier transform infrared measurements (Saint Denis and Maïdo on Reunion Island (21° S, 55° E between 2004 and 2016 using the SFIT4 algorithm: the retrieval strategy and the error budget were presented. The FTIR SF6 retrieval has independent information in only one individual layer, covering the whole of the troposphere and the lower stratosphere. The trend in SF6 was analysed based on the FTIR-retrieved dry-air column-averaged mole fractions (XSF6 on Reunion Island, the in situ measurements at America Samoa (SMO and the collocated satellite measurements (Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding, MIPAS, and Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment Fourier Transform Spectrometer, ACE-FTS in the southern tropics. The SF6 annual growth rate from FTIR retrievals is 0.265 ± 0.013 pptv year−1 for 2004–2016, which is slightly weaker than that from the SMO in situ measurements (0.285 ± 0.002 pptv year−1 for the same time period. The SF6 trend in the troposphere from MIPAS and ACE-FTS observations is also close to the ones from the FTIR retrievals and the SMO in situ measurements.

  15. Ground-based FTIR retrievals of SF6 on Reunion Island

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Minqiang; Langerock, Bavo; Vigouroux, Corinne; Wang, Pucai; Hermans, Christian; Stiller, Gabriele; Walker, Kaley A.; Dutton, Geoff; Mahieu, Emmanuel; De Mazière, Martine

    2018-02-01

    SF6 total columns were successfully retrieved from FTIR (Fourier transform infrared) measurements (Saint Denis and Maïdo) on Reunion Island (21° S, 55° E) between 2004 and 2016 using the SFIT4 algorithm: the retrieval strategy and the error budget were presented. The FTIR SF6 retrieval has independent information in only one individual layer, covering the whole of the troposphere and the lower stratosphere. The trend in SF6 was analysed based on the FTIR-retrieved dry-air column-averaged mole fractions (XSF6) on Reunion Island, the in situ measurements at America Samoa (SMO) and the collocated satellite measurements (Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding, MIPAS, and Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment Fourier Transform Spectrometer, ACE-FTS) in the southern tropics. The SF6 annual growth rate from FTIR retrievals is 0.265 ± 0.013 pptv year-1 for 2004-2016, which is slightly weaker than that from the SMO in situ measurements (0.285 ± 0.002 pptv year-1) for the same time period. The SF6 trend in the troposphere from MIPAS and ACE-FTS observations is also close to the ones from the FTIR retrievals and the SMO in situ measurements.

  16. Electrochemical and Infrared Absorption Spectroscopy Detection of SF6 Decomposition Products

    OpenAIRE

    Dong, Ming; Zhang, Chongxing; Ren, Ming; Albarracín, Ricardo; Ye, Rixin

    2017-01-01

    Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) gas-insulated electrical equipment is widely used in high-voltage (HV) and extra-high-voltage (EHV) power systems. Partial discharge (PD) and local heating can occur in the electrical equipment because of insulation faults, which results in SF6 decomposition and ultimately generates several types of decomposition products. These SF6 decomposition products can be qualitatively and quantitatively detected with relevant detection methods, and such detection contributes ...

  17. Transport of Perfluorocarbon Tracers in the Cranfield Geological Carbon Sequestration Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moortgat, J.; Soltanian, M. R.; Amooie, M. A.; Cole, D. R.; Graham, D. E.; Pfiffner, S. M.; Phelps, T.

    2017-12-01

    A field-scale carbon dioxide (CO2) injection pilot project was conducted by the Southeast Regional Sequestration Partnership (SECARB) at Cranfield, Mississippi. Two associated campaigns in 2009 and 2010 were carried out to co-inject perfluorocarbon tracers (PFTs) and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) with CO2. Tracers in gas samples from two observation wells were analyzed to construct breakthrough curves. We present the compiled field data as well as detailed numerical modeling of the flow and transport of CO2, brine, and introduced tracers. A high-resolution static model of the formation geology in the Detailed Area Study (DAS) was used in order to capture the impact of connected flow pathways created by fluvial channels on breakthrough curves and breakthrough times of PFTs and SF6 tracers. We use the cubic-plus-association (CPA) equation of state, which takes into account the polar nature of water molecules, to describe the phase behavior of CO2-brine-tracer mixtures. We show how the combination of multiple tracer injection pulses with detailed numerical simulations provide a powerful tool in constraining both formation properties and how complex flow pathways develop over time.

  18. Efficient removal of sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) through reacting with recycled electroplating sludge.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Jia; Zhou, Ji Zhi; Liu, Qiang; Qian, Guangren; Xu, Zhi Ping

    2013-06-18

    This paper reports that recycled electroplating sludge is able to efficiently remove greenhouse gas sulfur hexafluoride (SF6). The removal process involves various reactions of SF6 with the recycled sludge. Remarkably, the sludge completely removed SF6 at a capacity of 1.10 mmol/g (SF6/sludge) at 600 °C. More importantly, the evolved gases were SO2, SiF4, and a limited amount of HF, with no toxic SOF4, SO2F2, or SF4 being detected. These generated gases can be readily captured and removed by NaOH solution. The reacted solids were further found to be various metal fluorides, thus revealing that SF6 removal takes place by reacting with various metal oxides and silicate in the sludge. Moreover, the kinetic investigation revealed that the SF6 reaction with the sludge is a first-order chemically controlled process. This research thus demonstrates that the waste electroplating sludge can be potentially used as an effective removal agent for one of the notorious greenhouse gases, SF6.

  19. Validation of the SF-6D Health State Utilities Measure in Lower Extremity Sarcoma

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kenneth R. Gundle

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Aim. Health state utilities measures are preference-weighted patient-reported outcome (PRO instruments that facilitate comparative effectiveness research. One such measure, the SF-6D, is generated from the Short Form 36 (SF-36. This report describes a psychometric evaluation of the SF-6D in a cross-sectional population of lower extremity sarcoma patients. Methods. Patients with lower extremity sarcoma from a prospective database who had completed the SF-36 and Toronto Extremity Salvage Score (TESS were eligible for inclusion. Computed SF-6D health states were given preference weights based on a prior valuation. The primary outcome was correlation between the SF-6D and TESS. Results. In 63 pairs of surveys in a lower extremity sarcoma population, the mean preference-weighted SF-6D score was 0.59 (95% CI 0.4–0.81. The distribution of SF-6D scores approximated a normal curve (skewness = 0.11. There was a positive correlation between the SF-6D and TESS (r=0.75, P<0.01. Respondents who reported walking aid use had lower SF-6D scores (0.53 versus 0.61, P=0.03. Five respondents underwent amputation, with lower SF-6D scores that approached significance (0.48 versus 0.6, P=0.06. Conclusions. The SF-6D health state utilities measure demonstrated convergent validity without evidence of ceiling or floor effects. The SF-6D is a health state utilities measure suitable for further research in sarcoma patients.

  20. Advances in high voltage insulation and arc interruption in SF6 and vacuum

    CERN Document Server

    Maller, V N

    1982-01-01

    Advances in High Voltage Insulation and Arc Interruption in SF6 and Vacuum deals with high voltage breakdown and arc extinction in sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) and high vacuum, with special emphasis on the application of these insulating media in high voltage power apparatus and devices. The design and developmental aspects of various high voltage power apparatus using SF6 and high vacuum are highlighted. This book is comprised of eight chapters and opens with a discussion on electrical discharges in SF6 and high vacuum, along with the properties and handling of SF6 gas. The following chapters fo

  1. Unchained Melody: Revisiting the Estimation of SF-6D Values

    Science.gov (United States)

    Craig, Benjamin M.

    2015-01-01

    Purpose In the original SF-6D valuation study, the analytical design inherited conventions that detrimentally affected its ability to predict values on a quality-adjusted life year (QALY) scale. Our objective is to estimate UK values for SF-6D states using the original data and multi-attribute utility (MAU) regression after addressing its limitations and to compare the revised SF-6D and EQ-5D value predictions. Methods Using the unaltered data (611 respondents, 3503 SG responses), the parameters of the original MAU model were re-estimated under 3 alternative error specifications, known as the instant, episodic, and angular random utility models. Value predictions on a QALY scale were compared to EQ-5D3L predictions using the 1996 Health Survey for England. Results Contrary to the original results, the revised SF-6D value predictions range below 0 QALYs (i.e., worse than death) and agree largely with EQ-5D predictions after adjusting for scale. Although a QALY is defined as a year in optimal health, the SF-6D sets a higher standard for optimal health than the EQ-5D-3L; therefore, it has larger units on a QALY scale by construction (20.9% more). Conclusions Much of the debate in health valuation has focused on differences between preference elicitation tasks, sampling, and instruments. After correcting errant econometric practices and adjusting for differences in QALY scale between the EQ-5D and SF-6D values, the revised predictions demonstrate convergent validity, making them more suitable for UK economic evaluations compared to original estimates. PMID:26359242

  2. An optical sensors for monitoring SF6 dissociation in a corona discharge

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Irawan, R.; Scelsi, G.B.; Woolsey, G.A.

    1999-01-01

    Sulphur hexafluoride (SF 6 ) is a chemically inert gas (Schumb, 1947) and has high dielectric strength, 3 times greater than air (Morrison and Robins, 1994). In high voltage systems, it is used both as a dielectric and an arc-quenching medium. An electrical breakdown event such as a partial discharge (corona) or arc will dissociate SF 6 into sulphur fluorides, sulphur and fluorine. In a contaminant-free environment, the dissociation products recombine back to SF 6 after extinction of the electrical discharge. Otherwise, some of the products will react with contaminants such as water vapour and oxygen, and with the metal surfaces and electrodes of the discharge chamber, to produce by-products including gaseous sulphur oxyfluorides and solid by-products (Van Brunt, 1985; Griffin et al, 1990 and Vukovic, 1997). As a consequence, a reduction in SF 6 concentration takes place, and the insulating efficiency of the system is degraded. If the SF 6 is not renewed, failure of the high voltage system is likely to eventually occur. One method of monitoring a system is to look for the presence of partial discharges, using techniques such as ultrasonic wave detection (Auckland et al, 1996) or fluorescent plastic fibre (Kurosawa et al., 1997). More directly, the integrity of the SF 6 may be examined using techniques such as mass spectrometry, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and Fourier Transform Infra-Red Spectroscopy. Such techniques, however, are bulky and require gas samples to be extracted, and so they are unsuited to field use. Since SF 6 insulating systems involve high voltages and a high level of electromagnetic interference, direct in-situ optical monitoring appears to provide the best approach. This paper describes the development of such an optical sensing technique, specifically for continuous monitoring of SF 6 degradation in partial or corona discharges

  3. Exploring Hydrofluorocarbons as Groundwater Age Tracers (Invited)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haase, K. B.; Busenberg, E.; Plummer, L. N.; Casile, G.; Sanford, W. E.

    2013-12-01

    Groundwater dating tracers are an essential tool for analyzing hydrologic conditions in groundwater systems. Commonly used tracers for dating post-1940's groundwater include sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), 3H-3He, and other isotopic tracers (85Kr, δ2H and δ18O isotopes, etc.). Each tracer carries a corresponding set of advantages and limitations imposed by field, analytical, and interpretive methods. Increasing the number available tracers is appealing, particularly if they possess inert chemical properties and unique temporal emission histories from other tracers. Atmospherically derived halogenated trace gases continue to hold untapped potential for new tracers, as they are generally inert and their emission histories are well documented. SF5CF3, and CFC-13 were previously shown to have application as dating tracers, though their low mixing ratios and low solubility require large amounts of water to be degassed for their quantification. Two related groups of compounds, hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) are hypothesized to be potential age tracers, having similar mixing ratios to the CFCs and relatively high solubility. However, these compounds yield gas chromatography electron capture detector (GC-ECD) responses that are 10-2 -10-5 less than CFC-12, making purge and trap or field stripping GC-ECD approaches impractical. Therefore, in order to use dissolved HCFCs and HFCs as age tracers, different approaches are needed. To solve this problem, we developed an analytical method that uses an atomic emission detector (GC-AED) in place of an ECD to detect fluorinated compounds. In contrast to the ECD, the AED is a universally sensitive, highly linear, elementally specific detector. The new GC-AED system is being used to measure chlorodifluoromethane (HCFC-22), 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane (HFC-134a), and other fluorinated compounds in one liter water samples to study their potential as age dating tracers. HCFC-22 is a

  4. Laser excitation of SF6: spectroscopy and coherent pulse propagation effects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cantrell, C.D.; Makarov, A.A.; Louisell, W.H.

    1978-01-01

    Recent theoretical studies of coherent propagation effects in SF 6 and other polyatomic molecules are summarized beginning with an account of relevant aspects of the high-resolution spectroscopy of the ν 3 band of SF 6 . A laser pulse propagating in a molecular gas can acquire new frequencies which were not initially present in the pulse, and, in fact, a wave is coherently generated at the frequency of every molecular transition accessible from the initial molecular energy levels. The possible consequences of coherent generation of sidebands for the multiple-photon excitation of SF 6 and other polyatomic molecules are discussed

  5. Temporal change of SF6 age in spring during rainstorms in a forested headwater catchment, Fukushima, Japan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sakakibara, Koichi; Tsujimura, Maki; Onda, Yuichi; Iwagami, Sho; Sato, Yutaro; Nagano, Kosuke

    2017-04-01

    Time variant water age in catchments can fundamentally describe catchment function, controlling rainfall-runoff generation, groundwater flow pathway, and water storage. We observed sulfur hexafluoride concentration in the stream and groundwater with 1 - 2 hours interval during rainstorm events in order to reveal temporal variations of rainfall-runoff water age. Target's spring is perennial in a forested headwater catchment with an area of 0.045 square km, Fukushima, Japan. The observed hydrological data and tracer data of water in the catchment (stable isotopic compositions, inorganic solute concentrations) were used for clarifying rainfall-runoff processes related to water age variances. The storm hydrograph and groundwater table clearly responded to rainfall especially with more than 30 mm per day throughout the monitoring period (May 2015 - October 2016). Large variations of SF6 age in spring ranging from zero to 14 years were found in the short period during rainstorms. In particular, the SF6 age in spring was evidently old when the runoff was over 2 mm per day. At the high runoff condition, the SF6 age in spring positively correlated with discharge rate: the spring age became older as the discharge rate increased. With regard to spatial distributions of SF6 age in groundwater, the old groundwater age (9 - 13 years) in the shallow subsurface area along the valley was confirmed after heavy rainfall. This groundwater age was similar age to the deep groundwater at no-rainfall conditions. In addition, inorganic solute concentrations such as chloride ion, sodium ion, and silica in spring water showed dominant levels in the deep and ridge groundwater. All facts suggest that the old groundwater, stored in the ridge or deeper subsurface area, replaced the shallow groundwater in the vicinity of the spring due to heavy rainfall, then it contributed to the spring discharge. Therefore, rainstorm events play important roles as triggers for discharging older water stored in

  6. A comparison between spectra of runaway electron beams in SF6 and air

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Cheng; Wang, Ruexue; Yan, Ping; Shao, Tao; Tarasenko, Victor; Gu, Jianwei; Baksht, Evgenii

    2015-01-01

    Runaway electron (RAE) with extremely high-energy plays important role on the avalanche propagation, streamer formation, and ionization waves in nanosecond-pulse discharges. In this paper, the generation of a supershort avalanche electron beam (SAEB) in SF 6 and air in an inhomogeneous electric field is investigated. A VPG-30-200 generator with a pulse rise time of ∼1.6 ns and a full width at half maximum of 3–5 ns is used to produce RAE beams. The SAEBs in SF 6 and air are measured by using aluminum foils with different thicknesses. Furthermore, the SAEB spectra in SF 6 and air at pressures of 7.5 Torr, 75 Torr, and 750 Torr are compared. The results showed that amplitude of RAE beam current generated at the breakdown in SF 6 was approximately an order of magnitude less than that in air. The energy of SAEB in air was not smaller than that in SF 6 in nanosecond-pulse discharges under otherwise equal conditions. Moreover, the difference between the maximum energy of the electron distributions in air and SF 6 decreased when the rise time of the voltage pulse increased. It was because the difference between the breakdown voltages in air and SF 6 decreased when the rise time of the voltage pulse increased

  7. A comparison between spectra of runaway electron beams in SF6 and air

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Cheng; Tarasenko, Victor; Gu, Jianwei; Baksht, Evgenii; Wang, Ruexue; Yan, Ping; Shao, Tao

    2015-12-01

    Runaway electron (RAE) with extremely high-energy plays important role on the avalanche propagation, streamer formation, and ionization waves in nanosecond-pulse discharges. In this paper, the generation of a supershort avalanche electron beam (SAEB) in SF6 and air in an inhomogeneous electric field is investigated. A VPG-30-200 generator with a pulse rise time of ˜1.6 ns and a full width at half maximum of 3-5 ns is used to produce RAE beams. The SAEBs in SF6 and air are measured by using aluminum foils with different thicknesses. Furthermore, the SAEB spectra in SF6 and air at pressures of 7.5 Torr, 75 Torr, and 750 Torr are compared. The results showed that amplitude of RAE beam current generated at the breakdown in SF6 was approximately an order of magnitude less than that in air. The energy of SAEB in air was not smaller than that in SF6 in nanosecond-pulse discharges under otherwise equal conditions. Moreover, the difference between the maximum energy of the electron distributions in air and SF6 decreased when the rise time of the voltage pulse increased. It was because the difference between the breakdown voltages in air and SF6 decreased when the rise time of the voltage pulse increased.

  8. Two-temperature transport coefficients of SF{sub 6}–N{sub 2} plasma

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yang, Fei; Chen, Zhexin; Wu, Yi, E-mail: wuyic51@mail.xjtu.edu.cn; Rong, Mingzhe; Wang, Chunlin [State Key Laboratory of Electrical Insulation and Power Equipment, School of Electrical Engineering, Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an 710049 (China); Guo, Anxiang; Liu, Zirui [Electric Power Research Institute of State Grid Shaanxi Electric Power Company, Xian (China)

    2015-10-15

    Sulfur hexafluoride (SF{sub 6}) is widely adopted in electric power industry, especially in high-voltage circuit breakers and gas-insulated switchgear. However, the use of SF{sub 6} is limited by its high liquidation temperature and high global warming potential. Recently, research shows SF{sub 6}–N{sub 2} mixture, which shows environmental friendliness and good electrical properties, may be a feasible substitute for pure SF{sub 6}. This paper is devoted to the calculation of and transport coefficients of SF{sub 6}–N{sub 2} mixture under both LTE (local thermodynamic equilibrium) and non-LTE condition. The two–temperature mass action law was used to determine the composition. The transport coefficients were calculated by classical Chapman–Enskog method simplified by Devoto. The thermophysical properties are presented for electron temperatures of 300–40 000 K, ratios of electron to heavy species temperature of 1–10 and N{sub 2} mole fraction of 0%–100% at atmospheric pressure. The ionization processes under both LTE and non-LTE have been discussed. The results show that deviations from local thermodynamic equilibrium significantly affect the properties of SF{sub 6}–N{sub 2} plasma, especially before the plasma is fully ionized. The different influence of N{sub 2} on properties for SF{sub 6}–N{sub 2} plasma in and out of LTE has been found. The results will serve as reliable reference data for computational simulation of the behavior of SF{sub 6}–N{sub 2} plasmas.

  9. Double tracer experiments to evaluate atmospheric transport and dose models

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nielsen, S.P.; Gryning, S.-E.; Thykier-Nielsen, S.; Karlberg, O.; Lyck, E.

    1986-05-01

    Two tracers, sulphurhexafluoride (SF 6 ) and radioactive noble gases, were released simultaneously from a 110-m stack and detected downwind at distances of 3-4 km. The experiments were made at the Swedish nuclear power plant Ringhals in 1981. The radioactive tracer was routine emissions from unit 1 (BWR). The one-hour measurements yielded crosswind profiles at ground level of SF 6 -concentrations and of gamma radiation from the plume. The measured profiles were compared to profiles calculated with computer models. The comparison showed that the models sometimes underestimate and sometimes overestimate the results, which seems to indicate that the models within their limited accuracy yield unbiased results. The ratios between measured and calculated values range from 0.2 to 3. The measurements revealed a surplus of gamma radiations from the noble gas daughters compared to those from the gases. This was interpreted as due to ground desposition and the estimated deposition velocities range from 2 to 10 cm/s. The meteorological conditions were monitored from a 100-m meteorological tower and from an 11-m mast. Measurements were made of wind speed, wind direction, and temperatures at different heights, and during each experiment a mini-radiosonde was released giving information on a possible inversion layer. The SF 6 -tracer was injected to the stack prior to the experiments. Air-samples were collected downwind in plastic bags by radio-controlled sampling units. The SF 6 -concentrations in the bags were determined with gas chromatography. Measurements of the gamma radiation from the plume were made with ionisation chambers and GM-counters. Furthermore, a few mobile gamma spectrometers were available giving information on the unscattered gamma radiation, thereby permitting identification of the radioactive isotopes. The work was partly financed by the Nuclear Safety Board of the Swedish Utilities and by the Danish association of utilities in Jutland and on Funen, Elsam

  10. SF6-alternative gases for application in gas-insulated switchgear

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Xingwen; Zhao, Hu; Murphy, Anthony B.

    2018-04-01

    The environmental problems caused by greenhouse gases have received unprecedented attention. Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), which is the preferred gas for use in gas-insulated switchgear (circuit breakers, disconnect switches, etc. for high-voltage electrical circuits), has a very high global warming potential, and there is a large international effort to find alternative gases. Recently, this effort has made important progress, with promising alternative gases being identified and tested. An overview, in particular the current state of the art, of the study of SF6-alternative gases is presented in the paper. The review focuses on the application of the SF6-alternative gases in gas-insulated switchgear, with detailed analysis of calculations and measurements of their basic physical properties, dielectric strengths, and arc-quenching capabilities. Finally, a discussion of and perspectives on current research and future research directions are presented.

  11. Inactivation of Tm6sf2, a Gene Defective in Fatty Liver Disease, Impairs Lipidation but Not Secretion of Very Low Density Lipoproteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smagris, Eriks; Gilyard, Shenise; BasuRay, Soumik; Cohen, Jonathan C; Hobbs, Helen H

    2016-05-13

    A missense mutation (E167K) in TM6SF2 (transmembrane 6 superfamily member 2), a polytopic protein of unknown function, is associated with the full spectrum of fatty liver disease. To investigate the role of TM6SF2 in hepatic triglyceride (TG) metabolism, we inactivated the gene in mice. Chronic inactivation of Tm6sf2 in mice is associated with hepatic steatosis, hypocholesterolemia, and transaminitis, thus recapitulating the phenotype observed in humans. No dietary challenge was required to elicit the phenotype. Immunocytochemical and cell fractionation studies revealed that TM6SF2 was present in the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi complex, whereas the excess neutral lipids in the Tm6sf2(-/-) mice were located in lipid droplets. Plasma VLDL-TG levels were reduced in the KO animals due to a 3-fold decrease in VLDL-TG secretion rate without any associated reduction in hepatic apoB secretion. Both VLDL particle size and plasma cholesterol levels were significantly reduced in KO mice. Despite levels of TM6SF2 protein being 10-fold higher in the small intestine than in the liver, dietary lipid absorption was only modestly reduced in the KO mice. Our data, taken together, reveal that TM6SF2 is required to mobilize neutral lipids for VLDL assembly but is not required for secretion of apoB-containing lipoproteins. Despite TM6SF2 being located in the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi complex, the lipids that accumulate in its absence reside in lipid droplets. © 2016 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  12. Present and future environmental ''problems'' with SF6 and other fluorinated gases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brunt, R.J. Van

    1996-01-01

    Sulfur hexafluoride (SF 6 ) is widely used as an insulating and arc interrupting gas in high-voltage systems and has found application in plasma processing of materials. However, SF 6 is known to decompose in electrical discharges to form toxic and corrosive gaseous compounds such as SOF 4 , SOF 2 , SO 2 F 2 , and HF. Of particular concern are the species S 2 F 10 and S 2 O 2 F 10 that are known to be highly toxic and to be formed in corona, spark, and arc discharges in high-pressure SF 6 . The conditions under which these byproducts are formed, the methods for removal, and the possible hazards that they present are reviewed. Sulfur hexafluoride is also an efficient absorber of infrared radiation and is estimated to have a global warning potential that is 2.5 x 10 4 times greater than that of CO 2 . Methods that have been proposed to control the use of SF 6 and reduce the rate of its release into the atmosphere will be examined. The advantages, disadvantages, and likely problems with finding technically feasible and environmentally acceptable replacements for SF 6 will be discussed

  13. Tracer gas diffusion sampling test plan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rohay, V.J.

    1993-01-01

    Efforts are under way to employ active and passive vapor extraction to remove carbon tetrachloride from the soil in the 200 West Area an the Hanford Site as part of the 200 West Area Carbon Tetrachloride Expedited Response Action. In the active approach, a vacuum is applied to a well, which causes soil gas surrounding the well to be drawn up to the surface. The contaminated air is cleaned by passage through a granular activated carbon bed. There are questions concerning the radius of influence associated with application of the vacuum system and related uncertainties about the soil-gas diffusion rates with and without the vacuum system present. To address these questions, a series of tracer gas diffusion sampling tests is proposed in which an inert, nontoxic tracer gas, sulfur hexafluoride (SF 6 ), will be injected into a well, and the rates of SF 6 diffusion through the surrounding soil horizon will be measured by sampling in nearby wells. Tracer gas tests will be conducted at sites very near the active vacuum extraction system and also at sites beyond the radius of influence of the active vacuum system. In the passive vapor extraction approach, barometric pressure fluctuations cause soil gas to be drawn to the surface through the well. At the passive sites, the effects of barometric ''pumping'' due to changes in atmospheric pressure will be investigated. Application of tracer gas testing to both the active and passive vapor extraction methods is described in the wellfield enhancement work plan (Rohay and Cameron 1993)

  14. Photodegradation of SF6 on polyisoprene surface: Implication on elimination of toxic byproducts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Song Xiaoxiao; Liu Xingang; Ye Zhaolian; He Jincong; Zhang Renxi; Hou, Huiqi

    2009-01-01

    Photodegradation of SF 6 was performed on the surface of polyisoprene (PI) based on a brand new mechanism of 'controlled release of radicals'. Effective decomposition of SF 6 (60% of SF 6 was degraded in 4 h) was achieved due to the highly reductive radicals (mainly allylic radicals and excited C=C bond) which were generated from the photolysis of PI. No toxic fluoride was detected by FT-IR. The PI irradiated for 200 h in SF 6 circumstance was examined by XPS to be doped with fluorine and sulfur. Fouling due to photoinitiated polymerization on UV lamp was avoided because the radicals were released slowly. Photolysis of SF 6 in pure argon with the presence of irradiated PI showed kinetics of pseudo-first-order reaction and the degradation rate constant was 5.16 x 10 -5 s -1 . Factors which may affect the photolysis process such as introduction of O 2 and H 2 O were also examined.

  15. A comparison between spectra of runaway electron beams in SF{sub 6} and air

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Cheng; Wang, Ruexue; Yan, Ping; Shao, Tao, E-mail: st@mail.iee.ac.cn [Institute of Electrical Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190 (China); Key Laboratory of Power Electronics and Electric Drive, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190 (China); Tarasenko, Victor [Institute of High Current Electronics, 2/3 Akademichesky Ave., Tomsk 634055 (Russian Federation); National Research Tomsk State University, 36 Lenin Ave., Tomsk 634050 (Russian Federation); Gu, Jianwei [Institute of Electrical Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190 (China); Baksht, Evgenii [Institute of High Current Electronics, 2/3 Akademichesky Ave., Tomsk 634055 (Russian Federation)

    2015-12-15

    Runaway electron (RAE) with extremely high-energy plays important role on the avalanche propagation, streamer formation, and ionization waves in nanosecond-pulse discharges. In this paper, the generation of a supershort avalanche electron beam (SAEB) in SF{sub 6} and air in an inhomogeneous electric field is investigated. A VPG-30-200 generator with a pulse rise time of ∼1.6 ns and a full width at half maximum of 3–5 ns is used to produce RAE beams. The SAEBs in SF{sub 6} and air are measured by using aluminum foils with different thicknesses. Furthermore, the SAEB spectra in SF{sub 6} and air at pressures of 7.5 Torr, 75 Torr, and 750 Torr are compared. The results showed that amplitude of RAE beam current generated at the breakdown in SF{sub 6} was approximately an order of magnitude less than that in air. The energy of SAEB in air was not smaller than that in SF{sub 6} in nanosecond-pulse discharges under otherwise equal conditions. Moreover, the difference between the maximum energy of the electron distributions in air and SF{sub 6} decreased when the rise time of the voltage pulse increased. It was because the difference between the breakdown voltages in air and SF{sub 6} decreased when the rise time of the voltage pulse increased.

  16. Abnormal polarity effect in nanosecond-pulse breakdown of SF6 and nitrogen

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shao, Tao; Tarasenko, Victor F.; Zhang, Cheng; Beloplotov, Dmitry S.; Yang, Wenjin; Lomaev, Mikhail I.; Zhou, Zhongsheng; Sorokin, Dmitry A.; Yan, Ping

    2014-01-01

    The breakdown of gas gaps in an inhomogeneous electric field at subnanosecond and nanosecond voltage pulse rise times are studied, and the famous polarity effect in point-to-plane gaps is investigated. It is shown that at a voltage pulse rise time of ∼0.5 ns, the inversion of polarity effect takes place not only in electronegative gases such as SF 6 , but also occurs in electropositive nitrogen. The inversion of polarity effect is related to a delay of electron emission from the plane cathode on arrival of the ionization wave front anode to the cathode. It is found that with a voltage pulse rise time of ∼0.5 ns, the inversion of polarity effect occurs at SF 6 and SF 6 –N 2 pressures of 0.25 MPa and lower, and with a voltage pulse rise time of 15 ns, at a SF 6 pressure lower than 0.12 MPa.

  17. Electron-transport, ionization, attachment, and dissociation coefficients in SF6 and its mixtures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Phelps, A.V.; Van Brunt, R.J.

    1988-01-01

    An improved set of electron-collision cross sections is derived for SF 6 and used to calculate transport, ionization, attachment, and dissociation coefficients for pure SF 6 and mixtures of SF 6 with N 2 , O 2 , and Ne. The SF 6 cross sections differ from previously published sets primarily at very low and high electron energies. At energies below 0.03 eV the attachment cross section is adjusted to fit recent electron swarm experiments, while the elastic momentum transfer cross section is increased to the theoretical limit. At high energies an allowance is made for the excitation of highly excited levels as observed in electron beam experiments. The cross-section sets used for the admixed gases have previously been published. Electron kinetic energy distributions computed from numerical solutions of the electron-transport (Boltzmann) equation using the two-term, spherical harmonic expansion approximation were used to obtain electron-transport and reaction coefficients as functions of E/N and the fractional concentration of SF 6 . Here E is the electric field strength and N is the gas number density. Attachment rate data for low concentrations of SF 6 in N 2 are used to test the attachment cross sections. Particular attention is given to the calculation of transport and reaction coefficients at the critical E/N = (E/N)/sub c/ at which the ionization and attachment rates are equal

  18. Construct validity of SF-6D health state utility values in an employed population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baxter, Siyan; Sanderson, Kristy; Venn, Alison; Otahal, Petr; Palmer, Andrew J

    2015-04-01

    Health utility values permit cost utility analysis in workplace health promotion; however, utility measures of working populations have not been validated. To investigate construct validity of SF-6D health utility in a public service workforce. SF-12v2 Health Survey was administered to 3,408 randomly selected public service employees in Australia in 2010. SF-12 scores were converted to SF-6D health utility values. Associations and correlates of SF-6D with health, socio-demographic and work characteristics [comorbidities, body mass index (BMI), Kessler-10 psychological distress (K10), education, salary, effort-reward imbalance (ERI), absenteeism] were explored. Ceiling effects were analysed. Nationally representative employee SF-6D values from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey (n = 11,234) were compared. All analyses were stratified by sex. Mean (SE) age was 45.7 (0.35) males; 44.5 (0.22) females. Females represented 72 % of the sample. Mean (SE) health utility 0.792 (0.004); 0.771 (0.003) was higher in males. SF-6D demonstrated both a significant inverse association (p negative correlations (female; male) with K10 (r = -0.63; r = -0.66), comorbidity count (r = -0.40; r = -0.33), ERI (r = -0.37; r = -0.34) and absenteeism (p imbalance and absenteeism are negatively associated with employee health. SF-6D is a valid measure of perceived health states in working populations.

  19. SF6 laser remote sensing by CO2 laser DIAL lidar

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Parvin, P.; Basam, Z.; Zamanipour, Z.; Kariminezhad, H.; Boyook, N.; Borna, F.; Azari, T.; Eshragi, N.; Ataran, A.; Ghods Ahmad Zadeh, R.

    2004-01-01

    A DIAL system using tunable CO 2 laser has been demonstrated practically for remote sensing of SF 6 components in Mashad Shahid Motahhari Research Complex. Non toxic components of SF 6 as a rare isotope is studied to calibrate the lidar function in several conditions. The whole system enables us to detect ppm amounts of chemical gases as well as pollutants and poisonous species

  20. Tidal volume single breath washout of two tracer gases--a practical and promising lung function test.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Florian Singer

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Small airway disease frequently occurs in chronic lung diseases and may cause ventilation inhomogeneity (VI, which can be assessed by washout tests of inert tracer gas. Using two tracer gases with unequal molar mass (MM and diffusivity increases specificity for VI in different lung zones. Currently washout tests are underutilised due to the time and effort required for measurements. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a simple technique for a new tidal single breath washout test (SBW of sulfur hexafluoride (SF(6 and helium (He using an ultrasonic flowmeter (USFM. METHODS: The tracer gas mixture contained 5% SF(6 and 26.3% He, had similar total MM as air, and was applied for a single tidal breath in 13 healthy adults. The USFM measured MM, which was then plotted against expired volume. USFM and mass spectrometer signals were compared in six subjects performing three SBW. Repeatability and reproducibility of SBW, i.e., area under the MM curve (AUC, were determined in seven subjects performing three SBW 24 hours apart. RESULTS: USFM reliably measured MM during all SBW tests (n = 60. MM from USFM reflected SF(6 and He washout patterns measured by mass spectrometer. USFM signals were highly associated with mass spectrometer signals, e.g., for MM, linear regression r-squared was 0.98. Intra-subject coefficient of variation of AUC was 6.8%, and coefficient of repeatability was 11.8%. CONCLUSION: The USFM accurately measured relative changes in SF(6 and He washout. SBW tests were repeatable and reproducible in healthy adults. We have developed a fast, reliable, and straightforward USFM based SBW method, which provides valid information on SF(6 and He washout patterns during tidal breathing.

  1. Tidal Volume Single Breath Washout of Two Tracer Gases - A Practical and Promising Lung Function Test

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singer, Florian; Stern, Georgette; Thamrin, Cindy; Fuchs, Oliver; Riedel, Thomas; Gustafsson, Per; Frey, Urs; Latzin, Philipp

    2011-01-01

    Background Small airway disease frequently occurs in chronic lung diseases and may cause ventilation inhomogeneity (VI), which can be assessed by washout tests of inert tracer gas. Using two tracer gases with unequal molar mass (MM) and diffusivity increases specificity for VI in different lung zones. Currently washout tests are underutilised due to the time and effort required for measurements. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a simple technique for a new tidal single breath washout test (SBW) of sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) and helium (He) using an ultrasonic flowmeter (USFM). Methods The tracer gas mixture contained 5% SF6 and 26.3% He, had similar total MM as air, and was applied for a single tidal breath in 13 healthy adults. The USFM measured MM, which was then plotted against expired volume. USFM and mass spectrometer signals were compared in six subjects performing three SBW. Repeatability and reproducibility of SBW, i.e., area under the MM curve (AUC), were determined in seven subjects performing three SBW 24 hours apart. Results USFM reliably measured MM during all SBW tests (n = 60). MM from USFM reflected SF6 and He washout patterns measured by mass spectrometer. USFM signals were highly associated with mass spectrometer signals, e.g., for MM, linear regression r-squared was 0.98. Intra-subject coefficient of variation of AUC was 6.8%, and coefficient of repeatability was 11.8%. Conclusion The USFM accurately measured relative changes in SF6 and He washout. SBW tests were repeatable and reproducible in healthy adults. We have developed a fast, reliable, and straightforward USFM based SBW method, which provides valid information on SF6 and He washout patterns during tidal breathing. PMID:21423739

  2. Tidal volume single breath washout of two tracer gases--a practical and promising lung function test.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singer, Florian; Stern, Georgette; Thamrin, Cindy; Fuchs, Oliver; Riedel, Thomas; Gustafsson, Per; Frey, Urs; Latzin, Philipp

    2011-03-10

    Small airway disease frequently occurs in chronic lung diseases and may cause ventilation inhomogeneity (VI), which can be assessed by washout tests of inert tracer gas. Using two tracer gases with unequal molar mass (MM) and diffusivity increases specificity for VI in different lung zones. Currently washout tests are underutilised due to the time and effort required for measurements. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a simple technique for a new tidal single breath washout test (SBW) of sulfur hexafluoride (SF(6)) and helium (He) using an ultrasonic flowmeter (USFM). The tracer gas mixture contained 5% SF(6) and 26.3% He, had similar total MM as air, and was applied for a single tidal breath in 13 healthy adults. The USFM measured MM, which was then plotted against expired volume. USFM and mass spectrometer signals were compared in six subjects performing three SBW. Repeatability and reproducibility of SBW, i.e., area under the MM curve (AUC), were determined in seven subjects performing three SBW 24 hours apart. USFM reliably measured MM during all SBW tests (n = 60). MM from USFM reflected SF(6) and He washout patterns measured by mass spectrometer. USFM signals were highly associated with mass spectrometer signals, e.g., for MM, linear regression r-squared was 0.98. Intra-subject coefficient of variation of AUC was 6.8%, and coefficient of repeatability was 11.8%. The USFM accurately measured relative changes in SF(6) and He washout. SBW tests were repeatable and reproducible in healthy adults. We have developed a fast, reliable, and straightforward USFM based SBW method, which provides valid information on SF(6) and He washout patterns during tidal breathing.

  3. Green River air quality model development: meteorological and tracer data, July/August 1982 field study in Brush Valley, Colorado

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Whiteman, C.D.; Lee, R.N.; Orgill, M.M.; Zak, B.D.

    1984-06-01

    Meteorological and atmospheric tracer studies were conducted during a 3-week period in July and August of 1982 in the Brush Creek Valley of northwestern Colorado. The objective of the field experiments was to obtain data to evaluate a model, called VALMET, developed at PNL to predict dispersion of air pollutants released from an elevated stack located within a deep mountain valley in the post-sunrise temperature inversion breakup period. Three tracer experiments were conducted in the valley during the 2-week period. In these experiments, sulfur hexafluoride (SF/sub 6/) was released from a height of approximately 100 m, beginning before sunrise and continuing until the nocturnal down-valley winds reversed several hours after sunrise. Dispersion of the sulfur hexafluoride after release was evaluated by measuring SF/sub 6/ concentrations in ambient air samples taken from sampling devices operated within the valley up to about 8 km down valley from the source. An instrumented research aircraft was also used to measure concentrations in and above the valley. Tracer samples were collected using a network of radio-controlled bag sampling stations, two manually operated gas chromatographs, a continuous SF/sub 6/ monitor, and a vertical SF/sub 6/ profiler. In addition, basic meteorological data were collected during the tracer experiments. Frequent profiles of vertical wind and temperature structure were obtained with tethered balloons operated at the release site and at a site 7.7 km down the valley from the release site. 10 references, 63 figures, 50 tables.

  4. Dynamics of infrared multiphonon dissociation of SF6 by molecular beam method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grant, E.R.; Coggiola, M.J.; Lee, Y.T.; Schulz, P.A.; Shen, Y.R.

    1977-01-01

    A crossed molecular beam apparatus has been adapted to study the dynamics of excitation and dissociation of polyatomic molecules in intense IR laser fields. Initial experiments have involved the study of the dissociation of SF 6 by CO 2 laser radiation at 10.6 μm. A molecular beam of SF 6 was formed by supersonic expansion using three stages of differential pumping. A grating tuned pulsed CO 2 TEA laser was used as the excitation source. The laser beam was focused by a 25 cm focal length ZnSe lens, and crossed the molecular beam near its focal point. The fragments produced by multiphonon dissociation of SF 6 within the small interaction region were detected as a function of recoil angle and velocity. (Auth.)

  5. A novel method to decompose two potent greenhouse gases: Photoreduction of SF6 and SF5CF3 in the presence of propene

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang Li; Shen Yan; Dong Wenbo; Zhang Renxi; Zhang Jianliang; Hou Huiqi

    2008-01-01

    SF 5 CF 3 and SF 6 are the most effective greenhouse gases on a per molecule basis in the atmosphere. Original laboratory trial for photoreduction of them by use of propene as a reactant was performed to develop a novel technique to destroy them. The highly reductive radicals produced during the photolysis of propene at 184.9 nm, such as ·CH 3 , ·C 2 H 3 , and ·C 3 H 5 , could efficiently decompose SF 6 and SF 5 CF 3 to CH 4 , elemental sulfur and trace amounts of fluorinated organic compounds. It was further demonstrated that the destruction and removal efficiency (DRE) of SF 5 X (X represented F or CF 3 ) was highly dependent on the initial propene-to-SF 5 X ratio. The addition of certain amounts of oxygen and water vapor not only enhanced the DRE but avoided the generation of deposits. In both systems, employment nitrogen as dilution gas lessened the DRE slightly. Given the advantage of less toxic products, the technique might contribute to SF 5 X remediation

  6. Low energy electron attachment to SF6 in N2, Ar, and Xe buffer gases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hunter, S.R.; Carter, J.G.; Christophorou, L.G.

    1989-01-01

    The electron attachment rate constants k/sub a/ for SF 6 have been measured in dilute mixtures of SF 6 in high pressure (>1 atm) N 2 , Ar, and Xe buffer gases at room temperature (T≅300 K) over a wide E/N range (electric field strength to gas number density ratio), corresponding to mean electron energies from near thermal electron energies (≅0.04 eV) to ≅4.3 eV. Particular attention has been paid to the effects of space charge distortion, molecular impurities, and changes in the electron energy distribution function on the measured electron attachment rate constant values at the lower E/N values in these mixtures. The present measured thermal electron attachment rate constants in SF 6 /N 2 and SF 6 /Xe gas mixtures are in excellent agreement with recent accurate measurements of these parameters in several SF 6 /buffer gas mixtures. At higher values, the present SF 6 /N 2 measurements are in fair agreement with previous measurements, while no previous measurements using Ar and Xe buffer gases have been published. These measurements have been used in numerical two term, spherical harmonic Boltzmann equation analyses of the electron motion in these gas mixtures to obtain the low energy ( 6 . The present derived electron attachment cross sections are compared with recently measured and derived nondissociative and dissociative electron attachment cross sections for SF 6

  7. Mechanism for negative corona current pulse in CO sub 2 -SF sub 6 mixtures

    CERN Document Server

    Zahoranova, A; Simor, M; Cernak, M

    2003-01-01

    Current waveforms of first negative corona pulses have been measured in CO sub 2 -SF sub 6 mixtures over a pressure range extending from 6.65 to 50 kPa and various overvoltages. Effects of changing cathode secondary electron emission were studied using a copper cathode coated by CuI and graphite. For a given set of experimental conditions it is concluded that in the mixtures containing up to 30% of SF sub 6 the negative corona pulse is associated with the formation of a cathode-directed streamer-like ionizing wave in the immediate vicinity of the cathode. This is in contrast to the discharge behaviour in air-SF sub 6 and N sub 2 -SF sub 6 mixtures, where in similar conditions the discharge develops according to a multi-avalanche Townsend mechanism. (rapid communication)

  8. Effect of the percentage of SF sub 6 (100%-10%-5%) on the decomposition of SF sub 6 -N sub 2 mixtures under negative dc coronas in the presence of water vapour or oxygen

    CERN Document Server

    Díaz, J; Casanovas, J

    2003-01-01

    Low SF sub 6 content SF sub 6 -N sub 2 mixtures have recently been proposed as a replacement for pure SF sub 6 in the insulation of gas insulated lines (GIL). Among the areas of investigation of such gas mixtures, their electrical decomposition under corona discharges must be studied considering the possible occurrence of such stress in GIL. This paper presents data concerning the decomposition of high-pressure SF sub 6 -N sub 2 (5 : 95) mixtures (400 kPa) submitted to negative dc coronas in the absence or presence of 0.3% H sub 2 O or 0.3% O sub 2. The chemical stability of these mixtures is compared with that of SF sub 6 -N sub 2 (10 : 90) mixtures or undiluted SF sub 6 investigated in the same conditions in a previous paper. The corona discharges were generated with a point-to-plane set-up and the gaseous by-products were assayed by gas chromatography at the end of each run carried out over a range of transported charge covering 0-13 C. The following by-products were detected and assayed: SOF sub 4 , SO su...

  9. Negative corona current pulses in argon and in mixture argon with SF6

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zahoranova, A.; Zahoran, M.; Bucek, A.; Cernak, M.; Bosko, J.

    2004-01-01

    Waveforms of the first negative current pulses in a short negative point-to plane gap in pure argon and argon with SF 6 admixture have been investigated with a nanosecond time resolution at a gas pressure 50 kPa as a function of applied gap voltage and content of SF 6 in the mixture. We have made an attempt to explain the differences in the discharge development in pure argon and in argon with admixture of SF 6 based on the observed changes of the pulse shape. The experimental results obtained will be discussed in context with existing computer simulation models (Authors)

  10. A description of the atmospheric tracer technology used at the J.R.C.-Ispra

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gaglione, P.

    1988-01-01

    Atmospheric tracers are a versatile tool that can be used in conjunction with basic meteorological investigations and models to gain a better understanding of the dynamical behaviour of atmospheric pollutants on both the local and regional scales. The tracer activity was initiated at Ispra about ten years ago, with the aim of providing an experimental support to the research activity carried out in the field of air pollution modeling. At the time the area of interest was mainly related to the atmospheric dispersion on a local scale of pollutants released from stacks of power stations, therefore a technique using SF 6 as a tracer was implemented. In the last few years some efforts have been devoted also to the determination of the atmospheric dispersion parameters in the mesoscale and in the regional scale. Due to the limitations in the use of SF 6 over these distances, a new technique utilizing perfluorocarbons (C 7 F 14 and C 8 F 16 ) as tracers has been implemented and positively tested in the field, even though limited until now to a few short range experiments. The purpose of this presentation is to describe the tracer technology developments at the J.R.C.-Ispra including the main results obtained in different field studies

  11. Electron scattering cross sections for SF6 and SF5CF3 at intermediate and high energies (100-10000 eV)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Limao-Vieira, P.; Blanco, F.; Oller, J.C.; Munoz, A.; Perez, J.M.; Vinodkumar, M.; Garcia, G.; Mason, N.J.

    2005-01-01

    A modified experimental apparatus with improved angular resolution and stability has been used to measure the total electron scattering cross sections for SF 6 and SF 5 CF 3 in the energy range of 100-5000 eV. A detailed analysis of the experimental error sources is provided. The experimental results are compared with integral elastic and inelastic cross sections calculated using the independent atom model approximation and a modified single-center additivity rule for electron energies ranging from 1 to 10,000 eV. The accuracy of these approximations method is discussed through a comparison with the experimental results. Previous cross-sectional data for SF 6 are compared with the present theoretical and experimental results. For SF 5 CF 3 , we present the first electron scattering cross-sectional data for the 100-10,000 eV energy range, as well as the first empirical determination of the molecular polarizability

  12. Experimental study of ventilation efficiency with a gaseous tracer (He and SF6)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roussel, Claude

    1982-01-01

    When it is desired to test the efficiency of a ventilation system in a nuclear installation in normal working conditions or in an accidental situation, it is possible to avoid having recourse to the direct use of contaminating, toxic or explosive substances, by carrying out a simulation by atmospheric tracing. The study of the scattering shows that the dispersion of substances in the atmosphere that is met in a nuclear plant is practically independent of the nature of the substance emitted, whether it be an aerosol, a gas of ''heavy'' molecular mass or low molecular mass. To show the scattering phenomena a tracer can be employed that is not dangerous in use, is easy to use and for which there is a simple and transportable instrumentation [fr

  13. Feasibility of a tracer gas technique for containment leakage characterization at Bruce NGS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Singh, V.P.

    1985-11-01

    Methods for tracer gas test have been conceived and are proposed for use in conjunction with other techniques used during off-power pressurization tests. During pressurization tests is appears possible to quantify leaks through containment boundaries which make up one of the walls in adjacent rooms but quantification of leaks to open areas will require further development. Several gases may be used as tracers during pressurization tests but the preferred tracer gas is sulphur hexafluoride (SF 6 ) at an in-vault concentration of 100 μL/L if open area sampling is to be carried out of 10 μL/L if only closed room sampling is to be performed. Large values of the ratio (tracer gas concentration in containment/lower detection limit) are necessary for identification of leak sites in open areas having significant ventilation flow. It is recommended that in-station trials be carried out to test the validity of this technique. In addition, a tracer gas technique for use during on-power operation is also proposed but leak site identification and quantification during on-power tests is only possible for containment boundaries which make up the wall(s) of adjacent rooms. The use of SF 6 is required for tests conducted during on-power operation. The recommended in-vault concentration is 10 μL/L. Recommendations are made for future work, including leak tests during on-power operation

  14. Screening test of relays used under pressurized sulfur hexafluoride (SF6)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kutsukake, Kenichi; Matsuda, Makoto; Hanashima, Susumu; Obara, Kenjiro

    2008-01-01

    Many measurement and control devices inside of a high voltage terminal of the JAEA-Tokai tandem accelerator are operated under pressurized sulfur hexafluoride gas (SF 6 ) of 0.5 MPa. This screening test has been carried out to select a relay, which is usable under the pressurized SF 6 for turn on and off a large current of the devices, from commercial relays used in the atmospheric condition. Four kinds of relays were tested: electromechanical relay (EMR), magnet contactor (MAG), solid-state relay (SSR) and hybrid relay (HYB). Temperature and appearance changes of the relay were collected as measurement items. In addition, a reason of contact trouble of the relays was considered from the results of qualitative elementary analysis and observation of the contact surface using the EDS (energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy) and the SEM (scanning electron microscope). As a result, the EMR and the MAG showed irregular contact in spite of input voltage and electric current had fed to an operational coil of the relay normally. It is caused by the sulfide or fluoride compounds, which were formed by chemical reaction between metals and sulfur or hydrogen fluoride due to dissociation of SF 6 in electric arcs. On the other hand, the performance of the SSR and the HYB is better than the EMR and the MAG, and it was found that these relays are available in the pressurized SF 6 of 0.5MPa in spite of the standard specification. (author)

  15. Measurement of the figure of merit M for 1-C3F6/SF6 mixtures

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christensen, Jørn Erik Berril; McAllister, Iain Wilson

    1997-01-01

    High precision measurements of the linear part of the Paschen curve are reported for 1-C3F6/SF6 mixtures. From these measurements, values for the pressure-reduced limiting electric field strength (E/p)lim and the associated figure of merit M are derived. These two parameters can be used to charac......High precision measurements of the linear part of the Paschen curve are reported for 1-C3F6/SF6 mixtures. From these measurements, values for the pressure-reduced limiting electric field strength (E/p)lim and the associated figure of merit M are derived. These two parameters can be used...

  16. Breakdown characteristics of SF6/N2 in severely non-uniform electric fields at low temperatures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Y.; Gao, Z. W.; Li, G. X.; Zhu, X. C.; Yu, C. L.; Liang, J. Q.; Li, L.

    2018-01-01

    SF6 has good electrical insulating properties, which is widely used as an insulating medium of GIS, GIL and other electrical equipment. However, the reliability of electrical equipments´ insulated gas is greatly challenged in cold areas, since SF6 more readily liquefies. To solve the problem, SF6 can be mixed with N2 to maintain the insulating properties, and reduce its liquefaction temperature. Such practice has certain application prospect. In this paper, a breakdown experimental platform was built to study the insulating property of SF6/N2 at low temperature, wherein the temperature of the platform can be adjusted. A severely non-uniform electric field was generated by a rod-plate electrode. The breakdown characteristics of SF6/N2 with different mixing proportions at low pressures and low temperatures were measured. The result showed that the mixed gas was not liquefied within the temperature range. Temperature had insignificant influence on the insulating property thereof. The result in the paper has certain guiding significance for applying SF6/N2 mixed gas in high latitude areas.

  17. SF12: Stata module to alidate sf12 input and calculate sf12 version 2 t scores

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    2015-01-01

    sf12 takes 12 variables in correct order (i1 i2a i2b i3a i3b i4a i4b i5 i6a i6b i6c i7), validate the variables with respect to sf12 requirements. Only rows that are correct are used for calculating the sf12 t scores....

  18. Quantifying Reaeration Rates in Alpine Streams Using Deliberate Gas Tracer Experiments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrew Benson

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available Gas exchange across the air-water interface is a critical process that maintains adequate dissolved oxygen (DO in the water column to support life. Oxygen reaeration rates can be accurately measured using deliberate gas tracers, like sulfur hexafluoride (SF6 or xenon (Xe. Two continuous release experiments were conducted in different creeks in the Sierra Nevada of California: Sagehen Creek in September, 2009, using SF6 and Martis Creek in August, 2012, using both SF6 and Xe. Measuring gas loss along the creek, which was approximated with the one-dimensional advection-dispersion equation, allows for the estimation of the SF6 or Xe reaeration coefficient (KSF6, KXe, which is converted to DO reaeration (KDO or K2 using Schmidt numbers. Mean KSF6 for upper and lower Sagehen and Martis Creeks were, respectively, 34 day−1, 37 day−1 and 33 day−1, with corresponding KDOs of 61 day−1, 66 day−1 and 47 day−1. In Martis Creek, KXe was slightly higher (21% than KSF6, but the calculated KDO from SF6 agreed with the calculated KDO from Xe within about 15%; this difference may be due to bubble-enhanced gas transfer. Established empirical equations of KDO using stream characteristics did a poor job predicting KDO for both creeks.

  19. Prediction on dielectric strength and boiling point of gaseous molecules for replacement of SF6.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Xiaojuan; Hou, Hua; Wang, Baoshan

    2017-04-15

    Developing the environment-friendly insulation gases to replace sulfur hexafluoride (SF 6 ) has attracted considerable experimental and theoretical attentions but without success. A computational methodology was presented herein for prediction on dielectric strength and boiling point of arbitrary gaseous molecules in the purpose of molecular design and screening. New structure-activity relationship (SAR) models have been established by combining the density-dependent properties of the electrostatic potential surface, including surface area and the statistical variance of the surface potentials, with the molecular properties including polarizability, electronegativity, and hardness. All the descriptors in the SAR models were calculated using density functional theory. The substitution effect of SF 6 by various functional groups was studied systematically. It was found that CF 3 is the most effective functional group to improve the dielectric strength due to the large surface area and polarizability. However, all the substitutes exhibit higher boiling points than SF 6 because the molecular hardness decreases. The balance between E r and T b could be achieved by minimizing the local polarity of the molecules. SF 5 CN and SF 5 CFO were found to be the potent candidates to replace SF 6 in view of their large dielectric strengths and low boiling points. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  20. Groundwater age determination using 85Kr and multiple age tracers (SF6, CFCs, and 3H to elucidate regional groundwater flow systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Makoto Kagabu

    2017-08-01

    New hydrological insights for the region: The groundwater ages could not be estimated using CFCs or SF6, particularly in the urban areas because of artificial additions to the concentration over almost the entire study area. However, even in these regional circumstances, apparent ages of approximately 16, 36, and not less than 55 years were obtained for three locations on the A–A’ line (recharge area, discharge area, and stagnant zone of groundwater, respectively from 85Kr measurements. This trend was also supported by lumped parameter model analysis using a time series of 3H observations. In contrast, along the B–B’ line, the groundwater age of not less than 55 years at three locations, including the recharge to discharge area, where CFCs and SF6 were not detected, implies old groundwater: this is also the area in which denitrification occurs. In the C area, very young groundwater was obtained from shallow water and older groundwater was detected at greater depths, as supported by the long-term fluctuations of the NO3−–N concentration in the groundwater. The results of this study can be effectively used as a “time axis” for sustainable groundwater use and protection of groundwater quality in the study area, where groundwater accounts for almost 100% of the drinking water resources.

  1. Lens subluxation after plasmin and SF6 injections in rabbit eyes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wei-Chi Wu

    Full Text Available To investigate the rate of lens subluxation following plasmin and/or SF6 injections in eyes, and whether a subsequent elevated level of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF and vitreous tap would aggravate subluxation.Four groups of rabbits were used. Group 1 received an intravitreal injection (IVI of plasmin and SF6 in the right eye; group 2 received an IVI of plasmin in the right eye; group 3 received an IVI of SF6 in the right eye; and group 4 received an IVI of balanced salt solution in the right eye. After treatment, IVIs of VEGF were given and vitreous tap was performed three times, followed by clinical observation of lens subluxation and scanning electronic microscope evaluation of the zonular fibers.After IVIs of plasmin and SF6, and VEGF and vitreous tap had been performed one to three times, lens subluxation was noted in 0%, 43%, 71%, 71%, and 86% of the eyes in group 1. After IVIs of plasmin, VEGF, and vitreous tap had been performed one to three times, lens subluxation was noted in 11%, 22%, 44%, 44%, and 67% of the eyes in group 2. The eyes in group 3 and 4 did not show signs of lens subluxation after VEGF IVIs and vitreous tap. Histology confirmed zonular fiber damage in the eyes treated with plasmin.The incidence of lens subluxation increased following plasmin injections in the eyes, and this was aggravated by the subsequent high VEGF level in the eyes and vitreous tapping. Zonular fibers were disrupted following plasmin treatment. These effects should be kept in mind when using plasmin enzymes in patients with vitreoretinal abnormalities.

  2. Parametric investigation on the effect of nitrogen to reduce SF6 content in spark gap

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raj, Avinash; Khaidir, Nur; Ishak, Sanuri; Ghani, Basri Abdul; Chakrabarty, Chandan; Permal, Navitharshaani; Ahmad, Harizan

    2017-03-01

    Almost all the MV and HV switchgears used by power utilities for interrupting faults are Sulphur Hexaflouride SF6 gas circuit breakers as this gas has the best dielectric properties to quench the onset of an arc in the event of fault. However due to strong dissociating properties of this gas when in contact with air that can release fluorine into the atmosphere, the Kyoto protocol has mandated to reduce the usage of SF6 in the future. SF6 is a greenhouse gas and it's about 3000 more severe than CO2. And that's the reason for replacing this gas. A close match in the quenching properties to SF6 that is now being intensively researched is nitrogen N2. This gas is considered to be an inert gas, and its release into the atmosphere has no harmful effects (except for asphyxiation - which can be easily handled with awareness). As the need for a replacement of SF6 becomes critical in the near future, the urgency to find the right gas is immediate. Hence the proposed work in this paper is to make a comprehensive parametric investigation of N2 gas in vacuum spark-gap. The spark-gap is chosen due to flexibility in changing the gap distance and easily be housed in vacuum. The parameters to be investigated are pure N2 and N2/ SF6 mix. The settling-time of the electrical break-down voltage and current are measured using voltage probe and Pearson probe. This time is paramount as it determines the speed of breaking the circuit. A faster breaking time ensures the safety of other HV equipment in the circuit. A comparative study between the various parameters will be conducted to obtain the best recipe (gas mix and gap distance) that gives the shortest settling time the breakdown using N2/ SF6/Mixture gas was successfully conducted and a Paschen curve has been established.

  3. In Situ Measurements of Sulfur Hexafluoride (SF6) and age of air from NH sources during the Atmospheric Tomography (ATom) global airborne survey

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elkins, J. W.; Moore, F. L.; Hintsa, E. J.; Ray, E. A.; Dutton, G. S.; Nance, J. D.; Hall, B. D.; Dlugokencky, E. J.; Sweeney, C.; Montzka, S. A.; Newman, P. A.

    2017-12-01

    Atmospheric SF6 is an excellent tracer of atmospheric transport in the troposphere, because of its long lifetime (850 years), mostly northern hemispheric (NH) emissions (95%), and high atmospheric growth rate ( 4%/yr.). The gas is used in the distribution of electrical power, because it is an excellent insulator. It is primarily released through its use (leaking and refilling) in high voltage power transformers. Two NOAA/GMD airborne, in situ gas chromatographs (GCs), PAN and other Trace Hydrohalocarbons ExpeRiment (PANTHER) and UAS Chromatograph for Atmospheric Trace Species (UCATS), operated on the first two circuits of the Atmospheric Tomography Mission (ATom-1 & ATom-2). Both instruments measure nitrous oxide (N2O) and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) once every 70 seconds using a very sensitive electron capture detector (ECD). We combined both measurements into one data set for analysis of twice the amount of data, since both instruments are comparable and used the same gas standards. The main purpose of ATom is to study the influence of air quality on climate during the four seasons, where two seasons are completed so far. The altitude-latitude cross sections of SF6 mixing ratios during the ATom-1 (left) shows sources are mostly located in the NH ( 95%). The upper troposphere shows inter-hemispheric mixing. The polar stratosphere shows older air that is mixed with air from the mesospheric sink. Using the procedure described by Waugh et al., (2013) [JGR-Atmos. 10.1002/jgrd.50189] and a recent growth rate of 0.32 ppt yr-1, we have calculated the mean age of each SF6 measurement from its source at ground level in the NH (lat. range of 30-50°N). The contours of age (right) are in agreement with the mean inter-hemispheric exchange time (τNS) of 1.2 yr and higher ages in the polar stratosphere (2.5-3.0 yr).

  4. Two-temperature thermodynamic and transport properties of SF6–Cu plasmas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu, Yi; Chen, Zhexin; Yang, Fei; Rong, Mingzhe; Sun, Hao; Cressault, Yann; Murphy, Anthony B; Guo, Anxiang; Liu, Zirui

    2015-01-01

    SF 6 and Cu are widely adopted in electrical equipment as a dielectric medium and for conductive components, respectively. SF 6 –Cu plasmas are frequently formed, particularly in high-voltage circuit breaker arcs and fault current arcs, due to erosion of the Cu components. In this paper, calculated values of the thermodynamic and transport properties of plasmas in SF 6 –Cu mixtures are presented for both thermal equilibrium and non-equilibrium conditions. The composition is determined by the two-temperature Saha equation and Guldberg–Waage equation in the form derived by van de Sanden. The composition and the thermodynamic properties are evaluated through a classical statistical mechanics approach. For the transport coefficients, the simplified Chapman–Enskog method developed by Devoto, which decouples the electrons and heavy species, has been applied using the most recent collision integrals. The thermodynamic and transport properties are calculated for different electron temperatures (300–40 000 K), ratios of electron to heavy-species temperature (1–10), pressures (0.1–10 atm) and copper molar proportions (0–50%). It is found that deviations from thermal equilibrium strongly affect the thermodynamic and transport properties of the SF 6 –Cu plasmas. Further, the presence of copper has different effects on some of the properties for plasmas in and out of thermal equilibrium. The main reason for these changes is that dissociation reactions are delayed for non-thermal equilibrium plasmas, which in turn influences the ionization reactions that occur. (paper)

  5. Impact of 10% SF6 Gas Compared to 100% Air Tamponade in Descemet's Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rickmann, Annekatrin; Szurman, Peter; Jung, Sacha; Boden, Karl Thomas; Wahl, Silke; Haus, Arno; Boden, Katrin; Januschowski, Kai

    2018-04-01

    To compare the clinical outcomes following Descemet's membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK) with 100% air tamponade versus 10% sulfur hexafluoride (SF 6 ) tamponade. Retrospective analysis of 108 consecutive DMEK cases subdivided by anterior chamber tamponade with 54 eyes receiving 10% SF 6 and 54 eyes receiving 100% air injection. A post-hoc matched analysis revealed no statistically significant differences between the groups. The main outcome measurements were the complication rate, including intra- and postoperative complications and graft detachment rate requiring re-bubbling. Clinical outcome included best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), endothelial cell count (ECC), and central corneal thickness (CCT) measured 1, 3, and 6 months after DMEK surgery. The graft detachment rate with consecutive re-bubbling was 18.5% in the air group and 22.2% in the SF 6 group (p = 0.2). Remaining small peripheral graft detachments with a clear cornea occurred more often in the 100% air group (air: 22.2%; 12/54, 6/12 inferior compared to SF 6 : 7.4%; 4/54, 2/4 inferior; p = 0.06). The primary graft failure rate was comparable between the two groups. No complete graft detachment occurred. Outcome results for BCVA, ECC, and CCT at all follow-up time points were comparable between the two groups. The clinical outcomes (including re-bubbling rate, primary graft failure rate, and endothelial cell loss) were comparable with 100% air versus 10% SF 6 tamponade, whereas other studies suggest that a higher SF 6 concentration (20%) may result in a lower re-bubbling rate.

  6. Modification in existing SF6 gas handling system at 14UD BARC-TIFR Pelletron Accelerator, Mumbai

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ninawe, N.G.; Gupta, S.K.; Ramjilal; Sparrow, Hillary; Sharma, S.C.; Bhagwat, P.V.; Salvi, S.B.

    2003-01-01

    BARC-TIFR 14 UD Pelletron Accelerator facility at TIFR, Mumbai is operational since inception 1989. The accelerator is housed inside a pressure vessel of 6 metre diameter, 25 metre long and 525m 3 volume. The accelerator tank is pressurized with SF 6 at 80 to 100 psig in order to achieve 14MV. The inventory of SF 6 gas is about 18,000 Kg (approximately) at 80 psig. SF 6 gas can be transported from Accelerator tank to storage tank using gas handling system, which consists of oil free compressor, vacuum pump, dust filters, oil filters, dryers etc

  7. Amorphous hydrogenated carbon films treated by SF{sub 6} plasma

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Marins, N M S; Mota, R P; Santos, D C R; Honda, R Y; Kayama, M E; Kostov, K G; Algatti, M A [Laboratorio de Plasma, Faculdade de Engenharia, UNESP, Av. Dr. Ariberto Pereira da Cunha-333, 12516-410, Guaratingueta, SP (Brazil); Cruz, N C; Rangel, E C, E-mail: nazir@feg.unesp.b [Laboratorio de Plasmas Tecnologicos, Unidade Diferenciada Sorocaba/Ipero, UNESP, Av. Tres de Marco-511, 18085-180, Sorocaba, SP (Brazil)

    2009-05-01

    This work was performed to verify the chemical structure, mechanical and hydrophilic properties of amorphous hydrogenated carbon films prepared by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition, using acetylene/argon mixture as monomer. Films were prepared in a cylindrical quartz reactor, fed by 13.56 MHz radiofrequency. The films were grown during 5 min, for power varying from 25 to 125 W at a fixed pressure of 9.5 Pa. After deposition, all samples were treated by SF{sub 6} plasma with the aim of changing their hydrophilic character. Film chemical structure investigated by Raman spectroscopy, revealed the increase of sp{sup 3} hybridized carbon bonds as the plasma power increases. Hardness measurements performed by the nanoindentation technique showed an improvement from 5 GPa to 14 GPa following the increase discharge power. The untreated films presented a hydrophilic character, which slightly diminished after SF{sub 6} plasma treatment.

  8. Local study of pollutants dispersion by a real time tracer method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Faivre-Pierret, R.X.; Sestier-Carlin, R.; Berne, P.

    1992-01-01

    It is possible to use a Gaussian mathematical model of atmospheric dispersion for calculating atmospheric transfer coefficient (ATC) in long range model, but for proximity models, an experimental model using a tracer technic has to take in account ground effects and natural or artificial obstacles. SF 6 tracer method gives the true plume ground trace in real time. The measured ATC shows a larger ground trace, lower concentration in the axis, and a displacement of the maximum concentration with regard to wind axis in comparison with the calculated ATC. (A.B.). 14 refs., 4 figs., 1 tab

  9. Passive Q-switching in CW-CO2 laser with SF6 as an intracavity saturable absorber

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Al-Hawat, Sh.

    2007-10-01

    A passive Q-switching was applied to a tunable CW CO 2 laser with output power about 3.5 W using SF 6 as a saturable absorber inside the cavity. The Q-Switching phenomenon was studied ( pulse shape, pulse duration, repetition rate and conditions of its generation ) at the spectral lines of 10P(10), 10P(26), 10P(28) and 10P(30) from the branch of 10P of CO 2 laser. These lines had a weak absorption in relation to other lines of this branch, under SF 6 pressure till 0.5 mbar. To control the behaviour of such phenomenon, the gases He and Xe were added separately to SF 6 . It was observed that the Q-switching phenomenon was depended on the added gas pressure of Xe and He, through the repetitive rate of pulses , duration and energy of generated laser pulse. A computational program was written to calculate the Q-switching pulses parameters under similar conditions as those applied in the case of SF 6 +He mixture. A comparison was made with the experimental data , not so big discrepancies were observed between them. In addition to that, absorption coefficients of SF 6 were determined in two cases: the first one when the absorption cell was located outside the laser cavity, and the second one when the cell was located inside the cavity. On the basis of obtained coefficients the absorption cross sections of SF 6 were found and compared with NIST database.(author)

  10. Estimating health state utility values for comorbid health conditions using SF-6D data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ara, Roberta; Brazier, John

    2011-01-01

    When health state utility values for comorbid health conditions are not available, data from cohorts with single conditions are used to estimate scores. The methods used can produce very different results and there is currently no consensus on which is the most appropriate approach. The objective of the current study was to compare the accuracy of five different methods within the same dataset. Data collected during five Welsh Health Surveys were subgrouped by health status. Mean short-form 6 dimension (SF-6D) scores for cohorts with a specific health condition were used to estimate mean SF-6D scores for cohorts with comorbid conditions using the additive, multiplicative, and minimum methods, the adjusted decrement estimator (ADE), and a linear regression model. The mean SF-6D for subgroups with comorbid health conditions ranged from 0.4648 to 0.6068. The linear model produced the most accurate scores for the comorbid health conditions with 88% of values accurate to within the minimum important difference for the SF-6D. The additive and minimum methods underestimated or overestimated the actual SF-6D scores respectively. The multiplicative and ADE methods both underestimated the majority of scores. However, both methods performed better when estimating scores smaller than 0.50. Although the range in actual health state utility values (HSUVs) was relatively small, our data covered the lower end of the index and the majority of previous research has involved actual HSUVs at the upper end of possible ranges. Although the linear model gave the most accurate results in our data, additional research is required to validate our findings. Copyright © 2011 International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Ion and electron swarm studies of relevance to plasma processing: positive ion-molecule and electron-molecule studies of SF6 and derivatives

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Atterbury, C.; Kennedy, R.A.; Critchley, A.D.J.; Mayhew, C.A.

    2002-01-01

    Many sequential and parallel chemical reactions involving charged species occur in a plasma. Data needed to model plasma's chemical and physical environment includes cross-section, rate coefficients, and product ion distribution of electron-molecule and ion-molecule processes. Such reactions are studied by our group away from the complexity of the plasma environment, with experimental techniques that allow us to concentrate on a single process, where usually only one or two species are involved. A molecule commonly used in plasma etching applications is SF 6 1,2 . We have performed a series of positive ion-molecule and electron attachment studies on SF 6 and related molecules, including SeF 6 , TeF 6 (i.e. XF 6 molecules), SF 5 CF 3 and SF 5 Cl (i.e. SF 5 X molecules) 3- (. The studies of ion reactions with and electron attachment to SF 6 and physically similar molecules are of value when seeking to understand the ion and electron chemistry occurring in SF 6 containing plasma. The result of these studies are presented in this poster. Ion-molecule reactions. Rate coefficients and ion product branching ratios have been determined with the Selected Ion Flow Tube (SIFT) at room temperature (300 K) for reactions of SF 5 X with the following twenty-two cations; Ne + , F + , Ar + , N 2 + , N + , CO + , CO 2 + , O + , N 2 O + , O 2 + , SF 4 + , CF 2 + , SF + , SF 2 + , NO 2 + , SF 5 + , NO + , CF + , CF 3 + , SF 3 + , and H 3 O + (listed in order of decreasing recombination energy). SF 2 + , NO 2 + , NO + , SF 3 + , and H 3 O + are found to be unreacted with both SF 5 CF 3 and SF 5 Cl. The majority of the other reactions proceed with rate coefficients that are close to the capture value. Those found to occur at rates significantly less than the capture mechanism value re the reactions of O 2 + , SF + , SF 5 + , and CF 3 + with SF 5 CF 3 , and SF 4 + and SF 5 + with SF 5 Cl. Several distinction processes are observed among the large number of reactions studied, including

  12. Leader propagation in uniform background fields in SF6

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Seeger, M; Niemeyer, L; Bujotzek, M

    2009-01-01

    The breakdown mechanism of compressed SF 6 in gas insulation is known to be controlled by stepped leader propagation. This process is still not well understood in uniform and weakly non-uniform background fields with small electrode protrusions, such as particles or surface roughness. In a previous publication an investigation of partial discharges and breakdown in uniform background fields that focused on streamer and leader inception mechanisms was presented (Seeger et al 2008 J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 41 185204). In this paper we present for the first time a physical leader propagation model that consistently describes the observed phenomena in uniform background fields in SF 6 . The model explains two different types of leader breakdown; these can be associated with the precursor and the stem mechanisms. It also yields the parameters of stepped leader propagation, which include step lengths, associated step charges, step times and fields and temperatures in the leader channel. Further, it explains the features of arrested leaders in uniform background fields. The model predicts the range of parameters under which arrested and breakdown leaders occur in good agreement with the experimental data.

  13. Optimizing the switching time for 400 kV SF6 circuit breakers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ciulica, D.

    2018-01-01

    This paper presents real-time voltage and current analysis for optimizing the wave switching point of the circuit breaker SF6. Circuit Breaker plays an important role in power systems. It provides protection for equipment in embedded stations in transport networks. SF6 Circuit Breaker is very important equipment in Power Systems, which is used for up to 400 kV due to its excellent performance. The controlled switching is used to eliminate transient modes and electrodynamic and dielectric charges in the network at manual switching of capacitor, shunt reactors and power transformers. These effects reduce the reliability and lifetime of the equipment installed on the network, or may lead to erroneous protection.

  14. TM6SF2 and MAC30, new enzyme homologues in sterol metabolism and common metabolic disease.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luis eSanchez-Pulido

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Carriers of the Glu167Lys coding variant in the TM6SF2 gene have recently been identified as being more susceptible to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD, yet exhibit lower levels of circulating lipids and hence are protected against cardiovascular disease. Despite the physiological importance of these observations, the molecular function of TM6SF2 remains unknown, and no sequence similarity with functionally characterised proteins has been identified. In order to trace its evolutionary history and to identify functional domains, we embarked on a computational protein sequence analysis of TM6SF2. We identified a new domain, the EXPERA domain, which is conserved among TM6SF, MAC30/TMEM97 and EBP (D8,D7 sterol isomerase protein families. EBP mutations are the cause of chondrodysplasia punctata 2 X-linked dominant (CDPX2, also known as Conradi-Hünermann-Happle syndrome, a defective cholesterol biosynthesis disorder. Our analysis of evolutionary conservation among EXPERA domain-containing families and the previously suggested catalytic mechanism for the EBP enzyme, indicate that TM6SF and MAC30/TMEM97 families are both highly likely to possess, as for the EBP family, catalytic activity as sterol isomerases. This unexpected prediction of enzymatic functions for TM6SF and MAC30/TMEM97 is important because it now permits detailed experiments to investigate the function of these key proteins in various human pathologies, from cardiovascular disease to cancer.

  15. Predicting SF-6D utility scores from the Oswestry disability index and numeric rating scales for back and leg pain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carreon, Leah Y; Glassman, Steven D; McDonough, Christine M; Rampersaud, Raja; Berven, Sigurd; Shainline, Michael

    2009-09-01

    Cross-sectional cohort. The purpose of this study is to provide a model to allow estimation of utility from the Short Form (SF)-6D using data from the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), Back Pain Numeric Rating Scale (BPNRS), and the Leg Pain Numeric Rating Scale (LPNRS). Cost-utility analysis provides important information about the relative value of interventions and requires a measure of utility not often available from clinical trial data. The ODI and numeric rating scales for back (BPNRS) and leg pain (LPNRS), are widely used disease-specific measures for health-related quality of life in patients with lumbar degenerative disorders. The purpose of this study is to provide a model to allow estimation of utility from the SF-6D using data from the ODI, BPNRS, and the LPNRS. SF-36, ODI, BPNRS, and LPNRS were prospectively collected before surgery, at 12 and 24 months after surgery in 2640 patients undergoing lumbar fusion for degenerative disorders. Spearman correlation coefficients for paired observations from multiple time points between ODI, BPNRS, and LPNRS, and SF-6D utility scores were determined. Regression modeling was done to compute the SF-6D score from the ODI, BPNRS, and LPNRS. Using a separate, independent dataset of 2174 patients in which actual SF-6D and ODI scores were available, the SF-6D was estimated for each subject and compared to their actual SF-6D. In the development sample, the mean age was 52.5 +/- 15 years and 34% were male. In the validation sample, the mean age was 52.9 +/- 14.2 years and 44% were male. Correlations between the SF-6D and the ODI, BPNRS, and LPNRS were statistically significant (P < 0.0001) with correlation coefficients of 0.82, 0.78, and 0.72, respectively. The regression equation using ODI, BPNRS,and LPNRS to predict SF-6D had an R of 0.69 and a root mean square error of 0.076. The model using ODI alone had an R of 0.67 and a root mean square error of 0.078. The correlation coefficient between the observed and estimated

  16. Ozone depleting substances and gases HFCs, PFCs and SF{sub 6}. Consumption and emissions 2003; Ozonlagsnedbrydende stoffer og drivhusgasserne HFC'er PFC'er og SF6. Forbrug og emissioner 2003

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sander Poulsen, T.

    2005-07-01

    The evaluation includes a calculation of actual emissions of HFCs, PFCs and SF{sub 6} in Denmark. In this calculation of actual emissions, the release from stock of greenhouse gases in products has been taken into account, and adjustments have been made for imports and exports of the greenhouse gases in products. The evaluation has partly been prepared to enable Denmark to fulfil its international obligations to provide information within this area, and partly to follow the trend in consumption and emissions of HFCs, PFCs and SF{sub 6}. (BA)

  17. Exome-wide association study identifies a TM6SF2 variant that confers susceptibility to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kozlitina, Julia; Smagris, Eriks; Stender, Stefan

    2014-01-01

    Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common form of liver disease. To elucidate the molecular basis of NAFLD, we performed an exome-wide association study of liver fat content. Three variants were associated with higher liver fat levels at the exome-wide significance level of 3.......6 × 10(-7): two in PNPLA3, an established locus for NAFLD, and one (encoding p.Glu167Lys) in TM6SF2, a gene of unknown function. The TM6SF2 variant encoding p.Glu167Lys was also associated with higher circulating levels of alanine transaminase, a marker of liver injury, and with lower levels of low...... knockdown of Tm6sf2 in mice increased liver triglyceride content by threefold and decreased very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) secretion by 50%. Taken together, these data indicate that TM6SF2 activity is required for normal VLDL secretion and that impaired TM6SF2 function causally contributes to NAFLD....

  18. Molecular bonding in SF6 measured by elastic electron scattering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Miller, J.D.; Fink, M.

    1992-01-01

    Elastic differential cross-section measurements of gaseous SF 6 were made with 30 keV electrons in the range of 0.25 bohrs -1 ≤s≤10 bohrs -1 . Structural parameters derived in this study closely matched those found in an earlier total (elastic plus inelastic) scattering investigation. Multiple-scattering effects were incorporated in the structural refinement. The discrepancies between the independent atom model and the measured differential cross section reproduce earlier total scattering results for momentum transfers of greater than 5 bohrs -1 . By extending the measurements to smaller s values, a closer examination of a Hartree--Fock calculation for SF 6 was possible. It was found that the difference curve obtained from the Hartree--Fock calculation matched the experimental data in this region. A more quantitative analysis was performed using the analytic expressions of Bonham and Fink to compute moments of the molecular charge distribution from the differential cross-section data. Comparison of these results with similar fits to the Hartree--Fock calculation confirmed the good agreement between the Hartree--Fock calculation and the current elastic data

  19. Determining Health-Related Quality-of-Life Outcomes Using the SF-6D Following Total Hip Arthroplasty.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elmallah, Randa K; Chughtai, Morad; Adib, Farshad; Bozic, Kevin J; Kurtz, Steven M; Mont, Michael A

    2017-03-15

    Following total hip arthroplasty, patients' perception of their postoperative improvement and health plays a large role in satisfaction with and success of the surgical procedure. The Short Form-6D (SF-6D) is a health-related quality-of-life measure that assigns numerical value to the perception of patients' own health. The purpose was to determine SF-6D values of patients after total hip arthroplasty, to determine whether score changes were clinically relevant, and to compare these with postoperative functional improvements. We evaluated 188 patients who underwent primary total hip arthroplasty at 7 institutions and who had a mean age of 69 years (range, 47 to 88 years) and a mean body mass index of 28.8 kg/m (range, 19.8 to 38.9 kg/m). The SF-6D values were obtained from patients' SF-36 scores, and clinical relevance of value changes was determined using effect size. Using previous research, effect sizes were considered small between 0.2 and 0.5, moderate between 0.6 to 0.8, and large at >0.8. Clinical correlation was assessed using the Lower-Extremity Activity Scale and Harris hip scores. Patients were assessed preoperatively and postoperatively at 6 months and 1, 2, 3, and 5 years. The SF-6D scores improved from preoperatively and achieved significance (p < 0.05) at all points. The effect size demonstrated good clinical relevance up to the latest follow-up: 1.27 at 6 months, 1.30 at 1 year, 1.07 at 2 years, 1.08 at 3 years, and 1.05 at 5 years. The Lower-Extremity Activity Scale improved at all follow-up points from preoperatively to 1.8 at 6 months, 2.0 at 1 year, 1.8 at 2 years, 1.5 at 3 years, and 1.6 points at 5 years. The Harris hip score improved to 38 points at 6 months, 40 points at 1 year, 38 points at 2 years, 39 points at 3 years, and 41 points at 5 years postoperatively. The improvements in the Lower-Extremity Activity Scale and the Harris hip score significantly positively correlated (p < 0.01) with the SF-6D scores at all time points. SF-6D scores

  20. A Novel Approach to Power Circuit Breaker Design for Replacement of SF6

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D. J. Telfer

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available This contribution explores the role of PTFE ablation in enhancing current interruption for various background gases in high voltage circuit breakers. An assessment of the current interruption capability has been made in terms of the arcing duration and the contact gap length at which critical arc extinction is achieved. These observations are supported by measurements of the magnitude of extinction and re-ignition voltage peaks. Most previous and other current experimental work on gas filled circuit breaker design follows conventional wisdom in investigating arcing behaviours at elevated gas pressures (usually up to 6 bar. But in this work we concentrate on the effects of using low gas pressures (less than 1 bar in the presence of a close-fitting shield of ablatant polymer material (PTFE that surrounds the electrode assembly of an experimental high power circuit breaker. We demonstrate that for several different gases, arc extinction capability compares well under these conditions with SF6, suggesting that SF6 could be replaced entirely in this novel system by more environmentally friendly gases. Moreover, the critical contact gap lengths at extinction are only slightly greater than when using SF6 at 6 bar. Weight loss measurements from the ablatant shield suggest that a chemical puffer action is the most likely mechanism for achieving the observed arc extinctions in this system.

  1. Mechanical strength and hydrophobicity of cotton fabric after SF6 plasma treatment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kamlangkla, K.; Paosawatyanyong, B.; Pavarajarn, V.; Hodak, Jose H.; Hodak, Satreerat K.

    2010-01-01

    Surface treatments to tailor fabric properties are in high demand by the modern garment industry. We studied the effect of radio-frequency inductively coupled SF 6 plasma on the surface characteristics of cotton fabric. The duration of the treatment and the SF 6 pressure were varied systematically. We measured the hydrophobicity of treated cotton as a function of storage time and washing cycles. We used the weight loss (%) along with the etching rate, the tensile strength, the morphology changes and the hydrophobicity of the fabric as observables after treatments with different plasma conditions. The weight loss remains below 1% but it significantly increases when the treatment time is longer than 5 min. Substantial changes in the surface morphology of the fiber are concomitant with the increased etching rate and increased weight loss with measurable consequences in their mechanical characteristics. The measured water absorption time reaches the maximum of 210 min when the SF 6 pressure is higher than 0.3 Torr. The water contact angle (149 deg.) and the absorption time (210 min) of cotton treated with extreme conditions appear to be durable as long as the fabric is not washed. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis reveals that the water absorption time of the fabric follows the same increasing trend as the fluorine/carbon ratio at the fabric surface and atom density of fluorine measured by Ar actinometer.

  2. BOREAS TGB-1 NSA SF6 Chamber Flux Data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crill, Patrick; Varner, Ruth K.; Hall, Forrest G. (Editor); Conrad, Sara K. (Editor)

    2000-01-01

    The BOREAS TGB-1 team made several chamber and tower measurements of trace gases at sites in the BOREAS NSA. This data set contains sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) dark chamber flux measurements at the NSA-OJP and NSA-YJP sites from 16-May through 13-Sep-1994. Gas samples were extracted approximately every 7 days from dark chambers and analyzed at the NSA lab facility. The data are provided in tabular ASCII files.

  3. Time-resolved output spectrum from a hydrogen fluoride laser using mixtures of SF6 and HI

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Greiner, N.R.

    1975-01-01

    The time-resolved spectrum from a transverse-discharge hydrogen fluoride (HF) laser using a mixture of SF 6 and HI is reported. Because this spectrum matches that from a high-pressure H 2 -F 2 laser, and because the SF 6 -HI mixture is chemically stable, this laser should be a suitable and convenient source for probing H 2 -F 2 amplifiers

  4. Global distribution of mean age of stratospheric air from MIPAS SF6 measurements

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    H. Fischer

    2008-02-01

    Full Text Available Global distributions of profiles of sulphur hexafluoride (SF6 have been retrieved from limb emission spectra recorded by the Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding (MIPAS on Envisat covering the period September 2002 to March 2004. Individual SF6 profiles have a precision of 0.5 pptv below 25 km altitude and a vertical resolution of 4–6 km up to 35 km altitude. These data have been validated versus in situ observations obtained during balloon flights of a cryogenic whole-air sampler. For the tropical troposphere a trend of 0.230±0.008 pptv/yr has been derived from the MIPAS data, which is in excellent agreement with the trend from ground-based flask and in situ measurements from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Earth System Research Laboratory, Global Monitoring Division. For the data set currently available, based on at least three days of data per month, monthly 5° latitude mean values have a 1σ standard error of 1%. From the global SF6 distributions, global daily and monthly distributions of the apparent mean age of air are inferred by application of the tropical tropospheric trend derived from MIPAS data. The inferred mean ages are provided for the full globe up to 90° N/S, and have a 1σ standard error of 0.25 yr. They range between 0 (near the tropical tropopause and 7 years (except for situations of mesospheric intrusions and agree well with earlier observations. The seasonal variation of the mean age of stratospheric air indicates episodes of severe intrusion of mesospheric air during each Northern and Southern polar winter observed, long-lasting remnants of old, subsided polar winter air over the spring and summer poles, and a rather short period of mixing with midlatitude air and/or upward transport during fall in October/November (NH and April/May (SH, respectively, with small latitudinal gradients, immediately before the new polar vortex starts to form. The mean age distributions further

  5. Structural evolution of the P22-like phages: Comparison of Sf6 and P22 procapsid and virion architectures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Parent, Kristin N. [University of California, San Diego, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, La Jolla, CA 92093 (United States); Gilcrease, Eddie B. [University of Utah School of Medicine, Division of Microbiology and Immunology, Department of Pathology, Salt Lake City, UT 84112 (United States); Casjens, Sherwood R., E-mail: sherwood.casjens@path.utah.edu [University of Utah School of Medicine, Division of Microbiology and Immunology, Department of Pathology, Salt Lake City, UT 84112 (United States); Baker, Timothy S., E-mail: tsb@ucsd.edu [University of California, San Diego, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, La Jolla, CA 92093 (United States); University of California, San Diego, Division of Biological Sciences, La Jolla, CA 92093 (United States)

    2012-06-05

    Coat proteins of tailed, dsDNA phages and in herpesviruses include a conserved core similar to the bacteriophage HK97 subunit. This core is often embellished with other domains such as the telokin Ig-like domain of phage P22. Eighty-six P22-like phages and prophages with sequenced genomes share a similar set of virion assembly genes and, based on comparisons of twelve viral assembly proteins (structural and assembly/packaging chaperones), these phages are classified into three groups (P22-like, Sf6-like, and CUS-3-like). We used cryo-electron microscopy and 3D image reconstruction to determine the structures of Sf6 procapsids and virions ({approx} 7 A resolution), and the structure of the entire, asymmetric Sf6 virion (16-A resolution). The Sf6 coat protein is similar to that of P22 yet it has differences in the telokin domain and in its overall quaternary organization. Thermal stability and agarose gel experiments show that Sf6 virions are slightly less stable than those of P22. Finally, bacterial host outer membrane proteins A and C were identified in lipid vesicles that co-purify with Sf6 particles, but are not components of the capsid.

  6. Effects of SF6 plasma treatment on the properties of InGaZnO thin films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Jinsung; Bae, Byung Seong; Yun, Eui-Jung

    2018-03-01

    The effects of sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) plasma on the properties of amorphous InGaZnO (a-IGZO) thin films were examined. The properties of the a-IGZO thin films were characterized by Hall effect measurement, dynamic secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The IGZO thin films treated with SF6 plasma before annealing had a very high resistance mainly owing to the inclusion of S into the film surface, as evidenced by SIMS profiles. On the other hand, the samples treated with SF6 plasma after annealing showed better electrical properties with a Hall mobility of 10 cm2/(V·s) than the untreated samples or the samples SF6 plasma-treated before annealing. This was attributed to the increase in the number of oxygen vacancy defects in the a-IGZO thin films owing to the enhanced out-diffusion of O to the ambient and the increase in the number of F-related donor defects originating from the incorporation of a much larger amount of F than of S into the film surface, which were confirmed by XPS and SIMS.

  7. Comprehensive Study of SF_6/O_2 Plasma Etching for Mc-Silicon Solar Cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Tao; Zhou Chun-Lan; Wang Wen-Jing

    2016-01-01

    The mask-free SF_6/O_2 plasma etching technique is used to produce surface texturization of mc-silicon solar cells for efficient light trapping in this work. The SEM images and mc-silicon etching rate show the influence of plasma power, SF_6/O_2 flow ratios and etching time on textured surface. With the acidic-texturing samples as a reference, the reflection and IQE spectra are obtained under different experimental conditions. The IQE spectrum measurement shows an evident increase in the visible and infrared responses. By using the optimized plasma power, SF_6/O_2 flow ratios and etching time, the optimal efficiency of 15.7% on 50 × 50 mm"2 reactive ion etching textured mc-silicon silicon solar cells is achieved, mostly due to the improvement in the short-circuit current density. The corresponding open-circuit voltage, short-circuit current density and fill factor are 611 mV, 33.6 mA/cm"2, 76.5%, respectively. It is believed that such a low-cost and high-performance texturization process is promising for large-scale industrial silicon solar cell manufacturing. (paper)

  8. Understanding the relationship between the EQ-5D, SF-6D, HAQ and disease activity in inflammatory arthritis.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Adams, Roisin

    2012-02-01

    BACKGROUND: The growth of economic analyses and in particular cost-utility analyses (CUA), which use the QALY as a measure of outcome, has heightened the interest in the methodologies used to calculate the QALY. The EQ-5D has produced quite different utility values from that of the SF-6D. This article seeks to understand these differences using a cohort of patients with inflammatory arthritis. OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship between the disease-specific measure, Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) disability index (DI) and the preference-based measures, SF-6D, EQ-5D and European League Against Arthritis (EULAR) Disease Activity Score (DAS) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA). METHODS: Patients with RA and PsA (n = 504) attending a tertiary rheumatology referral centre completed the HAQ, SF-6D and the EQ-5D before starting biological therapy and again 12 months later. The SF-36 was converted into a utility using the preference-based SF-6D. Clinical outcomes such as the DAS, joint counts and laboratory measures were also recorded. We calculated single index utility scores from the preference-based instruments using UK population norms. We used regression analysis to derive a mapping function and calculated utility scores from the HAQDI and the DAS 28. RESULTS: The mean utility observed at baseline for RA was 0.43 for the EQ-5D and 0.54 for the SF-6D and for PsA was 0.49 for the EQ-5D and 0.57 for the SF-6D. The utility gain demonstrated by the EQ-5D was over twice that of the SF-6D. The EQ-5D scored 17% of the RA group as less than 0 (state defined as worse than death); 7% of this group remained less than 0 at follow-up. The distribution of the utility estimates was similar for both RA and PsA. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings draw attention to the impact of states worse than death on the overall distribution for the EQ-5D derived utilities and how these impact on its use in practice. EQ-5D-derived QALY changes are over twice

  9. Breakdown Voltage of CF3CHCl2 gas an Alternative to SF6 Gas using HV Test and Bonding Energy Methods

    Science.gov (United States)

    Juliandhy, Tedy; Haryono, T.; Suharyanto; Perdana, Indra

    2018-04-01

    For more than two decades of Sulphur Hexafluoride (SF6) gases is used as a gas insulation in high voltage equipment especially in substations. In addition to getting an advantage as an insulating gas. SF6 gas is recognized as one of the greenhouse effect gases that cause global warming. Under the Kyoto Protocol, SF6 gas is one of those gases whose use is restricted and gradually reduced to the presence of a replacement gas for SF6 gas. One of the alternative gas alternatives which have the potential of replacing SF6 gas as an insulating gas in Gas Insulated Switchgear (GIS) equipment in the substation is Dichlorotrifluoroethane (CF3CHCl2) gas. The purpose of this paper is to enable a comparison of breakdown voltage with high voltage test and method of calculating Bonding energy to Dichlorotrifluoroethane gas as substitute gas for SF6 gas. At 0.1 bar gas pressure obtained an average breakdown voltage of 18.68 kV / mm at 25oC chamber temperature and has the highest breakdown voltage at 50oC with a breakdown voltage of 19.56 kV / mm. The CF3CHCl2 gas has great potential as an insulating gas because it has more insulation ability high of SF6 gas, and is part of the gas recommended under the Kyoto Protocol. Gas CF3CHCl2 has the capacity to double the value of electronegativity greater than SF6 gas as a major requirement of gas isolation and has a value of Global Warming Potential (GWP) and Ozone Depleting lower than from SF6 gas.

  10. Electron attachment to the SF{sub 6} molecule

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Smirnov, B. M., E-mail: bmsmirnov@gmail.com; Kosarim, A. V. [Russian Academy of Sciences, Joint Institute for High Temperatures (Russian Federation)

    2015-09-15

    Various models for transition between electron and nuclear subsystems are compared in the case of electron attachment to the SF{sub 6} molecule. Experimental data, including the cross section of electron attachment to this molecule as a function of the electron energy and vibrational temperature, the rate constants of this process in swarm experiments, and the rates of the chemionization process involving Rydberg atoms and the SF{sub 6} molecule, are collected and treated. Based on the data and on the resonant character of electron capture into an autodetachment ion state in accordance with the Breit–Wigner formula, we find that intersection of the molecule and negative ion electron terms proceeds above the potential well bottom of the molecule with the barrier height 0.05–0.1 eV, and the transition between these electron terms has both the tunnel and abovebarrier character. The limit of small electron energies e for the electron attachment cross section at room vibrational temperature takes place at ε ≪ 2 meV, while in the range 2 meV ≪ ε ≪ 80 meV, the cross section is inversely proportional to ε. In considering the attachment process as a result of the interaction between the electron and vibrational degrees of freedom, we find the coupling factor f between them to be f = aT at low vibrational temperatures T with a ≈ 3 × 10{sup −4} K{sup −1}. The coupling factor is independent of the temperature at T > 400 K.

  11. Validation and comparison of EuroQoL-5 dimension (EQ-5D) and Short Form-6 dimension (SF-6D) among stable angina patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Jing; Han, Yuerong; Zhao, Fei-Li; Zhou, Jin; Chen, Zhijun; Sun, He

    2014-10-25

    Several preference-based health-related quality of life (HRQoL) instruments have been published and widely used in different populations. However no consensus has emerged regarding the most appropriate instrument in therapeutic area of stable angina. This study compared and validated the psychometric properties of two generic preference-based instruments, the EQ-5D and SF-6D, among Chinese stable angina patients. Convergent validity of the EQ-5D and SF-6D was examined with eight a priori hypotheses from stable angina patients in conjunction with Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ). Responsiveness was compared using the effect size (ES), relative efficiency (RE) and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Agreement between the EQ-5D and SF-6D was tested using intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) and Bland-Altman plot. Factors affecting utility difference were explored with multiple linear regression analysis. In 411 patients (mean age 68.08 ± 11.35), mean utility scores (SD) were 0.78 (0.15) for the EQ-5D and 0.68 (0.12) for the SF-6D. Validity was demonstrated by the moderate to strong correlation coefficients (Range: 0.368-0.594, Pstable-angina-specific health status than the EQ-5D (ES: 0.426 to 1.126). RE suggested that the SF-6D (RE: 44.8 to 177.8%) was more efficient than the EQ-5D except for physical function. Poor agreement between them was observed with ICC (0.448, Pstable angina patients. The SF-6D may be a more effective tool with lower ceiling effect and greater sensitivity. Further study is needed to compare other properties, such as reliability and longitudinal response.

  12. Function and horizontal transfer of the small terminase subunit of the tailed bacteriophage Sf6 DNA packaging nanomotor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leavitt, Justin C.; Gilcrease, Eddie B.; Wilson, Kassandra; Casjens, Sherwood R.

    2013-01-01

    Bacteriophage Sf6 DNA packaging series initiate at many locations across a 2 kbp region. Our in vivo studies that show that Sf6 small terminase subunit (TerS) protein recognizes a specific packaging (pac) site near the center of this region, that this site lies within the portion of the Sf6 gene that encodes the DNA-binding domain of TerS protein, that this domain of the TerS protein is responsible for the imprecision in Sf6 packaging initiation, and that the DNA-binding domain of TerS must be covalently attached to the domain that interacts with the rest of the packaging motor. The TerS DNA-binding domain is self-contained in that it apparently does not interact closely with the rest of the motor and it binds to a recognition site that lies within the DNA that encodes the domain. This arrangement has allowed the horizontal exchange of terS genes among phages to be very successful. PMID:23562538

  13. Particle contamination in gas-insulated systems: new control methods and optimum SF6/N2 mixtures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pace, M.O.; Adcock, J.L.; Christophorou, L.G.

    1984-01-01

    The feasibilities of two new separate techniques to control particle contamination in practical gas-insulated sytems were tested in a small-scale concentric cylinder geometry. In one technique an insulating coating was first formed on the particles in a contaminated system by low-pressure discharges in appropriate gases such as 1-C 3 F 6 and c-C 4 F 8 . When SF 6 was subsequently introduced into the same system at practical pressure as the operating insulation, the considerable harm ordinarily caused by particles was found to be eliminated. The nature of the coating formed also on the electrodes in this process was studied, with the conclusion that the observed benefits were primarily due to coating on particles, not on electrodes. In the second technique the particles, moved randomly by electrical stress, struck and adhered to the surface of a tacky insulating solid material; they were subsequently encapsulated in a melt-resolidify cycle without electrical stress. This trapping technique was also found to eliminate the harmful effects of particles in SF 6 at practical pressure. A technique for producing a trapping material with temperature characteristics appropriate for practical apparatus was devised. The effect of particle contamination on the dielectric strength of SF 6 /N 2 mixtures was studied as a function of total pressure and percentage of each gas. Optimum total pressure (approx. 6 atm) and optimum percentages (60% SF 6 /40% N 2 ) were observed in breakdown tests in particle-contaminated concentric cylinder geometry

  14. Numaerical simulation of a SF6 circuit-breaker arc

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vergne, P.J.; Gonzalez, J.J.; Gleizes, A.

    1995-01-01

    The design and the validation of high-voltage circuit breaker require more and more physical models which take into account complex phenomenae. We present here a numerical simulation of an SF 6 arc established in a simplified geometry of a circuit breaker prototype. Our study deals specially with the turbulent flow, the boundary conditions of the arc roots on the electrodes, the influence of the electromagnetic strengths and the radiative transfer. The results concern a stationary state with fixed geometry and current intensity (I=2000 A)

  15. Mechanical strength and hydrophobicity of cotton fabric after SF{sub 6} plasma treatment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kamlangkla, K. [Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Program, Center of Innovative Nanotechnology, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330 (Thailand); Paosawatyanyong, B. [Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, and ThEP Center, Commission on Higher Education, Bangkok 10330 (Thailand); Pavarajarn, V. [Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330 (Thailand); Hodak, Jose H. [Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400 (Thailand); Hodak, Satreerat K., E-mail: Satreerat.H@Chula.ac.th [Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, and ThEP Center, Commission on Higher Education, Bangkok 10330 (Thailand)

    2010-08-01

    Surface treatments to tailor fabric properties are in high demand by the modern garment industry. We studied the effect of radio-frequency inductively coupled SF{sub 6} plasma on the surface characteristics of cotton fabric. The duration of the treatment and the SF{sub 6} pressure were varied systematically. We measured the hydrophobicity of treated cotton as a function of storage time and washing cycles. We used the weight loss (%) along with the etching rate, the tensile strength, the morphology changes and the hydrophobicity of the fabric as observables after treatments with different plasma conditions. The weight loss remains below 1% but it significantly increases when the treatment time is longer than 5 min. Substantial changes in the surface morphology of the fiber are concomitant with the increased etching rate and increased weight loss with measurable consequences in their mechanical characteristics. The measured water absorption time reaches the maximum of 210 min when the SF{sub 6} pressure is higher than 0.3 Torr. The water contact angle (149 deg.) and the absorption time (210 min) of cotton treated with extreme conditions appear to be durable as long as the fabric is not washed. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis reveals that the water absorption time of the fabric follows the same increasing trend as the fluorine/carbon ratio at the fabric surface and atom density of fluorine measured by Ar actinometer.

  16. Measurements of industrial fugitive emissions by the FTIR Tracer Method (FTM)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mellqvist, J.; Arlander, B.; Galle, B.; Bergqvist, B.

    1996-01-01

    A new method called the FTIR Tracer Method (FTM), has been developed for measuring and quantifying fugitive (diffuse) emissions of hydrocarbons. The method has been evaluated in field experiments which were conducted in the vicinity of several petrochemical plants and an oil refinery during 1993-1995. The technique is based on concentration measurements with infrared remote sensing by Long Path Fourier Transform InfraRed (LPFTIR), combined with tracer releases. The field experiments show the FTM to be very useful for mass flux measurements of both alkanes and alkenes and that the measurements are consistent with the conventional SF 6 method. However, the technique needs to be further validated and a more thorough understanding of the measurement uncertainties have to be achieved

  17. Abatement cost of SF6 emissions from medium voltage switchgear. Validation of recent studies for the European Commission

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Benner, J.; Van Lieshout, M.; Croezen, H.

    2012-05-15

    Sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) is a gas with applications including use as an insulator and switching medium in medium voltage (MV) switchgear. While having certain unique properties, it is also a greenhouse gas, with a 22,800 times greater impact than CO2 and an atmospheric lifetime of over 3,000 years. Although the use of SF6 in MV switchgear can be avoided, according to recent studies for the European Commission, the abatement costs are high. This study validates the calculated cost levels as well as the general feasibility of determining a fixed cost figure for this purpose. This analysis yields a result which differs from the earlier studies, particularly with respect to the cost aspect, but also in other areas. CE Delft concludes that for the majority of applications cost-effective SF6-free options are available, leading to abatement costs for the use of SF6 in MV switchgear that range from - 40 to 0 euro/tCO2 eq., for all types of switchgear, with voltage levels below 25 kV and situated on relatively dry locations.

  18. Inferring Groundwater Age in an Alluvial Aquifer from Tracer Concentrations in the Stream - Little Wind River, Wyoming

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goble, D.; Gardner, W. P.; Naftz, D. L.; Solder, J. E.

    2017-12-01

    We use environmental tracers: CFC's, SF6, and 222Rn measured in stream water to determine volume and mean age of groundwater discharging to the Little Wind River, near Riverton, Wyoming. Samples of 222Rn were collected every 200 m along a 2 km reach, surrounding a known groundwater discharge zone. Nearby groundwater wells, in-stream piezometers and seepage meters were sampled for 222Rn, CFC's and SF6. Tracer concentrations measured in groundwater and in-stream piezometers were used to estimate the mean age of the subsurface system. High resolution 222Rn samples were used to determine the location and volume of groundwater inflow using a model of instream transport that includes radioactive decay and gas exchange with the atmosphere. The age of groundwater entering the stream was then estimated from in-stream measured CFC and SF6 concentrations using a new coupled stream transport and lumped-parameter groundwater age model. Ages derived from in-stream measurements were then compared to the age of subsurface water measured in piezometers, seepage meters, and groundwater wells. We then asses the ability of groundwater age inferred from in-stream samples to provide constraint on the age of the subsurface discharge to the stream. The ability to asses groundwater age from in-stream samples can provide a convenient method to constrain the regional distribution of groundwater circulation rates when groundwater sampling is challenging or wells are not in place.

  19. Substitutes for potent green house gases. HFCs, PFCs and SF{sub 6}. Status report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pedersen, P.H. [Dansk Teknologisk Institut (Denmark)

    1997-12-31

    CFCs (halogenated chlorofluorocarbons), HCFCs (hydrochlorofluorocarbons), HFCs (hydrofluorocarbons), PFCs (fluorocarbons) and SF{sub 6} (sulphur hexafluoride) are all artificial substances which were not to be found in nature until recently. In 1995 the Danish consumption of HFC substances was approximately 740 tonnes, where the corresponding amount of SF{sub 6} was about 17 tonnes. If the entire amount of these substances was released to to the atmosphere, the resulting impact would correspond to an increased emission of greenhouse gases, corresponding to approximately 1.5 million tonnes of CO{sub 2}. HFC substances would account for 73%, SF{sub 6} with 25% and PFC for 1%. This corresponds to approximately 2.6% of the Danish CO{sub 2} emission (nearly 60 million tonnes per year). This corresponds to about half of the aimed 6% reduction of CO{sub 2} emission attained by introduction of mandatory green taxes on CO{sub 2}. According to experience from the CFC programme it is possible to recover some CFC and send it to controlled destruction. From 1993 to 1996 the refrigeration industry, for instance, has returned a total amount of 163 tonnes of CFC refrigerant through the KMO organization (Koelebranchens Miljoe Ordning). Most of this has been destroyed and a small amount has been purified and recycled afterwards. Similarly, it is likely to believe that some HFC refrigerant will be returned through the KMO organization. (au) 11 refs., also published in Danish

  20. Theoretical study of OCCHCN as a potential alternative insulation gas for SF6

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhiguo Chen

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Cyanoketene (OCCHCN has been reported as a potential alternative insulation gas for SF6 in Patent US0135817. Stationary point equilibrium geometries on the ground state have been optimized at the B3LYP/6-311+G(d,p level, and the harmonic vibration frequencies are calculated at the same level. The HOMO-LUMO energy gaps (Eg, ionization potentials (IP, and electron affinities (EA of the studied molecules are obtained. The minimum energy path (MEP is obtained by the intrinsic reaction coordinate (IRC theory, and the energetic information is further refined by QCISD(T (single-point method. The results show that OCCHCN can be used as SF6 alternative insulation gas in high voltage equipment according to potential energy surface analysis. As the isomerization and the cleavage reactions potential barriers are lower than the Eg and IP values, resulting in OCCHCN is not easy to be ionized and excited.

  1. Elimination of particle effects in SF/sub 6/ insulated transmission systems. First quarterly report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dale, S.J.

    1979-01-01

    The purpose of this program is to develop methods and equipment to eliminate the adverse effect of particle contamination in SF/sub 6/-insulated transmission (CGIT) systems, so that the excellent dielectric properties of SF/sub 6/ can be fully exploited. Presently, CGIT systems are operated at about 10% of the dielectric strength capability of the SF/sub 6/ gas. The program includes theoretical and experimental evaluation of concepts, optimization and verification studies in CGIT systems, and reliability analysis, documentation of designs and economic analysis. Progress is now being made on evaluating alternative conductor and sheath designs to minimize the effect of particles. Materials for solid insulation is being investigated for the same purpose; the effort is presently concentrated on obtaining reliable quantitative measurement techniques of electrostatic properties. Computer calculation of particle trap configurations are being made to determine the optimum trap configurations. A novel particle trapping technique is being using adhesive materials. Manufacture and field control technique studies has commenced with a study of mechanical vibration techniques. An experimental test chamber consisting of a 9 m (30 foot) long 145 kV bus has been designed. This system will be used in testing of particle control concepts and in migration and optimization studies.

  2. Decomposition of SF6-R134a effluents by RF plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Joshi, Avinash V.

    2012-01-01

    The efficiency of recovery achieved by open or closed loop extraction of RPC exhaust gases is in the range of 90-95% under optimum conditions. For a large detector setup operating on one volume change per day basis, a 5% loss amounts to discharging 50 kg of R134a and 0.5 kg of SF 6 into atmosphere every day. The emissions are equivalent to create nearly 50 000 m 3 of carbon dioxide daily. The gas emissions need to be completely converted to safer compounds. The gases such as R134a and SF 6 are stable compounds. In order to decompose these, the mixture is first activated by adding of 50% oxygen and 2% argon and under typical RF plasma conditions of 13.56 MHz, 1 Torr pressure and 0.2 W/cm 2 power density. The chemical reaction takes place on the surface of a silicon electrode. The product of the reaction is mainly SiF 4 (gas), which is further hydrolyzed to form HF solution and silicon hydroxide sludge. More than 90% of the effluent gas mixture can be effectively removed by this method.

  3. Numerical Simulation of a Tracer Experiment at the Wolsong Nuclear Site

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jeong, Hyojoon; Kim, Eunhan; Park, Misun; Jeong, Haesun; Hwang, Wontae; Han, Moonhee

    2014-01-01

    By comparing the concentration of a tracer measured under weather conditions that are disadvantageous to the dilution of radioactive materials released from the Wolsong Nuclear Power Plant, with the concentration of a tracer calculated using an air Dispersion model, it is possible to evaluate the characteristics of the air concentrations of radioactive materials estimated with an air Dispersion model, which can then be used in an environmental impact analysis of radioactive materials. Therefore, a field Dispersion experiment has been carried out to figure out the behavioral characteristics of the tracer under weather conditions that are disadvantageous to the dilution of radioactive materials released from the Wolsong Nuclear Power Plant site in Korea. In addition, through a comparison of the tracer concentrations estimated by the Gaussian plume model with measurements, this study checked the degree of conservative estimation for the Gaussian plume at the Wolsong nuclear site in Korea. A tracer Dispersion experiment using an SF 6 trace was implemented to determine the Dispersion characteristics of radioactive materials at the Wolsong Nuclear Power Plant site in Korea. Based on meteorological data and the emission rate of the tracers, this study estimated the tracer concentrations using a Gaussian plume model, and then compared it with the measurement to check the conservative estimation of the Gaussian plume model. The measured concentrations of the tracer tends to be lower than the concentrations estimated by the Gaussian plume model overall

  4. A dual tracer ratio method for comparative emission measurements in an experimental dairy housing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohn, Joachim; Zeyer, Kerstin; Keck, Margret; Keller, Markus; Zähner, Michael; Poteko, Jernej; Emmenegger, Lukas; Schrade, Sabine

    2018-04-01

    Agriculture, and in particular dairy farming, is an important source of ammonia (NH3) and non-carbon dioxide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This calls for the development and quantification of effective mitigation strategies. Our study presents the implementation of a dual tracer ratio method in a novel experimental dairy housing with two identical, but spatially separated housing areas. Modular design and flexible floor elements allow the assessment of structural, process engineering and organisational abatement measures at practical scale. Thereby, the emission reduction potential of specific abatement measures can be quantified in relation to a reference system. Emissions in the naturally ventilated housing are determined by continuous dosing of two artificial tracers (sulphur hexafluoride SF6, trifluoromethylsulphur pentafluoride SF5CF3) and their real-time detection in the ppt range with an optimized GC-ECD method. The two tracers are dosed into different experimental sections, which enables the independent assessment of both housing areas. Mass flow emissions of NH3 and GHGs are quantified by areal dosing of tracer gases and multipoint sampling as well as real-time analysis of both tracer and target gases. Validation experiments demonstrate that the technique is suitable for both areal and point emission sources and achieves an uncertainty of less than 10% for the mass emissions of NH3, methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2), which is superior to other currently available methods. Comparative emission measurements in this experimental dairy housing will provide reliable, currently unavailable information on emissions for Swiss dairy farming and demonstrate the reduction potential of mitigation measures for NH3, GHGs and potentially other pollutants.

  5. The greenhouse gases HFCs, PFCs and SF{sub 6}, Danish consumption and emissions, 2007

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sander Poulsen, T.; Bode, I.

    2009-07-01

    The objective of this project was to determine the Danish consumption and actual emissions of HFCs, PFCs, and SF{sub 6} for 2007. Further, if methodology changes are made in connection to the work on 2007 data, the data for previous years are considered and updated accordingly. The emission calculation is made in accordance with the IPCC guidelines and following the method employed in previous year calculation. The methodology includes calculation of the actual emissions of HFCs, PFCs, and SF{sub 6}. In this calculation of actual emissions, the release from stock of greenhouse gases in products has been taken into account, and adjustments have been made for imports and exports of the greenhouse gases in products. Specific emission factors are presented. (ln)

  6. The relationship between SF-6D utility scores and lifestyle factors across three life stages: evidence from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kanesarajah, Jeeva; Waller, Michael; Whitty, Jennifer A; Mishra, Gita D

    2017-06-01

    To investigate how SF-6D utility scores change with age between generations of women and to quantify the relationship of SF-6D with lifestyle factors across life stages. Up to seven waves of self-reported, longitudinal data were drawn for the 1973-1978 (young, N = 13772), 1946-1951 (mid-age, N = 12792), 1921-1926 (older, N = 9972) cohorts from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. Mixed effects models were employed for analysis. Young and mid-age women had similar average SF-6D scores at baseline (0.63-0.64), which remained consistent over the 16-year period. However, older women had lower scores at baseline at 0.57 which steadily declined over 15 years. Across cohorts, low education attainment, greater difficulty in managing income, obesity, physical inactivity, heavy smoking, no alcohol consumption, and increasing stress levels were associated with lower SF-6D scores. The magnitude of effect varied between cohorts. SF-6D scores were lower amongst young women with high-risk drinking behaviours than low-risk drinkers. Mid-age women, who were underweight, never married, or underwent surgical menopause also reported lower SF-6D scores. Older women who lived in remote areas, who were ex-smokers, or were underweight, reported lower SF-6D scores. The SF-6D utility score is sensitive to differences in lifestyle factors across adult life stages. Gradual loss of physical functioning may explain the steady decline in health for older women. Key factors associated with SF-6D include physical activity, body mass index, menopause status, smoking, alcohol use, and stress. Factors associated with poorer SF-6D scores vary in type and magnitude at different life stages.

  7. Arc modelling in SF6 circuit breakers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Verite, J.C.; Boucher, T.; Comte, A.; Delalondre, C.; Robin-Jouan, P.; Serres, E.; Texier, V.; Barrault, M.; Chevrier, P.; Fievet, C.

    1995-06-01

    The paper presents the work done by an operator, EDF and two manufacturers to improve the physical models and numerical methods used to simulate the behavior of the plasma and cold gas around it in a breaking chamber of the HV SF6 circuit breaker, during the high-current phase. This work concerns flow phenomena, in particular incorporating compressibility and the study of turbulence, the coupling between these flow phenomena and electromagnetic phenomena, and finally, radiation - which plays an essential role in energy transfer during the high-current phase. For this latter aspect, emission but also absorption were proven to play a major role, and the two were introduced into the models. The paper presents the models developed and the results obtained with them for simulation of two circuit breaker mock-ups (a double-pressure circuit breaker mock-up and a self-expanding and rotating arc circuit breaker mock-up). (author)

  8. Linking chloride mass balance infiltration rates with chlorofluorocarbon and SF6 groundwater dating in semi-arid settings: potential and limitations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stadler, Susanne; Osenbruck, Karsten; Duijnisveld, Wilhelmus H M; Schwiede, Martin; Bottcher, Jurgen

    2010-09-01

    In the framework of the investigation of enrichment processes of nitrate in groundwater of the Kalahari of Botswana near Serowe, recharge processes were investigated. The thick unsaturated zone extending to up to 100 m of mostly unconsolidated sediments and very low recharge rates pose a serious challenge to study solute transport related to infiltration and recharge processes, as this extends past the conventional depths of soil scientific investigations and is difficult to describe using evidence from the groundwater due to the limitations imposed by available tracers. To determine the link between nitrate in the vadose zone and in the uppermost groundwater, sediment from the vadose zone was sampled up to a depth of 15-20 m (in one case also to 65 m) on several sites with natural vegetation in the research area. Among other parameters, sediment and water were analysed to determine chloride and nitrate concentration depth profiles. Using the chloride mass balance method, an estimation of groundwater infiltration rates produced values of 0.2-4 mm a(-1). The uncertainty of these values is, however, high. Because of the extreme thickness of the vadose zone, the travel time in the unsaturated zone might reach extreme values of up to 500 years and more. For investigations using groundwater, we applied the chlorofluorocarbons CFC-113, CFC-12, sulphur hexafluoride (SF(6)) and tritium to identify potential recharge, and found indications for some advective transport of the CFCs and SF(6), which we accounted for as constituting potential active localised recharge. In our contribution, we show the potential and limitations of the applied methods to determine groundwater recharge and coupled solute transport in semi-arid settings, and compare travel time ranges derived from soil science and groundwater investigations.

  9. A global model for SF6 plasmas coupling reaction kinetics in the gas phase and on the surface of the reactor walls

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kokkoris, George; Panagiotopoulos, Apostolos; Gogolides, Evangelos; Goodyear, Andy; Cooke, Mike

    2009-01-01

    Gas phase and reactor wall-surface kinetics are coupled in a global model for SF 6 plasmas. A complete set of gas phase and surface reactions is formulated. The rate coefficients of the electron impact reactions are based on pertinent cross section data from the literature, which are integrated over a Druyvesteyn electron energy distribution function. The rate coefficients of the surface reactions are adjustable parameters and are calculated by fitting the model to experimental data from an inductively coupled plasma reactor, i.e. F atom density and pressure change after the ignition of the discharge. The model predicts that SF 6 , F, F 2 and SF 4 are the dominant neutral species while SF 5 + and F - are the dominant ions. The fit sheds light on the interaction between the gas phase and the reactor walls. A loss mechanism for SF x radicals by deposition of a fluoro-sulfur film on the reactor walls is needed to predict the experimental data. It is found that there is a net production of SF 5 , F 2 and SF 6 , and a net consumption of F, SF 3 and SF 4 on the reactor walls. Surface reactions as well as reactions between neutral species in the gas phase are found to be important sources and sinks of the neutral species.

  10. Verification of the sputter-generated {sup 32}SF{sub n}{sup −} (n = 1–6) anions by accelerator mass spectrometry

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mane, R.G.; Surendran, P. [Nuclear Physics Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 400085 (India); Kumar, Sanjay [Physics Department, Agra College Agra, Agra 282002 (India); Nair, J.P.; Yadav, M.L. [Nuclear Physics Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 400085 (India); Hemalatha, M. [UM-DAE Centre for Excellence in Basic Sciences, Mumbai 400098 (India); Thomas, R.G.; Mahata, K. [Nuclear Physics Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 400085 (India); Kailas, S. [UM-DAE Centre for Excellence in Basic Sciences, Mumbai 400098 (India); Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai 400 085 (India); Gupta, A.K., E-mail: anit@tifr.res.in [Nuclear Physics Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 400085 (India)

    2016-01-01

    Recently, we have performed systematic Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) measurements at our ion source test set up and have demonstrated that gas phase {sup 32}SF{sub n}{sup −} (n = 1–6) anions for all size ‘n’ can be readily generated from a variety of surfaces undergoing Cs{sup +} ion sputtering in the presence of high purity SF{sub 6} gas by employing the gas spray-cesium sputter technique. In our SIMS measurements, the isotopic yield ratio {sup 34}SF{sub n}{sup −}/{sup 32}SF{sub n}{sup −} (n = 1–6) was found to be close to its natural abundance but not for all size ‘n’. In order to gain further insight into the constituents of these molecular anions, ultra sensitive Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) measurements were conducted with the most abundant {sup 32}SF{sub n}{sup −} (n = 1–6) anions, at BARC-TIFR 14 UD Pelletron accelerator. The results from these measurements are discussed in this paper.

  11. Adsorption behaviour of SF6 decomposed species onto Pd4-decorated single-walled CNT: a DFT study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cui, Hao; Zhang, Xiaoxing; Zhang, Jun; Tang, Ju

    2018-07-01

    Metal nanocluster decorated single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) with improved adsorption behaviour towards gaseous molecules compared with intrinsic ones, have been widely accepted as a workable media for gas interaction due to their strong catalysis. In this work, Pd4 cluster is determined as a catalytic centre to theoretically study the adsorption property of Pd4-decorated SWCNT upon SF6 decomposed species. Results indicate that Pd4-SWCNT possessing good responses and sensitivities towards three composed species of SF6 could realise selective detection for them according to the different conductivity changes resulting from the varying adsorption ability. The response of Pd4-SWCNT upon three molecules in order is SOF2 > H2S > SO2, and the conductivity of the proposed material is about to increase in SOF2 and H2S systems, while declining in SO2 system. Such conclusions would be helpful for experimentalists to explore novel SWCNT-based sensors in evaluating the operating state of SF6 insulation devices.

  12. Validation and comparison of EuroQoL-5 dimension (EQ-5D) and Short Form-6 dimension (SF-6D) among stable angina patients

    OpenAIRE

    Wu, Jing; Han, Yuerong; Zhao, Fei-Li; Zhou, Jin; Chen, Zhijun; Sun, He

    2014-01-01

    Objectives Several preference-based health-related quality of life (HRQoL) instruments have been published and widely used in different populations. However no consensus has emerged regarding the most appropriate instrument in therapeutic area of stable angina. This study compared and validated the psychometric properties of two generic preference-based instruments, the EQ-5D and SF-6D, among Chinese stable angina patients. Methods Convergent validity of the EQ-5D and SF-6D was examined with ...

  13. 48 CFR 53.301-18 - SF 18 (Rev. 6/95), Request for Quotations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false SF 18 (Rev. 6/95), Request for Quotations. 53.301-18 Section 53.301-18 Federal Acquisition Regulations System FEDERAL ACQUISITION... for Quotations. EC01MY91.002 [60 FR 34763, July 3, 1995] ...

  14. Evaluating 10B-enriched Boric Acid, Bromide, and Heat as Tracers of Recycled Groundwater Flow near MAR Operations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Becker, T.; Clark, J. F.

    2012-12-01

    Coupled with the unpredictability of a changing climate, the projected growth in human population over the next century requires new and innovative ways to augment already-depleted water supplies. An increasingly popular and promising development is managed aquifer recharge (MAR), a cost-effective method of intentionally storing potable water in groundwater aquifers at engineered sites worldwide. Reclaimed (or recycled) water, defined as cleaned and treated wastewater, will account for a larger portion of MAR water in future years. A crucial component for managing groundwater recharged with reclaimed water is its subsurface travel time. The California Department of Public Health (CDPH), with the most recent draft of regulations issued on November 21, 2011, requires the application of groundwater tracers to demonstrate subsurface residence time. Residence time increases the quality of reclaimed water via soil-aquifer treatment (SAT), which includes mechanisms such as sorption, biological degradation, and microbial inactivation to remove potential contaminants or pathogens. This study addresses the need for an appropriate tracer to determine groundwater residence times near MAR facilities. Standard shallow groundwater dating techniques, such as T/3He and chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) methods, cannot be used because their uncertainties are typically ± 2 years, longer than the target CDPH retention time of ~6 months. These methods also cannot map preferential flow paths. Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), a nonreactive synthetic gas, is well-established as a deliberate tracer for determining subsurface travel time; however, SF6 is a very strong greenhouse gas and the California Air Resources Board (CARB) is regulating its emission. Other tracers, such as noble gas isotopes, that have successfully determined subsurface retention times are impractical due to their high cost. A multi-tracer experiment at the San Gabriel Spreading Grounds test basin (Montebello Forebay, Los Angeles

  15. Sino-Danish Brain Circulation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bertelsen, Rasmus Gjedssø; Du, Xiangyun; Søndergaard, Morten Karnøe

    2014-01-01

    China is faced with urgent needs to develop an economically and environmentally sustainable economy based on innovation and knowledge. Brain circulation and research and business investments from the outside are central for this development. Sino-American brain circulation and research...... and investment by overseas researchers and entrepreneurs are well described. In that case, the US is the center of global R&D and S&T. However, the brain circulation and research and investments between a small open Scandinavian economy, such as Denmark, and the huge developing economy of China are not well...... understood. In this case, Denmark is very highly developed, but a satellite in the global R&D and S&T system. With time and the growth of China as a R&D and S&T power house, both Denmark and China will benefit from brain circulation between them. Such brain circulation is likely to play a key role in flows...

  16. Test of Blanc's law for negative ion mobility in mixtures of SF6 with N2, O2 and air

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hinojosa, G; Urquijo, J de

    2003-01-01

    We have measured the mobility of negative ion species drifting in mixtures of SF 6 with N 2 , O 2 and air. The pulsed Townsend experiment was used for this purpose. The conditions of the experiment, high pressures and low values of the reduced electric field, E/N, ensured that the majority species drifting in the gap was SF 6 - , to which the present mobilities are ascribed. The extrapolated, zero field mobilities for several mixture compositions were used to test them successfully with Blanc's law. Moreover, the measured zero field SF 6 - mobilities in air could also be explained in terms of the measured mobilities for this ionic species in N 2 and O 2

  17. Political, Economic, Socio-Cultural, and Educational Challenges of Administering a Sino-US Joint Venture Campus in China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ozturgut, Osman

    2008-01-01

    This qualitative study explored the political, economic, socio-cultural, and educational challenges of administering a Sino-U.S. joint-venture campus in the People's Republic of China. China American University (CAU) is an educational joint venture between China Investment Company (CIC) and American University (AU) in the U.S. that resulted in…

  18. Assessment of Eco-friendly Gases for Electrical Insulation to Replace the Most Potent Industrial Greenhouse Gas SF6.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rabie, Mohamed; Franck, Christian M

    2018-01-16

    Gases for electrical insulation are essential for the operation of electric power equipment. This Review gives a brief history of gaseous insulation that involved the emergence of the most potent industrial greenhouse gas known today, namely sulfur hexafluoride. SF 6 paved the way to space-saving equipment for the transmission and distribution of electrical energy. Its ever-rising usage in the electrical grid also played a decisive role in the continuous increase of atmospheric SF 6 abundance over the last decades. This Review broadly covers the environmental concerns related to SF 6 emissions and assesses the latest generation of eco-friendly replacement gases. They offer great potential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from electrical equipment but at the same time involve technical trade-offs. The rumors of one or the other being superior seem premature, in particular because of the lack of dielectric, environmental, and chemical information for these relatively novel compounds and their dissociation products during operation.

  19. Complications among colorectal cancer survivors: SF-6D preference-weighted quality of life scores.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hornbrook, Mark C; Wendel, Christopher S; Coons, Stephen Joel; Grant, Marcia; Herrinton, Lisa J; Mohler, M Jane; Baldwin, Carol M; McMullen, Carmit K; Green, Sylvan B; Altschuler, Andrea; Rawl, Susan M; Krouse, Robert S

    2011-03-01

    Societal preference-weighted health-related quality of life (HRQOL) scores enable comparing multidimensional health states across diseases and treatments for research and policy. To assess the effects of living with a permanent intestinal stoma, compared with a major bowel resection, among colorectal cancer (CRC) survivors. Cross-sectional multivariate linear regression analysis to explain preference-weighted HRQOL scores. In all, 640 CRC survivors (≥ 5 years) from 3 group model health maintenance organizations; ostomates and nonostomates with colorectal resections for CRC were matched on gender, age (± 5 years), time since diagnosis, and tumor site (rectum vs. colon). SF-6D scoring system was applied to Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 version 2 (SF-36v2); City of Hope Quality of Life-Ostomy; and Charlson-Deyo comorbidity index. Survey of CRC survivors linked to respondents' clinical data extracted from health maintenance organization files. Response rate was 52%. Ostomates and nonostomates had similar sociodemographic characteristics. Mean SF-6D score was 0.69 for ostomates, compared with 0.73 for nonostomates (P ostomy after other factors were taken into account. Surgical complications, comorbidities, and metastatic disease lowered the preference-weighted HRQOL of CRC survivors with and without ostomies. Further research to understand and reduce late complications from CRC surgeries as well as associated depression is warranted.

  20. Interaction of intense electromagnetic fields with SF6 molecules and clusters in supersonic expansion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Airoldi, V.J.T.

    1987-01-01

    A method of measuring SF 6 cluster formation and inhibition in pulsed supersonic expansion in the presence of intense electromagnetic radiation is presented. The characterization of the expansion of SF 6 molecules was done and, the extension of the collision region was determined. An improved unidimensional theory of supersonic expansion showed good agreement with the experimental results. The spectra of multiphoton absorption of SF 6 molecules in supersonic jet and the average energy absorved by each molecule were determined. The absorption spectra of molecule in the collision region present absorption maxima different from those obtained in the collisionless region. The results, if compared with the literature data, show good agreement, with a small difference in the spetra corresponding to the collisionless region. This difference was observed, for the first time in the multiphoton absorption and is attribuited to cluster formation in the jet. A new technique for measuring cluster formation in the supersonic jet, based on determination of the spatial distribution of the energy of molecules in the jet after passing through a skimmer located in the collision region is shown. The inhibition of cluster formation, due to the incidence of intense electromagnetic radiation from a CO 2 -TEA pulsed laser in the initial collision region of the jet, causes a second expansion in the skimmer. The results obtained show that this method can lead to a new isotope separation process. All the parts of the experimental set up, for example, high vacuum system, pulsed valve and pyroelectric detector, were developed and constructed specially for the experiment. (Author) [pt

  1. Result of radiation therapy of sino-nasal cancers using partial attenuation filter

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Jin Hee; Kim, Ok Bae; Choi, Tae Jin [Keimyung University College of Medicine, Daegu (Korea, Republic of)

    2007-06-15

    This study was to evaluate the survival and pattern of failure after radiation therapy of sino-nasal cancer using partial attenuation filer and wedged beams and to help radiotherapy planning of sino-nasal cancer. Between February 1992 and March 2003, 17 patients with sino-nasal cancers underwent radiation therapy using partial attenuation filter at Dongsan Medical Center, Keimyung university. There were 9 male and 8 female patients. Patients' age ranged from 40 to 75 years (median 59 years). There were 10 patients of maxillary sinus cancer, 7 patients of nasal cancer. The histologic type was squamous cell carcinoma in 11, adenoid cystic carcinoma in 4 and olfactory neuroblastoma in 2. The distribution of clinical stage by the AJCC system was 3 for stage II, 7 for III and 6 for IV. The five patients were treated with radiation alone and 12 patients were treated with surgery and postoperative radiation therapy. The range of total radiation dose delivered to the primary tumor was from 44 to 76 Gy (median 60 Gy). The follow-up period ranged from 3 to 173 months with median of 78 months. The overall 2 year survival rate and disease free survival rate was 76.4%. The 5 year and 10 year survival rate were 76.4% and 45.6% and the 5 year and 10 year disease free survival rate was 70.6%. The 5 year disease free survival rate by treatment modality was 91.6% for postoperative radiation group and 20% for radiation alone group, statistical significance was found by treatment modality ({rho} = 0.006). There were no differences in survival by pathology and stage. There were local failure in 5 patients (29%) but no distant failure and no severe complication required surgical intervention. Radiation therapy of sino-nasal cancer using partial attenuation filter was safe and effective. Combined modality with conservative surgery and radiation therapy was more advisable to achieve loco-regional control in sino-nasal cancer. Also we considered high precision radiation therapy with

  2. Influence of condensed species on thermo-physical properties of LTE and non-LTE SF6-Cu mixture

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Zhexin; Wu, Yi; Yang, Fei; Sun, Hao; Rong, Mingzhe; Wang, Chunlin

    2017-10-01

    SF6-Cu mixture is frequently formed in high-voltage circuit breakers due to the electrode erosion and metal vapor diffusion. During the interruption process, the multiphase effect and deviation from local thermal equilibrium (non-LTE assumption) can both affect the thermo-physical of the arc plasma and further influence the performance of circuit breaker. In this paper, thermo-physical properties, namely composition, thermodynamic properties and transport coefficients are calculated for multiphase SF6-Cu mixture with and without LTE assumption. The composition is confirmed by combining classical two-temperature mass action law with phase equilibrium condition deduced from second law of thermodynamics. The thermodynamic properties and transport coefficients are calculated using the multiphase composition result. The influence of condensed species on thermo-physical properties is discussed at different temperature, pressure (0.1-10 atm), non-equilibrium degrees (1-10), and copper molar proportions (0-50%). It is found that the multiphase effect has significant influence on specific enthalpy, specific heat and heavy species thermal conductivity in both LTE and non-LTE SF6-Cu system. This paper provides a more accurate database for computational fluid dynamic calculation.

  3. Effects of SF$_{6}$ on the avalanche mode operation of a real-sized double-gap resistive plate chamber for the Compact Muon Solenoid experiment

    CERN Document Server

    Ahn Sung Hwan; Hong, B; Hong, S J; Ito, M; Kim, B I; Kim, J H; Kim, Y J; Kim, Y U; Koo, D G; Lee, H W; Lee, K B; Lee, K S; Lee, S J; Lim, J K; Moon, D H; Nam, S K; Park, S; Park, W J; Rhee, J T; Ryu, M S; Shim, H H; Sim, K S; Kang, T I

    2005-01-01

    We present the design and the test, results for a real-sized prototype resistive plate chamber by using cosmic-ray muons for the forward region of the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). In particular, we investigate the effects of adding SF/sub 6/ to the gas mixture for the avalanche mode operation of a resistive plate chamber. A small fraction of SF/sub 6/ is very effective in suppressing streamer signals in a resistive plate chamber. The shapes of the muon detection efficiency and the muon cluster size remain similar, but are shifted to higher operating voltage by SF/sub 6/. The noise cluster rate and size are not influenced by SF/sub 6/.

  4. Multigroup Approximation of Radiation Transfer in SF6 Arc Plasmas

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Milada Bartlova

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The first order of the method of spherical harmonics (P1-approximation has been used to evaluate the radiation properties of arc plasmas of various mixtures of SF6 and PTFE ((C2F4n, polytetrafluoroethylene in the temperature range (1000 ÷ 35 000 K and pressures from 0.5 to 5 MPa. Calculations have been performed for isothermal cylindrical plasma of various radii (0.01 ÷ 10 cm. The frequency dependence of the absorption coefficients has been handled using the Planck and Rosseland averaging methods for several frequency intervals. Results obtained using various means calculated for different choices of frequency intervals are discussed.

  5. Cerebral sino-venous thrombosis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sayama, Ichiro; Kobayashi, Tsunesaburo; Nakajima, Kenji

    1982-01-01

    Three cases of cerebral sino-venous thrombosis were reported. Repeated CT findings were studied and discussed on account of the treatments for those pathologic conditions. Those of studied cases are; a 22-year-old postpartum woman, a 42-year-old woman with irregular vaginal bleeding, and a 26-year-old man with severe reactive emesis after drinking alcohol. They were treated conservatively. Case 1 died in its acute stage. In the remaining ones, each had an uneventful recovery. CT scan findings of them manifested their exact clinical conditions. These findings were devided into two categories, one was direct signs expressed sino-venous occlusion, the other was indirect signs which appeared as a result of these occlusion. Direct signs cannot always get in every cases with sino-venous occlusion, but as for indirect signs, we can get various changes corresponding to the time taken CT photoes, and they are useful to decide appropriate treatments at that time. Considering suitable treatments for this disease, it is necessary to select most suitable ones according to their pathologic conditions, which may be precisely drawn with CT scans. (J.P.N.)

  6. Technical note: A simple back-mounted harness for grazing dairy cows to facilitate the sulfur hexafluoride tracer gas technique.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Wyngaard, Josef D V; Meeske, Robin; Erasmus, Lourens J

    2018-03-01

    We describe here a cattle harness to attach a gas collection vessel to facilitate the sulfur hexafluoride (SF 6 ) tracer gas technique. The harness consists of 2 major components: (1) a lightweight, robust body fabricated from an equine surcingle or lunge roller with padded thoracic trapezius pressure points, a bespoke shaping shaft for spine support, and adjustable buckles on both sides; and (2) an elastic flank-strap to prevent the harness from dislodging. The spine support consists of stainless steel laminated with carbon fiber. This support minimizes the contact area with the animal's skin, relieves the spine area of pressure, and creates free flow of ambient air below the platform, reducing sweat accumulation and hence preventing skin lesions. The harness weighs approximately 1.2 kg, allows for attachment of 2 gas collection vessels (animal and background sample), and is cost effective. Copyright © 2018 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Early Stages of Pulsed-Laser Growth of Silicon Microcolumns and Microcones in Air and SF6

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fowlkes, J.D.; Lowndes, D.H.; Pedraza, A.J.

    1999-01-01

    Dense arrays of high-aspect-ratio silicon microcolumns and microcones are formed by cumulative nanosecond pulsed excimer laser irradiation of single-crystal silicon in oxidizing atmospheres such as air and SF 6 . Growth of such surface microstructures requires a redeposition model and also involves elements of self-organization. The shape of the microstructures, i.e. straight columns vs steeply sloping cones and connecting walls, is governed by the type and concentration of the oxidizing species, e.g. oxygen vs fluorine. Growth is believed to occur by a catalyst-free VLS (vapor-liquid-solid) mechanism that involves repetitive melting of the tips of the columns/cones and deposition there of the ablated flux of Si-containing vapor. Results are presented of a new investigation of how such different final microstructures as microcolumns or microcones joined by walls nucleate and develop. The changes in silicon surface morphology were systematically determined and compared as the number of pulsed KrF (248 nm) laser shots was increased from 25 to several thousand in both air and SF 6 . The experiments in air and SF 6 reveal significant differences in initial surface cracking and pattern formation. Consequently, local protrusions are first produced and column or cone/wall growth is initiated by different processes and at different rates. Differences in the spatial organization of column or cone/wall growth also are apparent

  8. Ultraviolet differential optical absorption spectrometry: quantitative analysis of the CS2 produced by SF6 decomposition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Xiaoxing; Zhou, Hong; Cui, Zhaolun; Xiao, Song; Tang, Ju; Chen, Chuan; Li, Xin

    2017-01-01

    The occurrence of partial discharge or partial overthermal fault in sulfur hexafluoride (SF 6 )-insulated electrical equipment frequently causes SF 6 and solid insulation materials to decompose into various products. One of the most characteristic products of this process is carbon disulfide (CS 2 ). The internal fault type and severity of the fault in the insulation equipment can be detected through the accurate quantitative detection of CS 2 . A device for simultaneously determining and quantifying gaseous CS 2 via ultraviolet differential optical absorption spectrometry is developed in this study. A Sym14 wavelet transform and fast Fourier transform (FFT) are applied to process the spectral data of the feature regions, namely 190 nm to 210 nm. The concentration of CS 2 is determined, and the detection limit of the developed device is identified. A good linear relationship is observed between the characteristic peaks of FFT and the concentration of CS 2 after the operational parameters are optimized. Along the light path at 600 mm, the average detection limit for CS 2 is 8.65 ppb based on three times the standard deviation of the system noises. The proposed device, which exhibits high sensitivity and effective cost, addresses the urgent demand for the monitoring and diagnosis of SF 6 -insulated electrical equipment via online detection of trace CS 2 . (paper)

  9. Arc modelling in SF{sub 6} circuit breakers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Verite, J.C. [Electricite de France, Clamart (France). Derection des Etudes et Recherches; Boucher, T.; Comte, A. [Electricite de France, Moret sur Loing (France). Direction des Etudes et Recherches; Delalondre, C. [Electricite de France, Chatou (France). Direction des Etudes et Recherches; Robin-Jouan, P.; Serres, E.; Texier, V. [GEC Alsthom, Villeurbanne (France). Direction Technique Haute et Moyenne Tension; Barrault, M.; Chevrier, P.; Fievet, C. [CEA Centre d`Etudes Nucleaires de Grenoble, 38 (France). Merlin Gerin

    1995-06-01

    The paper presents the work done by an operator, EDF and two manufacturers to improve the physical models and numerical methods used to simulate the behavior of the plasma and cold gas around it in a breaking chamber of the HV SF6 circuit breaker, during the high-current phase. This work concerns flow phenomena, in particular incorporating compressibility and the study of turbulence, the coupling between these flow phenomena and electromagnetic phenomena, and finally, radiation - which plays an essential role in energy transfer during the high-current phase. For this latter aspect, emission but also absorption were proven to play a major role, and the two were introduced into the models. The paper presents the models developed and the results obtained with them for simulation of two circuit breaker mock-ups (a double-pressure circuit breaker mock-up and a self-expanding and rotating arc circuit breaker mock-up). (author) 10 refs.

  10. Refurbishment and retrofitting of SF6 gas storage tanks of the pelletron accelerator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Reddy, G.R.; Datar, V.M.; Parulekar, Y.M.

    2015-01-01

    The BARC-TIFR Pelletron Accelerator Facility has completed more than twenty six years of successful round-the-clock operation, serving diverse users from institutions within and outside DAE. The main accelerating structure and associated subsystems are housed in the accelerator tank under SF 6 gas medium. During maintenance of the accelerator, the SF 6 gas present in the accelerator tank is transferred in the four storage tanks located on the terrace of the building open to outside environment. These four storage tanks (with ∼ 1/4th of the main tank volume each) are ∼ 4.27 m in diameter and ∼ 10 m in height each and are supported on RCC ring beams which are monolithically connected with the RCC structure below. Over the years, the anchor bolts and the base plates of support structure of storage tanks were found corroded and the foundation RCC ring beam indicated a few corrosion cracks. Health assessment of relevant structures and components were carried out. Considering the limitations of existing anchorage and also giving due considerations for reparability and replaceability, a new anchorage system was designed. The entire refurbishment and retrofitting works pertaining to the four SF 6 gas storage tanks was executed in a time bound manner to comply with the then PASC (Particle Accelerator Safety Committee) recommendations successfully, without disrupting the operations of the round-the-clock running Pelletron Accelerator facility. In addition, the thickness measurements for the storage tanks were performed. The relief valves and rupture disc assemblies across the storage tanks were replaced and reinstalled after introducing appropriate manual valves as suggested by the PASC. A new test set up was fabricated to perform pneumatic testing at the recommended pressure off-line for these relief valves and rupture disc assemblies prior to reinstallation. This paper describes the comprehensive rehabilitation and retrofitting procedures that were carried out at the

  11. Electric Field and Current Density Performance Analysis of Sf6, C4f8 and CO2 Gases As An Insulation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mazli, Ahmad Danial Ahmad; Jamail, Nor Akmal Mohd; Azlin Othman, Nordiana

    2017-08-01

    SF6 gases are not only widely used as an insulating component in electric power industry but also as an arc extinguishing performance in high voltage (HV) gas-insulated circuit breaker (GCB). SF6 gases is generally used in the production of semiconductor materials and devices. Though these gasses is widely used in many application, the presences of temperature hotspot in the insulations may affect the insulation characteristics particularly electric field and current density. Therefore, it is important to determine the relationship between electric field and current density of gasses used in the insulator in the presence of hotspot. In this paper, three types of gases in particular Sulphur Hexafluoride (SF6), Octafluorocylobutane (C4F8), and Carbon Dioxide (CO2) was used in the insulator for gas insulation with the presence of two hotspots. These two hotspost were detected by referring the rising temperature in the insulator which are 1000 and 2000 Kelvin temperature for hotspot 1 and hotspot 2, respectively. From the simulation results, it can be concluded that Sulphur Hexafluoride (SF6) is the best choice for gas insulation since it had the lowest current density and electric field compared to Octafluorocylobutane (C4F8), and Carbon Dioxide (CO2). It is observed that the maximum current density and electric field for SF6 during normal condition are 358.94 × 103 V/m and 0.643 × 109 A/m2, respectively. Meanwhile, during temperature rising at hotspot 1 and hotspot 2, SF6 also had lowest current density and electric field compared to the other gasses where the results for Emax and Jmax at hotspot 1 are 322.34 × 103 V/m and 1.934 × 109 A/m2, respectively; While, Emax and Jmax at hotspot 2 are 259.77× 103 V/m and 2.824 × 109 A/m2. The results of this analysis can be used to find the best choices of gas that can be used in the insulator.

  12. 41 CFR 304-6.5 - What guidelines must we follow when using the Standard Form (SF) 326?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... REQUIREMENTS 6-PAYMENT GUIDELINES Reports § 304-6.5 What guidelines must we follow when using the Standard Form... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 4 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false What guidelines must we follow when using the Standard Form (SF) 326? 304-6.5 Section 304-6.5 Public Contracts and Property...

  13. A Head-to-Head Comparison of UK SF-6D and Thai and UK EQ-5D-5L Value Sets in Thai Patients with Chronic Diseases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sakthong, Phantipa; Munpan, Wipaporn

    2017-10-01

    Little was known about the head-to-head comparison of psychometric properties between SF-6D and EQ-5D-5L or the different value sets of EQ-5D-5L. Therefore, this study set out to compare the psychometric properties including agreement, convergent, and known-group validity between the SF-6D and the EQ-5D-5L using the real value sets from Thailand and the UK in patients with chronic diseases. 356 adults taking a medication for at least 3 months were identified from a university hospital in Bangkok, Thailand, between July 2014 and March 2015. Agreement was assessed by intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and Bland-Altman plots. Convergent validity was evaluated using Spearman's rank correlation coefficients between SF-6D and EQ-5D-5L and EQ-VAS and SF-12v2. For known-groups validity, the Mann-Whitney U test and Kruskal-Wallis test were used to examine the associations between SF-6D and EQ-5D-5L and patient characteristics. Agreements between the SF-6D and the EQ-5D-5L using Thai and UK value sets were fair, with ICCs of 0.45 and 0.49, respectively. Bland-Altman plots showed that the majority of the SF-6D index scores were lower than the EQ-5D-5L index scores. Both the EQ-5D-5L value sets were more related to the EQ-VAS and physical health, while the SF-6D was more associated with mental health. Both EQ-5D-5L value sets were more sensitive than the SF-6D in discriminating patients with different levels of more known groups except for adverse drug reactions. The SF-6D and both EQ-5D-5L value sets appeared to be valid but sensitive to different outcomes in Thai patients with chronic diseases.

  14. River infiltration to a subtropical alluvial aquifer inferred using multiple environmental tracers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lamontagne, S.; Taylor, A. R.; Batlle-Aguilar, J.; Suckow, A.; Cook, P. G.; Smith, S. D.; Morgenstern, U.; Stewart, M. K.

    2015-06-01

    Chloride (Cl-), stable isotope ratios of water (δ18O and δ2H), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), tritium (3H), carbon-14 (14C), noble gases (4He, Ne, and Ar), and hydrometry were used to characterize groundwater-surface water interactions, in particular infiltration rates, for the Lower Namoi River (New South Wales, Australia). The study period (four sampling campaigns between November 2009 and November 2011) represented the end of a decade-long drought followed by several high-flow events. The hydrometry showed that the river was generally losing to the alluvium, except when storm-derived floodwaves in the river channel generated bank recharge—discharge cycles. Using 3H/14C-derived estimates of groundwater mean residence time along the transect, infiltration rates ranged from 0.6 to 5 m yr-1. However, when using the peak transition age (a more realistic estimate of travel time in highly dispersive environments), the range in infiltration rate was larger (4-270 m yr-1). Both river water (highest δ2H, δ18O, SF6, 3H, and 14C) and an older groundwater source (lowest δ2H, δ18O, SF6, 3H, 14C, and highest 4He) were found in the riparian zone. This old groundwater end-member may represent leakage from an underlying confined aquifer (Great Artesian Basin). Environmental tracers may be used to estimate infiltration rates in this riparian environment but the presence of multiple sources of water and a high dispersion induced by frequent variations in the water table complicates their interpretation.

  15. Ozone depleting substances and greenhouse gases HFCs, PFCs and SF{sub 6} consumption and emissions; Ozonlagsnedbrydende stoffer og drivhusgasserne HFC'er, PFC'er og SF{sub 6}. Forbrug og emissioner 2002

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sander Poulsen, T. [Planmiljoe, Veksoe Sjaelland (Denmark)

    2004-07-01

    The aim of the project is to map the 2002 Danish consumption of produced ozone depleting substances and the consumption and actual emission of the greenhouse gases HFCs, PFCs and SF{sub 6}. The inventory is performed, partly according to the guidelines recommended by IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), and partly according to the method that has been used for previous mappings. The mapping is done partly in order to meet Denmark's international commitments to report and partly in order to monitor how the consumption of ozone depleting substances and the emissions of greenhouse gases develop. The mapping of ozone depleting substances includes the net consumption, meaning the amount of the imported raw materials in bulk or in drums minus any re-export of the substances in the form of raw materials. Mapping of the actual emissions of HFCs, PFCs and SF{sub 6} is done in continuation of previous greenhouse gas inventories. The inventory process is continuously improving due to development of international approved guidelines (IPCC) and the production of increasingly detailed data. (BA)

  16. Influence of condensed species on thermo-physical properties of LTE and non-LTE SF6–Cu mixture

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, Zhexin; Wu, Yi; Yang, Fei; Sun, Hao; Rong, Mingzhe; Wang, Chunlin

    2017-01-01

    SF 6 –Cu mixture is frequently formed in high-voltage circuit breakers due to the electrode erosion and metal vapor diffusion. During the interruption process, the multiphase effect and deviation from local thermal equilibrium (non-LTE assumption) can both affect the thermo-physical of the arc plasma and further influence the performance of circuit breaker. In this paper, thermo-physical properties, namely composition, thermodynamic properties and transport coefficients are calculated for multiphase SF 6 –Cu mixture with and without LTE assumption. The composition is confirmed by combining classical two-temperature mass action law with phase equilibrium condition deduced from second law of thermodynamics. The thermodynamic properties and transport coefficients are calculated using the multiphase composition result. The influence of condensed species on thermo-physical properties is discussed at different temperature, pressure (0.1–10 atm), non-equilibrium degrees (1–10), and copper molar proportions (0–50%). It is found that the multiphase effect has significant influence on specific enthalpy, specific heat and heavy species thermal conductivity in both LTE and non-LTE SF 6 –Cu system. This paper provides a more accurate database for computational fluid dynamic calculation. (paper)

  17. Influence of the meteorological parameters on CFCs and SF6 concentration in the air of Krakow, Poland

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bielewski, Jarosław; Najman, Joanna; Śliwka, Ireneusz; Bartyzel, Jakub; Rosiek, Janusz

    2013-04-01

    key words: gas chromatography, trace gases, CFCs and SF6 measurements in urban area. Halogenated compounds (chlorofluorocarbons-CFCs), both natural and industrial, so-called freons, currently exist as trace gases in the entire human environment. The CFCs cause ozone depletion in the stratosphere. Moreover CFCs and SF6 take part in intensification of the greenhouse effect. The decisions of the Vienna Convention (1985) and of the Montreal Protocol (1987) limited the world production level of CFCs in the year 1989 at least 35% after 2004, 90% after 2015 and total reduction after year 2030. On account of international agreements, the measurements of CFCs and SF6 in air were started. Measurement "clean" stations were situated at places outside of urban areas influence and gathered on world program - AGAGE (Advanced Global Atmospheric Gases Experiment). One of these stations is Mace Head (Ireland, 53o N, 10o W), which participates in AGAGE since 1987 [1] and in European InGOS (Integrated non-CO2 Greenhouse gas Observing System) program since 2011. Similar research is also conducted in Central Europe, in urban area of Krakow (Poland, 50o N, 19o E) since 1997. The work discusses results from 15 years of concentration measurements (in the years 1997-2012) of selected halocarbons and SF6 in Krakow. To obtain concentrations of measured compounds the mathematical procedure has been used, where concentrations were calculated using a five points Lagrange's interpolation method. Using temporary measurement data were determined daily arithmetic means and their standard deviations. Based on these data, efficiency of Montreal Protocol legislation, implemented in Poland (The Journal of Laws No. 52) could be assessed [2]. Additionally cut-off filtration method was used to estimate trend of the base line of individual air pollutant. Rejected exceedances of base lines were corelated with meteorological characteristics of Krakow region to evaluate possible sources of pollution. The

  18. Leak detection of SF6 gas pressure vessel safety devices at BARC-TIFR Pelletron accelerator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ninawe, N.G.; Sharma, S.C.; Nair, J.P.; Sparrow, H.; Bolar, P.C.; Gudekar, P.V.; Mahapatra, S.; Vishwakarma, R.S.; Ramjilal; Matkar, U.V.; Gore, J.A.; Gupta, A.K.

    2015-01-01

    Pelletron accelerator is in operation since last more than 26 years. To achieve desired voltage gradient SF6 gas of about 20 tons is used to have 75-80 psig pressure in main accelerator tank. During accelerator tank maintenance gas is transferred to four storage tanks, kept in open space in the vicinity of sea. Recently refurbishment and retrofitting of four storage tanks was carried out which includes the installation of new drift space, rupture disc assembly, relief valves and manual valves along with civil and painting work. All components to be installed were tested for high pressure. Helium gas sniffer technique was used to check micro leaks for new joints for all components before installing for storage tanks. Subsequently, the tanks were tested up to 90 psig SF6 gradually in succession. No pressure drop was observed in storage tanks. This work was carried out as per recommendation of the then particle accelerator committee (PASC). (author)

  19. The host outer membrane proteins OmpA and OmpC are associated with the Shigella phage Sf6 virion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhao Haiyan; Sequeira, Reuben D.; Galeva, Nadezhda A.; Tang Liang

    2011-01-01

    Assembly of dsDNA bacteriophage is a precisely programmed process. Potential roles of host cell components in phage assembly haven't been well understood. It was previously reported that two unidentified proteins were present in bacteriophage Sf6 virion (Casjens et al, 2004, J.Mol.Biol. 339, 379-394, Fig. 2A). Using tandem mass spectrometry, we have identified the two proteins as outer membrane proteins (OMPs) OmpA and OmpC from its host Shigella flexneri. The transmission electron cryo-microscopy structure of Sf6 shows significant density at specific sites at the phage capsid inner surface. This density fit well with the characteristic beta-barrel domains of OMPs, thus may be due to the two host proteins. Locations of this density suggest a role in Sf6 morphogenesis reminiscent of phage-encoded cementing proteins. These data indicate a new, OMP-related phage:host linkage, adding to previous knowledge that some lambdoid bacteriophage genomes contain OmpC-like genes that express phage-encoded porins in the lysogenic state.

  20. Photoacoustic infrared spectroscopy for conducting gas tracer tests and measuring water saturations in landfills

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jung, Yoojin; Han, Byunghyun; Mostafid, M. Erfan; Chiu, Pei; Yazdani, Ramin; Imhoff, Paul T.

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► Photoacoustic infrared spectroscopy tested for measuring tracer gas in landfills. ► Measurement errors for tracer gases were 1–3% in landfill gas. ► Background signals from landfill gas result in elevated limits of detection. ► Technique is much less expensive and easier to use than GC. - Abstract: Gas tracer tests can be used to determine gas flow patterns within landfills, quantify volatile contaminant residence time, and measure water within refuse. While gas chromatography (GC) has been traditionally used to analyze gas tracers in refuse, photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS) might allow real-time measurements with reduced personnel costs and greater mobility and ease of use. Laboratory and field experiments were conducted to evaluate the efficacy of PAS for conducting gas tracer tests in landfills. Two tracer gases, difluoromethane (DFM) and sulfur hexafluoride (SF 6 ), were measured with a commercial PAS instrument. Relative measurement errors were invariant with tracer concentration but influenced by background gas: errors were 1–3% in landfill gas but 4–5% in air. Two partitioning gas tracer tests were conducted in an aerobic landfill, and limits of detection (LODs) were 3–4 times larger for DFM with PAS versus GC due to temporal changes in background signals. While higher LODs can be compensated by injecting larger tracer mass, changes in background signals increased the uncertainty in measured water saturations by up to 25% over comparable GC methods. PAS has distinct advantages over GC with respect to personnel costs and ease of use, although for field applications GC analyses of select samples are recommended to quantify instrument interferences.

  1. Absolute elastic cross sections for electron scattering from SF6

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gulley, R.J.; Uhlmann, L.J.; Dedman, C.J.; Buckman, S.J.; Cho, H.; Trantham, K.W.

    2000-01-01

    Full text: Absolute differential cross sections for vibrationally elastic scattering of electrons from sulphur hexafluoride (SF 6 ) have been measured at fixed angles of 60 deg, 90 deg and 120 deg over the energy range of 5 to 15 eV, and also at 11 fixed energies between 2.7 and 75 eV for scattering angles between 10 deg and 180 deg. These measurements employ the magnetic angle-changing technique of Read and Channing in combination with the relative flow technique to obtain absolute elastic scattering cross sections at backward angles (135 deg to 180 deg) for incident energies below 15 eV. The results reveal some substantial differences with several previous determinations and a reasonably good level of agreement with a recent close coupling calculation

  2. Theoretical investigation of the decay of an SF6 gas-blast arc using a two-temperature hydrodynamic model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Weizong; Rong Mingzhe; Yan, Joseph D; Spencer, Joseph W; Murphy, Anthony B

    2013-01-01

    The behaviour of a decaying SF 6 arc, which is representative of the approach to the final current-zero state of switching arcs in a high-voltage circuit breaker, is theoretically investigated by a two-temperature hydrodynamic model, taking into account the possible departure of the plasma state from local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE). The model couples the plasma flow with electromagnetic fields in a self-consistent manner. The electrons and heavy species are assumed to have different temperatures. The species composition, thermodynamic properties and transport coefficients of the plasma under non-LTE conditions are calculated from fundamental theory. The model is then applied to a two-dimensional axisymmetric SF 6 arc burning in a supersonic nozzle under well-controlled conditions; for this configuration, experimental results are available for comparison. The effect of turbulence is considered using the Prandtl mixing-length model. The edge absorption of the radiation emitted by the arc core is taken into account by a modified net emission coefficient approach. The complete set of conservation equations is discretized and solved using the finite volume method. The evolution of electron and heavy-particle temperatures and the total arc resistance, along with other physical quantities, is carefully analysed and compared with those of the LTE case. It is demonstrated that the electron and heavy-particle temperature diverge at all times in the plasma-cold-flow interaction region, in which strong gas flow exists, and further in the transient current-zero period, in which case the collision energy exchange is ineffective. This study quantitatively analyses the energy exchange mechanisms between electrons and heavy particles in the high-pressure supersonic SF 6 arcs and provides the foundation for further theoretical investigation of transient SF 6 arc behaviour as the current ramps down to zero in gas-blast circuit breakers.

  3. SF3B1-initiating mutations in MDS-RSs target lymphomyeloid hematopoietic stem cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mortera-Blanco, Teresa; Dimitriou, Marios; Woll, Petter S; Karimi, Mohsen; Elvarsdottir, Edda; Conte, Simona; Tobiasson, Magnus; Jansson, Monika; Douagi, Iyadh; Moarii, Matahi; Saft, Leonie; Papaemmanuil, Elli; Jacobsen, Sten Eirik W; Hellström-Lindberg, Eva

    2017-08-17

    Mutations in the RNA splicing gene SF3B1 are found in >80% of patients with myelodysplastic syndrome with ring sideroblasts (MDS-RS). We investigated the origin of SF3B1 mutations within the bone marrow hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell compartments in patients with MDS-RS. Screening for recurrently mutated genes in the mononuclear cell fraction revealed mutations in SF3B1 in 39 of 40 cases (97.5%), combined with TET2 and DNMT3A in 11 (28%) and 6 (15%) patients, respectively. All recurrent mutations identified in mononuclear cells could be tracked back to the phenotypically defined hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) compartment in all investigated patients and were also present in downstream myeloid and erythroid progenitor cells. While in agreement with previous studies, little or no evidence for clonal ( SF3B1 mutation) involvement could be found in mature B cells, consistent involvement at the pro-B-cell progenitor stage was established, providing definitive evidence for SF3B1 mutations targeting lymphomyeloid HSCs and compatible with mutated SF3B1 negatively affecting lymphoid development. Assessment of stem cell function in vitro as well as in vivo established that only HSCs and not investigated progenitor populations could propagate the SF3B1 mutated clone. Upon transplantation into immune-deficient mice, SF3B1 mutated MDS-RS HSCs differentiated into characteristic ring sideroblasts, the hallmark of MDS-RS. Our findings provide evidence of a multipotent lymphomyeloid HSC origin of SF3B1 mutations in MDS-RS patients and provide a novel in vivo platform for mechanistically and therapeutically exploring SF3B1 mutated MDS-RS. © 2017 by The American Society of Hematology.

  4. Ozone-depleting substances and the greenhouse gases HFCs, PFCs and SF{sub 6}. Danish consumption and emissions, 2005

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sander Poulsen, T. [PlanMiljoe (Denmark)

    2007-06-15

    An evaluation of Danish consumption and emissions of ozone-depleting substances and industrial greenhouse gases has been carried out in continuation of previous evaluations, partly to fulfil Denmark's international obligations to provide information within this area and partly to follow the trend in consumption of ozone-depleting substances as well as the consumption and emissions of HFCs, PFCs and SF{sub 6}. The evaluation includes a calculation of actual emissions of HFCs, PFCs, and SF{sub 6} for 2006. In this calculation the release from stock of greenhouse gases in products has been taken into account, and adjustments have been made for imports and exports of the greenhouse gases in products. (BA)

  5. An Improved SF6 System for the FXR Induction Linac Blumlein Switches

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    DeHope, W; Kihara, R; Griffin, K L; Ong, M; Ross, T

    2007-01-01

    The now-mature FXR (Flash X-Ray) radiographic facility at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory will be briefly described with emphasis on its pulsed power system. The heart of each accelerating cell's pulse forming Blumlein is it's sulfur hexafluoride-based triggered closing switch. FXR's recent upgrade to a recirculating SF 6 gas reclamation system will be described and the resulting accelerator performance and reliability improvements documented. This was accompanied by a detailed switch breakdown study on FXR's Test Stand and the recent analysis of the resulting statistics will be shown

  6. Between Two Suns. Czechoslovakia and the Sino-Soviet Dispute over the International Communist Movement (1953-1962)

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Kolenovská, Daniela

    2016-01-01

    Roč. 4, č. 1 (2016), s. 19-48 ISSN 2336-3142 Institutional support: RVO:68378114 Keywords : Sino-Czechoslovak relations * Sino-Soviet split * Soviet bloc Subject RIV: AB - History OBOR OECD: History (history of science and technology to be 6.3, history of specific sciences to be under the respective headings)

  7. Recent and ancient recharge deciphered by multi-dating tracer technique

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dogramaci, Shawan; Cook, Peter; Mccallum, Jimes; Purtchert, Roland

    2017-04-01

    Determining groundwater residence time from environmental tracer concentrations obtained from open bores or long screened intervals is fraught with difficulty because the sampled water represents variety of ages. Information on the distribution of groundwater age is commonly obtained by measuring more than one tracer. We examined the use of the multi-tracer technique representing different time frames (39Ar, 85Kr, 14C, 3H, CFC 11- CFC-12 CFC-113, SF6 and Cl,) to decipher the groundwater ages sampled from long screened bores in a regional aquifer in the Pilbara region of northwest Australia. We then applied a technique that assumes limited details of the form of the age distribution. Tracer concentrations suggest that groundwater samples are a mixture of young and old water - the former is inferred to represent localised recharge from an adjacent creek, and the latter to be diffuse recharge. Using our method, we were able to identify distinct age components in the groundwater. The results suggest the presence of four distinct age groups; zero and 20 years, 50 to 100 years, 100 to 600 years and approximately 1000 years old. These relatively high recharge events were consistent with local recharge sources (50-100 years) and confirmed by palaeo-climate record obtained from lake sediments. We found that although the ages of these components were well constrained, the relative proportions of each component was highly sensitive to errors of environmental tracer data. Our results show that the method we implemented can identify distinct age groups in groundwater samples without prior knowledge of the age distribution. The presence of distinct recharge times gives insight into groundwater flow conditions over long periods of time.

  8. Comparison of Sulfur Hexafluoride (SF6) and Air Tamponade in Noniridectomized Descemet Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Einan-Lifshitz, Adi; Sorkin, Nir; Boutin, Tanguy; Showail, Mahmood; Borovik, Armand; Jamshidi, Farzad; Chan, Clara C; Rootman, David S

    2018-03-01

    To compare the efficacy and safety of 20% sulfur hexafluoride gas (SF6) and air tamponade in patients who underwent noniridectomized Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK). A retrospective chart review of patients who underwent DMEK with either air or SF6 tamponade: 41 eyes received air tamponade (group 1) and 41 received SF6 tamponade (group 2). Best spectacle-corrected visual acuity, endothelial cell density, and complications including graft detachment and elevated intraocular pressure were compared. The mean follow-up time was 8 ± 4 months in group 1 and 3 ± 2 months in group 2. Mean best spectacle-corrected visual acuity improved from 1.12 ± 0.88 to 0.64 ± 0.78 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) in group 1 (P = 0.009) and from 1.00 ± 0.78 to 0.62 ± 0.53 logMAR in group 2 (P = 0.006). The graft detachment rate was 39% (16 eyes) in group 1 and 42% (17 eyes) in group 2 (P = 0.822). The rate of graft detachment larger than one third of the graft area was 17% in group 1 and 20% in group 2 (P = 0.775). Rebubbling was performed in 26.8% and 20% of eyes in group 1 and 2, respectively (P = 0.43). Average endothelial cell loss was 32% in group 1 and 33% in group 2 (P = 0.83). In the immediate postoperative period, elevated intraocular pressure was observed in 2 eyes (5%) in group 1 and in 4 eyes (10%) in group 2 (P = 0.4). There was 1 primary graft failure in each group. Use of air with it being readily available and short acting is a good method of Descemet membrane tamponade in noniridectomized DMEK.

  9. Atmospheric Transport Modeling with 3D Lagrangian Dispersion Codes Compared with SF6 Tracer Experiments at Regional Scale

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    François Van Dorpe

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available The results of four gas tracer experiments of atmospheric dispersion on a regional scale are used for the benchmarking of two atmospheric dispersion modeling codes, MINERVE-SPRAY (CEA, and NOSTRADAMUS (IBRAE. The main topic of this comparison is to estimate the Lagrangian code capability to predict the radionuclide atmospheric transfer on a large field, in the case of risk assessment of nuclear power plant for example. For the four experiments, the results of calculations show a rather good agreement between the two codes, and the order of magnitude of the concentrations measured on the soil is predicted. Simulation is best for sampling points located ten kilometers from the source, while we note a divergence for more distant points results (difference in concentrations by a factor 2 to 5. This divergence may be explained by the fact that, for these four experiments, only one weather station (near the point source was used on a field of 10 000 km2, generating the simulation of a uniform wind field throughout the calculation domain.

  10. Transport coefficients of liquid CF4 and SF6 computed by molecular dynamics using polycenter Lennard-Jones potentials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hoheisel, C.

    1989-01-01

    For several liquid states of CF 4 and SF 6 , the shear and the bulk viscosity as well as the thermal conductivity were determined by equilibrium molecular dynamics (MD) calculations. Lennard-Jones four- and six-center pair potentials were applied, and the method of constraints were chosen for the MD. The computed Green-Kubo integrands show a steep time decay, and no particular longtime behavior occurs. The molecule number dependence of the results is found to be small, and 3 x 10 5 integration steps allow an accuracy of about 10% for the shear viscosity and the thermal conductivity coefficient. Comparison with experimental data shows a fair agreement for CF 4 , while for SF 6 the transport coefficients fall below the experimental ones by about 30%

  11. s-wave threshold in electron attachment - Observations and cross sections in CCl4 and SF6 at ultralow electron energies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chutjian, A.; Alajajian, S. H.

    1985-01-01

    The threshold photoionization method was used to study low-energy electron attachment phenomena in and cross sections of CCl4 and SF6 compounds, which have applications in the design of gaseous dielectrics and diffuse discharge opening switches. Measurements were made at electron energies from below threshold to 140 meV at resolutions of 6 and 8 meV. A narrow resolution-limited structure was observed in electron attachment to CCl4 and SF6 at electron energies below 10 meV, which is attributed to the divergence of the attachment cross section in the limit epsilon, l approaches zero. The results are compared with experimental collisional-ionization results, electron-swarm unfolded cross sections, and earlier threshold photoionization data.

  12. Evaluation of short-term tracer fluctuations in groundwater and soil air in a two year study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jenner, Florian; Mayer, Simon; Aeschbach, Werner; Weissbach, Therese

    2016-04-01

    The application of gas tracers like noble gases (NGs), SF6 or CFCs in groundwater studies such as paleo temperature determination requires a detailed understanding of the dynamics of reactive and inert gases in the soil air with which the infiltrating water equilibrates. Due to microbial gas consumption and production, NG partial pressures in soil air can deviate from atmospheric air, an effect that could bias noble gas temperatures estimates if not taken into account. So far, such an impact on NG contents in groundwater has not been directly demonstrated. We provide the first long-term study of the above mentioned gas tracers and physical parameters in both the saturated and unsaturated soil zone, sampled continuously for more than two years near Mannheim (Germany). NG partial pressures in soil air correlate with soil moisture and the sum value of O2+CO2, with a maximal significant enhancement of 3-6% with respect to atmospheric air during summer time. Observed seasonal fluctuations result in a mass dependent fractionation of NGs in soil air. Concentrations of SF6 and CFCs in soil air are determined by corresponding fluctuations in local atmospheric air, caused by industrial emissions. Arising concentration peaks are damped with increasing soil depth. Shallow groundwater shows short-term NG fluctuations which are smoothed within a few meters below the water table. A correlation between NG contents of soil air and of groundwater is observable during strong recharge events. However, there is no evidence for a permanent influence of seasonal variations of soil air composition on shallow groundwater. Fluctuating NG contents in shallow groundwater are rather determined by variations of soil temperature and water table level. Our data gives evidence for a further temperature driven equilibration of groundwater with entrapped air bubbles within the topmost saturated zone, which permanently occurs even some years after recharge. Local subsurface temperature fluctuations

  13. Analysis of metabolism of 6FDG: a PET glucose transport tracer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Muzic, Raymond F., E-mail: raymond.muzic@case.edu [Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106 (United States); Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106 (United States); Chandramouli, Visvanathan [Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106 (United States); Huang, Hsuan-Ming [Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106 (United States); Wu Chunying; Wang Yanming [Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106 (United States); Ismail-Beigi, Faramarz [Department of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106 (United States)

    2011-07-15

    Introduction: We are developing {sup 18}F-labeled 6-fluoro-6-deoxy-D-glucose ([{sup 18}F]6FDG) as a tracer of glucose transport. As part of this process it is important to characterize and quantify putative metabolites. In contrast to the ubiquitous positron emission tomography (PET) tracer {sup 18}F-labeled 2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose ([{sup 18}F]2FDG) which is phosphorylated and trapped intracellularly, the substitution of fluorine for a hydroxyl group at carbon-6 in [{sup 18}F]6FDG should prevent its phosphorylation. Consequently, [{sup 18}F]6FDG has the potential to trace the transport step of glucose metabolism without the confounding effects of phosphorylation and subsequent steps of metabolism. Herein the focus is to determine whether, and the degree to which, [{sup 18}F]6FDG remains unchanged following intravenous injection. Methods: Biodistribution studies were performed using 6FDG labeled with {sup 18}F or with the longer-lived radionuclides {sup 3}H and {sup 14}C. Tissues were harvested at 1, 6, and 24 h following intravenous administration and radioactivity was extracted from the tissues and analyzed using a combination of ion exchange columns, high-performance liquid chromatography, and chemical reactivity. Results: At the 1 h time-point, the vast majority of radioactivity in the liver, brain, heart, skeletal muscle, and blood was identified as 6FDG. At the 6-h and 24-h time points, there was evidence of a minor amount of radioactive material that appeared to be 6-fluoro-6-deoxy-D-sorbitol and possibly 6-fluoro-6-deoxy-D-gluconic acid. Conclusion: On the time scale typical of PET imaging studies radioactive metabolites of [{sup 18}F]6FDG are negligible.

  14. Water quality assessment of the Sinos River, Southern Brazil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blume, K K; Macedo, J C; Meneguzzi, A; Silva, L B; Quevedo, D M; Rodrigues, M A S

    2010-12-01

    The Sinos River basin is located Northeast of the state of Rio Grande do Sul (29º 20' to 30º 10' S and 50º 15' to 51º20'W), Southern Brazil, covering two geomorphologic provinces: the Southern plateau and central depression. It is part of the Guaíba basin and has an area of approximately 800 km², encompassing 32 municipalities. The objective of this study was to monitor water quality in the Sinos River, the largest river in this basin. Water samples were collected at four selected sites in the Sinos River, and the following parameters were analysed: pH, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD₅), turbidity, fecal coliforms, total dissolved solids, temperature, nitrate, nitrite, phosphorous, chromium, lead, aluminum, zinc, iron, and copper. The results were analysed based on Resolution No. 357/2005 of the Brazilian National Environmental Council (CONAMA) regarding regulatory limits for residues in water. A second analysis was performed based on a water quality index (WQI) used by the Sinos River Basin Management Committee (COMITESINOS). Poor water quality in the Sinos River presents a worrying scenario for the region, since this river is the main source of water supply for the urban core. Health conditions found in the Sinos River, mainly in its lower reaches, are worrying and a strong indicator of human activities on the basin.

  15. Water quality assessment of the Sinos River, Southern Brazil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    KK. Blume

    Full Text Available The Sinos River basin is located Northeast of the state of Rio Grande do Sul (29º 20' to 30º 10' S and 50º 15' to 51º20'W, Southern Brazil, covering two geomorphologic provinces: the Southern plateau and central depression. It is part of the Guaíba basin and has an area of approximately 800 km², encompassing 32 municipalities. The objective of this study was to monitor water quality in the Sinos River, the largest river in this basin. Water samples were collected at four selected sites in the Sinos River, and the following parameters were analysed: pH, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5, turbidity, fecal coliforms, total dissolved solids, temperature, nitrate, nitrite, phosphorous, chromium, lead, aluminum, zinc, iron, and copper. The results were analysed based on Resolution No. 357/2005 of the Brazilian National Environmental Council (CONAMA regarding regulatory limits for residues in water. A second analysis was performed based on a water quality index (WQI used by the Sinos River Basin Management Committee (COMITESINOS. Poor water quality in the Sinos River presents a worrying scenario for the region, since this river is the main source of water supply for the urban core. Health conditions found in the Sinos River, mainly in its lower reaches, are worrying and a strong indicator of human activities on the basin.

  16. Genome-wide identification of SF1 and SF2 helicases from archaea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chamieh, Hala; Ibrahim, Hiba; Kozah, Juliana

    2016-01-15

    Archaea microorganisms have long been used as model organisms for the study of protein molecular machines. Archaeal proteins are particularly appealing to study since archaea, even though prokaryotic, possess eukaryotic-like cellular processes. Super Family I (SF1) and Super Family II (SF2) helicase families have been studied in many model organisms, little is known about their presence and distribution in archaea. We performed an exhaustive search of homologs of SF1 and SF2 helicase proteins in 95 complete archaeal genomes. In the present study, we identified the complete sets of SF1 and SF2 helicases in archaea. Comparative analysis between archaea, human and the bacteria E. coli SF1 and SF2 helicases, resulted in the identification of seven helicase families conserved among representatives of the domains of life. This analysis suggests that these helicase families are highly conserved throughout evolution. We highlight the conserved motifs of each family and characteristic domains of the detected families. Distribution of SF1/SF2 families show that Ski2-like, Lhr, Sfth and Rad3-like helicases are ubiquitous among archaeal genomes while the other families are specific to certain archaeal groups. We also report the presence of a novel SF2 helicase specific to archaea domain named Archaea Specific Helicase (ASH). Phylogenetic analysis indicated that ASH has evolved in Euryarchaeota and is evolutionary related to the Ski2-like family with specific characteristic domains. Our study provides the first exhaustive analysis of SF1 and SF2 helicases from archaea. It expands the variety of SF1 and SF2 archaeal helicases known to exist to date and provides a starting point for new biochemical and genetic studies needed to validate their biological functions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Investigations on Rickettsia in Ticks at the Sino-Russian and Sino-Mongolian Borders, China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Lijuan; Chen, Qian; Yang, Yu; Wang, Jiancheng; Cao, Xiaomei; Zhang, Sheng; Li, Hong; Hou, Yong; Wang, Fuxiang; Xu, Baoliang

    2015-12-01

    To describe the prevalence of Rickettsia in ticks at the Sino-Russian and Sino-Mongolian borders, a total of 292 ticks were collected and tested by conventional PCR assays. The prevalence of Rickettsia was 53.4%, and phylogenetic analysis showed that they belonged to R. raoultii species after alignment for the ompA, ompB, and gltA genes, respectively. Coxiella burnetii DNA was detected for 14%, and no Ehrlichia, Borrelia burgdorferi, and Babesia species were found. Co-infection of two pathogens was 9.9%, and no co-infection with three or more pathogens was found. This study suggested Rickettsia was the most common pathogen in the ticks and co-infection was found. The findings might be helpful to provide advice on the prevention and control of tick-borne disease potential for tourists and residents.

  18. Comparison of the SF6D, the EQ5D, and the oswestry disability index in patients with chronic low back pain and degenerative disc disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnsen, Lars G; Hellum, Christian; Nygaard, Oystein P; Storheim, Kjersti; Brox, Jens I; Rossvoll, Ivar; Leivseth, Gunnar; Grotle, Margreth

    2013-04-26

    The need for cost effectiveness analyses in randomized controlled trials that compare treatment options is increasing. The selection of the optimal utility measure is important, and a central question is whether the two most commonly used indexes - the EuroQuol 5D (EQ5D) and the Short Form 6D (SF6D) - can be used interchangeably. The aim of the present study was to compare change scores of the EQ5D and SF6D utility indexes in terms of some important measurement properties. The psychometric properties of the two utility indexes were compared to a disease-specific instrument, the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), in the setting of a randomized controlled trial for degenerative disc disease. In a randomized controlled multicentre trial, 172 patients who had experienced low back pain for an average of 6 years were randomized to either treatment with an intensive back rehabilitation program or surgery to insert disc prostheses. Patients filled out the ODI, EQ5D, and SF-36 at baseline and two-year follow up. The utility indexes was compared with respect to measurement error, structural validity, criterion validity, responsiveness, and interpretability according to the COSMIN taxonomy. At follow up, 113 patients had change score values for all three instruments. The SF6D had better similarity with the disease-specific instrument (ODI) regarding sensitivity, specificity, and responsiveness. Measurement error was lower for the SF6D (0.056) compared to the EQ5D (0.155). The minimal important change score value was 0.031 for SF6D and 0.173 for EQ5D. The minimal detectable change score value at a 95% confidence level were 0.157 for SF6D and 0.429 for EQ5D, and the difference in mean change score values (SD) between them was 0.23 (0.29) and so exceeded the clinical significant change score value for both instruments. Analysis of psychometric properties indicated that the indexes are unidimensional when considered separately, but that they do not exactly measure the same

  19. Relaxation effects in ionic mobility and cluster formation: negative ions in SF6 at high pressures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Juarez, A M; De Urquijo, J; Hinojosa, G; Hernandez-Avila, J L; Basurto, E

    2010-01-01

    The relaxation effects of the ionic mobility and the formation of negative-ion clusters in SF 6 are studied in this work. For this purpose, we have measured the mobility of negative ions in SF 6 over the pressure range 100-800 Torr at a fixed value of density-normalized electric field, E/N, of 20 Td (1 Townsend = 10 -17 V cm 2 ). The data obtained show a clear dependence of the negative-ion drift velocity on drift distance. It is observed that the drift velocity (mobility) reaches a steady-state value only for drift distances above 2 cm, over the studied pressure range. In addition to this, we have observed that the ionic mobility depends strongly on the gas pressure. An explanation of this dependence of the ionic mobility on gas pressure is given in terms of a negative-ion clustering formation process. It was found that the assumption of a linear dependence of the cluster ion mass on pressure provides a satisfactory explanation for the observed mobilities.

  20. The sensing mechanism of N-doped SWCNTs toward SF6 decomposition products: A first-principle study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gui, Yingang; Tang, Chao; Zhou, Qu; Xu, Lingna; Zhao, Zhongyong; Zhang, Xiaoxing

    2018-05-01

    In order to monitor the insulation status of SF6-insulated equipment on-line, SOF2 and SO2F2, two typical decomposition products of SF6 under electric discharge condition, are chosen as the target gases to evaluate the type and severity of discharge. In this work, single N atom doping method is adopted to improve the gas sensitivity of single wall carbon nanotubes to SOF2 and SO2F2. Single and double gas molecules adsorptions are considered to completely analyze the adsorption properties of N-doped single wall carbon nanotubes. Calculation results show that N atom doping enhances the surface activity of carbon nanotubes. When gas molecules physically adsorbed on N-doped single wall carbon nanotubes, the weak interaction between gas molecules and N-doped single wall carbon nanotubes nearly not changes the electrical property according to analysis of the density of states and molecular orbitals. While the chemisorption between gas molecules and N-doped single wall carbon nanotubes distinctly decreases the conductivity of adsorption system.

  1. Design and fabrication of resonator-quantum well infrared photodetector for SF6 gas sensor application

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Jason; Choi, Kwong-Kit; DeCuir, Eric; Olver, Kimberley; Fu, Richard

    2017-07-01

    The infrared absorption of SF6 gas is narrowband and peaks at 10.6 μm. This narrowband absorption posts a stringent requirement on the corresponding sensors as they need to collect enough signal from this limited spectral bandwidth to maintain a high sensitivity. Resonator-quantum well infrared photodetectors (R-QWIPs) are the next generation of QWIP detectors that use resonances to increase the quantum efficiency for more efficient signal collection. Since the resonant approach is applicable to narrowband as well as broadband, it is particularly suitable for this application. We designed and fabricated R-QWIPs for SF6 gas detection. To achieve the expected performance, the detector geometry must be produced according to precise specifications. In particular, the height of the diffractive elements and the thickness of the active resonator must be uniform, and accurately realized to within 0.05 μm. Additionally, the substrates of the detectors must be completely removed to prevent the escape of unabsorbed light in the detectors. To achieve these specifications, two optimized inductively coupled plasma etching processes were developed. Due to submicron detector feature sizes and overlay tolerance, we used an advanced semiconductor material lithography stepper instead of a contact mask aligner to pattern wafers. Using these etching techniques and tool, we have fabricated focal plane arrays with 30-μm pixel pitch and 320×256 format. The initial test revealed promising results.

  2. Analysis of the characteristics of DC nozzle arcs in air and guidance for the search of SF6 replacement gas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, J.; Zhang, Q.; Yan, J. D.; Zhong, J.; Fang, M. T. C.

    2016-11-01

    It is shown that the arc model based on laminar flow cannot predict satisfactorily the voltage of an air arc burning in a supersonic nozzle. The Prandtl mixing length model (PML) and a modified k-epsilon turbulence model (MKE) are used to introduce turbulence enhanced momentum and energy transport. Arc voltages predicted by these two turbulence models are in good agreement with experiments at the stagnation pressure (P 0) of 10 bar. The predicted arc voltages by MKE for P 0  =  13 bar and 7 bar are in better agreement with experiments than those predicted by PML. MKE is therefore a preferred turbulence model for an air nozzle arc. There are two peaks in ρC P of air at 4000 K and 7000 K due, respectively, to the dissociation of oxygen and that of nitrogen. These peaks produce corresponding peaks in turbulent thermal conductivity, which results in very broad radial temperature profile and a large arc radius. Thus, turbulence indirectly enhances axial enthalpy transport, which becomes the dominant energy transport process for the overall energy balance of the arc column at high currents. When the current reduces, turbulent thermal conduction gradually becomes dominant. The temperature dependence of ρC P has a decisive influence on the radial temperature profile of a turbulent arc, thus the thermal interruption capability of a gas. Comparison between ρC P for air and SF6 shows that ρC P for SF6 has peaks below 4000 K. This renders a distinctive arc core and a small arc radius for turbulent SF6, thus superior arc quenching capability. It is suggested, for the first time, that ρC P provides guidance for the search of a replacement switching gas for SF6.

  3. The "11K" gene family members sf68, sf95 and sf138 modulate transmissibility and insecticidal properties of Spodoptera frugiperda multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beperet, Inés; Simón, Oihane; Williams, Trevor; López-Ferber, Miguel; Caballero, Primitivo

    2015-05-01

    The "11K" gene family is notable for having homologs in both baculoviruses and entomopoxviruses and is classified as either type 145 or type 150, according to their similarity with the ac145 or ac150 genes of Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV). One homolog of ac145 (sf138) and two homologs of ac150 (sf68 and sf95) are present in Spodoptera frugiperda multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (SfMNPV). Recombinant bacmids lacking sf68, sf95 or sf138 (Sf68null, Sf95null and Sf138null, respectively) and the respective repair bacmids were generated from a bacmid comprising the complete virus genome. Occlusion bodies (OBs) of the Sf138null virus were ∼15-fold less orally infective to insects, which was attributed to a 100-fold reduction in ODV infectious titer. Inoculation of insects with Sf138null OBs in mixtures with an optical brightener failed to restore the pathogenicity of Sf138null OBs to that of the parental virus, indicating that the effects of sf138 deletion on OB pathogenicity were unlikely to involve an interaction with the gut peritrophic matrix. In contrast, deletion of sf68 and sf95 resulted in a slower speed-of-kill by 9h, and a concurrent increase in the yield of OBs. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that sf68 and sf95 were not generated after a duplication event of an ancestral gene homologous to the ac150 gene. We conclude that type 145 genes modulate the primary infection process of the virus, whereas type 150 genes appear to have a role in spreading systemic infection within the insect. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Properties and etching rates of negative ions in inductively coupled plasmas and dc discharges produced in Ar/SF6

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Draghici, M.; Stamate, E.

    2010-01-01

    Negative ion production is investigated in a chamber with transversal magnetic filter operated in dc or inductively coupled plasma (ICP) modes in Ar/SF 6 gas mixtures. Plasma parameters are evaluated by mass spectrometry and Langmuir probe for different discharge conditions. The density ratio of negative ion to electron exceeded 300 in dc mode while it was below 100 in the ICP mode. The possibility to apply a large positive bias to an electrode without affecting the plasma potential and the transition from a negative sheath to anodic glow are also investigated. The etching rates by positive and negative ions are evaluated on silicon substrate for different Ar/SF 6 gas ratios. The etching rate by negative ions was with less than 5% smaller than that by positive ions.

  5. Properties and etching rates of negative ions in inductively coupled plasmas and dc discharges produced in Ar/SF6

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Draghici, Mihai; Stamate, Eugen

    2010-01-01

    of negative ion to electron exceeded 300 in dc mode while it was below 100 in the ICP mode. The possibility to apply a large positive bias to an electrode without affecting the plasma potential and the transition from a negative sheath to anodic glow are also investigated. The etching rates by positive...... and negative ions are evaluated on silicon substrate for different Ar/SF6 gas ratios. The etching rate by negative ions was with less than 5% smaller than that by positive ions.......Negative ion production is investigated in a chamber with transversal magnetic filter operated in dc or inductively coupled plasma (ICP) modes in Ar/SF6 gas mixtures. Plasma parameters are evaluated by mass spectrometry and Langmuir probe for different discharge conditions. The density ratio...

  6. The Mounting process and dielectric tests of the Parque Caballero armored substation in SF6(220 Kv); Montaje y pruebas dielectricas de la estacion blindada en gas SF6 (220 kV) 'Parque Caballero'

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Decoud, Carlos; Bobadilla, Alberto [ANDE - Administracion Nacional de Electricidad, Assuncion (Paraguay)

    2001-07-01

    This document approaches the aspects referring to the mounting and also dielectric tests for the Parque Caballero armored substation in SF6. This type of installation represents a innovation regarding substations in urban centres. The most relevant items in relation to the mounting process are shown in a summarized way, as well as the aspects related to dielectric tests executed during the substation commissioning.

  7. Thermodynamic and transport properties of two-temperature SF6 plasmas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Weizong; Rong Mingzhe; Wu Yi; Spencer, Joseph W.; Yan, Joseph D.; Mei, DanHua

    2012-01-01

    This paper deals with thermodynamic and transport properties of SF 6 plasmas in a two-temperature model for both thermal equilibrium and non-equilibrium conditions. The species composition and thermodynamic properties are numerically determined using the two-temperature Saha equation and Guldberg-Waage equation according to deviation of van de Sanden et al. Transport properties including diffusion coefficient, viscosity, thermal conductivity, and electrical conductivity are calculated with most recent collision interaction potentials by adopting Devoto’s electron and heavy particle decoupling approach but expanded to the third-order approximation (second-order for viscosity) in the frame of Chapman–Enskog method. The results are computed for various values of pressures from 0.1 atm to 10 atm and ratios of the electron temperature to the heavy particle temperature from 1 to 20 with electron temperature range from 300 to 40 000 K. In the local thermodynamic equilibrium regime, results are compared with available results of previously published studies.

  8. A Century of changes for Razelm-Sinoe Lagoon System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scrieciu, Marian-Albert; Stanica, Adrian

    2014-05-01

    A Century of changes for Razelm-Sinoe Lagoon System Marian-Albert Scrieciu (a), Adrian Stanica (a) (a) National Institute of Marine Geology and Geoecology e GeoEcoMar, Str. Dimitrie Onciul 23e25, Sector 2, 024053 Bucharest, Romania Razelm-Sinoe Lagoon System, situated in the NW part of the Black Sea, in tight connection with the Danube Delta, has been subject to major changes due to human interventions in the past century. These changes have resulted into a complete change of the Lagoon specific ecosystems compared to its pristine state. In its natural state, as brackish - transitional environment, Antipa (1894) mentions Razelm Lagoon as one of the places with the greatest fisheries around the Black Sea coast (about 1879 - 1884, there were approximately 10,000 fishermen, all working on the Razelm Sinoe Lagoon System). Starting with the end of the XIXth Century, new canals were dug and existing channels were dredged in order to develop tighter connections with the Danube River. The natural inlet of Portita was blocked four decades ago and connections between the various parts of the lagoon system were controlled by the building of locks and sluices. The 2 inlets of Sinoe Lagoon were also controlled during early 1980s. Under these conditions, the lagoon ecosystem changed from brackish towards freshwater, with major effects on the existing flora and fauna. The period of brutal interventions ended in 1989 and the Razelm-Sinoe Lagoon System became part of the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve in 1991, with a strict policy of nature protection and restoration. Spatial planning has been the major management option for the entire reserve, lagoon system included. Plans for sustainable development of the Razelm-Sinoe Lagoon System have been built in a participative manner, involving the local stakeholders, as part of FP7 ARCH project. Special attention has been given to impacts of climate change. The study presents the vision for the development Razelm-Sinoe Lagoon System over

  9. Atmospheric tracer tests and assessment of a potential accident at the National Medical Cyclotron, Camperdown, NSW, Australia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Clark, G.H.; Bartsch, F.J.K.; Stone, D.J.M.

    1994-08-01

    In order to assess the impact of a potential atmospheric release of radionuclides from the National Medical Cyclotron facility, in Camperdown, an atmospheric tracer release, sampling and analysis system using SF 6 was developed. During eight experiments conducted in a variety of meteorological conditions, ten samplers were located in the vicinity of the Cyclotron building and other nearby buildings on the rapid downward movement of the tracer gas plume. The atmospheric dilution factors which lead to the highest observed air concentrations were then applied to the releases of I 123 and Xe 123 from a potential accident scenario in order to assess the impact on nearby receptors. Even given the conservative assumptions about the release of I 123 , the estimated radiation doses were at least an order of magnitude below the international standards for doses to member of the public. 27 refs., 8 tabs., 5 figs

  10. Atmospheric tracer tests and assessment of a potential accident at the National Medical Cyclotron, Camperdown, NSW, Australia

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Clark, G H; Bartsch, F J.K.; Stone, D J.M.

    1994-08-01

    In order to assess the impact of a potential atmospheric release of radionuclides from the National Medical Cyclotron facility, in Camperdown, an atmospheric tracer release, sampling and analysis system using SF{sub 6} was developed. During eight experiments conducted in a variety of meteorological conditions, ten samplers were located in the vicinity of the Cyclotron building and other nearby buildings on the rapid downward movement of the tracer gas plume. The atmospheric dilution factors which lead to the highest observed air concentrations were then applied to the releases of I{sup 123} and Xe{sup 123} from a potential accident scenario in order to assess the impact on nearby receptors. Even given the conservative assumptions about the release of I{sup 123}, the estimated radiation doses were at least an order of magnitude below the international standards for doses to member of the public. 27 refs., 8 tabs., 5 figs.

  11. Control room inleakage testing using tracer gases at Zion Generating station

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lagus, P.L.; Brown, J.H.; Dubois, L.J.; Fleming, K.M.

    1993-01-01

    In order to assess the amount of air inleakage into the Control Room Envelope at Zion Generating Station (ZGS), a series of tracer gas tests using sulfur hexafluoride (SF 6 ) were performed on the Control Room ventilation system (PV system) and the Computer Room/Miscellaneous Area ventilation system (OV system) during February, 1991. Two redundant trains, denoted A and B comprise the PV system. Inleakage was measured for each train. An OV supply duct passes through the Control Room Envelope. Leakage from this duct into the Control Room would constitute air leakage into the Control room Envelope and hence any potential leakage had to be quantified. Each test attempted to measure the contribution (if any) of a particular section of PV return duct or OV supply duct to the total air inleakage into the Control Room. This paper reviews the tracer gas tests. Described here are the control room inleakage testing, HVAC equipment room duct inleakage, purge plenum inleakage, OV duct leakage into the control room envelope, vestibule PV return inleakage, TSC duct inleakage, and cable spreading room inleakage. Conclusions from the testing are presented. 5 refs., 4 figs., 7 tabs

  12. Anisotropic etching of silicon for application in micro machine using plasma of SF6/CH4/O2/Ar and SF6/CF4/O2/Ar

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Reyes B, C.; Moshkalyov, S.A.; Swart, J.W.

    2004-01-01

    We investigated the reactive ion etching of silicon using SF 6 /CH 4 (CF 4 )/O 2 /Ar gas mixtures containing fluorine for MEMS applications. Etch rates and anisotropy of etch profiles were examined as a function of gas composition, material of electrode, and RF power. Etch depths were measured using a profilometers, and etch profiles were analyzed by scanning electron microscope. As a mask material, an aluminium film deposited by evaporation, was used. High anisotropy of etching of 0.95 was achieved at etch depths up to 20-30 micrometers and etch rates of approximately 0.3-0.6 μm/min. Highly anisotropic etching is based on a mechanism that enhance the ion bombarding and protects the sidewalls due to polymerization and/or oxidation mechanisms in order to avoid the lateral etch. However, under the anisotropic etching conditions, considerable damages of the etched surfaces (roughness formation), were observed. After etching experiments, wet / dry cleaning procedures were applied to remove surface residues resulting from the reactive ion etching and to improve the etched surface morphology. (Author)

  13. Estimating the Spatial Distribution of Groundwater Age Using Synoptic Surveys of Environmental Tracers in Streams

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gardner, W. P.

    2017-12-01

    A model which simulates tracer concentration in surface water as a function the age distribution of groundwater discharge is used to characterize groundwater flow systems at a variety of spatial scales. We develop the theory behind the model and demonstrate its application in several groundwater systems of local to regional scale. A 1-D stream transport model, which includes: advection, dispersion, gas exchange, first-order decay and groundwater inflow is coupled a lumped parameter model that calculates the concentration of environmental tracers in discharging groundwater as a function of the groundwater residence time distribution. The lumped parameters, which describe the residence time distribution, are allowed to vary spatially, and multiple environmental tracers can be simulated. This model allows us to calculate the longitudinal profile of tracer concentration in streams as a function of the spatially variable groundwater age distribution. By fitting model results to observations of stream chemistry and discharge, we can then estimate the spatial distribution of groundwater age. The volume of groundwater discharge to streams can be estimated using a subset of environmental tracers, applied tracers, synoptic stream gauging or other methods, and the age of groundwater then estimated using the previously calculated groundwater discharge and observed environmental tracer concentrations. Synoptic surveys of SF6, CFC's, 3H and 222Rn, along with measured stream discharge are used to estimate the groundwater inflow distribution and mean age for regional scale surveys of the Berland River in west-central Alberta. We find that groundwater entering the Berland has observable age, and that the age estimated using our stream survey is of similar order to limited samples from groundwater wells in the region. Our results show that the stream can be used as an easily accessible location to constrain the regional scale spatial distribution of groundwater age.

  14. Adsorption of SF6 decomposed gas on anatase (101) and (001) surfaces with oxygen defect: A density functional theory study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Xiaoxing; Chen, Qinchuan; Tang, Ju; Hu, Weihua; Zhang, Jinbin

    2014-01-01

    The detection of partial discharge by analyzing the components of SF6 gas in gas-insulated switchgears is important to the diagnosis and assessment of the operational state of power equipment. A gas sensor based on anatase TiO2 is used to detect decomposed gases in SF6. In this paper, first-principle density functional theory calculations are adopted to analyze the adsorption of SO2, SOF2, and SO2F2, the primary decomposition by-products of SF6 under partial discharge, on anatase (101) and (001) surfaces. Simulation results show that the perfect anatase (001) surface has a stronger interaction with the three gases than that of anatase (101), and both surfaces are more sensitive and selective to SO2 than to SOF2 and SO2F2. The selection of a defect surface to SO2, SOF2, and SO2F2 differs from that of a perfect surface. This theoretical result is corroborated by the sensing experiment using a TiO2 nanotube array (TNTA) gas sensor. The calculated values are analyzed to explain the results of the Pt-doped TNTA gas sensor sensing experiment. The results imply that the deposited Pt nanoparticles on the surface increase the active sites of the surface and the gas molecules may decompose upon adsorption on the active sites. PMID:24755845

  15. Multimodel analysis of anisotropic diffusive tracer-gas transport in a deep arid unsaturated zone

    Science.gov (United States)

    Green, Christopher T.; Walvoord, Michelle Ann; Andraski, Brian J.; Striegl, Robert G.; Stonestrom, David A.

    2015-01-01

    Gas transport in the unsaturated zone affects contaminant flux and remediation, interpretation of groundwater travel times from atmospheric tracers, and mass budgets of environmentally important gases. Although unsaturated zone transport of gases is commonly treated as dominated by diffusion, the characteristics of transport in deep layered sediments remain uncertain. In this study, we use a multimodel approach to analyze results of a gas-tracer (SF6) test to clarify characteristics of gas transport in deep unsaturated alluvium. Thirty-five separate models with distinct diffusivity structures were calibrated to the tracer-test data and were compared on the basis of Akaike Information Criteria estimates of posterior model probability. Models included analytical and numerical solutions. Analytical models provided estimates of bulk-scale apparent diffusivities at the scale of tens of meters. Numerical models provided information on local-scale diffusivities and feasible lithological features producing the observed tracer breakthrough curves. The combined approaches indicate significant anisotropy of bulk-scale diffusivity, likely associated with high-diffusivity layers. Both approaches indicated that diffusivities in some intervals were greater than expected from standard models relating porosity to diffusivity. High apparent diffusivities and anisotropic diffusivity structures were consistent with previous observations at the study site of rapid lateral transport and limited vertical spreading of gas-phase contaminants. Additional processes such as advective oscillations may be involved. These results indicate that gases in deep, layered unsaturated zone sediments can spread laterally more quickly, and produce higher peak concentrations, than predicted by homogeneous, isotropic diffusion models.

  16. Measurement of the electron attachment rates for SF6 and C7F14 at Te=0.2 eV in a magnetized Q machine plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Merlino, Robert L.; Kim, Su-Hyun

    2008-01-01

    Electron attachment rates for SF 6 and C 7 F 14 were measured in a magnetized Q machine plasma at an electron temperature of 0.2±0.02 eV and with neutral gas pressures of P∼10 -4 Torr. The rate constants for attachment to SF 6 and C 7 F 14 were (7.6±2.0)x10 -8 and (2.2±0.9)x10 -7 cm 3 s -1 , respectively.

  17. Calculation of embodied energy in Sino-USA trade: 1997–2011

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang, Ranran; Long, Ruyin; Yue, Ting; Shi, Haihong

    2014-01-01

    In order to find efficient trade measures to reduce China's energy consumption and to provide theoretical support for the climate talks between China and America, we investigate the impact of Sino-USA trade on energy consumption from the perspective of embodied energy. An Environmental Input–Output Life Cycle Assessment (EIO-LCA) model was established to calculate the total energy consumption coefficient, the direct consumption coefficient and the complete consumption coefficient of the sectors of the national economies of China and America. After taking into consideration the data of every sector of the national economy in Sino-USA trade, energy embodied in the import and export trade between China and America was calculated to verify the real energy flows in Sino-USA trade. The research results suggest the following: China is the net exporter of embodied energy in Sino-USA trade, and coal, crude oil and natural gas are the major components. In 1997–2011, the net exports of China's embodied energy totaled 1523,082,200 t of standard coal, the amount of China's energy consumption increased by 895,527,900 t of standard coal, and America's energy consumption decreased by 11,871,200 t of standard coal as a result of Sino-USA trade. On this basis, corresponding policies and recommendations are proposed. - Highlights: • An EIO-LCA model is established to examine China's embodied energy in Sino-USA trade. • Embodied energy is calculated from the perspective of energy sources. • China is found to be the net exporter of embodied energy in Sino-USA trade. • Coal, crude oil and natural gas are the major components of China's net embodied energy exports. • China's energy consumption has increased and America's has shifted to China in Sino-USA trade

  18. Evaluation of SF6-alternative gas C5-PFK based on arc extinguishing performance and electric strength

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Yi; Wang, Chunlin; Sun, Hao; Rong, Mingzhe; Murphy, Anthony Bruce; Li, Tianwei; Zhong, Jianying; Chen, Zhexin; Yang, Fei; Niu, Chunpin

    2017-09-01

    C5-PFK (C5-perfluoroketone, C5F10O) is under wide consideration as an environmentally-friendly alternative gas to SF6 in high-voltage applications, because of its superior insulation performance. The aim of this work is to study theoretically the arc extinguishing performance and electric strength of C5-PFK. The arc extinguishing performance of C5-PFK was evaluated by analyzing and comparing the thermophysical properties of C5-PFK, SF6, CF4, CO2 and N2 plasmas. It was difficult to obtain the species formed in C5-PFK plasmas because of the complex C5-PFK molecular decomposition process. In this work, the decomposition process of C5-PFK and the related species were analyzed by the bond energy analysis method. For the species for which parameters such as the partition function and the enthalpy of formation were not available, computational chemistry methods were used to obtain the required data. The collision integrals were calculated using the phenomenological potential model. Using these results, the local thermodynamic equilibrium composition at temperatures from 300 to 30 000 K at 1-10 atm of pure C5-PFK was calculated by the method of minimization of the Gibbs free energy, and the corresponding transport coefficients were calculated by Chapman-Enskog method. Through the comparison of the thermophysical properties, it was found that C5-PFK had similar characteristics to SF6, with large peaks in specific heat below 4500 K, indicating potentially good thermal interruption capability. However, the specific heat peak at 7000 K corresponding to CO decomposition may detract from the thermal interruption capability. Specific heat peaks at higher temperatures are associated with the breaking of double or triple bonds, and should be avoided if possible in the new alternative gases. The electric strength of C5-PFK was assessed using the molecular electrostatic potential, which can be accurately calculated or measured, and gives strong insights into important

  19. Analysis of the Sensitivity of K-Type Molecular Sieve-Deposited MWNTs for the Detection of SF6 Decomposition Gases under Partial Discharge

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Xiaoxing; Li, Xin; Luo, Chenchen; Dong, Xingchen; Zhou, Lei

    2015-01-01

    Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) is widely utilized in gas-insulated switchgear (GIS). However, part of SF6 decomposes into different components under partial discharge (PD) conditions. Previous research has shown that the gas responses of intrinsic and 4 Å-type molecular sieve-deposited multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) to SOF2 and SO2F2, two important decomposition components of SF6, are not obvious. In this study, a K-type molecular sieve-deposited MWNTs sensor was developed. Its gas response characteristics and the influence of the mixture ratios of gases on the gas-sensing properties were studied. The results showed that, for sensors with gas mixture ratios of 5:1, 10:1, and 20:1, the resistance change rate increased by nearly 13.0% after SOF2 adsorption, almost 10 times that of MWNTs sensors, while the sensors’ resistance change rate with a mixture ratio of 10:1 reached 17.3% after SO2F2 adsorption, nearly nine times that of intrinsic MWNT sensors. Besides, a good linear relationship was observed between concentration of decomposition components and the resistance change rate of sensors. PMID:26569245

  20. Analysis of the Sensitivity of K-Type Molecular Sieve-Deposited MWNTs for the Detection of SF6 Decomposition Gases under Partial Discharge

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaoxing Zhang

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6 is widely utilized in gas-insulated switchgear (GIS. However, part of SF6 decomposes into different components under partial discharge (PD conditions. Previous research has shown that the gas responses of intrinsic and 4 Å-type molecular sieve-deposited multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWNTs to SOF2 and SO2F2, two important decomposition components of SF6, are not obvious. In this study, a K-type molecular sieve-deposited MWNTs sensor was developed. Its gas response characteristics and the influence of the mixture ratios of gases on the gas-sensing properties were studied. The results showed that, for sensors with gas mixture ratios of 5:1, 10:1, and 20:1, the resistance change rate increased by nearly 13.0% after SOF2 adsorption, almost 10 times that of MWNTs sensors, while the sensors’ resistance change rate with a mixture ratio of 10:1 reached 17.3% after SO2F2 adsorption, nearly nine times that of intrinsic MWNT sensors. Besides, a good linear relationship was observed between concentration of decomposition components and the resistance change rate of sensors.

  1. Transport coefficients of liquid CF4 and SF6 computed by molecular dynamics using polycenter Lennard-Jones potentials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoheisel, C.

    1989-01-01

    For several liquid states of CF4 and SF4, the shear and the bulk viscosity as well as the thermal conductivity were determined by equilibrium molecular dynamics (MD) calculations. Lennard-Jones four- and six-center pair potentials were applied, and the method of constraints was chosen for the MD. The computed Green-Kubo integrands show a steep time decay, and no particular longtime behavior occurs. The molecule number dependence of the results is found to be small, and 3×105 integration steps allow an accuracy of about 10% for the shear viscosity and the thermal conductivity coefficient. Comparison with experimental data shows a fair agreement for CF4, while for SF6 the transport coefficients fall below the experimental ones by about 30%.

  2. Comparison of the Multiattribute Utility Instruments EQ-5D and SF-6D in a Europe-Wide Population-Based Cohort of Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease 10 Years after Diagnosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huppertz-Hauss, Gert; Aas, Eline; Lie Høivik, Marte; Langholz, Ebbe; Odes, Selwyn; Småstuen, Milada; Stockbrugger, Reinhold; Hoff, Geir; Moum, Bjørn; Bernklev, Tomm

    2016-01-01

    Background. The treatment of chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is costly, and limited resources call for analyses of the cost effectiveness of therapeutic interventions. The present study evaluated the equivalency of the Short Form 6D (SF-6D) and the Euro QoL (EQ-5D), two preference-based HRQoL instruments that are broadly used in cost-effectiveness analyses, in an unselected IBD patient population. Methods. IBD patients from seven European countries were invited to a follow-up visit ten years after their initial diagnosis. Clinical and demographic data were assessed, and the Short Form 36 (SF-36) was employed. Utility scores were obtained by calculating the SF-6D index values from the SF-36 data for comparison with the scores obtained with the EQ-5D questionnaire. Results. The SF-6D and EQ-5D provided good sensitivities for detecting disease activity-dependent utility differences. However, the single-measure intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.58, and the Bland-Altman plot indicated numerous values beyond the limits of agreement. Conclusions. There was poor agreement between the measures retrieved from the EQ-5D and the SF-6D utility instruments. Although both instruments may provide good sensitivity for the detection of disease activity-dependent utility differences, the instruments cannot be used interchangeably. Cost-utility analyses performed with only one utility instrument must be interpreted with caution.

  3. SF{sub 6} decomposition and layer formation due to excimer laser photoablation of SiO{sub 2} surface at gas-solid system

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sajad, Batool [Physics Department, Amirkabir University, PO Box 15875-4413, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Parvin, Parviz [Physics Department, Amirkabir University, PO Box 15875-4413, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Bassam, Mohamad Amin [Excimer Laser Lab, Emam Hussain University, PO Box 16575-4347, Tehrann (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

    2004-12-21

    In this work, the effect of an excimer laser has been studied for presenting a method for SF{sub 6} decomposition and simultaneous formation of a SiF{sub 2} layer on amorphous SiO{sub 2}. Though the excimer laser did not establish a gas phase photodissociation, we have shown that UV photoablation leads strongly to molecular decomposition in the SF{sub 6}-SiO{sub 2} system. Moreover, the dependence of the decomposition process on the exposure parameters such as the wavelength and intensity as well as the gas pressure and the focal point distance from the gas-solid interface has been investigated.

  4. Ozone-depleting substances and the greenhouse gases HFCs, PFCs and SF{sub 6}. Danish consumption and emissions, 2006

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sander Poulsen, T. (PlanMiljoe (Denmark))

    2007-07-01

    The objective of this project was to map the 2006 consumption of newly produced industrial ozone-depleting substances and the consumption and actual emissions of HFCs, PFCs, and SF{sub 6}. The evaluation was made in accordance with the IPCC guidelines and following the method employed in previous evaluations. (BA)

  5. Double tracer experiments to investigate models for the calculation of gamma doses from a radioactive cloud

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nielsen, S.P.; Gryning, S.E.; Thykier-Nielsen, S.; Karlberg, O.; Lyck, E.

    1984-01-01

    The paper presents work from a series of atmospheric dispersion experiments in May 1981 at the Ringhals nuclear power plant in Sweden. The aim of the project was to obtain short-term observations of concentrations and gamma-ray exposures from stack effluents and to compare these results with corresponding values calculated from computer models. Two tracers, sulphurhexafluoride (SF 6 ) and radioactive noble gases, were released from a 110-m stack and detected at ground level downwind at distances of 3-4 km. Calculations were made with two Gaussian plume models: PLUCON developed at Riso National Laboratory and UNIDOSE developed at Studsvik Energiteknik AB. (orig.)

  6. Theoretical and experimental studies of N and SF2 reaction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yu Shuqin; Zhou Xiaoguo

    2000-02-01

    In this paper, free radical reaction of N+SF 2 induced by dc discharge in N 2 and SF 6 system was examined. Although the NS + (m/z = 46) ion signals were detected, NS + is not the spectral carrier from obtained REMPI spectra analysis. Ab initio quantum calculation shows that NSF is the main product of N + SF 2 . It is confirmed from this calculation that NS + obtained in experiment was produced by multiphoton ionization and dissociation of NSF which is real product of N + SF 2 reaction. (author)

  7. Measurements of HFC-134a and HCFC-22 in groundwater and unsaturated-zone air: implications for HFCs and HCFCs as dating tracers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haase, Karl B.; Busenberg, Eurybiades; Plummer, Niel; Casile, Gerolamo; Sanford, Ward E.

    2014-01-01

    A new analytical method using gas chromatography with an atomic emission detector (GC–AED) was developed for measurement of ambient concentrations of hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) in soil, air, and groundwater, with the goal of determining their utility as groundwater age tracers. The analytical detection limits of HCFC-22 (difluorochloromethane, CHClF2) and HFC-134a (1,2,2,2-tetrafluoroethane, C2H2F4) in 1 L groundwater samples are 4.3 × 10− 1 and 2.1 × 10− 1 pmol kg− 1, respectively, corresponding to equilibrium gas-phase mixing ratios of approximately 5–6 parts per trillion by volume (pptv). Under optimal conditions, post-1960 (HCFC-22) and post-1995 (HFC-134a) recharge could be identified using these tracers in stable, unmixed groundwater samples. Ambient concentrations of HCFC-22 and HFC-134a were measured in 50 groundwater samples from 27 locations in northern and western parts of Virginia, Tennessee, and North Carolina (USA), and 3 unsaturated-zone profiles were collected in northern Virginia. Mixing ratios of both HCFC-22 and HFC-134a decrease with depth in unsaturated-zone gas profiles with an accompanying increase in CO2 and loss of O2. Apparently, ambient concentrations of HCFC-22 and HFC-134a are readily consumed by methanotrophic bacteria under aerobic conditions in the unsaturated zone. The results of this study indicate that soils are a sink for these two greenhouse gases. These observations contradict the previously reported results from microcosm experiments that found that degradation was limited above-ambient HFC-134a. The groundwater HFC and HCFC concentrations were compared with concentrations of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs, CFC-11, CFC-12, CFC-113) and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6). Nearly all samples had measured HCFC-22 or HFC-134a that were below concentrations predicted by the CFCs and SF6, with many samples showing a complete loss of HCFC-22 and HFC-134a. This study indicates that HCFC-22 and HFC-134

  8. Heavy methanes (mass-20 and -21) as atmospheric tracers. A new research initiatives project

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guthals, P.R.; Fowler, M.M.

    1978-07-01

    Products from the stable isotope production project (ICONS) at the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL) have had applications in a number of practical problems. Fully deuterated methanes, using 12 C and 13 C (mass-20 and -21, respectively), are detectable in the atmosphere at very low concentrations. The detection limits are due to an almost zero background and a distinct mass-spectrometric line. These properties, coupled with long lifetimes in the atmosphere, make the heavy methanes strong candidates for tracers of atmospheric transport and turbulence on regional to global scales. Three field tests have been conducted to assess the feasibility and to demonstrate the desirable properties of heavy methanes as atmospheric tracers. In the first test in May 1974, heavy methane released at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) was sampled and detected in several midwestern cities up to 2500 km downstream. These results agree with trajectories estimated from observed meteorological data. A second experiment, conducted in December 1975 at the Savannah River Plant, compared two heavy methanes with SF 6 and 85 Kr over a transport distance of 100 km. Increased detail in meteorological support data and ground-level sampling offered options of data interpretation unavailable in the first test. Qualitative patterns of tracer concentrations show good agreement among the four tracers and are verified by the meteorological inputs. The third experiment, performed in April 1977 at INEL, built on the experience of the previous two. Detailed ground-level sampling arrays at 3, 50, and 90 km from the release point were supplemented by aircraft and a crude sampling line across the Continental Divide at 300-km distance. Two new perfluorocarbon tracers were included for comparison

  9. Language Choice of Urban Sino-Indians in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maya Khemlani David

    2008-09-01

    Full Text Available Language choice in mixed marriages plays a crucial role in language maintenance. It helps in maintaining at least one or two languages from generation to generation. In this study an examination on the language choice of some Sino-Indian Malaysians in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, is explored to find out the language choice in a range of domains and with different speech partners. Sino-Indians are the offspring of marriages between Indians and Chinese. There were 30 participants consisting of 14 males and 16 females who took part in the study. A questionnaire consisting of 89 items was administered to the participants who were working or studying in Kuala Lumpur at that time. The findings reveal that language choice in some Sino-Indian families is influenced by factors such as age, domains of communication, attitudes towards the language, and identity. Age plays an important role in lan¬guage choice, particularly in the home domain. Some older Sino-Indian speakers are bilingual in English and Malay, the middle-aged speakers are trilingual and speak more in English and some Tamil and Chinese, and the younger speakers are multilingual but favour the use of English. This study has also examined how the Sino-Indian respondents viewed their dual heritage.

  10. CF3SF5 : a ‘super’ greenhouse gas

    OpenAIRE

    Tuckett, R. P.

    2008-01-01

    One molecule of the anthropogenic pollutant trifluoromethyl sulphur pentafluoride (CF\\(_3\\)SF\\(_5\\)), an adduct of the CF\\(_3\\) and SF\\(_5\\) free radicals, causes more global warming than one molecule of any other greenhouse gas yet detected in the Earth’s atmosphere. That is, it has the highest per molecule radiative forcing of any greenhouse pollutant, and the value of its global warming potential is only exceeded by that of SF\\(_6\\). First, the greenhouse effect is described, the propertie...

  11. Novel methodology to perform sulfur hexafluoride (SF6)-based multiple-breath wash-in and washout in infants using current commercially available equipment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gustafsson, P M; Robinson, P D; Lindblad, A; Oberli, D

    2016-11-01

    Multiple-breath inert gas washout (MBW) is ideally suited for early detection and monitoring of serious lung disease, such as cystic fibrosis, in infants and young children. Validated commercial options for the MBW technique are limited, and suitability of nitrogen (N 2 )-based MBW is of concern given the detrimental effect of exposure to pure O 2 on infant breathing pattern. We propose novel methodology using commercially available N 2 MBW equipment to facilitate 4% sulfur hexafluoride (SF 6 ) multiple-breath inert gas wash-in and washout suitable for the infant age range. CO 2 , O 2 , and sidestream molar mass sensor signals were used to accurately calculate SF 6 concentrations. An improved dynamic method for synchronization of gas and respiratory flow was developed to take into account variations in sidestream sample flow during MBW measurement. In vitro validation of triplicate functional residual capacity (FRC) assessments was undertaken under dry ambient conditions using lung models ranging from 90 to 267 ml, with tidal volumes of 28-79 ml, and respiratory rates 20-60 per minute. The relative mean (SD, 95% confidence interval) error of triplicate FRC determinations by washout was -0.26 (1.84, -3.86 to +3.35)% and by wash-in was 0.57 (2.66, -4.66 to +5.79)%. The standard deviations [mean (SD)] of percentage error among FRC triplicates were 1.40 (1.14) and 1.38 (1.32) for washout and wash-in, respectively. The novel methodology presented achieved FRC accuracy as outlined by current MBW consensus recommendations (95% of measurements within 5% accuracy). Further clinical evaluation is required, but this new technique, using existing commercially available equipment, has exciting potential for research and clinical use. Copyright © 2016 the American Physiological Society.

  12. Analysis, simulation and control of electromagnetic transients in gas insulated substations in SF6 by means of grounding grid; Analisis, simulacion y control de transitorios electromagneticos en subestaciones aisladas en SF6 por medio de redes de tierra

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hernandez Martinez, Gaston

    2007-12-15

    The use of SF6 substations is actually an extensive practice in industrial countries. Some of they replace conventional air substations and the others are new designs in the range of 34.5 kV to 1000 kV. During the switching events in a GIS substation, very fast transients overvoltage may appear and originate faults, malfunctions in the electronic and control equipment, besides the risk by electrical discharge in the personnel who are working in the substation. These overvoltage are produced by the collapse of the electric field on GIS terminals during switching events originating Very Fast Transient Overvoltage (VFTO) and the increase of the Transient Enclosure Voltage (TEV). This investigation is focused on diminishing the magnitude of the VFTO and TEV by designing and redesigning grounding grids for gas insulated substations in SF6. The objective of this work is to design a grounding grid for an air substation and redesign it for a GIS substation. The computer simulation uses a detailed model of the substation in SF6 interconnected with an aerial grounding grid and by adding methodologically grounding rods, the VFTO and TEV within the GIS are reduced. The results of the computer simulation show that the designed grounding grid allows considerably diminishing the magnitude of the VFTO; nevertheless this design doesn't appropriately attenuate the TEV magnitude. [Spanish] Hoy en dia, el uso de subestaciones GIS se ha generalizado. Algunas reemplazan a las subestaciones aereas y otras son de nueva creacion y se instalan en tensiones de 34.5kV hasta 1000 kV. Durante las operaciones de maniobra de la subestacion GIS, se presentan sobretensiones transitorias ultra rapidas que pueden dar origen a diversas fallas, a un malfuncionamiento del equipo electronico y de control asi como el riesgo por descarga electrica al personal que labora en la subestacion. Estas sobretensiones se producen debido al colapso del campo electrico en terminales del interruptor ante

  13. Comparison of the Multiattribute Utility Instruments EQ-5D and SF-6D in a Europe-Wide Population-Based Cohort of Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease 10 Years after Diagnosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gert Huppertz-Hauss

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Background. The treatment of chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD is costly, and limited resources call for analyses of the cost effectiveness of therapeutic interventions. The present study evaluated the equivalency of the Short Form 6D (SF-6D and the Euro QoL (EQ-5D, two preference-based HRQoL instruments that are broadly used in cost-effectiveness analyses, in an unselected IBD patient population. Methods. IBD patients from seven European countries were invited to a follow-up visit ten years after their initial diagnosis. Clinical and demographic data were assessed, and the Short Form 36 (SF-36 was employed. Utility scores were obtained by calculating the SF-6D index values from the SF-36 data for comparison with the scores obtained with the EQ-5D questionnaire. Results. The SF-6D and EQ-5D provided good sensitivities for detecting disease activity-dependent utility differences. However, the single-measure intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.58, and the Bland-Altman plot indicated numerous values beyond the limits of agreement. Conclusions. There was poor agreement between the measures retrieved from the EQ-5D and the SF-6D utility instruments. Although both instruments may provide good sensitivity for the detection of disease activity-dependent utility differences, the instruments cannot be used interchangeably. Cost-utility analyses performed with only one utility instrument must be interpreted with caution.

  14. Thermophysical and radiation properties of high-temperature C4F8-CO2 mixtures to replace SF6 in high-voltage circuit breakers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhong, Linlin; Cressault, Yann; Teulet, Philippe

    2018-03-01

    C4F8-CO2 mixtures are one of the potential substitutes to SF6 in high-voltage circuit breakers. However, the arc quenching ability of C4F8-CO2 mixtures is still unknown. In order to provide the necessary basic data for the further investigation of arc quenching performance, the compositions, thermodynamic properties, transport coefficients, and net emission coefficients (NEC) of various C4F8-CO2 mixtures are calculated at temperatures of 300-30 000 K in this work. The thermodynamic properties are presented as the product of mass density and specific heat, i.e., ρCp. The transport coefficients include electrical conductivity, viscosity, and thermal conductivity. The atomic and molecular radiation are both taken into account in the calculation of NEC. The comparison of the properties between SF6 and C4F8-CO2 mixtures is also discussed to find their differences. The results of compositions show that C4F8-CO2 mixtures have a distinctive advantage over other alternative gases e.g., CF3I and C3F8, because the dissociative product (i.e., C4F6) of C4F8 at low temperatures has a very high dielectric strength. This is good for an arc quenching medium to endure the arc recovery phase. Compared with SF6, C4F8-CO2 mixtures present lower ρCp at temperatures below 2800 K and larger thermal conductivity above 2800 K. Based on the position of peaks in thermal conductivity, we predict that the cooling of C4F8-CO2 arc will be slowed down at higher temperatures than that of SF6 arc. It is also found that the mixing of CO2 shows slight effects on the electrical conductivity and NEC of C4F8-CO2 mixtures.

  15. Mechanical strength and hydrophobicity of cotton fabric after SF6 plasma treatment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kamlangkla, K.; Paosawatyanyong, B.; Pavarajarn, V.; Hodak, Jose H.; Hodak, Satreerat K.

    2010-08-01

    Surface treatments to tailor fabric properties are in high demand by the modern garment industry. We studied the effect of radio-frequency inductively coupled SF plasma on the surface characteristics of cotton fabric. The duration of the treatment and the SF pressure were varied systematically. We measured the hydrophobicity of treated cotton as a function of storage time and washing cycles. We used the weight loss (%) along with the etching rate, the tensile strength, the morphology changes and the hydrophobicity of the fabric as observables after treatments with different plasma conditions. The weight loss remains below 1% but it significantly increases when the treatment time is longer than 5 min. Substantial changes in the surface morphology of the fiber are concomitant with the increased etching rate and increased weight loss with measurable consequences in their mechanical characteristics. The measured water absorption time reaches the maximum of 210 min when the SF pressure is higher than 0.3 Torr. The water contact angle ( 149°) and the absorption time (210 min) of cotton treated with extreme conditions appear to be durable as long as the fabric is not washed. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis reveals that the water absorption time of the fabric follows the same increasing trend as the fluorine/carbon ratio at the fabric surface and atom density of fluorine measured by Ar actinometer.

  16. A Comparison of SF-36 and SF-12 Composite Scores and Subsequent Hospitalization and Mortality Risks in Long-Term Dialysis Patients

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Jianglin; Lin, Shu-Fang; Dean, Sandie Guerra; Lazarus, J. Michael; Hakim, Raymond M.

    2010-01-01

    Background and objectives: The Short Form 12 (SF-12) has not been validated for long-term dialysis patients. The study compared physical and mental component summary (PCS/MCS) scores from the SF-36 with those from the embedded SF-12 in a national cohort of dialysis patients. Design, setting, participants, & measurements: All 44,395 patients who had scorable SF-36 and SF-12 from January 1, 2006, to December 31, 2006, and were treated at Fresenius Medical Care, North America facilities were included. Death and first hospitalization were followed for up to 1 year from the date of survey. Correlation and agreement were obtained between PCS-36 and PCS-12 and MCS-36 and MCS-12; then Cox models were constructed to compare associated hazard ratios (HRs) between them. Results: Physical and mental dimensions both exhibited excellent intraclass correlation coefficients of 0.94. Each incremental point for both PCS-12 and PCS-36 was associated with a 2.4% lower adjusted HR of death and 0.4% decline in HR for first hospitalization (both P < 0.0001). Corresponding improvement in HR of death for each MCS point was 1.2% for MCS-12 and 1.3% for MCS-36, whereas both had similar 0.6% lower HR for hospitalization per point (all P < 0.0001). Conclusions: The use of the SF-12 alone or as part of a larger survey is valid in dialysis patients. Composite scores from the SF-12 and SF-36 have similar prognostic association with death and hospitalization risk. Prospective longitudinal studies of SF-12 surveys that consider responsiveness to specific clinical, situational, and interventional changes are needed in this population. PMID:20019120

  17. Investigation of 6-[¹⁸F]-fluoromaltose as a novel PET tracer for imaging bacterial infection.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gayatri Gowrishankar

    Full Text Available Despite advances in the field of nuclear medicine, the imaging of bacterial infections has remained a challenge. The existing reagents suffer from poor sensitivity and specificity. In this study we investigate the potential of a novel PET (positron emission tomography tracer that overcomes these limitations.6-[¹⁸F]-fluoromaltose was synthesized. Its behavior in vitro was evaluated in bacterial and mammalian cultures. Detailed pharmacokinetic and biodistribution profiles for the tracer were obtained from a murine model.6-[¹⁸F]-fluoromaltose is taken up by multiple strains of pathogenic bacteria. It is not taken up by mammalian cancer cell lines. 6-[¹⁸F]-fluoromaltose is retained in infected muscles in a murine model of bacterial myositis. It does not accumulate in inflamed tissue.We have shown that 6-[¹⁸F]-fluoromaltose can be used to image bacterial infection in vivo with high specificity. We believe that this class of agents will have a significant impact on the clinical management of patients.

  18. Streamer propagation velocity to anode and to cathode in He, Xe, N2 and SF6

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yakovlenko, S.I.

    2004-01-01

    One studied mechanism of ionization propagation in a solid gas associated with propagation of background electrons in heterogenous electric field. The mentioned mechanism does not depend on the sign of field projection on ionization propagation direction. One derived analytical expression for ionization front rate. The mentioned expression conforms well with numerical calculations. Dependence of wave ionization front rate as a function of a field intensity on boundary of streamer for He, Xe, N 2 and SF 6 is tabulated [ru

  19. Translation, adaptation, validation and performance of the American Weight Efficacy Lifestyle Questionnaire Short Form (WEL-SF to a Norwegian version: a cross-sectional study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tone N. Flølo

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Background. Researchers have emphasized a need to identify predictors that can explain the variability in weight management after bariatric surgery. Eating self-efficacy has demonstrated predictive impact on patients’ adherence to recommended eating habits following multidisciplinary treatment programs, but has to a limited extent been subject for research after bariatric surgery. Recently an American short form version (WEL-SF of the commonly used Weight Efficacy Lifestyle Questionnaire (WEL was available for research and clinical purposes.Objectives. We intended to translate and culturally adapt the WEL-SF to Norwegian conditions, and to evaluate the new versions’ psychometrical properties in a Norwegian population of morbidly obese patients eligible for bariatric surgery.Design. Cross-sectionalMethods. A total of 225 outpatients selected for Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG were recruited; 114 non-operated and 111 operated patients, respectively. The questionnaire was translated through forward and backward procedures. Structural properties were assessed performing principal component analysis (PCA, correlation and regression analysis were conducted to evaluate convergent validity and sensitivity, respectively. Data was assessed by mean, median, item response, missing values, floor- and ceiling effect, Cronbach’s alpha and alpha if item deleted.Results. The PCA resulted in one factor with eigenvalue > 1, explaining 63.0% of the variability. The WEL-SF sum scores were positively correlated with the Self-efficacy and quality of life instruments (p < 0.001. The WEL-SF was associated with body mass index (BMI (p < 0.001 and changes in BMI (p = 0.026. A very high item response was obtained with only one missing value (0.4%. The ceiling effect was in average 0.9 and 17.1% in the non-operated and operated sample, respectively. Strong internal consistency (r = 0.92 was obtained, and Cronbach’s alpha remained high (0.86–0.92 if single

  20. 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36) Versus Gait Speed As Predictor of Preclinical Mobility Disability in Older Women: The Women's Health Initiative.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laddu, Deepika R; Wertheim, Betsy C; Garcia, David O; Woods, Nancy F; LaMonte, Michael J; Chen, Bertha; Anton-Culver, Hoda; Zaslavsky, Oleg; Cauley, Jane A; Chlebowski, Rowan; Manson, JoAnn E; Thomson, Cynthia A; Stefanick, Marcia L

    2018-04-01

    To compare the value of clinically measured gait speed with that of the self-reported Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short-Form Survey Physical Function Index (SF-36 PF) in predicting future preclinical mobility disability (PCMD) in older women. Prospective cohort study. Forty clinical centers in the United States. Women aged 65 to 79 enrolled in the Women's Health Initiative Clinical Trials with gait speed and SF-36 assessed at baseline (1993-1998) and follow-up Years 1, 3, and 6 (N = 3,587). Women were categorized as nondecliners or decliners based on changes (from baseline to Year 1) in gait speed and SF-36 PF scores. Logistic regression models were used to estimate incident PCMD (gait speed 36 PF with that of measured gait speed. Slower baseline gait speed and lower SF-36 PF scores were associated with higher adjusted odds of PCMD at Years 3 and 6 (all P 36, decliners were 1.42 times as likely to have developed PCMD by Year 3 and 1.49 times as likely by Year 6. Baseline gait speed (AUC = 0.713) was nonsignificantly better than SF-36 (AUC = 0.705) at predicting PCMD over 6 years (P = .21); including measures at a second time point significantly improved model discrimination for predicting PCMD (all P 36 PF did, although the results may be limited given that gait speed served as a predictor and to define the PCMD outcome. Nonetheless, monitoring trajectories of change in mobility are better predictors of future mobility disability than single measures. © 2018, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2018, The American Geriatrics Society.

  1. Estimation of transit times in a Karst Aquifer system using environmental tracers: Application on the Jeita Aquifer system-Lebanon.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doummar, Joanna; Hamdan, Ahmad

    2016-04-01

    Estimating transit times is essential for the assessment of aquifer vulnerability to contaminants. Groundwater in karst aquifer is assumed to be relatively young due to fast preferential pathways; slow flow components are present in water stored in the fissured matrix. Furthermore, transit times are site specific as they depend on recharge rates, temperatures, elevation, and flow media; saturated and unsaturated zones. These differences create significant variation in the groundwater age in karst systems as the water sampled will be a mix of different water that has been transported through different flow pathways (fissured matrix and conduits). Several methods can be applied to estimate water transit time of an aquifer such as artificial tracers, which provide an estimate for fast flow velocities. In this study, groundwater residence times in the Jeita spring aquifer (Lebanon) were estimated using several environmental tracers such as Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), Sulfur Hexafluoride (SF6), Helium-Tritium (3H, 3H- 3He). Additional stable isotope and major ion analysis was performed to characterize water types. Groundwater samples were collected from six different wells in the Jeita catchment area (Jurassic Kesrouane aquifer) as well as from the spring and cave itself. The results are reproducible for the Tritium-Helium method, unlike for the CFC/SF6 methods that yielded poor results due to sampling problems. Tritium concentrations in all groundwater samples show nearly the same concentration (~2.73 TU) except for one sample with relatively lower tritium concentration (~2.26 TU). Ages ranging from 0.07 ± 0.07 years to 23.59 ± 0.00 years were obtained. The youngest age is attributed to the spring/ cave while the oldest ages were obtained in wells tapping the fissured matrix. Neon in these samples showed considerable variations and high delta Ne in some samples indicating high excess air. Four (4) samples showed extreme excess air (Delta-Ne is greater than 70 %) and

  2. Predictors of gambling behaviors in Filipino Americans living in Honolulu or San Francisco.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Wooksoo; Kim, Isok; Nochajski, Thomas H

    2012-06-01

    This study compared the prevalence and predictors of gambling behaviors between Filipino Americans who live in San Francisco (S.F.) or Honolulu. Data from the 1998-1999 Filipino American Community Epidemiological Survey were used to answer two research questions: (1) What are the prevalence and types of gambling behaviors among Filipino Americans and (2) What are the protective/risk factors of heavy gambling for Filipino Americans in S.F. and Honolulu? Overall, S.F. Filipino Americans had a higher level of participation in gambling, and the odds of gambling increased among older age groups, males, those who were US-born, and those with more health problems. Multinomial logistic regression analyses revealed that factors associated with infrequent and regular gambling participation were different between the S.F. group (older, male, higher education) and Honolulu group (male, US-born, more health concerns). Differential gambling environments, i.e., wide open gambling in S.F. and the restrictive gambling in Honolulu, may contribute to gambling participation and predictors of risk gambling Filipino Americans living in Honolulu and S.F. Policy makers and health professionals need to be aware of these differences to serve this population more effectively.

  3. Short communication: Use of a portable, automated, open-circuit gas quantification system and the sulfur hexafluoride tracer technique for measuring enteric methane emissions in Holstein cows fed ad libitum or restricted.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dorich, C D; Varner, R K; Pereira, A B D; Martineau, R; Soder, K J; Brito, A F

    2015-04-01

    The objective of this study was to measure enteric CH4 emissions using a new portable automated open-circuit gas quantification system (GQS) and the sulfur hexafluoride tracer technique (SF6) in midlactation Holstein cows housed in a tiestall barn. Sixteen cows averaging 176 ± 34 d in milk, 40.7 ± 6.1 kg of milk yield, and 685 ± 49 kg of body weight were randomly assigned to 1 out of 2 treatments according to a crossover design. Treatments were (1) ad libitum (adjusted daily to yield 10% orts) and (2) restricted feed intake [set to restrict feed by 10% of baseline dry matter intake (DMI)]. Each experimental period lasted 22d, with 14 d for treatment adaptation and 8d for data and sample collection. A common diet was fed to the cows as a total mixed ration and contained 40.4% corn silage, 11.2% grass-legume haylage, and 48.4% concentrate on a dry matter basis. Spot 5-min measurements using the GQS were taken twice daily with a 12-h interval between sampling and sampling times advanced 2h daily to account for diurnal variation in CH4 emissions. Canisters for the SF6 method were sampled twice daily before milking with 4 local background gas canisters inside the barn analyzed for background gas concentrations. Enteric CH4 emissions were not affected by treatments and averaged 472 and 458 g/d (standard error of the mean = 18 g/d) for ad libitum and restricted intake treatments, respectively (data not shown). The GQS appears to be a reliable method because of the relatively low coefficients of variation (ranging from 14.1 to 22.4%) for CH4 emissions and a moderate relationship (coefficient of determination = 0.42) between CH4 emissions and DMI. The SF6 resulted in large coefficients of variation (ranging from 16.0 to 111%) for CH4 emissions and a poor relationship (coefficient of determination = 0.17) between CH4 emissions and DMI, likely because of limited barn ventilation and high background gas concentration. Research with improved barn ventilation systems or

  4. Inactivation of Gram-Negative Bacteria by Low-Pressure RF Remote Plasma Excited in N2-O2 Mixture and SF6 Gases

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ayman Al-Mariri

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available The role of low-pressure RF plasma in the inactivation of Escherichia coli O157, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis, and Enterobacter sakazakii using N2-O2 and SF6 gases was assessed. 1×109 colony-forming units (CFUs of each bacterial isolate were placed on three polymer foils. The effects of pressure, power, distance from the source, and exposure time to plasma gases were optimized. The best conditions to inactivate the four bacteria were a 91%N2-9%O2 mixture and a 30-minute exposure time. SF6 gas was more efficient for all the tested isolates in as much as the treatment time was reduced to only three minutes. Therefore, low-pressure plasma could be used to sterilize heat and/or moisture-sensitive medical instruments.

  5. Evaluation of three atmospheric dispersion models using tracer release experiment data

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Daoo, V.J.; Oza, R.B.; Pandit, G.G.; Sadasivan, S.; Venkat Raj, V.

    2004-01-01

    Performance of three atmospheric dispersion models viz: (1) Gaussian Plume Model (GPM), (2) Equi-Distance PUFF Model (EDPUFFM) and (3) Particle Trajectory Model (PTM) is evaluated using field data collected from a tracer (SF 6 ) release experiment. The experiment was conducted within the campus of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), located at Trombay, Mumbai, India. The three models used are currently in operation at the BARC. The first one is a standard, well-documented empirical model while the other two models have been developed at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre. The PTM is a numerical model while the EDPUFFM is a hybrid model combining both the numerical and analytical techniques. The procedure for evaluation is as per the recommendations of 1980 AMS (American Meteorological Society) workshop on atmospheric dispersion models performance evaluation. In addition, linear regression analysis has also been carried out. The regression analysis reveals that on an average, the EDPUFFM and the GPM predictions are higher by a factor of about 1.5 while the PTM predictions are lower by a factor of about 4. Comparison of various performance measures reveals that the performance of the EDPUFFM is marginally better than that of the GPM while the PTM performance is comparatively poor. The uncertainty factors obtained in this study, especially for higher concentration range ( > 100 ppt) are similar to those obtained in other validation study carried out elsewhere to validate the GPM predictions. However, for lower concentration range and for the conditions after the source is switched off, all the three models perform poorly in predicting the concentration. (author)

  6. Correlations between transmembrane 4 L6 family member 5 (TM4SF5, CD151, and CD63 in liver fibrotic phenotypes and hepatic migration and invasive capacities.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Minkyung Kang

    Full Text Available Transmembrane 4 L6 family member 5 (TM4SF5 is overexpressed during CCl4-mediated murine liver fibrosis and in human hepatocellular carcinomas. The tetraspanins form tetraspanin-enriched microdomains (TEMs consisting of large membrane protein complexes on the cell surface. Thus, TM4SF5 may be involved in the signal coordination that controls liver malignancy. We investigated the relationship between TM4SF5-positive TEMs with liver fibrosis and tumorigenesis, using normal Chang hepatocytes that lack TM4SF5 expression and chronically TGFβ1-treated Chang cells that express TM4SF5. TM4SF5 expression is positively correlated with tumorigenic CD151 expression, but is negatively correlated with tumor-suppressive CD63 expression in mouse fibrotic and human hepatic carcinoma tissues, indicating cooperative roles of the tetraspanins in liver malignancies. Although CD151 did not control the expression of TM4SF5, TM4SF5 appeared to control the expression levels of CD151 and CD63. TM4SF5 interacted with CD151, and caused the internalization of CD63 from the cell surface into late lysosomal membranes, presumably leading to terminating the tumor-suppressive functions of CD63. TM4SF5 could overcome the tumorigenic effects of CD151, especially cell migration and extracellular matrix (ECM-degradation. Taken together, TM4SF5 appears to play a role in liver malignancy by controlling the levels of tetraspanins on the cell surface, and could provide a promising therapeutic target for the treatment of liver malignancies.

  7. Biological and Clinical Study of 6-Deoxy-6-Iodo-D-Glucose: a iodinated tracer of glucose transport and of insulin-resistance in human

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barone-Rochette, Gilles

    2013-01-01

    Insulin resistance (IR), characterized by a depressed cellular sensitivity to insulin in insulin-sensitive organs, is a central feature to obesity, the metabolic syndrome, and diabetes mellitus and leads to increase cardiovascular diseases, particularly heart failure. All these events are today serious public health problems. But actually, there is no simple tool to measure insulin resistance. The gold standard technique remains the hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp. However, the complexity and length of this technique render it unsuitable for routine clinical use. Many methods or index have been proposed to assess insulin resistance in human, but none have shown enough relevance to be used in clinical use. The U1039 INSERM unit previously has validated a new tracer of glucose transport, radiolabelled with 123 iodine and has developed a fast and simple imaging protocol with a small animal gamma camera, which allows the obtaining of an IR index for each organ, showing more discriminating for the heart. The project of my thesis was the human transfer of this measurement technique, perfectly validated in animal. The first part of this thesis evaluated to tolerance, in vivo kinetics, distribution and dosimetry of novel tracer of glucose transport, the [ 123 I]-6DIG. The safeties of new tracer and measurement technique were adequate. There were no adverse effects with excellent tolerance of the whole protocol. 6DIG eliminating was fast, primarily in the urine and complete within 72 h. The effective whole-body absorbed dose for a complete scan with injection of 92.5 * 2 MBq was between 3 to 4 mSv. The second part of this thesis evaluated in human feasibility and reproducibility of the measurement technique validated in animal. The third part showed techniques used to allow human transfer of this method. The study protocol was applied on 12 subjects (healthy volunteers (n=6) and type 2 diabetic patients (n=6)). With a method adapted to measure in humans, we determined an

  8. Treatment of refractory sino-nasal aspergillosis with posaconazole and terbinafine in 10 dogs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stewart, J; Bianco, D

    2017-09-01

    To determine the safety and efficacy of posaconazole and terbinafine for the treatment of naturally occurring sino-nasal aspergillosis in dogs refractory to conventional topical and systemic treatment. Ten client-owned dogs with sino-nasal aspergillosis and not responsive to conventional treatments were prospectively enrolled to receive a dose of 5 mg/kg posaconazole orally every 12 hours for six months. All dogs were concurrently treated with doses of 30 mg/kg terbinafine orally every 12 hours and 5 mg/kg doxycycline orally every 12 hours for 6 to 18 months. All 10 enrolled dogs completed the study. The treatment response was defined as complete clinical remission (n=7) or partial clinical remission (n=3). Two dogs relapsed after cessation of combination therapy. All dogs lived more than one year after starting combination therapy and eight dogs are alive at the time of writing. No clinically relevant adverse reactions or increases in hepatic enzyme activity occurred during the combination therapy. The results of this study suggest that this combination therapy appears safe and well-tolerated for the treatment of refractory sino-nasal aspergillosis in dogs. Long-term survival is possible with prolonged treatment, but relapse is possible. Larger prospective studies are warranted to further evaluate these preliminary findings. © 2017 British Small Animal Veterinary Association.

  9. Effect of wind and currents on gas exchange in an estuarine system. Final technical report, 1 August 1986-31 July 1987

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Broecker, W.S.; Ledwell, J.R.; Bopp, R.

    1987-11-01

    The objectives were to develop a non-volatile tracer to use in gas exchange experiments in laterally unconfined systems and to study applications of deliberate tracers in limnology and oceanography. Progress was made on both fronts but work on the development of the non-volatile tracer proved to be more difficult and labor intensive that anticipated so no field experiments using non-volatile tracers was performed as yet. In the search for a suitable non-volatile tracer for an ocean scale gas exchange experiment a tracer was discovered which does not have the required sensitivity for a large scale experiment, but is very easy to analyze and will be well suited for smaller experiments such as gas exchange determinations on rivers and streams. Sulfur hexafluoride, SF 6 , was used successfully as a volatile tracer along with tritium as a non-volatile tracer to study gas exchange rates from a primary stream. This is the first gas exchange experiment in which gas exchange rates were determined on a head water stream where significant groundwater input occurs along the reach. In conjunction with SF 6 , Radon-222 measurements were performed on the groundwater and in the stream. The feasibility of using a combination of SF 6 and radon is being studied to determine groundwater inputs and gas exchange of rates in streams with significant groundwater input without using a non-volatile tracer

  10. Quantitative studies of transfer in vivo of low density, Sf 12-60, and Sf 60-400 lipoproteins between plasma and arterial intima in humans

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shaikh, M.; Wootton, R.; Nordestgaard, B.G.; Baskerville, P.; Lumley, J.S.; La Ville, A.E.; Quiney, J.; Lewis, B.

    1991-01-01

    To assess the potential of various plasma lipoprotein classes to contribute to the lipid content of the arterial intima, influx and efflux of these plasma lipoprotein fractions into and from the intima of human carotid arteries were measured in vivo. While low density lipoprotein (LDL) is known to transfer from plasma into the arterial wall, there is less information on the atherogenic potential of lipoproteins of intermediate density (Sf 12-60) or of very low density (Sf 60-400). Aliquots of the same lipoprotein (LDL, Sf 12-60 lipoprotein particles, or Sf 60-400 lipoprotein particles) iodinated with iodine-125 and iodine-131 were injected intravenously 18-29 hours and 3-6 hours, respectively, before elective surgical removal of atheromatous arterial tissue, and the intimal clearance of lipoproteins, lipoprotein influx, and fractional loss of newly entered lipoproteins were calculated. Intimal clearance of Sf 60-400 particles was not detectable (less than 0.3 microliter x hr-1 x cm-2), whereas the average value for both LDL and Sf 12-60 lipoprotein particles was 0.9 microliter x hr-1 x cm-2. Since the fractional loss of newly entered LDL and Sf 12-60 lipoprotein particles was also similar, the results suggest similar modes of entry and exit for these two particles. However, due to lower plasma concentrations of Sf 12-60 lipoproteins as compared with LDL, the mass influx of cholesterol in the Sf 12-60 particles was on the order of one 10th of that in LDL, and that of apolipoprotein B was about one 20th

  11. Tracers and Tracer Testing: Design, Implementation, Tracer Selection, and Interpretation Methods

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    G. Michael Shook; Shannon L.; Allan Wylie

    2004-01-01

    Conducting a successful tracer test requires adhering to a set of steps. The steps include identifying appropriate and achievable test goals, identifying tracers with the appropriate properties, and implementing the test as designed. When these steps are taken correctly, a host of tracer test analysis methods are available to the practitioner. This report discusses the individual steps required for a successful tracer test and presents methods for analysis. The report is an overview of tracer technology; the Suggested Reading section offers references to the specifics of test design and interpretation.

  12. The contemporary dynamics of Sino-Indian relations: Examining maritime security, economics, energy and elite dialogue

    Science.gov (United States)

    Athwal, Amardeep

    This dissertation examines the modern-day dynamics of the Sino-Indian relationship---with a particular focus on issues relating to maritime security, economics, energy and elite bilateral dialogue. In exploring the contemporary nature of the Sino-Indian relationship, the dissertation also seeks to assess the accuracy of predominant neorealist accounts of the Sino-Indian relationship. Since the 1962 Sino-Indian War, most analysts have continued to emphasize the conflictual and competitive elements within the Sino-Indian relationship. The dissertation first explores the crucial post-independence history of Sino-Indian relations to provide the appropriate contextual background (chapter one). Thereafter, the dissertation explores the geopolitical significance of the Indian Ocean in light of soaring (global) energy demands. This then leads into an analysis of China and India's naval modernization and China's strategic partnership with Pakistan and Myanmar (chapter two). While acknowledging the credibility of neorealist insights in the realm of maritime security by detailing China and India's naval buildup and naval strategy, overall, it is found that the security dilemma argument is overstated. There is both a lack of threat perception and the existence of alternate explanations for both Chinese and Indian activities in Southern Asia. The dissertation then moves on to explore the positive elements within the Sino-Indian relationship---growing economic interdependence, energy convergence and elite consensus. In the economic realm (chapter three) it is found that Sino-Indian bilateral trade is increasingly being framed institutionally and rapidly expanding every year. The areas where the Sino-Indian economic relationship could be fruitfully expanded are traced and the great potential of bilateral trade is discussed. Thereafter, the dissertation highlights how China and India are beginning to coordinate energy policy (chapter four) as well as the growing political will

  13. Tracer gas experiment to verify the dispersion from a tall stack

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sivertsen, B.; Irwin, J.S.

    1996-01-01

    At the request of the Ministerios de Obras Publicas y Urbanismo (MOPU) in Madrid, the Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU) planned and carried out a comprehensive field experiment at the Andorra (Teruel) power plant in Spain. All together, eleven releases of sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) tracer were carried out at the 1,200 MW electric coal fired power plant. The tracer was emitted into the atmosphere from the 343 m high stack, stack exit diameter of 9 m. The stack gas emission characteristics were nearly constant during the period having an exit temperature of 175.1 C (1.9), exit velocity of 35.5 m/s (0.14) and sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) emission rate of 46.1 x 10 3 kg/hr (5.15 x 10 3 ); standard deviations are listed in parentheses. Samples were taken at the surface along sampling arcs located approximately 8, 23, 43 and 75 km downwind. The releases were undertaken during typical late spring daytime conditions. The synoptic weather conditions were dominated by a large high pressure system on the Atlantic, west of Spain. Fronts were passing the area from the north and a low pressure system was developing over central Europe (Germany). Winds at the surface were generally brisk from the northwest at 7 to 12 m/s

  14. Sino-Japanese Relations: Cooperation, Competition, or Status Quo?

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Taylor, Fred H

    2008-01-01

    Over the course of their history, bilateral Sino-Japanese relations have experienced a paradoxical relationship of autonomy and interdependence, mutual respect and suspicion, and admiration and condescension...

  15. Gas exchange across the air - water interface determined with man-made and natural tracers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wanninkhof, R.H.

    1986-01-01

    Gas exchange coefficients were determined on Rockland Lake, NY; Crowley Lake, CA; and Mono Lake, CA which have surface areas of 1 km 2 , 20 km 2 , and 190 km 2 , respectively, by injecting a small amount of man made tracer gas, sulfur hexafluoride (SF 6 ) into the lake and measuring the rate of concentration decrease in the water column with time. The dependency of gas exchange on wind speed is similar for the three lakes indicating that wind fetch is not a critical parameter for the gas exchange coefficient for lakes with sizes greater than 1 km 2 . Little gas exchange occurs for wind speeds less than 2.5 m/s and gas exchange increases linearly with wind speed from 2.5 to 6 m/s. The relationship of gas exchange and wind speed for the lakes agrees well with a compilation of earlier single wind speed - exchange coefficient measurements on lakes and oceans but they are lower than most results obtained in wind tunnels

  16. 76 FR 5626 - Notice and Opportunity for Hearing: SinoFresh Healthcare, Inc.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-02-01

    ... SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION [Release No. 34-63776; File No. 0-49764] Notice and Opportunity for Hearing: SinoFresh Healthcare, Inc. January 26, 2011 Notice is hereby given that on November 1, 2010, SinoFresh Healthcare, Inc. (Applicant) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission a Form...

  17. pVT-Second Virial Coefficients B(T ), Viscosity η(T ), and Self-Diffusion ρD(T) of the Gases: BF3, CF4, SiF4, CCl4, SiCl4, SF6, MoF6, WF6, UF6, C(CH3)4, and Si(CH3)4 Determined by Means of an Isotropic Temperature-Dependent Potential

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zarkova, L.; Hohm, U.

    2002-03-01

    We present results on self-consistent calculations of second pVT-virial coefficients B(T), viscosity data η(T), and diffusion coefficients ρD(T) for eleven heavy globular gases: boron trifluoride (BF3), carbon tetrafluoride (CF4), silicon tetrafluoride (SiF4), carbon tetrachloride (CCl4), silicon tetrachloride (SiCl4), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), molybdenum hexafluoride (MoF6), tungsten hexafluoride (WF6), uranium hexafluoride (UF6), tetramethyl methane (C(CH3)4, TMM), and tetramethyl silane (Si(CH3)4, TMS). The calculations are performed mainly in the temperature range between 200 and 900 K by means of isotropic n-6 potentials with temperature-dependent separation rm(T) and potential well depth ɛ(T). The potential parameters at T=0 K (ɛ, rm, n) and the enlargement of the first level radii δ are obtained solving an ill-posed problem of minimizing the squared deviations between experimental and calculated values normalized to their relative experimental error. The temperature dependence of the potential is obtained as a result of the influence of vibrational excitation on binary interactions. This concept of the isotropic temperature-dependent potential (ITDP) is presented in detail where gaseous SF6 will serve as an example. The ITDP is subsequently applied to all other gases. This approach and the main part of the results presented here have already been published during 1996-2000. However, in some cases the data are upgraded due to the recently improved software (CF4, SF6) and newly found experimental data (CF4, SiF4, CCl4, SF6).

  18. Basic Relationships among Scale, Quality, and Benefits in Sino-Foreign Cooperative Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Jinhui

    2016-01-01

    The basic relationships among scale, quality, and benefits in Sino-foreign cooperative education are key to the development of cooperative education. It is necessary to construct a theoretical framework for the basic relationships among scale, quality, and benefits in Sino-foreign cooperative education and analyze the questions faced in…

  19. 6-[18F]fluoro-A-85380: an in vivo tracer for the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Scheffel, Ursula; Horti, Andrew G.; Koren, Andrei O.; Ravert, Hayden T.; Banta, Jeffrey P.; Finley, Paige A.; London, Edythe D.; Dannals, Robert F.

    2000-01-01

    6-[ 18 F]Fluoro-3-(2(S)-azetidinylmethoxy)pyridine (6-[ 18 F]fluoro-A-85380 or 6-[ 18 F]FA), a new tracer for positron emission tomography, was synthesized by no-carrier-added [ 18 F] fluorination of 6-iodo-3-((1-tert-butoxycarbonyl-2(S)-azetidinyl)methoxy)pyridine followed by acidic deprotection. 6-[ 18 F]FA followed the regional densities of brain nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) reported in the literature. Evidence of binding to nAChRs and high specificity of the binding in vivo was demonstrated by inhibition with nAChR selective ligands as well as with unlabeled 6-FA. A preliminary toxicology study of the 6-FA showed a relatively low biological effect

  20. Investigating Characteristics of N2, CO2 and CF3I in Contrast to High Current Arcs in Circuit Breakers to Choose a Suitable Substitute for SF6

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    V. Abbasi

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Specific and sensitive operation of circuit breakers makes an individual position for them in power networks. Circuit breakers are at the central gravity of variations and execution operations. Therefore, an optimum operation is the main reason to investigate about new gases to be used in MV and HV circuit breakers instead of SF6. The arc process has enormous complexity because of hydrodynamic and electromagnetic combination equations, and that is the exact reason why most of the previous simulations were processed in two-dimension analysis. But, in this paper a three-dimension simulation with sufficient results has been fully discussed. Different evaluations on the other gases have taken under study in order to find a suitable substitute instead of SF6 gas, which can also bring an optimum operation for the breakers and can be even friendly with the environment. The simulations have been carried out based on the finite element method (FEM and magneto-hydrodynamic equations. A three-dimension model under the transient state has been chosen in the simulations to find a feasible substitute for SF6 gas. The main factors of the analysis are threefold as follows: arc temperature on the different regions, the cooling ability and arc resistance. CO2, CF3I and N2 are nominated to substitute the SF6 gas and their effects on cooling ability, nozzle evaporation, contacts erosion and arc resistance will be discussed.

  1. Snit: SF frem, NA og EL under spærregrænsen

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thomsen, Søren Risbjerg

    2008-01-01

    NYHED: SF fortsætter fremgangen, mens såvel NA som EL er røget under spærregrænsen i det nye vejede snit af meningsmålinger. Udgivelsesdato: 6. januar......NYHED: SF fortsætter fremgangen, mens såvel NA som EL er røget under spærregrænsen i det nye vejede snit af meningsmålinger. Udgivelsesdato: 6. januar...

  2. Tracer research in process engineering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Iller, E.

    1992-01-01

    The book is a review of modern applications of tracer techniques in chemical and process engineering studies. The next topics have been extensively presented: 1) media flow through apparatus; 2) the tracers in the study of media flow dynamics through apparatus; 3) mathematical interpretation of experimental data from impulse-response method; 4) the models of media flow through chemical reactors and apparatus; 5) radiotracers in mass transport study; 6) examples of practical applications of tracer methods in industrial objects. 84 refs, 96 figs, 31 tabs

  3. Simulation of the Process of Arc Energy-Effect in High Voltage Auto-Expansion SF6 Circuit Breaker

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rong Mingzhe; Yang Qian; Fan Chunduo

    2005-01-01

    A new magnetic hydro-dynamics (MHD) model of arc in H.V. auto-expansion SF 6 circuit breaker that takes into consideration nozzle ablation due to both radiation and thermal conduction is presented in this paper. The effect of PTFE (polytetrafluorethylene) vapor is considered in the mass, momentum and energy conservation equations of the constructed model. Then, the gas flow fields with and without conduction considered are simulated. By comparing the aforementioned two results, it is indicated that the arc's maximal temperature with conduction considered is 90 percent of that without considering conduction

  4. Correlated physical and mental health summary scores for the SF-36 and SF-12 Health Survey, V.1

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cunningham William E

    2007-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The SF-36 and SF-12 summary scores were derived using an uncorrelated (orthogonal factor solution. We estimate SF-36 and SF-12 summary scores using a correlated (oblique physical and mental health factor model. Methods We administered the SF-36 to 7,093 patients who received medical care from an independent association of 48 physician groups in the western United States. Correlated physical health (PCSc and mental health (MCSc scores were constructed by multiplying each SF-36 scale z-score by its respective scoring coefficient from the obliquely rotated two factor solution. PCSc-12 and MCSc-12 scores were estimated using an approach similar to the one used to derive the original SF-12 summary scores. Results The estimated correlation between SF-36 PCSc and MCSc scores was 0.62. There were far fewer negative factor scoring coefficients for the oblique factor solution compared to the factor scoring coefficients produced by the standard orthogonal factor solution. Similar results were found for PCSc-12, and MCSc-12 summary scores. Conclusion Correlated physical and mental health summary scores for the SF-36 and SF-12 derived from an obliquely rotated factor solution should be used along with the uncorrelated summary scores. The new scoring algorithm can reduce inconsistent results between the SF-36 scale scores and physical and mental health summary scores reported in some prior studies. (Subscripts C = correlated and UC = uncorrelated

  5. Are decisions using cost-utility analyses robust to choice of SF-36/SF-12 preference-based algorithm?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Walton Surrey M

    2005-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Cost utility analysis (CUA using SF-36/SF-12 data has been facilitated by the development of several preference-based algorithms. The purpose of this study was to illustrate how decision-making could be affected by the choice of preference-based algorithms for the SF-36 and SF-12, and provide some guidance on selecting an appropriate algorithm. Methods Two sets of data were used: (1 a clinical trial of adult asthma patients; and (2 a longitudinal study of post-stroke patients. Incremental costs were assumed to be $2000 per year over standard treatment, and QALY gains realized over a 1-year period. Ten published algorithms were identified, denoted by first author: Brazier (SF-36, Brazier (SF-12, Shmueli, Fryback, Lundberg, Nichol, Franks (3 algorithms, and Lawrence. Incremental cost-utility ratios (ICURs for each algorithm, stated in dollars per quality-adjusted life year ($/QALY, were ranked and compared between datasets. Results In the asthma patients, estimated ICURs ranged from Lawrence's SF-12 algorithm at $30,769/QALY (95% CI: 26,316 to 36,697 to Brazier's SF-36 algorithm at $63,492/QALY (95% CI: 48,780 to 83,333. ICURs for the stroke cohort varied slightly more dramatically. The MEPS-based algorithm by Franks et al. provided the lowest ICUR at $27,972/QALY (95% CI: 20,942 to 41,667. The Fryback and Shmueli algorithms provided ICURs that were greater than $50,000/QALY and did not have confidence intervals that overlapped with most of the other algorithms. The ICUR-based ranking of algorithms was strongly correlated between the asthma and stroke datasets (r = 0.60. Conclusion SF-36/SF-12 preference-based algorithms produced a wide range of ICURs that could potentially lead to different reimbursement decisions. Brazier's SF-36 and SF-12 algorithms have a strong methodological and theoretical basis and tended to generate relatively higher ICUR estimates, considerations that support a preference for these algorithms over the

  6. Camera system considerations for geomorphic applications of SfM photogrammetry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mosbrucker, Adam; Major, Jon J.; Spicer, Kurt R.; Pitlick, John

    2017-01-01

    The availability of high-resolution, multi-temporal, remotely sensed topographic data is revolutionizing geomorphic analysis. Three-dimensional topographic point measurements acquired from structure-from-motion (SfM) photogrammetry have been shown to be highly accurate and cost-effective compared to laser-based alternatives in some environments. Use of consumer-grade digital cameras to generate terrain models and derivatives is becoming prevalent within the geomorphic community despite the details of these instruments being largely overlooked in current SfM literature. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.A practical discussion of camera system selection, configuration, and image acquisition is presented. The hypothesis that optimizing source imagery can increase digital terrain model (DTM) accuracy is tested by evaluating accuracies of four SfM datasets conducted over multiple years of a gravel bed river floodplain using independent ground check points with the purpose of comparing morphological sediment budgets computed from SfM- and lidar-derived DTMs. Case study results are compared to existing SfM validation studies in an attempt to deconstruct the principle components of an SfM error budget. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.Greater information capacity of source imagery was found to increase pixel matching quality, which produced 8 times greater point density and 6 times greater accuracy. When propagated through volumetric change analysis, individual DTM accuracy (6–37 cm) was sufficient to detect moderate geomorphic change (order 100,000 m3) on an unvegetated fluvial surface; change detection determined from repeat lidar and SfM surveys differed by about 10%. Simple camera selection criteria increased accuracy by 64%; configuration settings or image post-processing techniques increased point density by 5–25% and decreased processing time by 10–30%. This article is protected by copyright. All rights

  7. 3rd Sino-German Conference “Underground Storage of CO2 and Energy”

    CERN Document Server

    Xie, Heping; Were, Patrick

    2013-01-01

    Anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, energy security and sustainability are three of the greatest contemporary global challenges today. This year the Sino-German Cooperation Group “Underground Storage of CO2 and Energy”, is meeting on the 21-23 May 2013 for the second time in Goslar, Germany, to convene its 3rd Sino-German conference on the theme “Clean Energy Systems in the Subsurface: Production, Storage and Conversion”.   This volume is a collection of diverse quality scientific works from different perspectives elucidating on the current developments in CO2 geologic sequestration research to reduce greenhouse emissions including measures to monitor surface leakage, groundwater quality and the integrity of caprock, while ensuring a sufficient supply of clean energy. The contributions herein have been structured into 6 major thematic research themes: Integrated Energy and Environmental Utilization of Geo-reservoirs: Law, Risk Management & Monitoring CO2 for Enhanced Gas and Oil Recovery, Coa...

  8. ARCPHdb: A comprehensive protein database for SF1 and SF2 helicase from archaea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moukhtar, Mirna; Chaar, Wafi; Abdel-Razzak, Ziad; Khalil, Mohamad; Taha, Samir; Chamieh, Hala

    2017-01-01

    Superfamily 1 and Superfamily 2 helicases, two of the largest helicase protein families, play vital roles in many biological processes including replication, transcription and translation. Study of helicase proteins in the model microorganisms of archaea have largely contributed to the understanding of their function, architecture and assembly. Based on a large phylogenomics approach, we have identified and classified all SF1 and SF2 protein families in ninety five sequenced archaea genomes. Here we developed an online webserver linked to a specialized protein database named ARCPHdb to provide access for SF1 and SF2 helicase families from archaea. ARCPHdb was implemented using MySQL relational database. Web interfaces were developed using Netbeans. Data were stored according to UniProt accession numbers, NCBI Ref Seq ID, PDB IDs and Entrez Databases. A user-friendly interactive web interface has been developed to browse, search and download archaeal helicase protein sequences, their available 3D structure models, and related documentation available in the literature provided by ARCPHdb. The database provides direct links to matching external databases. The ARCPHdb is the first online database to compile all protein information on SF1 and SF2 helicase from archaea in one platform. This database provides essential resource information for all researchers interested in the field. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Study of liquid and steam tracers at the Maritaro - La Cumbre area of the Los Azufres geothermal field, Mich.; Estudio con trazadores de liquido y vapor en la zona Maritaro - La Cumbre del campo geotermico de Los Azufres, Mich.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Iglesias, Eduardo R [Instituto de Investigaciones Electricas, Cuernavaca, Morelos, (Mexico)]. E-mail: iglesias@iie.org.mx; Flores Armenta, Magaly; Quijano Leon, Jose Luis; Torres Rodriguez, Marco A [Comision Federal de Electricidad, Morelia, Michoacan (Mexico); Torres, Rodolfo J; Reyes Picasso, Neftali [Instituto de Investigaciones Electricas, Cuernavaca, Morelos, (Mexico)

    2008-01-15

    We ran two simultaneous tracer tests in the Maritaro-La Cumbre area of the Los Azufres geothermal field in Mexico. We wished to determine whether or not fluids injected in well Az-15 recharged the productive areas of six production wells and to estimate the fractions of injected fluid recovered in them, if any. Because only three of the wells produce water and all of them produce steam, two tracers were used, sulfur hexafluoride (SF{sub 6}) for the gas phase and 1,3,6 naphthalene trisulfonate (1,3,6-nts) for the liquid phase. All of the observation wells recorded SF{sub 6}, and the three water-producing wells recorded 1,3,6-nts, proving that fluids injected in well Az-15 do recharge the area of interest. When sampling was suspended, the three water-producing wells were still producing 1,3,6-nts at significant rates. The total recovery of 1,3,6-nts at wells Az-65D, Az-04 and Az-28, 279 days after injection when sampling was halted, were, respectively, 6.1%, 0.90% y 0.16%, for a total of 7.61%. We concluded that these quantities constitute the lower boundaries for the respective recovery factors. When sampling was halted, wells Az-65D, Az-66D and Az-30 were still producing some SF{sub 6} at lower rates, and the rest of the wells were no longer recording the gas phase tracer. The total recovery of SF{sub 6} at wells Az-65D, Az-04, Az-41, Az-30, Az-28 and Az-66D were, respectively, 4.82 e-02%, 1.37 e-03%, 1.48 e-03%, 6.38 e-04%, 1.38 e-03% y 4.31 e-04%, for a total of 5.35 e-02%. The liquid recharge occurred in orders of magnitude greater than the steam. [Spanish] Se efectuaron dos pruebas simultaneas en la zona Maritaro-La Cumbre del campo geotermico de Los Azufres, Mich., Mexico. Los objetivos de estas pruebas fueron determinar si la salmuera de desecho inyectada en el pozo Az-15 recarga las zonas de alimentacion de seis pozos productores designados por CFE, y estimar que fraccion de lo inyectado recarga dichos pozos productores. Debido a que solo tres de los pozos

  10. Use of K360Co(CN)6 and 114mInEDTA tracers determined by liquid scintillators method in hydrogeologic studies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lebecka, J.; Tomza, I.; Trzebicka, B.; Soltyk, W.

    1986-01-01

    The sensitive methods of K 3 60 Co(CN) 6 and 114m InEDTA tracers detection using the measurements by liquid scintillators method were elaborated to broaden the range of their use. The radiochemical separation of radioisotopes from investigated water samples and the measurement of their activity as well as double labelled samples are described. The practical uses of tracers are given. (A.S.)

  11. Prospects of Sino-India Relations 2020

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-06-01

    Nature of Sino-India Bilateral Trade256 Some economists point to China‘s dumping practices and currency devaluation as sources of this disequilibrium...Missile IMF - International Monetary Fund IOR - Indian Ocean Region IR - International Relations IRBM - Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile IT...there!‖227 In the period 2004 to 2006, China outbid India at various auctions including those in Angola, Nigeria , Ecuador, and Kazakhstan. China‘s

  12. Plume tracer experiments at Hinkley Point 'A' [Nuclear Power Station] during 1987

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Foster, P.M.

    1988-11-01

    The results of the first part of a programme of plume dispersion measurements at the Hinkley Point Nuclear Power Station are described. Using SF 6 gas and pyrotechnic smoke tracer techniques developed during an earlier study at Oldbury, measurements of ground level plume behaviour out to about 4 km and elevated plume behaviour out to about 1 km have been made in a series of twelve 1 hour trials and one 15 minute trial. Whereas the Oldbury study considered passive emissions, attention in this study has been focussed on the behaviour of the buoyant shield cooling air emission. Data on plume rise and the degree of plume entrainment by the building wake and on the effects of entrainment and wind meander on plume width and concentration, are presented and discussed in relation to current modelling recommendations. A limited number of 10 minute averaged measurements of plume concentration and 41-Ar decay gamma count were also made at 2 km range and their correlation and variability examined. (author)

  13. Estimated rates of groundwater recharge to the Chicot, Evangeline and Jasper aquifers by using environmental tracers in Montgomery and adjacent counties, Texas, 2008 and 2011

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oden, Timothy D.; Truini, Margot

    2013-01-01

    Montgomery County is in the northern part of the Houston, Texas, metropolitan area, the fourth most populous metropolitan area in the United States. As populations have increased since the 1980s, groundwater has become an important resource for public-water supply and industry in the rapidly growing area of Montgomery County. Groundwater availability from the Gulf Coast aquifer system is a primary concern for water managers and community planners in Montgomery County and requires a better understanding of the rate of recharge to the system. The Gulf Coast aquifer system in Montgomery County consists of the Chicot, Evangeline, and Jasper aquifers, the Burkeville confining unit, and underlying Catahoula confining system. The individual sand and clay sequences of the aquifers composing the Gulf Coast aquifer system are not laterally or vertically continuous on a regional scale; however, on a local scale, individual sand and clay lenses can extend over several miles. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District, collected groundwater-quality samples from selected wells within or near Montgomery County in 2008 and analyzed these samples for concentrations of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), tritium (3H), helium-3/tritium (3He/3H), helium-4 (4He), and dissolved gases (DG) that include argon, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrogen and oxygen. Groundwater ages, or apparent age, representing residence times since time of recharge, were determined by using the assumption of a piston-flow transport model. Most of the environmental tracer data indicated the groundwater was recharged prior to the 1950s, limiting the usefulness of CFCs, SF6, and 3H concentrations as tracers. In many cases, no tracer was usable at a well for the purpose of estimating an apparent age. Wells not usable for estimating an apparent age were resampled in 2011 and analyzed for concentrations of major ions and carbon-14 (14C). At six of

  14. Chinese Leadership in Arts Education Workshops: A Sino-American Cross-Cultural Exchange

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Jiamin

    2009-01-01

    This report compares important aspects of American and Chinese dance education through the lens of the "Chinese Leadership in Arts Education" workshops organized by Brigham Young University in response to requests from Chinese arts educators to observe American arts education in practice as a benchmark for assessing the direction of…

  15. Angular dependence of etch rates in the etching of poly-Si and fluorocarbon polymer using SF6, C4F8, and O2 plasmas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Min, Jae-Ho; Lee, Gyeo-Re; Lee, Jin-Kwan; Moon, Sang Heup; Kim, Chang-Koo

    2004-01-01

    The dependences of etch rates on the angle of ions incident on the substrate surface in four plasma/substrate systems that constitute the advanced Bosch process were investigated using a Faraday cage designed for the accurate control of the ion-incident angle. The four systems, established by combining discharge gases and substrates, were a SF 6 /poly-Si, a SF 6 /fluorocarbon polymer, an O 2 /fluorocarbon polymer, and a C 4 F 8 /Si. In the case of SF 6 /poly-Si, the normalized etch rates (NERs), defined as the etch rates normalized by the rate on the horizontal surface, were higher at all angles than values predicted from the cosine of the ion-incident angle. This characteristic curve shape was independent of changes in process variables including the source power and bias voltage. Contrary to the earlier case, the NERs for the O 2 /polymer decreased and eventually reached much lower values than the cosine values at angles between 30 deg. and 70 deg. when the source power was increased and the bias voltage was decreased. On the other hand, the NERs for the SF 6 /polymer showed a weak dependence on the process variables. In the case of C 4 F 8 /Si, which is used in the Bosch process for depositing a fluorocarbon layer on the substrate surface, the deposition rate varied with the ion incident angle, showing an S-shaped curve. These characteristic deposition rate curves, which were highly dependent on the process conditions, could be divided into four distinct regions: a Si sputtering region, an ion-suppressed polymer deposition region, an ion-enhanced polymer deposition region, and an ion-free polymer deposition region. Based on the earlier characteristic angular dependences of the etch (or deposition) rates in the individual systems, ideal process conditions for obtaining an anisotropic etch profile in the advanced Bosch process are proposed

  16. Journal: Efficient Hydrologic Tracer-Test Design for Tracer ...

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hydrological tracer testing is the most reliable diagnostic technique available for the determination of basic hydraulic and geometric parameters necessary for establishing operative solute-transport processes. Tracer-test design can be difficult because of a lack of prior knowledge of the basic hydraulic and geometric parameters desired and the appropriate tracer mass to release. A new efficient hydrologic tracer-test design (EHTD) methodology has been developed to facilitate the design of tracer tests by root determination of the one-dimensional advection-dispersion equation (ADE) using a preset average tracer concentration which provides a theoretical basis for an estimate of necessary tracer mass. The method uses basic measured field parameters (e.g., discharge, distance, cross-sectional area) that are combined in functional relatipnships that descrive solute-transport processes related to flow velocity and time of travel. These initial estimates for time of travel and velocity are then applied to a hypothetical continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) as an analog for the hydrological-flow system to develop initial estimates for tracer concentration, tracer mass, and axial dispersion. Application of the predicted tracer mass with the hydraulic and geometric parameters in the ADE allows for an approximation of initial sample-collection time and subsequent sample-collection frequency where a maximum of 65 samples were determined to be necessary for descri

  17. First-principles study of SF_6 decomposed gas adsorbed on Au-decorated graphene

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Xiaoxing; Yu, Lei; Gui, Yingang; Hu, Weihua

    2016-01-01

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • We theoretically investigated the decomposed gaseous components of sulfur hexafluoride (SF_6), namely, H_2S, SO_2, SOF_2, and SO_2F_2, adsorbed on pristine and Au-embedded graphene based on DFT-D, in which the van der Waals effect is considered. • H_2S, SO_2, SOF_2, and SO_2F_2 are chemisorption on Au-doped graphene, appreciably stronger than physisorption on pristine graphene in which the van der Waals dominates. • Only H_2S exhibits n-type doping to Au-graphene, whereas the rest gases exhibit p-type doping. The n-type and p-type sensing behaviors that Au-doped graphene displays to different gases play a crucial role in selective sensing application. • Magnetic moments fluctuate substantially in the original Au-graphene when H_2S and SO_2 are adsorbed. While the adsorption effects of SOF_2 and SO_2F_2 generate magnetism quenching. The different changes of magnetic moments in every adsorption system provide another approach to selective detection. • The charge transfer mechanism is deeply discussed in this paper. - Abstract: We theoretically investigated the decomposed gaseous components of sulfur hexafluoride (SF_6), namely, H_2S, SO_2, SOF_2, and SO_2F_2, adsorbed on pristine and Au-embedded graphene based on the revised Perdew–Burke–Ernzerhof calculation, which empirically includes a dispersion correction (DFT-D) for van der Waals interaction with standard generalized gradient approximation. Pristine graphene exhibits weak adsorption and absence of charge transfer, which indicates barely satisfactory sensing for decomposed components. The Au atom introduces magnetism to the pristine graphene after metal-embedded decoration as well as enhances conductivity. All four molecules induce certain hybridization between the molecules and Au-graphene, which results in chemical interactions. SOF_2 and SO_2F_2 exhibit a strong chemisorption interaction with Au-graphene, while H_2S and SO_2 exhibit quasi-molecular binding

  18. Groundwater residence times in Shenandoah National Park, Blue Ridge Mountains, Virginia, USA: A multi-tracer approach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Plummer, Niel; Busenberg, E.; Böhlke, J.K.; Nelms, D.L.; Michel, R.L.; Schlosser, P.

    2001-01-01

    Chemical and isotopic properties of water discharging from springs and wells in Shenandoah National Park (SNP), near the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains, VA, USA were monitored to obtain information on groundwater residence times. Investigated time scales included seasonal (wet season, April, 1996; dry season, August–September, 1997), monthly (March through September, 1999) and hourly (30-min interval recording of specific conductance and temperature, March, 1999 through February, 2000). Multiple environmental tracers, including tritium/helium-3 (3H/3He), chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), sulfur-35 (35S), and stable isotopes (δ18O and δ2H) of water, were used to estimate the residence times of shallow groundwater discharging from 34 springs and 15 wells. The most reliable ages of water from springs appear to be based on SF6 and 3H/3He, with most ages in the range of 0–3 years. This range is consistent with apparent ages estimated from concentrations of CFCs; however, CFC-based ages have large uncertainties owing to the post-1995 leveling-off of the CFC atmospheric growth curves. Somewhat higher apparent ages are indicated by 35S (>1.5 years) and seasonal variation of δ18O (mean residence time of 5 years) for spring discharge. The higher ages indicated by the 35S and δ18O data reflect travel times through the unsaturated zone and, in the case of 35S, possible sorption and exchange of S with soils or biomass. In springs sampled in April, 1996, apparent ages derived from the 3H/3He data (median age of 0.2 years) are lower than those obtained from SF6 (median age of 4.3 years), and in contrast to median ages from 3H/3He (0.3 years) and SF6 (0.7 years) obtained during the late summer dry season of 1997. Monthly samples from 1999 at four springs in SNP had SF6apparent ages of only 1.2 to 2.5±0.8 years, and were consistent with the 1997 SF6 data. Water from springs has low excess air (0–1 cm3 kg−1) and N2–Ar temperatures that vary

  19. Sudden fetal death due to dualism of the sino-atrial node.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pusiol, Teresa; Roncati, Luca; Lavezzi, Anna Maria; Taddei, Fabrizio; Piscioli, Francesco; Ottaviani, Giulia

    2016-01-01

    First, we report a sudden fetal death at 33(+3)weeks due to sino-atrial node dualism. The female stillborn was delivered by induced labor. The postmortem examination of the cardiac conduction system revealed a dualism of the sino-atrial node, associated with fragmentation of the atrio-ventricular node and His bundle. These abnormalities of the cardiac conduction system represent the morphological substrate for the development of malignant arrhythmias. In particular, the dualism of the sino-atrial node can cause the dissociation of the longitudinal nodal impulse into two distinct ways of different pulse generation, resulting in supraventricular tachyarrhythmias. This observation suggests new avenues of research on the pathogenesis of the sudden unexpected fetal death. Moreover, our findings confirm the need for an accurate postmortem examination, including serial sectioning of the cardiac conduction system, in every case of unexplained fetal death, following standardized autoptic protocols. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. A single gas chromatograph for accurate atmospheric mixing ratio measurements of CO2, CH4, N2O, SF6 and CO

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van der Laan, S.; Neubert, R. E. M.; Meijer, H. A. J.; Simpson, W.R.

    2009-01-01

    We present an adapted gas chromatograph capable of measuring simultaneously and semi-continuously the atmospheric mixing ratios of the greenhouse gases CO2, CH4, N2O and SF6 and the trace gas CO with high precision and long-term stability. The novelty of our design is that all species are measured

  1. Tumoral tracers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Camargo, E.E.

    1979-01-01

    Direct tumor tracers are subdivided in the following categories:metabolite tracers, antitumoral tracers, radioactive proteins and cations. Use of 67 Ga-citrate as a clinically important tumoral tracer is emphasized and gallium-67 whole-body scintigraphy is discussed in detail. (M.A.) [pt

  2. HGF/SF increases number of skin melanocytes but does not alter quality or quantity of follicular melanogenesis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Agnieszka Wolnicka-Glubisz

    Full Text Available Melanins are an important factor determining the vulnerability of mammalian skin to UV radiation and thus to UV-induced skin cancers. Transgenic mice overexpressing hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor (HGF/SF have extra-follicular dermal melanocytes, notably in the papillary upper dermis, and are susceptible to UV-induced melanoma. Pigmented HGF/SF neonatal mice are more susceptible than albino HGF/SF animals to UVA -induced melanoma, indicating an involvement of melanin in melanoma formation. This raises the question of the effect of transgenic HGF/SF on melanization. We developed a methodology to accurately quantitate both the production of melanin and the efficiency of melanogenesis in normal, and HGF/SF transgenic mice in vivo. Skin and hair shafts of 5 day old and adult (3 week old C57BL/6-HGF/SF and corresponding C57BL/6 wild type mice were investigated by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy (EPR to quantitate melanin, by transmission electron microscopy (TEM for the presence of melanosomes, and by standard histology and by Western blotting and zymography to determine the expression and activity of melanogenesis-related proteins. Eumelanin but no phaeomelanin was detected in transgenic C57BL/6-HGF and C57BL/6 wild type mice. Transgenic HGF/SF overexpression did not change the type of melanin produced in the skin or hair, did not affect the terminal content of melanin production in standard samples of hair and did not influence hair cycle/morphogenesis-related changes in skin thickness. No melanocytes were found in the epidermis and no melanosomes were found in epidermal keratinocytes. HGF/SF transgenic mice thus lack the epidermal melanin UV-protection found in constitutively dark human skin. We conclude that melanocytes in the HGF/SF transgenic mouse, particularly in the papillary dermis, are vulnerable to UVA which interacts with eumelanin but not phaeomelanin to induce melanoma.

  3. Synthesis of Graphene-Based Sensors and Application on Detecting SF6 Decomposing Products: A Review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaoxing Zhang

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available Graphene-based materials have aroused enormous focus on a wide range of engineering fields because of their unique structure. One of the most promising applications is gas adsorption and sensing. In electrical engineering, graphene-based sensors are also employed as detecting devices to estimate the operation status of gas insulated switchgear (GIS. This paper reviews the main synthesis methods of graphene, gas adsorption, and sensing mechanism of its based sensors, as well as their applications in detecting SF6 decomposing products, such as SO2, H2S, SO2F2, and SOF2, in GIS. Both theoretical and experimental researches on gas response of graphene-based sensors to these typical gases are summarized. Finally, the future research trend about graphene synthesis technique and relevant perspective are also given.

  4. Emotional support, instrumental support, and gambling participation among Filipino Americans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Isok; Kim, Wooksoo; Nochajski, Thomas H

    2014-08-01

    Using representative survey data of Filipino Americans in Honolulu and San Francisco (SF) (N = 2,259), we examined the roles of emotional support and instrumental support on gambling participation. With considerable difference in gambling environments between two regions, we conducted two sets of hierarchical regression analyses for Honolulu sample, which has restricted gambling laws, and SF sample, which has legal gambling environment, and compared the effects of two types of social support on gambling participation. The results indicated that emotional support was positively and instrumental support was negatively associated with gambling participation among Filipino Americans in Honolulu. However, neither type of social support was significantly associated with gambling participation among Filipino Americans living in SF. This study highlights the differing roles and effects of instrumental and emotional support on gambling where gambling is restricted. It also suggests that gambling behaviors of Filipino Americans are subject to situation- and environment-specific factors.

  5. Evaluation of nitrous oxide as a substitute for sulfur hexafluoride to reduce global warming impacts of ANSI/HPS N13.1 gaseous uniformity testing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Xiao-Ying; Barnett, J. Matthew; Amidan, Brett G.; Recknagle, Kurtis P.; Flaherty, Julia E.; Antonio, Ernest J.; Glissmeyer, John A.

    2018-03-01

    The ANSI/HPS N13.1-2011 standard requires gaseous tracer uniformity testing for sampling associated with stacks used in radioactive air emissions. Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), a greenhouse gas with a high global warming potential, has long been the gas tracer used in such testing. To reduce the impact of gas tracer tests on the environment, nitrous oxide (N2O) was evaluated as a potential replacement to SF6. The physical evaluation included the development of a test plan to record percent coefficient of variance and the percent maximum deviation between the two gases while considering variables such as fan configuration, injection position, and flow rate. Statistical power was calculated to determine how many sample sets were needed, and computational fluid dynamic modeling was utilized to estimate overall mixing in stacks. Results show there are no significant differences between the behaviors of the two gases, and SF6 modeling corroborated N2O test results. Although, in principle, all tracer gases should behave in an identical manner for measuring mixing within a stack, the series of physical tests guided by statistics was performed to demonstrate the equivalence of N2O testing to SF6 testing in the context of stack qualification tests. The results demonstrate that N2O is a viable choice leading to a four times reduction in global warming impacts for future similar compliance driven testing.

  6. 6-[{sup 18}F]fluoro-A-85380: an in vivo tracer for the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Scheffel, Ursula; Horti, Andrew G.; Koren, Andrei O.; Ravert, Hayden T.; Banta, Jeffrey P.; Finley, Paige A.; London, Edythe D.; Dannals, Robert F. E-mail: robert_dannals@tracer.nm.jhu.edu

    2000-01-01

    6-[{sup 18}F]Fluoro-3-(2(S)-azetidinylmethoxy)pyridine (6-[{sup 18}F]fluoro-A-85380 or 6-[{sup 18}F]FA), a new tracer for positron emission tomography, was synthesized by no-carrier-added [{sup 18}F] fluorination of 6-iodo-3-((1-tert-butoxycarbonyl-2(S)-azetidinyl)methoxy)pyridine followed by acidic deprotection. 6-[{sup 18}F]FA followed the regional densities of brain nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) reported in the literature. Evidence of binding to nAChRs and high specificity of the binding in vivo was demonstrated by inhibition with nAChR selective ligands as well as with unlabeled 6-FA. A preliminary toxicology study of the 6-FA showed a relatively low biological effect.

  7. SinoProbe - A Multidisciplinary Research Program of Earth Sciences in China (Invited)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dong, S.; Li, T.

    2010-12-01

    China occupies a large region of central and eastern Asia and holds keys to resolving several first-order problems in Earth Sciences. Besides the importance in Earth Science research, the rapid growth of Chinese economy also demands a comprehensive and systematic evaluation of its natural resources and the impacts of geohazards on its societal development. In order to address the above issues, the Chinese government had initiated a new multidisciplinary research project in Earth Sciences - the SinoProbe Program. Its fundamental goal is to determine the three-dimensional structure, composition distribution, and geological evolution of the Chinese continental lithosphere. The results of the SinoProbe Program are expected to have broad impacts on the Chinese society and economy. In particular, the program will greatly enhance our current understanding on (1) the forming and distribution of mineral resources in the nation, (2) the locations and recurrence histories of major active fault zones capable of generating large earthquakes in highly populated regions, and (3) the distribution of major hazard-prone regions induced by geological processes. In 2009, more than 720 investigators and 70 engineers from Chinese institutions are currently involved with the research program. Sinoprobe hope that the joint forces by Chinese and international researchers will bring in modern approaches, new analytical tools, and advanced exploration technology into the successful operation of the program. In past year, 1,960km long seismic reflection profiling with broadband seismological studies and MT surveys separated from 6 profiles in China continent have completed. MT array coved the North China craton by 1°×1° network and 3-D exploration in larger ore deposits in selected area were carried out. A scientific drilling area operated in Tibet. We started to establish a geochemical reference framework for the values of 76 elements in a grid network with data-point spacing of 160 km in

  8. Assessment of insulin resistance in fructose-fed rats with 125I-6-deoxy-6-iodo-D-glucose, a new tracer of glucose transport

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Perret, Pascale; Slimani, Lotfi; Briat, Arnaud; Villemain, Daniele; Fagret, Daniel; Ghezzi, Catherine; Halimi, Serge; Demongeot, Jacques

    2007-01-01

    Insulin resistance, characterised by an insulin-stimulated glucose transport defect, is an important feature of the pre-diabetic state that has been observed in numerous pathological disorders. The purpose of this study was to assess variations in glucose transport in rats using 125 I-6-deoxy-6-iodo-D-glucose (6DIG), a new tracer of glucose transport proposed as an imaging tool to assess insulin resistance in vivo. Two protocols were performed, a hyperinsulinaemic-euglycaemic clamp and a normoinsulinaemic-normoglycaemic protocol, in awake control and insulin-resistant fructose-fed rats. The tracer was injected at steady state, and activity in 11 tissues and the blood was assessed ex vivo at several time points. A multicompartmental mathematical model was developed to obtain fractional transfer coefficients of 6DIG from the blood to the organs. Insulin sensitivity of fructose-fed rats, estimated by the glucose infusion rate, was reduced by 40% compared with control rats. At steady state, 6DIG uptake was significantly stimulated by insulin in insulin-sensitive tissues of control rats (basal versus insulin: diaphragm, p < 0.01; muscle, p < 0.05; heart, p < 0.001), whereas insulin did not stimulate 6DIG uptake in insulin-resistant fructose-fed rats. Moreover, in these tissues, the fractional transfer coefficients of entrance were significantly increased with insulin in control rats (basal vs insulin: diaphragm, p < 0.001; muscle, p < 0.001; heart, p < 0.01) whereas no significant changes were observed in fructose-fed rats. This study sets the stage for the future use of 6DIG as a non-invasive means for the evaluation of insulin resistance by nuclear imaging. (orig.)

  9. Assessment of insulin resistance in fructose-fed rats with 125I-6-deoxy-6-iodo-D-glucose, a new tracer of glucose transport

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perret, Pascale; Slimani, Lotfi; Briat, Arnaud; Villemain, Danièle; Halimi, Serge; Demongeot, Jacques; Fagret, Daniel; Ghezzi, Catherine

    2007-01-01

    Purpose Insulin resistance, characterised by an insulin-stimulated glucose transport defect, is an important feature of the pre-diabetic state and it has been observed in numerous pathological disorders. The purpose of this study was to assess variations in glucose transport in rats with 125I-6-Deoxy-6-Iodo-D-glucose (6DIG), a new tracer of glucose transport proposed as an imaging tool to assess insulin resistance in vivo. Methods Two protocols were performed, a hyperinsulinaemic-euglycaemic clamp and a normoinsulinaemic normoglycaemic protocol, in awake control and insulin-resistant fructose-fed rats. The tracer was injected at steady state, and activity in 11 tissues and the blood were assessed ex vivo at several time points. A multicompartmental mathematical model was developed to obtain fractional transfer coefficients of 6DIG from the blood to the organs. Results Insulin sensitivity of fructose-fed rats, estimated by the glucose infusion rate, was reduced by 40% compared with control rats. At steady-state, 6DIG uptake was significantly stimulated by insulin in insulin-sensitive tissues of control rats (basal versus insulin: diaphragm, p<0.01; muscle, p<0.05; heart, p<0.001), whereas insulin did not stimulate 6DIG uptake in insulin-resistant fructose-fed rats. Moreover, in these tissues, the fractional transfer coefficients of entrance were significantly increased with insulin in control rats (basal vs insulin: diaphragm, p<0.001; muscle, p<0.001; heart, p<0.01) and whereas no significant changes were observed in fructose-fed rats. Conclusion This study sets the stage for the future use of 6DIG as a non-invasive means for the evaluation of insulin resistance by nuclear imaging. PMID:17171359

  10. Environment and society: the Sinos River Basin and public policies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    V Pedde

    Full Text Available This study discusses the tensions and conflicts in the relationship between environment and society in the Sinos River Basin, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. An environmental disaster in 2006, which resulted in the death of 100 tons of fish in the Sinos River, is the dividing line for this study. A review of documents and field interviews with representatives of the municipal government and companies in the region were used to analyze the impact of public policies on the environment and which deficiencies remain11We thank Malcon Naor Voltz and Ana Arnoldo, undergraduate research grant holders, for their participation in data collection for this study..

  11. An energy resolved electron-ion coincidence study near the S 2p thresholds of the SF6 molecule

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kivimaeki, A; Ruiz, J Alvarez; Erman, P; Hatherly, P; Garcia, E Melero; Rachlew, E; Rius i Riu, J; Stankiewicz, M

    2003-01-01

    The fragmentation dynamics of the SF 6 molecule following the excitations of S 2p electrons into unoccupied molecular orbitals has been studied using the energy-resolved electron-ion coincidence technique. Fragmentation patterns were found to depend on the particular excitation and on the electronic state of the molecular ion. The spectator resonant Auger decay at the 2p → 6a 1g resonance induces changes in the ion distributions as compared to direct photoionization. Furthermore, coincidence spectra related to the same Auger structure display different ion abundances at the 2t 2g and 4e g shape resonances. Differences were also found in the Auger decay spectra. These findings give further support for the previously suggested many-electron character of the 4e g shape resonance

  12. A COMPREHENSIVE STUDY ON APOPTOSIS INDUCTION BY AZADIRACHTIN IN Spodoptera frugiperda CULTURED CELL LINE Sf9.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shu, Benshui; Wang, Wenxiang; Hu, Qingbo; Huang, Jingfei; Hu, Meiying; Zhong, Guohua

    2015-07-01

    The induction of apoptosis by azadirachtin, a well-known botanical tetranortriterpenoid isolated from the neem tree (Azadirachta indica A. Juss) and other members of the Meliaceae, was investigated in Spodoptera frugiperda cultured cell line (Sf9). Morphological changes in Sf9 cells treated by various concentrations of azadirachtin were observed at different times under light microscopy. Morphological and biochemical analysis indicated that Sf9 cells treated by 1.5 μg/mL azadirachtin showed typical morphological changes, which were indicative of apoptosis and a clear DNA ladder. The flow cytometry analysis showed the apoptosis rate reached a maximum value of 32.66% at 24 h with 1.5 μg/mL azadirachtin in Sf9 cells. The inhibition of Sf9 cell proliferation suggested that the effect of azadirachtin was dose dependent and the EC50 at 48 and 72 h was 2.727 × 10(-6) and 6.348 × 10(-9) μg/mL, respectively. The treatment of azadirachtin in Sf9 cells could significantly increase the activity of Sf caspase-1, but showed no effect on the activity of Topo I, suggesting that the apoptosis induced by azadirachtinin Sf9 cells is through caspase-dependent pathway. These results provided not only a series of morphological, biochemical, and toxicological comprehensive evidences for induction of apoptosis by azadirachtin, but also a reference model for screening insect cell apoptosis inducers from natural compounds. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  13. Tracer-tracer relations as a tool for research on polar ozone loss

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mueller, Rolf

    2010-07-01

    The report includes the following chapters: (1) Introduction: ozone in the atmosphere, anthropogenic influence on the ozone layer, polar stratospheric ozone loss; (2) Tracer-tracer relations in the stratosphere: tracer-tracer relations as a tool in atmospheric research; impact of cosmic-ray-induced heterogeneous chemistry on polar ozone; (3) quantifying polar ozone loss from ozone-tracer relations: principles of tracer-tracer correlation techniques; reference ozone-tracer relations in the early polar vortex; impact of mixing on ozone-tracer relations in the polar vortex; impact of mesospheric intrusions on ozone-tracer relations in the stratospheric polar vortex calculation of chemical ozone loss in the arctic in March 2003 based on ILAS-II measurements; (4) epilogue.

  14. Psychometric Evaluation of a Coping Strategies Inventory Short-Form (CSI-SF in the Jackson Heart Study Cohort

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Herman Taylor

    2007-12-01

    Full Text Available This study sought to establish the psychometric properties of a Coping Strategies Inventory Short Form (CSISF by examining coping skills in the Jackson Heart Study cohort. We used exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, Pearson’s correlation, and Cronbach Alpha to examine reliability and validity in the CSI-SF that solicited responses from 5302 African American men and women between the ages of 35 and 84. One item was dropped from the 16-item CSI-SF, making it a 15-item survey. No significant effects were found for age and gender, strengthening the generalizability of the CSI-SF. The internal consistency reliability analysis revealed reliability between alpha = 0.58-0.72 for all of the scales, and all of the fit indices used to examine the CSI-SF provided support for its use as an adequate measure of coping. This study provides empirical support for utilizing this instrument in future efforts to understand the role of coping in moderating health outcomes.

  15. Temporal variation of transit time of rainfall-runoff water and groundwater flow dynamics inferred by noble gasses concentration (SF6, CFCs) in a forested small catchment (Fukushima, Japan)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sakakibara, Koichi; Tsujimura, Maki; Onda, Yuichi; Iwagami, Sho; Konuma, Ryohei; Sato, Yutaro

    2016-04-01

    Time variant transit time of water in catchments can fundamentally describe catchment function, controlling rainfall-runoff generation, groundwater flow pathway and water storage. Though rainstorm event has been recognized as active phase on catchment hydrology, accurate and precise time variance of water transit time and related water dynamics during rainstorm have not been well clarified yet. Here, in order to reveal temporal variation of mean transit time of groundwater and related hydrological processes in a forested small catchment during rainstorm event, periodic and intensive field observations (15 - 17th July 2015, rainfall of 100.8 mm in total) were conducted in Yamakiya district (Fukushima, Japan) from September 2014 to December 2015. Discharge volume, groundwater table and precipitation amount were measured in 10 minutes interval. Water samples were taken from groundwater, discharge water, soil water and precipitation for determination of stable isotopic compositions (δ18O, δ2H), inorganic solutes concentration and dissolved noble gasses concentration (CFC11, CFC12, CFC113, SF6) in water. Storm hydrograph and groundwater table clearly responded to rainfall event especially with more than 30 mm per day throughout monitoring period. According to SF6 concentration in water, the mean transit time of discharge water (perennial spring) showed 3 - 6.5 years in the no-rainfall period (steady state), but fluctuated from zero to 12.5 years in the rainstorm event with totally 100.8 mm (unsteady state). The mean transit time of discharge water dramatically altered from zero to 12.5 years from before to after the tentative hydrograph peak in the rising limb, indicating new water components were dominant before tentative hydrograph peak, whereas deep groundwater component with longer residence time contributed much to discharge after the tentative hydrograph peak. On the other hand, mean residence time of groundwater (water in 5 m well) ranged from 0.5 to 11.5 years

  16. Fabrication of SiC nanopillars by inductively coupled SF6/O2 plasma etching

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Choi, J H; Bano, E; Latu-Romain, L; Dhalluin, F; Chevolleau, T; Baron, T

    2012-01-01

    In this paper, we demonstrate a top-down fabrication technique for nanometre scale silicon carbide (SiC) pillars using inductively coupled plasma etching. A set of experiments in SF 6 -based plasma was carried out in order to realize high aspect ratio SiC nanopillars. The etched SiC nanopillars using a small circular mask pattern (115 nm diameter) show high aspect ratio (7.4) with a height of 2.2 µm at an optimum bias voltage (300 V) and pressure (6 mTorr). Under the optimal etching conditions using a large circular mask pattern with 370 nm diameter, the obtained SiC nanopillars exhibit high anisotropy features (6.4) with a large etch depth (>7 µm). The etch characteristic of the SiC nanopillars under these conditions shows a high etch rate (550 nm min -1 ) and a high selectivity (over 60 for Ni). We also studied the etch profile of the SiC nanopillars and mask evolution over the etching time. As the mask pattern size shrinks in nanoscale, vertical and lateral mask erosion plays a crucial role in the etch profile of the SiC nanopillars. Long etching process makes the pillars appear with a hexagonal shape, coming from the crystallographic structure of α-SiC. It is found that the feature of pillars depends not only on the etching process parameters, but also on the crystallographic structure of the SiC phase. (paper)

  17. Fuelling Insecurity? Sino-Myanmar Energy Cooperation and Human Security in Myanmar

    Science.gov (United States)

    Botel, Gabriel

    This thesis examines the relationship between energy, development and human security in Sino-Myanmar relations. Rapid economic growth and increased urbanisation have intensified China's industrial and domestic energy consumption, drastically increasing demand and overwhelming national supply capacities. Chinese foreign policy has responded by becoming more active in securing and protecting foreign energy resources and allowing Chinese companies more freedom and opportunities for investment abroad. Consequently, Chinese foreign investment and policies have become increasing sources of scrutiny and debate, typically focusing on their (presumed) intentions and the social, economic, environmental and political impacts they have on the rest of the world. Within this debate, a key issue has been China's engagement with so-called pariah states. China has frequently received substantial international criticism for its unconditional engagement with such countries, often seen as a geopolitical pursuit of strategic national (energy) interests, unconcerned with international opprobrium. In the case of Myanmar, traditional security analyses interpret this as, at best, undermining (Western) international norms and, at worst, posing a direct challenge to international security. However, traditional security analyses rely on state-centric concepts of security, and tend to over-simply Sino-Myanmar relations and the dynamics which inform it. Conversely, implications for human security are overlooked; this is in part because human security remains poorly defined and also because there are questions regarding its utility. However, human security is a critical tool in delineating between state, corporate and 'civilian' interests, and how these cleavages shape the security environment and potential for instability in the region. This thesis takes a closer look at some of the entrenched and changing security dynamics shaping this Sino-Myanmar energy cooperation, drawing on an extensive

  18. Science Fair Projects. LC Science Tracer Bullet. TB 07-6

    Science.gov (United States)

    Howland, Joyce, Comp.

    2007-01-01

    Selected sources in this bibliography provide guidance to students, parents, and teachers throughout the process of planning, developing, implementing and competing in science fair activities. Sources range in suitability from elementary to high school levels. This guide updates "Library of Congress Science Tracer Bullet" 01-4. More specialized…

  19. Assessment of insulin resistance in fructose-fed rats with {sup 125}I-6-deoxy-6-iodo-D-glucose, a new tracer of glucose transport

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Perret, Pascale; Slimani, Lotfi; Briat, Arnaud; Villemain, Daniele; Fagret, Daniel; Ghezzi, Catherine [INSERM, E340, 38000 Grenoble, (France); Univ Grenoble, 38000 Grenoble, (France); Halimi, Serge [CHRU Grenoble, Hopital Michallon, Service de Diabetologie, 38000 Grenoble, (France); Demongeot, Jacques [Univ Grenoble, 38000 Grenoble, (France); CNRS, UMR 5525, 38000 Grenoble, (France)

    2007-05-15

    Insulin resistance, characterised by an insulin-stimulated glucose transport defect, is an important feature of the pre-diabetic state that has been observed in numerous pathological disorders. The purpose of this study was to assess variations in glucose transport in rats using {sup 125}I-6-deoxy-6-iodo-D-glucose (6DIG), a new tracer of glucose transport proposed as an imaging tool to assess insulin resistance in vivo. Two protocols were performed, a hyperinsulinaemic-euglycaemic clamp and a normoinsulinaemic-normoglycaemic protocol, in awake control and insulin-resistant fructose-fed rats. The tracer was injected at steady state, and activity in 11 tissues and the blood was assessed ex vivo at several time points. A multicompartmental mathematical model was developed to obtain fractional transfer coefficients of 6DIG from the blood to the organs. Insulin sensitivity of fructose-fed rats, estimated by the glucose infusion rate, was reduced by 40% compared with control rats. At steady state, 6DIG uptake was significantly stimulated by insulin in insulin-sensitive tissues of control rats (basal versus insulin: diaphragm, p < 0.01; muscle, p < 0.05; heart, p < 0.001), whereas insulin did not stimulate 6DIG uptake in insulin-resistant fructose-fed rats. Moreover, in these tissues, the fractional transfer coefficients of entrance were significantly increased with insulin in control rats (basal vs insulin: diaphragm, p < 0.001; muscle, p < 0.001; heart, p < 0.01) whereas no significant changes were observed in fructose-fed rats. This study sets the stage for the future use of 6DIG as a non-invasive means for the evaluation of insulin resistance by nuclear imaging. (orig.)

  20. Electro-actuation characteristics of Cl2 and SF6 plasma-treated IPMC actuators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saher, Saim; Kim, Woojin; Moon, Sungwon; Jin Kim, H; Kim, Yong Hyup

    2010-01-01

    This paper describes plasma treatments that improve the actuation properties by modifying the surface morphology of ionic polymer metal composites (IPMC). The proposed Cl 2 and SF 6 plasmas change the surface appearance of the electroactive polymer, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of the plasma-treated surfaces reveals the development of round and cone-shaped microstructures. After electroless chemical metal plating, these microstructures significantly alter the characteristics of the IPMC electrode. In plasma-treated IPMCs, the densely packed platinum nanoparticles have produced a relatively thick electrode layer. This configuration has led to the improvement in the electrical properties of the IPMC: surface resistance is noticeably decreased, whereas electrical capacitance is increased. These changes in the electrical properties have considerably enhanced the actuation parameters: displacement, force and operational life are increased by more than three times relative to the conventional IPMC. Our experimental data suggest a relationship between the IPMC actuator's electrical properties and actuation parameters: actuators with lower surface resistance generate large deflection and actuators with higher capacitance generate large actuation force. The actuation tests including coin lifting suggests the potential of the modified IPMC for artificial muscle applications

  1. Intracellular distribution of TM4SF1 and internalization of TM4SF1-antibody complex in vascular endothelial cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sciuto, Tracey E.; Merley, Anne; Lin, Chi-Iou; Richardson, Douglas; Liu, Yu; Li, Dan; Dvorak, Ann M.; Dvorak, Harold F.; Jaminet, Shou-Ching S.

    2015-01-01

    Transmembrane-4 L-six family member-1 (TM4SF1) is a small plasma membrane-associated glycoprotein that is highly and selectively expressed on the plasma membranes of tumor cells, cultured endothelial cells, and, in vivo, on tumor-associated endothelium. Immunofluorescence microscopy also demonstrated TM4SF1 in cytoplasm and, tentatively, within nuclei. With monoclonal antibody 8G4, and the finer resolution afforded by immuno-nanogold transmission electron microscopy, we now demonstrate TM4SF1 in uncoated cytoplasmic vesicles, nuclear pores and nucleoplasm. Because of its prominent surface location on tumor cells and tumor-associated endothelium, TM4SF1 has potential as a dual therapeutic target using an antibody drug conjugate (ADC) approach. For ADC to be successful, antibodies reacting with cell surface antigens must be internalized for delivery of associated toxins to intracellular targets. We now report that 8G4 is efficiently taken up into cultured endothelial cells by uncoated vesicles in a dynamin-dependent, clathrin-independent manner. It is then transported along microtubules through the cytoplasm and passes through nuclear pores into the nucleus. These findings validate TM4SF1 as an attractive candidate for cancer therapy with antibody-bound toxins that have the capacity to react with either cytoplasmic or nuclear targets in tumor cells or tumor-associated vascular endothelium. - Highlights: • Anti-TM4SF1 antibody 8G4 was efficiently taken up by cultured endothelial cells. • TM4SF1–8G4 internalization is dynamin-dependent but clathrin-independent. • TM4SF1–8G4 complexes internalize along microtubules to reach the perinuclear region. • Internalized TM4SF1–8G4 complexes pass through nuclear pores into the nucleus. • TM4SF1 is an attractive candidate for ADC cancer therapy

  2. Intracellular distribution of TM4SF1 and internalization of TM4SF1-antibody complex in vascular endothelial cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sciuto, Tracey E.; Merley, Anne; Lin, Chi-Iou [Center for Vascular Biology Research and Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School (United States); Richardson, Douglas [Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University (United States); Liu, Yu [Department of Pharmacology, Shanxi Medical University, Xinjiannanlu 56, Shanxi Province, Taiyuan 030001 (China); Li, Dan; Dvorak, Ann M. [Center for Vascular Biology Research and Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School (United States); Dvorak, Harold F., E-mail: hdvorak@bidmc.harvard.edu [Center for Vascular Biology Research and Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School (United States); Jaminet, Shou-Ching S., E-mail: sjaminet@bidmc.harvard.edu [Center for Vascular Biology Research and Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School (United States)

    2015-09-25

    Transmembrane-4 L-six family member-1 (TM4SF1) is a small plasma membrane-associated glycoprotein that is highly and selectively expressed on the plasma membranes of tumor cells, cultured endothelial cells, and, in vivo, on tumor-associated endothelium. Immunofluorescence microscopy also demonstrated TM4SF1 in cytoplasm and, tentatively, within nuclei. With monoclonal antibody 8G4, and the finer resolution afforded by immuno-nanogold transmission electron microscopy, we now demonstrate TM4SF1 in uncoated cytoplasmic vesicles, nuclear pores and nucleoplasm. Because of its prominent surface location on tumor cells and tumor-associated endothelium, TM4SF1 has potential as a dual therapeutic target using an antibody drug conjugate (ADC) approach. For ADC to be successful, antibodies reacting with cell surface antigens must be internalized for delivery of associated toxins to intracellular targets. We now report that 8G4 is efficiently taken up into cultured endothelial cells by uncoated vesicles in a dynamin-dependent, clathrin-independent manner. It is then transported along microtubules through the cytoplasm and passes through nuclear pores into the nucleus. These findings validate TM4SF1 as an attractive candidate for cancer therapy with antibody-bound toxins that have the capacity to react with either cytoplasmic or nuclear targets in tumor cells or tumor-associated vascular endothelium. - Highlights: • Anti-TM4SF1 antibody 8G4 was efficiently taken up by cultured endothelial cells. • TM4SF1–8G4 internalization is dynamin-dependent but clathrin-independent. • TM4SF1–8G4 complexes internalize along microtubules to reach the perinuclear region. • Internalized TM4SF1–8G4 complexes pass through nuclear pores into the nucleus. • TM4SF1 is an attractive candidate for ADC cancer therapy.

  3. Validation of 123I-6-deoxy-6-iodo-D-glucose (6-DIC) as tracer for the in-vivo glucose transport

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Perret, P.; Ghezzi, C.; Mathieu, J.P.; Morin, C.; Vidal, M.; Comet, M.; Fagret, D.

    1997-01-01

    The evaluation of the glucose transport is very important clinically because alterations of this transport were described in numerous pathologies, in neurology, oncology and endocrinology. A new analog of the 123 I-labelled has been synthesized: 123 I-6-deoxy-6-iodo-D-glucose (6-DIG). Its in-vitro biological behaviour is similar to that of 3-O-methyl-D-glucose (3-OMG), the reference tracer of glucose transport. The aim of the study was to determine if it is possible to make evident by 6-DIG a variations of in-vivo glucose transport. The studies were effected on a model of homozygote mice (db/db), genetically diabetic (NIDDM), presenting a severe insulin-resistance, characterized by deficient glucose transport in response to insulin. The studies of 6-DIG biodistribution (5 nmol/mouse) with (1.5 UI/Kg) or without exogenous insulin, were conducted in diabetic mice (db/db) and in non-diabetic (db/+) control mice. The results show that the capture of 6-DIG, as well as that of glucose, increases (by 30%) in response to insulin in most of insulin-sensitive tissues in control mice. In the insulin-resistant and hyperglycemic db/db mouse, the capture of 6-DIG is not modified, no matter whether the exogenous insulin is present. In conclusion, the 6-DIG is able to make evident a lack of glucose transport in heart, diaphragm and skeletal muscle in diabetic mouse and a physiological variation of this transport in response to insulin, in the control mouse. This result should be stressed because for the first time it is possible to evidence in-vivo variations into glucose transport with a iodated molecule

  4. Activation of SF1 Neurons in the Ventromedial Hypothalamus by DREADD Technology Increases Insulin Sensitivity in Peripheral Tissues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coutinho, Eulalia A; Okamoto, Shiki; Ishikawa, Ayako Wendy; Yokota, Shigefumi; Wada, Nobuhiro; Hirabayashi, Takahiro; Saito, Kumiko; Sato, Tatsuya; Takagi, Kazuyo; Wang, Chen-Chi; Kobayashi, Kenta; Ogawa, Yoshihiro; Shioda, Seiji; Yoshimura, Yumiko; Minokoshi, Yasuhiko

    2017-09-01

    The ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) regulates glucose and energy metabolism in mammals. Optogenetic stimulation of VMH neurons that express steroidogenic factor 1 (SF1) induces hyperglycemia. However, leptin acting via the VMH stimulates whole-body glucose utilization and insulin sensitivity in some peripheral tissues, and this effect of leptin appears to be mediated by SF1 neurons. We examined the effects of activation of SF1 neurons with DREADD (designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs) technology. Activation of SF1 neurons by an intraperitoneal injection of clozapine- N -oxide (CNO), a specific hM3Dq ligand, reduced food intake and increased energy expenditure in mice expressing hM3Dq in SF1 neurons. It also increased whole-body glucose utilization and glucose uptake in red-type skeletal muscle, heart, and interscapular brown adipose tissue, as well as glucose production and glycogen phosphorylase a activity in the liver, thereby maintaining blood glucose levels. During hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp, such activation of SF1 neurons increased insulin-induced glucose uptake in the same peripheral tissues and tended to enhance insulin-induced suppression of glucose production by suppressing gluconeogenic gene expression and glycogen phosphorylase a activity in the liver. DREADD technology is thus an important tool for studies of the role of the brain in the regulation of insulin sensitivity in peripheral tissues. © 2017 by the American Diabetes Association.

  5. The Rio dos Sinos watershed: an economic and social space and its interface with environmental status

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    JAS. Figueiredo

    Full Text Available The Rio dos Sinos watershed is located in the eastern region of the state of Rio Grande do Sul and includes 32municipalities. These municipalities develop several different economic activities such as farming and livestock along the 190 km length of the Rio dos Sinos, one of the rivers with the worst quality of water in Brazil. The region is also characterised by growing urbanisation and heavy industrialisation. The main economic activity is the leather and footwear industry. This diversified land use puts the Rio dos Sinos watershed at risk of a wide range of potential environmental impacts. The aim of the present article is to discuss the socioeconomic process currently implemented in the Rio dos Sinos watershed and the effect of these human actions on the environmental quality described throughout this special issue of the Brazilian Journal of Biology.

  6. History of water quality parameters - a study on the Sinos River/Brazil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Konzen, G B; Figueiredo, J A S; Quevedo, D M

    2015-05-01

    Water is increasingly becoming a valuable resource, constituting one of the central themes of environmental, economic and social discussions. The Sinos River, located in southern Brazil, is the main river from the Sinos River Basin, representing a source of drinking water supply for a highly populated region. Considering its size and importance, it becomes necessary to conduct a study to follow up the water quality of this river, which is considered by some experts as one of the most polluted rivers in Brazil. As for this study, its great importance lies in the historical analysis of indicators. In this sense, we sought to develop aspects related to the management of water resources by performing a historical analysis of the Water Quality Index (WQI) of the Sinos River, using statistical methods. With regard to the methodological procedures, it should be pointed out that this study performs a time analysis of monitoring data on parameters related to a punctual measurement that is variable in time, using statistical tools. The data used refer to analyses of the water quality of the Sinos River (WQI) from the State Environmental Protection Agency Henrique Luiz Roessler (Fundação Estadual de Proteção Ambiental Henrique Luiz Roessler, FEPAM) covering the period between 2000 and 2008, as well as to a theoretical analysis focusing on the management of water resources. The study of WQI and its parameters by statistical analysis has shown to be effective, ensuring its effectiveness as a tool for the management of water resources. The descriptive analysis of the WQI and its parameters showed that the water quality of the Sinos River is concerning low, which reaffirms that it is one of the most polluted rivers in Brazil. It should be highlighted that there was an overall difficulty in obtaining data with the appropriate periodicity, as well as a long complete series, which limited the conduction of statistical studies such as the present one.

  7. Sino/American cooperation for rural electrification in China

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wallace, W.L.; Tsuo, Y.S.

    1997-01-01

    Rapid growth in economic development, coupled with the absence of an electric grid in large areas of the rural countryside, have created a need for new energy sources both in urban centers and rural areas in China. There is a very large need for new sources of energy for rural electrification in China as represented by 120 million people in remote regions who do not have access to an electric grid and by over 300 coastal islands in China that are unelectrified. In heavily populated regions in China where there is an electric grid, there are still severe shortages of electric power and limited access to the grid by village populations. In order to meet energy demands in rural China, renewable energy in the form of solar, wind, and biomass resources are being utilized as a cost effective alternative to grid extension and use of diesel and gasoline generators. An Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Protocol Agreement was signed by the U.S. Department of Energy with the Chinese State Science and Technology Commission in Beijing in February, 1995. Under this agreement, projects using photovoltaics for rural electrification are being conducted in Gansu Province in western China and Inner Mongolia in northern China, providing the basis for much wider deployment and use of photovoltaics for meeting the growing rural energy demands of China. copyright 1997 American Institute of Physics

  8. Use of argon to measure gas exchange in turbulent mountain streams

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hall, Robert O., Jr.; Madinger, Hilary L.

    2018-05-01

    Gas exchange is a parameter needed in stream metabolism and trace gas emissions models. One way to estimate gas exchange is via measuring the decline of added tracer gases such as sulfur hexafluoride (SF6). Estimates of oxygen (O2) gas exchange derived from SF6 additions require scaling via Schmidt number (Sc) ratio, but this scaling is uncertain under conditions of high gas exchange via bubbles because scaling depends on gas solubility as well as Sc. Because argon (Ar) and O2 have nearly identical Schmidt numbers and solubility, Ar may be a useful tracer gas for estimating stream O2 exchange. Here we compared rates of gas exchange measured via Ar and SF6 for turbulent mountain streams in Wyoming, USA. We measured Ar as the ratio of Ar : N2 using a membrane inlet mass spectrometer (MIMS). Normalizing to N2 confers higher precision than simply measuring [Ar] alone. We consistently enriched streams with Ar from 1 to 18 % of ambient Ar concentration and could estimate gas exchange rate using an exponential decline model. The mean ratio of gas exchange of Ar relative to SF6 was 1.8 (credible interval 1.1 to 2.5) compared to the theoretical estimate 1.35, showing that using SF6 would have underestimated exchange of Ar. Steep streams (slopes 11-12 %) had high rates of gas exchange velocity normalized to Sc = 600 (k600, 57-210 m d-1), and slope strongly predicted variation in k600 among all streams. We suggest that Ar is a useful tracer because it is easily measured, requires no scaling assumptions to estimate rates of O2 exchange, and is not an intense greenhouse gas as is SF6. We caution that scaling from rates of either Ar or SF6 gas exchange to CO2 is uncertain due to solubility effects in conditions of bubble-mediated gas transfer.

  9. Tracer technique for measuring specific activity of 63 Ni, using 4πβ-γ

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Iwahara, A.

    1979-01-01

    The specific activity of a 6 3 Ni solution has been measured by an efficiency tracer technique using a 4 π β - γ coincidence system. 6 3 Ni was chosen. Because it's a very low energy pure beta emitter. Due to chemical compatibility and beta spectral shapes, 6 0 Co has been chosen as tracer. In the determination of 6 3 Ni, the specific activity. As the efficiency tracer techniques requires a previous knowledge of tracer activity, this has been measured by a conventional 4 π β -γ coincidence method. (author)

  10. Proceedings of Tracer 3. International Conference on Tracers and Tracing Methods

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2004-01-01

    Tracer 3 conference is a continuation of former Tracer 1 (1998) and Tracer 2 (2001) conferences organized by CNRS - Nancy France. The objective of this 3rd conference is presentation of different aspects of tracer method applications and development of tracer methodology.The new field of activity presented at the Conference was application of stable isotopes as natural tracers for investigations of environmental processes. The conference gave the possibility for scientific information exchange between specialists from different fields of activity such as chemical engineering, chemistry, bioengineering, environmental engineering, hydrology, civil engineering, metallurgy, etc. The presentations were divided into groups covering the principal items of Conference. Section A. Fundamental development - RTD and tracer methodology, - RTD methodology and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), - New tracers and detectors. Section B. Industrial applications - Environment, - Geology, hydrogeology and oil field applications, - Civil engineering, mineral engineering and metallurgy applications, - Food engineering and bioengineering, - Material engineering, - Chemical engineering. During the Conference INIS promotion materials were exposed by INIS liaison officer for Poland

  11. Proceedings of Tracer 3. International Conference on Tracers and Tracing Methods

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2004-07-01

    Tracer 3 conference is a continuation of former Tracer 1 (1998) and Tracer 2 (2001) conferences organized by CNRS - Nancy France. The objective of this 3rd conference is presentation of different aspects of tracer method applications and development of tracer methodology.The new field of activity presented at the Conference was application of stable isotopes as natural tracers for investigations of environmental processes. The conference gave the possibility for scientific information exchange between specialists from different fields of activity such as chemical engineering, chemistry, bioengineering, environmental engineering, hydrology, civil engineering, metallurgy, etc. The presentations were divided into groups covering the principal items of Conference. Section A. Fundamental development - RTD and tracer methodology, - RTD methodology and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), - New tracers and detectors. Section B. Industrial applications - Environment, - Geology, hydrogeology and oil field applications, - Civil engineering, mineral engineering and metallurgy applications, - Food engineering and bioengineering, - Material engineering, - Chemical engineering. During the Conference INIS promotion materials were exposed by INIS liaison officer for Poland.

  12. Near-critical density filling of the SF6 fluid cell for the ALI-R-DECLIC experiment in weightlessness

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lecoutre, C.; Marre, S.; Garrabos, Y.; Beysens, D.; Hahn, I.

    2018-05-01

    Analyses of ground-based experiments on near-critical fluids to precisely determine their density can be hampered by several effects, especially the density stratification of the sample, the liquid wetting behavior at the cell walls, and a possible singular curvature of the "rectilinear" diameter of the density coexisting curve. For the latter effect, theoretical efforts have been made to understand the amplitude and shape of the critical hook of the density diameter, which depart from predictions from the so-called ideal lattice-gas model of the uniaxial 3D-Ising universality class. In order to optimize the observation of these subtle effects on the position and shape of the liquid-vapor meniscus in the particular case of SF6, we have designed and filled a cell that is highly symmetrized with respect to any median plane of the total fluid volume. In such a viewed quasi-perfect symmetrical fluid volume, the precise detection of the meniscus position and shape for different orientations of the cell with respect to the Earth's gravity acceleration field becomes a sensitive probe to estimate the cell mean density filling and to test the singular diameter effects. After integration of this cell in the ALI-R insert, we take benefit of the high optical and thermal performances of the DECLIC Engineering Model. Here we present the sensitive imaging method providing the precise ground-based SF6 benchmark data. From these data analysis it is found that the temperature dependence of the meniscus position does not reflect the expected critical hook in the rectilinear density diameter. Therefore the off-density criticality of the cell is accurately estimated, before near future experiments using the same ALI-R insert in the DECLIC facility already on-board the International Space Station.

  13. The Sino-Indian Border: Is Conflict Inevitable?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-12-13

    relationship between China and India may be thought in terms of a gestalt theory . The basis of the gestalt theory is that before perceiving different...greater than the sum of the parts” is often used to explain gestalt theory .33 Analysts on both sides often view their relations as the sum of border...Most often, hawkish views grab the headlines.”56 This adds to the Sino-Indian gestalt and form perception about each other based on viewpoints of

  14. Tracer theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Margrita, R.

    1988-09-01

    Tracers are used in many fields of science to investigate mass transfer. The scope of tracers applications in Service of Applications Radioisotopes (S.A.R.-France) is large and concerns natural and industrial systems such as Sciences of earth: hydrology - civil engineering - Sedimentology - environmental studies. Industrial field: chemical engineering - mechanical engineering. A general tracer methodology has been developed in our laboratories from these different applications fields and this paper shows these different points of view in using tracers; our wish is that the methods used in an experimental field can be employed in an another one

  15. 48 CFR 53.232 - Contract financing (SF 1443).

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Contract financing (SF 1443). 53.232 Section 53.232 Federal Acquisition Regulations System FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION (CONTINUED) CLAUSES AND FORMS FORMS Prescription of Forms 53.232 Contract financing (SF 1443). SF 1443 (JUL...

  16. The Limits of Interdependence: Cooperation and Conflict in Sino-Japanese Relations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adam Eldridge

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Since the introduction of Deng Xiaoping’s Open Door policy in 1979, the value and complexity of Sino-Japanese economic ties have grown exponentially. However, even as economic ties have developed, security relations have deteriorated as perceptions of a ‘China threat’ and a ‘re-militarised Japan’ have emerged in Tokyo and Beijing. The simultaneous existence of these trends challenges international relations theory. Economic interdependence theories expect that the development of economic relations reduces the role of security in bilateral relations. Conversely, neorealist theories posit that, given the preeminence of national security, a perception of threat will cool economic relations. Sino-Japanese economic relations have demonstrable bilateral benefits. Additionally, economic relations have created interest groups invested in maintaining good relations. These groups have successfully managed economic friction points and integrated bilateral trade. However, economic interdependence seems not to translate to the security calculus confirming neorealism’s contention that national security is preeminent. In particular, Japan’s development of Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD illustrates the insignificance of economic ties in security planning. That said, it is equally true that perceptions of threat appear to have little influence on bilateral economic interdependence. Therefore, Sino-Japanese relations are best described by applying interdependence and neorealist theories in a complementary approach.

  17. Network Partnership Diplomatic Mechanism: The New Path in Sino-Russian Cooperation - On the Sino-Russian Joint Dominance of BRICS Governance Mechanism

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhijie Cheng

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available 成志杰 王 宛 【内容提要】中俄合作是将来一定时期内国际格局变革与发展的决定性力量。但是,中俄关系存在典型的“二律背反”情结:既借重又怀疑,既合作又防范。处理两国关系,除了原有的双边机制外,中俄还可以通过网状伙伴外交机制进行多边机制下的合作。网状伙伴外交机制主要是指中俄在各个相关多边机制内的互动合作,是双方彼此需要、彼此借重,有效处理双边关系,共同应对国际事务的灵活机制。它具有自身的逻辑。加强和深化中俄合作并不意味着中俄要结盟。网状伙伴外交机制的提出更多是中俄合作的新路径,对于缓解中俄关系中竞争与博弈困境、促进相关国际机制发展等具有重要的意义。金砖国家应该建立金砖国家治理型机制。它需要一个主导性力量中心进行推动。网状伙伴外交机制有利于塑造金砖国家机制的主导性力量中心——中俄联合主导,它是金砖国家治理型机制的内涵之一。中俄联合主导将会在金砖国家机制发展中发挥引领作用。 Sino-Russian cooperation will become an important force in reforming and developing the international system in the near future. However, Sino-Russian relations are complicated since the two countries maintain a guarded attitude towards each other even while cooperating extensively. In addition to furthering bilateral relations, China and Russia can also choose to cooperate through multilateral network mechanisms. This provides opportunities for flexible and strategic cooperation and coordination between the two countries. Strengthening and deepening the Sino-Russian cooperation does not imply forming an actual alliance. The network partnership diplomatic mechanism could play an important role in alleviating competition and mistrust between China and Russia, promoting the development of relevant international

  18. The effect of SF6 addition in a Cl2/Ar inductively coupled plasma for deep titanium etching

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laudrel, E.; Tillocher, T.; Meric, Y.; Lefaucheux, P.; Boutaud, B.; Dussart, R.

    2018-05-01

    Titanium is a material of interest for the biomedical field and more particularly for body implantable devices. Titanium deep etching by plasma was carried out in an inductively coupled plasma with a chlorine-based chemistry for the fabrication of titanium-based microdevices. Bulk titanium etch rate was first studied in Cl2/Ar plasma mixture versus the source power and the self-bias voltage. The plasma was characterized by Langmuir probe and by optical emission spectroscopy. The addition of SF6 in the plasma mixture was investigated. Titanium etch rate was optimized and reached a value of 2.4 µm · min-1. The nickel hard mask selectivity was also enhanced. The etched titanium surface roughness was reduced significantly.

  19. A study of the valence shell photoelectron and photoabsorption spectra of CF3SF5

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Holland, D M P; Shaw, D A; Walker, I C; McEwen, I J; Apra, E; Guest, M F

    2005-01-01

    The outer valence shell photoelectron spectrum of CF 3 SF 5 has been studied experimentally and theoretically. Synchrotron radiation has been used to record angle-resolved outer valence shell photoelectron spectra of CF 3 SF 5 in the photon energy range 18-60 eV. These spectra have allowed photoelectron asymmetry parameters and branching ratios to be derived. The Outer Valence Green's Function approach has been employed to calculate the molecular orbital configuration and associated binding energies. A charge distribution analysis has also been obtained. Assignments have been proposed for the peaks observed in the photoelectron spectrum. The absolute photoabsorption cross section of CF 3 SF 5 has been measured from threshold to 40 eV, and strongly resembles that of SF 6 . Assignments, involving intravalence transitions, have been proposed for some of the principal features appearing in the photoabsorption spectrum of CF 3 SF 5

  20. Virus-like particle of Macrobrachium rosenbergii nodavirus produced in Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9) cells is distinctive from that produced in Escherichia coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kueh, Chare Li; Yong, Chean Yeah; Masoomi Dezfooli, Seyedehsara; Bhassu, Subha; Tan, Soon Guan; Tan, Wen Siang

    2017-03-01

    Macrobrachium rosenbergii nodavirus (MrNV) is a virus native to giant freshwater prawn. Recombinant MrNV capsid protein has been produced in Escherichia coli, which self-assembled into virus-like particles (VLPs). However, this recombinant protein is unstable, degrading and forming heterogenous VLPs. In this study, MrNV capsid protein was produced in insect Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9) cells through a baculovirus system. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed that the recombinant protein produced by the insect cells self-assembled into highly stable, homogenous VLPs each of approximately 40 nm in diameter. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) showed that the VLPs produced in Sf9 cells were highly antigenic and comparable to those produced in E. coli. In addition, the Sf9 produced VLPs were highly stable across a wide pH range (2-12). Interestingly, the Sf9 produced VLPs contained DNA of approximately 48 kilo base pairs and RNA molecules. This study is the first report on the production and characterization of MrNV VLPs produced in a eukaryotic system. The MrNV VLPs produced in Sf9 cells were about 10 nm bigger and had a uniform morphology compared with the VLPs produced in E. coli. The insect cell production system provides a good source of MrNV VLPs for structural and immunological studies as well as for host-pathogen interaction studies. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 33:549-557, 2017. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

  1. Incidence and Clinical Outcomes of Stent Fractures on the Basis of 6,555 Patients and 16,482 Drug-Eluting Stents From 4 Centers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kan, Jing; Ge, Zhen; Zhang, Jun-Jie; Liu, Zhi-Zhong; Tian, Nai-Liang; Ye, Fei; Li, Sui-Ji; Qian, Xue-Song; Yang, Song; Chen, Meng-Xuan; Rab, Tanveer; Chen, Shao-Liang

    2016-06-13

    The present study aimed to analyze the incidence of SF and its correlation with clinical events after DES implantation and the outcome of re-intervention for symptomatic in-stent restenosis (ISR) induced by stent fracture (SF). SF is associated with a high rate of clinical events after the implantation of drug-eluting stents (DES). However, the chronological rate of SF and the effect of SF on clinical outcomes from a large patient population remain underreported. A total of 6,555 patients with 16482 DES in 10751 diseased vessels and surveillance angiography between November 2003 and January 2014 were prospectively studied. The primary endpoints included the incidence of SF, in-stent restenosis (ISR), target lesion revascularization (TLR), and definite stent thrombosis (ST) at the end of follow-up before and after propensity score matching. Clinical outcomes after TLR were also followed up. The SF rate was detected in 803 (12.3%) patients, 3,630 (22.0%) stents, and 1,852 (17.2%) diseased vessels. SF increased over time. SF was associated with higher unadjusted rates of ISR (42.1%), TLR (24.8%, n = 379), and definite ST (4.6%) compared with stents without fracture (10.7%, 6.6%, and 1.03%, all p stents after reintervention, and 6 (7.5%) stents required repeat TLR. SF is more frequently observed after DES implantation. TLR was required in almost one-fourth of fractured stents. Increased events in the SF group did not translate into a difference in mortality compared with the non-SF group. Reintervention was associated with acceptable clinical results. Copyright © 2016 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Development of soft x-ray tracer diagnostics for hohlraum experiments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    MacFarlane, J.J.; Cohen, D.H.; Wang, P.; Peterson, R.R.; Moses, G.A.

    1998-04-01

    The purpose of this report is to summarize work performed by the University of Wisconsin during fiscal year 1996 under the NLUF contract DE-FG-96SF21015. This contract involved the development of soft x-ray spectral diagnostics from tracer layers in hohlraum witness plates. This effort was originally intended to be focused on OMEGA experiments, but the experiments were changed to NOVA because initial indirect drive shots had not yet been performed on the OMEGA upgrade. Data were collected in a series of experiments between January 1997 and October 1997. Experiments were delayed somewhat due to bringing up the Hettrick spectrometer on the NOVA target chamber. The tasks related to the planning, carrying out, and modeling of the experiments are outlined in Table 1.1 and detailed in the remainder of this report

  3. Deep reactive ion etching of 4H-SiC via cyclic SF6/O2 segments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Luna, Lunet E; Tadjer, Marko J; Anderson, Travis J; Imhoff, Eugene A; Hobart, Karl D; Kub, Fritz J

    2017-01-01

    Cycles of inductively coupled SF 6 /O 2 plasma with low (9%) and high (90%) oxygen content etch segments are used to produce up to 46.6 µ m-deep trenches with 5.5 µ m-wide openings in single-crystalline 4H-SiC substrates. The low oxygen content segment serves to etch deep in SiC whereas the high oxygen content segment serves to etch SiC at a slower rate, targeting carbon-rich residues on the surface as the combination of carbon-rich and fluorinated residues impact sidewall profile. The cycles work in concert to etch past 30 µ m at an etch rate of ∼0.26 µ m min −1 near room temperature, while maintaining close to vertical sidewalls, high aspect ratio, and high mask selectivity. In addition, power ramps during the low oxygen content segment is used to produce a 1:1 ratio of mask opening to trench bottom width. The effect of process parameters such as cycle time and backside substrate cooling on etch depth and micromasking of the electroplated nickel etch mask are investigated. (paper)

  4. A Study of Parameters Related to the Etch Rate for a Dry Etch Process Using NF3/O2 and SF6/O2

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Seon-Geun Oh

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The characteristics of the dry etching of SiNx:H thin films for display devices using SF6/O2 and NF3/O2 were investigated using a dual-frequency capacitively coupled plasma reactive ion etching (CCP-RIE system. The investigation was carried out by varying the RF power ratio (13.56 MHz/2 MHz, pressure, and gas flow ratio. For the SiNx:H film, the etch rates obtained using NF3/O2 were higher than those obtained using SF6/O2 under various process conditions. The relationships between the etch rates and the usual monitoring parameters—the optical emission spectroscopy (OES intensity of atomic fluorine (685.1 nm and 702.89 nm and the voltages VH and VL—were investigated. The OES intensity data indicated a correlation between the bulk plasma density and the atomic fluorine density. The etch rate was proportional to the product of the OES intensity of atomic fluorine (I(F and the square root of the voltages (Vh+Vl on the assumption that the velocity of the reactive fluorine was proportional to the square root of the voltages.

  5. Process ambiguities in Sino-Danish Business Negotiations

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kumar, Rajesh; Worm, Verner

    2004-01-01

    . These ambiguities stem from differences in negotiation scripts across Danish and Chinese cultures. The essential argument being advanced here is that it is the effective and/or the ineffective management of process ambiguities that shapes the evolution of the negotiating dynamic between the Danish and the Chinese...... businesspeople. An inductive model of sino-Danish negotiations is developed that is based on 24 interviews conducted with Danish expatriate managers in China and 4 interviews with Chinese working in Danish companies. Implications for research and practice are discussed...

  6. Inventory compilation of F-gases 2008. Data on HFCs, PFCs, and SF{sub 6} for the national emissions reporting under the Framework Convention on Climate Change for the reporting year 2008; Emissionen fluorierter Treibhausgase in Deutschland 2008. Inventarermittlung der F-Gase 2008 Daten von HFKW, FKW und SF6 fuer die nationale Emissionsberichterstattung gemaess Klimarahmenkonvnention fuer das Berichtsjahr 2008

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schwarz, Winfried [Oeko-Recherche Buero fuer Umweltforschung und -beratung GmbH, Frankfurt/Main (Germany)

    2010-06-15

    This report presents the 2008 data on the German emissions of the fluorinated greenhouse gases HFCs, PFCs, and SF{sub 6} (F-gases) to be entered into the ZSE (Centralised System of Emissions at the German Environmental Agency). The overall emissions of HFCs, PFCs, and SF6 have doubled from 1995 to 2008, from 3,241 to 7,202 metric tons. In terms of global warming, the emissions in 2008 exceeded again the 1995 level, with 18.0 vs. 15.5 million tons CO{sub 2} equivalent. Against the previous your, the emissions in metric units have decreased the first time since 1995, however the global warming emissions, have increased by further 0.7 million t CO{sub 2} equivalent. PFC emissions remained in 2008 at the 2007 level although they show a constant down trend from 1995 onwards. Emissions of SF6, which had decreased before 2002, are increasing again from 2003/04. HFC emissions, which continue rising since 1995, stopped growing in 2008 due to a consumption drop in the foam sector. They represent almost two thirds of the total German F-gas emissions. However, only refrigeration and air conditioning are still substantial applications of HFCs, while in the formerly large application sectors of CFCs and HCFCs, such as hard foam, fire extinguishers, and aerosols, natural fluids are being used widely, today. In stationary refrigeration and mobile air conditioning, the upward trend in HFCs emissions was still ongoing in 2008. Section I of this report presents the F-gas emissions data for 2008, in addition to those in 1995, 2000, 2004, and 2007. In section II the data sources of survey are documented. Section III presents the F-gas emissions 1995 - 2008 in detailed tables, by individual sectors. (orig.)

  7. Biogeochemical protocols and diagnostics for the CMIP6 Ocean Model Intercomparison Project (OMIP

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. C. Orr

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available The Ocean Model Intercomparison Project (OMIP focuses on the physics and biogeochemistry of the ocean component of Earth system models participating in the sixth phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6. OMIP aims to provide standard protocols and diagnostics for ocean models, while offering a forum to promote their common assessment and improvement. It also offers to compare solutions of the same ocean models when forced with reanalysis data (OMIP simulations vs. when integrated within fully coupled Earth system models (CMIP6. Here we detail simulation protocols and diagnostics for OMIP's biogeochemical and inert chemical tracers. These passive-tracer simulations will be coupled to ocean circulation models, initialized with observational data or output from a model spin-up, and forced by repeating the 1948–2009 surface fluxes of heat, fresh water, and momentum. These so-called OMIP-BGC simulations include three inert chemical tracers (CFC-11, CFC-12, SF6 and biogeochemical tracers (e.g., dissolved inorganic carbon, carbon isotopes, alkalinity, nutrients, and oxygen. Modelers will use their preferred prognostic BGC model but should follow common guidelines for gas exchange and carbonate chemistry. Simulations include both natural and total carbon tracers. The required forced simulation (omip1 will be initialized with gridded observational climatologies. An optional forced simulation (omip1-spunup will be initialized instead with BGC fields from a long model spin-up, preferably for 2000 years or more, and forced by repeating the same 62-year meteorological forcing. That optional run will also include abiotic tracers of total dissolved inorganic carbon and radiocarbon, CTabio and 14CTabio, to assess deep-ocean ventilation and distinguish the role of physics vs. biology. These simulations will be forced by observed atmospheric histories of the three inert gases and CO2 as well as carbon isotope ratios of CO2. OMIP-BGC simulation

  8. Biogeochemical Protocols and Diagnostics for the CMIP6 Ocean Model Intercomparison Project (OMIP)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Orr, James C.; Najjar, Raymond G.; Aumont, Olivier; Bopp, Laurent; Bullister, John L.; Danabasoglu, Gokhan; Doney, Scott C.; Dunne, John P.; Dutay, Jean-Claude; Graven, Heather; hide

    2017-01-01

    The Ocean Model Intercomparison Project (OMIP) focuses on the physics and biogeochemistry of the ocean component of Earth system models participating in the sixth phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6). OMIP aims to provide standard protocols and diagnostics for ocean models, while offering a forum to promote their common assessment and improvement. It also offers to compare solutions of the same ocean models when forced with reanalysis data (OMIP simulations) vs. when integrated within fully coupled Earth system models (CMIP6). Here we detail simulation protocols and diagnostics for OMIP's biogeochemical and inert chemical tracers. These passive-tracer simulations will be coupled to ocean circulation models, initialized with observational data or output from a model spin-up, and forced by repeating the 1948-2009 surface fluxes of heat, fresh water, and momentum. These so-called OMIP-BGC simulations include three inert chemical tracers (CFC-11, CFC-12, SF [subscript] 6) and biogeochemical tracers (e.g., dissolved inorganic carbon, carbon isotopes, alkalinity, nutrients, and oxygen). Modelers will use their preferred prognostic BGC model but should follow common guidelines for gas exchange and carbonate chemistry. Simulations include both natural and total carbon tracers. The required forced simulation (omip1) will be initialized with gridded observational climatologies. An optional forced simulation (omip1-spunup) will be initialized instead with BGC fields from a long model spin-up, preferably for 2000 years or more, and forced by repeating the same 62-year meteorological forcing. That optional run will also include abiotic tracers of total dissolved inorganic carbon and radiocarbon, CTabio and 14CTabio, to assess deep-ocean ventilation and distinguish the role of physics vs. biology. These simulations will be forced by observed atmospheric histories of the three inert gases and CO2 as well as carbon isotope ratios of CO2. OMIP-BGC simulation

  9. Biogeochemical protocols and diagnostics for the CMIP6 Ocean Model Intercomparison Project (OMIP)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Orr, James C.; Najjar, Raymond G.; Aumont, Olivier; Bopp, Laurent; Bullister, John L.; Danabasoglu, Gokhan; Doney, Scott C.; Dunne, John P.; Dutay, Jean-Claude; Graven, Heather; Griffies, Stephen M.; John, Jasmin G.; Joos, Fortunat; Levin, Ingeborg; Lindsay, Keith; Matear, Richard J.; McKinley, Galen A.; Mouchet, Anne; Oschlies, Andreas; Romanou, Anastasia; Schlitzer, Reiner; Tagliabue, Alessandro; Tanhua, Toste; Yool, Andrew

    2017-06-01

    The Ocean Model Intercomparison Project (OMIP) focuses on the physics and biogeochemistry of the ocean component of Earth system models participating in the sixth phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6). OMIP aims to provide standard protocols and diagnostics for ocean models, while offering a forum to promote their common assessment and improvement. It also offers to compare solutions of the same ocean models when forced with reanalysis data (OMIP simulations) vs. when integrated within fully coupled Earth system models (CMIP6). Here we detail simulation protocols and diagnostics for OMIP's biogeochemical and inert chemical tracers. These passive-tracer simulations will be coupled to ocean circulation models, initialized with observational data or output from a model spin-up, and forced by repeating the 1948-2009 surface fluxes of heat, fresh water, and momentum. These so-called OMIP-BGC simulations include three inert chemical tracers (CFC-11, CFC-12, SF6) and biogeochemical tracers (e.g., dissolved inorganic carbon, carbon isotopes, alkalinity, nutrients, and oxygen). Modelers will use their preferred prognostic BGC model but should follow common guidelines for gas exchange and carbonate chemistry. Simulations include both natural and total carbon tracers. The required forced simulation (omip1) will be initialized with gridded observational climatologies. An optional forced simulation (omip1-spunup) will be initialized instead with BGC fields from a long model spin-up, preferably for 2000 years or more, and forced by repeating the same 62-year meteorological forcing. That optional run will also include abiotic tracers of total dissolved inorganic carbon and radiocarbon, CTabio and 14CTabio, to assess deep-ocean ventilation and distinguish the role of physics vs. biology. These simulations will be forced by observed atmospheric histories of the three inert gases and CO2 as well as carbon isotope ratios of CO2. OMIP-BGC simulation protocols are

  10. An interferometric and numerical study of pseudo-stationary oblique-shock-wave reflections in sulfur hexafluoride (SF6)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, T. C. J.; Glass, I. I.

    Results are reported from experimental and analytical investigations of real-gas effects in the propagation of shock waves through SF6, a gas with 15 vibrational degrees of freedom. Shock waves with speeds ranging from Mach 1.25-8 were directed toward sharp steel wedges in a hypervelocity shock tube. Mach-Zehnder interferometry was used to obtain shock shape and geometry, isopycnic and density field data. Frozen-gas and equilibrium-gas (EQM) analyses modeling were performed for comparisons with experimental data, which depicted four types of reflection and transitions among them. Transition boundaries were best predicted with EQM treatment. A new criterion was derived for transition between single-Mach and complex-Mach reflection. Regular reflection continued past the boundary line defined by the transition criterion because of boundary layer growth produced on the wedge surface by passage of the shock wave.

  11. Electron drift velocity in SF{sub 6} in strong electric fields determined from rf breakdown curves

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lisovskiy, V; Yegorenkov, V [Department of Physics and Technology, Kharkov National University, Svobody sq.4, Kharkov 61077 (Ukraine); Booth, J-P [Laboratoire de Physique des Plasmas, Ecole Polytechnique, Palaiseau 91128 (France); Landry, K [Unaxis Displays Division France SAS, 5, Rue Leon Blum, Palaiseau 91120 (France); Douai, D [Physical Sciences Division, Institute for Magnetic Fusion Research, CEA Centre de Cadarache, F-13108 Saint Paul lez Durance Cedex (France); Cassagne, V, E-mail: lisovskiy@yahoo.co [Developpement Photovoltaique Couches Minces, Total, 2, place Jean Millier, La Defense 6, 92400 Courbevoie (France)

    2010-09-29

    This paper presents measurements of the electron drift velocity V{sub dr} in SF{sub 6} gas for high reduced electric fields (E/N = 330-5655 Td (1 Td = 10{sup -17} V cm{sup 2})). The drift velocities were obtained using the method of Lisovskiy and Yegorenkov (1998 J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 31 3349) based on the determination of the pressure and voltage of the turning points of rf capacitive discharge breakdown curves for a range of electrode spacings. The V{sub dr} values thus obtained were in good agreement with those calculated from the cross-sections of Phelps and Van Brunt (1988 J. Appl. Phys. 64 4269) using the BOLSIG code. The validity of the Lisovskiy-Yegorenkov method is discussed and we show that it is applicable over the entire E/N range where rf discharge ignition at breakdown occurs for rf frequencies of 13.56 MHz or above.

  12. First-principles study of SF{sub 6} decomposed gas adsorbed on Au-decorated graphene

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Xiaoxing, E-mail: xiaoxing.zhang@outlook.com [State Key Laboratory of Power Transmission Equipment & System Security and New Technology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044 (China); Yu, Lei; Gui, Yingang [State Key Laboratory of Power Transmission Equipment & System Security and New Technology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044 (China); Hu, Weihua [Institute for Clean Energy & Advanced Materials, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715 (China)

    2016-03-30

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • We theoretically investigated the decomposed gaseous components of sulfur hexafluoride (SF{sub 6}), namely, H{sub 2}S, SO{sub 2}, SOF{sub 2}, and SO{sub 2}F{sub 2}, adsorbed on pristine and Au-embedded graphene based on DFT-D, in which the van der Waals effect is considered. • H{sub 2}S, SO{sub 2}, SOF{sub 2}, and SO{sub 2}F{sub 2} are chemisorption on Au-doped graphene, appreciably stronger than physisorption on pristine graphene in which the van der Waals dominates. • Only H{sub 2}S exhibits n-type doping to Au-graphene, whereas the rest gases exhibit p-type doping. The n-type and p-type sensing behaviors that Au-doped graphene displays to different gases play a crucial role in selective sensing application. • Magnetic moments fluctuate substantially in the original Au-graphene when H{sub 2}S and SO{sub 2} are adsorbed. While the adsorption effects of SOF{sub 2} and SO{sub 2}F{sub 2} generate magnetism quenching. The different changes of magnetic moments in every adsorption system provide another approach to selective detection. • The charge transfer mechanism is deeply discussed in this paper. - Abstract: We theoretically investigated the decomposed gaseous components of sulfur hexafluoride (SF{sub 6}), namely, H{sub 2}S, SO{sub 2}, SOF{sub 2}, and SO{sub 2}F{sub 2}, adsorbed on pristine and Au-embedded graphene based on the revised Perdew–Burke–Ernzerhof calculation, which empirically includes a dispersion correction (DFT-D) for van der Waals interaction with standard generalized gradient approximation. Pristine graphene exhibits weak adsorption and absence of charge transfer, which indicates barely satisfactory sensing for decomposed components. The Au atom introduces magnetism to the pristine graphene after metal-embedded decoration as well as enhances conductivity. All four molecules induce certain hybridization between the molecules and Au-graphene, which results in chemical interactions. SOF{sub 2} and SO

  13. Analysis of SF and plasma cytokines provides insights into the mechanisms of inflammatory arthritis and may predict response to therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wright, Helen L; Bucknall, Roger C; Moots, Robert J; Edwards, Steven W

    2012-03-01

    Biologic drugs have revolutionized the care of RA, but are expensive and not universally effective. To further understand the inflammatory mechanisms underlying RA and identify potential biomarkers predicting response to therapy, we measured multiple cytokine concentrations in SF of patients with inflammatory arthritides (IAs) and, in a subset of patients with RA, correlated this with response to TNF-α inhibition. SF from 42 RA patients and 19 non-RA IA patients were analysed for 12 cytokines using a multiplex cytokine assay. Cytokines were also measured in the plasma of 16 RA patients before and following treatment with anti-TNF-α. Data were analysed using Mann-Whitney U-test, Spearman's rank correlation and cluster analysis with the Kruskal-Wallis test with Dunn's post-test analysis. RA SF contained significantly elevated levels of IL-1β, IL-1ra, IL-2, IL-4, IL-8, IL-10, IL-17, IFN-γ, G-CSF, GM-CSF and TNF-α compared with other IA SF. RA patients who did not respond to anti-TNF therapy had elevated IL-6 in their SF pre-therapy (P < 0.05), whereas responders had elevated IL-2 and G-CSF (P < 0.05). Plasma cytokine concentrations were not significantly modulated by TNF inhibitors, with the exception of IL-6, which decreased after 12 weeks (P < 0.05). Cytokine profiles in RA SF vary with treatment and response to therapy. Cytokine concentrations are significantly lower in plasma than in SF and relatively unchanged by TNF inhibitor therapy. Concentrations of IL-6, IL-2 and G-CSF in SF may predict response to TNF inhibitors.

  14. Priority targets for environmental research in the Sinos River basin

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    FR. Spilki

    Full Text Available The Sinos River Basin is often mentioned as a highly degraded watershed. A series of impacts on water quality, soil and air has been reported in this environment on a recurring basis over the years. This situation of environmental degradation has its origins in a process of huge economic development uncoupled from environmental conservation concerns. The intense consequent urbanization observed for the municipalities within the watershed was not preceded by urban planning proper zoning. The time has arrived for initiatives in scientific research in the Sinos River basin that are applicable to a more efficient and integrated management and recovery of the basin. In this article, a set of targets for research is suggested which the authors consider as the main priorities for the next few years, aiming for better knowledge and better management of the watershed. Some are still in course, while others have to be initiated as soon as possible.

  15. Partitioning tracers for measuring residual NAPL: Field-scale test results

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Annable, M.D.; Rao, P.S.C.; Hatfield, K.; Graham, W.D.; Wood, A.L.; Enfield, C.G.

    1998-01-01

    The difficult task of locating and quantifying nonaqueous phase liquids (NAPLs) present in the vadose and saturated zones has prompted the development of innovative, nondestructive characterization techniques. The use of the interwell partitioning tracer's (IWPT) test, in which tracers that partition into the NAPL phase are displaced through the aquifer, is an attractive alternative to traditional coring and analysis. The first field test of IWPT was conducted in a hydraulically isolated test cell to quantify the total amount of a complex NAPL (a mixture of JP-4 jet fuel and chlorinated solvents) trapped within a 1.5-m smear zone in a shallow, unconfined sand and gravel aquifer at Hill Air Force Base (AFB), Utah. Tracer breakthrough curves (BTCs) were measured in three extraction wells (EWs) following a tracer pulse introduction through four injection wells (IWs). The measured retardation of the partitioning tracer (2,2-dimethyl-3-pentanol) relative to the nonreactive tracer (bromide) was used to quantify the NAPL present. The EW data were used to estimate an average NAPL saturation of 4.6--5.4% within the test cell. NAPL saturations estimated by using measured concentrations in soil cores of two significant compounds present in the NAPL were 3.0 and 4.6%

  16. Broad horizons SETI, SF and education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Griffiths, Martin

    2004-04-01

    Science fiction (SF) is often perceived as a ‘fringe’ form of entertainment that excites the socially challenged. This misperception detracts from the critical, scientific and interpretive nature of the genre which can be directed into science teaching at school and university levels as an innovative way of exploring the cultural background, politics, leitmotif and themes of society, science and their operation. One example is the ‘alien’ theme in SF; it is perceptually one of the driving factors in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI). Such a topic can become an introduction to current technology, the motives and politics of science and the sociological implications inherent in a confrontation with the ideal of man's uniqueness in the cosmos. When applied to the SETI, SF engenders a constructive convergence in studies such as biological determinism, the evolution of life, communication, interstellar travel and methods of contact, thus enriching the consideration of possible life in the cosmos. Adopting elements of SF in lifelong learning therefore enables informed, imaginative reflection and debate that educates, trains and instructs, broadening the potential of students and their future roles by invoking an analysis of vital public, scientific and humanistic fields.

  17. Radium 228 as a tracer of basin wide processes in the Abyssal Ocean

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sarmiento, J.L.; Rooth, C.G.H.; Broecker, W.S.

    1982-01-01

    A simple model of isopycnal mixing in a circular basin is developed in order to examine the utility of the 5.75-year half-life tracer radium 228 for studying basin wide processes in the deep ocean. The model shows that it is possible to resolve diffusivities of 7 cm 2 s - 1 in a basin of approx.3000-km diameter with profiles measured near the center and edge of the basin. A least squares fit of the model to four abyssal profiles measured during GEOSECS in the North American Basin gives an isopycnal diffusivity of 6 x 10 7 cm 2 s - 1

  18. A Study of Sino-Russian Energy Cooperation from the Perspective of Theories of International Relations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chaoyue Yang

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Energy cooperation is an important component in the Sino-Russia relationship. After more than a decade of efforts, China and Russia have made great progress in their cooperation in the area of oil and natural gas, which has not only promoted the economic developments in both countries, but also expanded their common interests to a large extent, resulting in a tremendous improvement of the two countries’ international strategies towards each other. Nevertheless, constrained and influenced by the evolution of contemporary international politics and economies, the Sino-Russia energy cooperation is facing some problems and barriers. Therefore, the aim of this article is to analyze the multiple elements affecting the Sino-Russia energy cooperation through the prism of Neo-realism, Neo-liberalism and Social Constructivism, hence a clear account of the opportunities and challenges that constitute this cooperation will be gained.

  19. A comparison of the sensitivity of EQ-5D, SF-6D and TTO utility values to changes in vision and perceived visual function in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bozzani Fiammetta Maria

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Economic viability of treatments for primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG should be assessed objectively to prioritise health care interventions. This study aims to identify the methods for eliciting utility values (UVs most sensitive to differences in visual field and visual functioning in patients with POAG. As a secondary objective, the dimensions of generic health-related and vision-related quality of life most affected by progressive vision loss will be identified. Methods A total of 132 POAG patients were recruited. Three sets of utility values (EuroQoL EQ-5D, Short Form SF-6D, Time Trade Off and a measure of perceived visual functioning from the National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (VFQ-25 were elicited during face-to-face interviews. The sensitivity of UVs to differences in the binocular visual field, visual acuity and visual functioning measures was analysed using non-parametric statistical methods. Results Median utilities were similar across Integrated Visual Field score quartiles for EQ-5D (P = 0.08 whereas SF-6D and Time-Trade-Off UVs significantly decreased (p = 0.01 and p = 0.001, respectively. The VFQ-25 score varied across Integrated Visual Field and binocular visual acuity groups and was associated with all three UVs (P ≤ 0.001; most of its vision-specific sub-scales were associated with the vision markers. The most affected dimension was driving. A relationship with vision markers was found for the physical component of SF-36 and not for any dimension of EQ-5D. Conclusions The Time-Trade-Off was more sensitive than EQ-5D and SF-6D to changes in vision and visual functioning associated with glaucoma progression but could not measure quality of life changes in the mildest disease stages.

  20. Sino-US cooperation in water saving technologies: essential international problems

    Science.gov (United States)

    The United States and China share many agricultural problems, but one of great importance is the need to produce more crop yield in the face of water scarcity. Common recognition of this problem led to the development of a joint Sino-US Water Saving Technologies Flagship project within the larger US...

  1. TM4SF1 Promotes Gemcitabine Resistance of Pancreatic Cancer In Vitro and In Vivo.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jia Cao

    Full Text Available TM4SF1 is overexpressed in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC and affects the development of this cancer. Also, multidrug resistance (MDR is generally associated with tumor chemoresistance in pancreatic cancer. However, the correlation between TM4SF1 and MDR remains unknown. This research aims to investigate the effect of TM4SF1 on gemcitabine resistance in PDAC and explore the possible molecular mechanism between TM4SF1 and MDR.The expression of TM4SF1 was evaluated in pancreatic cancer cell lines and human pancreatic duct epithelial (HPDE cell lines by quantitative RT-PCR. TM4SF1 siRNA transfection was carried out using Hiperfect transfection reagent to knock down TM4SF1. The transcripts were analyzed by quantitative RT-PCR, RT-PCR and western blotting for further study. The cell proliferation and apoptosis were obtained to investigate the sensitivity to gemcitabine of pancreatic cancer cells after silencing TM4SF1 in vitro. We demonstrated that cell signaling of TM4SF1 mediated chemoresistance in cancer cells by assessing the expression of multidrug resistance (MDR genes using quantitative RT-PCR. In vivo, we used orthotopic pancreatic tumor models to investigate the effect of proliferation after silencing TM4SF1 by a lentivirus-mediated shRNA in MIA PaCa-2 cell lines.The mRNA expression of TM4SF1 was higher in seven pancreatic cancer cell lines than in HPDE cell lines. In three gemcitabine-sensitive cell lines (L3.6pl, BxPC-3, SU86.86, the expression of TM4SF1 was lower than that in four gemcitabine-resistant cell lines (MIA PaCa-2, PANC-1, Hs766T, AsPC-1. We evaluated that TM4SF1 was a putative target for gemcitabine resistance in pancreatic cancer cells. Using AsPC-1, MIA PaCa-2 and PANC-1, we investigated that TM4SF1 silencing affected cell proliferation and increased the percentages of cell apoptosis mediated by treatment with gemcitabine compared with cells which were treated with negative control. This resistance was associated

  2. A single gas chromatograph for accurate atmospheric mixing ratio measurements of CO2, CH4, N2O, SF6 and CO

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    H. A. J. Meijer

    2009-09-01

    Full Text Available We present an adapted gas chromatograph capable of measuring simultaneously and semi-continuously the atmospheric mixing ratios of the greenhouse gases CO2, CH4, N2O and SF6 and the trace gas CO with high precision and long-term stability. The novelty of our design is that all species are measured with only one device, making it a very cost-efficient system. No time lags are introduced between the measured mixing ratios. The system is designed to operate fully autonomously which makes it ideal for measurements at remote and unmanned stations. Only a small amount of sample air is needed, which makes this system also highly suitable for flask air measurements. In principle, only two reference cylinders are needed for daily operation and only one calibration per year against international WMO standards is sufficient to obtain high measurement precision and accuracy. The system described in this paper is in use since May 2006 at our atmospheric measurement site Lutjewad near Groningen, The Netherlands at 6°21´ E, 53°24´N, 1 m a.s.l. Results show the long-term stability of the system. Observed measurement precisions at our remote research station Lutjewad were: ±0.04 ppm for CO2, ±0.8 ppb for CH4, ±0.8 ppb for CO, ±0.3 ppb for N2O, and ±0.1 ppt for SF6. The ambient mixing ratios of all measured species as observed at station Lutjewad for the period of May 2007 to August 2008 are presented as well.

  3. Unit vent airflow measurements using a tracer gas technique

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Adams, D.G. [Union Electric Company, Fulton, MO (United States); Lagus, P.L. [Lagus Applied Technology, Inc., San Diego, CA (United States); Fleming, K.M. [NCS Corp., Columbus, OH (United States)

    1997-08-01

    An alternative method for assessing flowrates that does not depend on point measurements of air flow velocity is the constant tracer injection technique. In this method one injects a tracer gas at a constant rate into a duct and measures the resulting concentration downstream of the injection point. A simple equation derived from the conservation of mass allows calculation of the flowrate at the point of injection. Flowrate data obtained using both a pitot tube and a flow measuring station were compared with tracer gas flowrate measurements in the unit vent duct at the Callaway Nuclear Station during late 1995 and early 1996. These data are presented and discussed with an eye toward obtaining precise flowrate data for release rate calculations. The advantages and disadvantages of the technique are also described. In those test situations for which many flowrate combinations are required, or in large area ducts, a tracer flowrate determination requires fewer man-hours than does a conventional traverse-based technique and does not require knowledge of the duct area. 6 refs., 10 figs., 6 tabs.

  4. The sf32 unique gene of Spodoptera frugiperda multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (SfMNPV is a non-essential gene that could be involved in nucleocapsid organization in occlusion-derived virions.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Inés Beperet

    Full Text Available A recombinant virus lacking the sf32 gene (Sf32null, unique to the Spodoptera frugiperda multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (SfMNPV, was generated by homologous recombination from a bacmid comprising the complete viral genome (Sfbac. Transcriptional analysis revealed that sf32 is an early gene. Occlusion bodies (OBs of Sf32null contained 62% more genomic DNA than viruses containing the sf32 gene, Sfbac and Sf32null-repair, although Sf32null DNA was three-fold less infective when injected in vivo. Sf32null OBs were 18% larger in diameter and contained 17% more nucleocapsids within ODVs than those of Sfbac. No significant differences were detected in OB pathogenicity (50% lethal concentration, speed-of-kill or budded virus production in vivo. In contrast, the production of OBs/larva was reduced by 39% in insects infected by Sf32null compared to those infected by Sfbac. The SF32 predicted protein sequence showed homology (25% identity, 44% similarity to two adhesion proteins from Streptococcus pyogenes and a single N-mirystoylation site was predicted. We conclude that SF32 is a non-essential protein that could be involved in nucleocapsid organization during ODV assembly and occlusion, resulting in increased numbers of nucleocapsids within ODVs.

  5. Environmental Tracers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Trevor Elliot

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Environmental tracers continue to provide an important tool for understanding the source, flow and mixing dynamics of water resource systems through their imprint on the system or their sensitivity to alteration within it. However, 60 years or so after the first isotopic tracer studies were applied to hydrology, the use of isotopes and other environmental tracers are still not routinely necessarily applied in hydrogeological and water resources investigations where appropriate. There is therefore a continuing need to promote their use for developing sustainable management policies for the protection of water resources and the aquatic environment. This Special Issue focuses on the robustness or fitness-for-purpose of the application and use of environmental tracers in addressing problems and opportunities scientifically, to promote their wider use and to address substantive issues of vulnerability, sustainability, and uncertainty in (groundwater resources systems and their management.

  6. The absent father of Sino-French cinema: Contemporary Taiwanese cinema and 1950s French auteurs

    OpenAIRE

    Bloom, ME

    2014-01-01

    © 2014 Taylor & Francis. In contemporary Sino-French cinema, father characters who are dead, long lost or geographically distant leave gaping holes in the lives of the offspring left behind. The absent fathers in Sino-French films by Taiwanese auteurs Cheng Yu-chieh, Hou Hsiao-hsien and Tsai Ming-liang serve as metaphors for French auteurs. French New Wave films constitute the majority of the intertexts; however, early 1950s French cinema and even late nineteenth-century painting reflect th...

  7. Validade concorrente da versão Brasileira do SRS-22r com o Br-SF-36 Concurrent validity of the Brazilian version of SRS-22r with Br-SF-36

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Giselle C. L. Rosanova

    2010-04-01

    Full Text Available CONTEXTUALIZAÇÃO: A validade concorrente, relevante na adaptação transcultural, refere-se à relação entre o desempenho do instrumento de interesse e o desempenho de instrumento semelhante com validade conhecida. OBJETIVO: Realizar a validação concorrente da versão brasileira do questionário revisado da Scoliosis Research Society (Br-SRS-22r com a versão brasileira do Short Form-36 (Br-SF-36. MÉTODOS: Foram selecionados 54 pacientes com escoliose idiopática com média de 19,9 anos (±7,7 e curvaturas com média de 31,6° (±20,5° graus Cobb, variando entre 10º e 92º. Os questionários tiveram seus resultados convertidos em escores, e a análise estatística correlacionou os domínios concorrentes utilizando o cálculo de coeficiente de Spearman. RESULTADOS: Os domínios de melhor correlação foram função do Br-SRS-22r com função física do Br-SF-36 (r=0,83 e dor do Br-SRS-22r com dor do Br-SF-36 (r=0,86. Entretanto, os domínios autoimagem e satisfação com o tratamento do Br-SRS-22r apresentaram baixa correlação com seus domínios concorrentes do Br-SF-36. DISCUSSÃO: Houve uma correlação satisfatória entre os questionários, sendo que as melhores correlações indicam maior semelhança nos parâmetros avaliados entre os respectivos instrumentos. As melhores correlações foram as dos domínios função e dor, não ocorrendo em saúde mental, possivelmente devido às dificuldades de interpretação de suas questões no Br-SF-36. Para os domínios autoimagem e satisfação com o tratamento do Br-SRS-22r, a correlação é pouco satisfatória por não serem especificamente abordados pelo SF-36. CONCLUSÃO: A versão brasileira do SRS-22r apresentou resultados satisfatórios para a validação concorrente com o Br-SF-36, sendo considerada válida para a versão adaptada à cultura brasileira.BACKGROUND: An important parameter in cross-cultural adaptations, and concurrent validity are the relationships between the

  8. Genesis of a novel Shigella flexneri serotype by sequential infection of serotype-converting bacteriophages SfX and SfI

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    Sun Qiangzheng

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Shigella flexneri is the major pathogen causing bacillary dysentery. Fifteen serotypes have been recognized up to now. The genesis of new S. flexneri serotypes is commonly mediated by serotype-converting bacteriophages. Untypeable or novel serotypes from natural infections had been reported worldwide but have not been generated in laboratory. Results A new S. flexneri serotype-serotype 1 d was generated when a S. flexneri serotype Y strain (native LPS was sequentially infected with 2 serotype-converting bacteriophages, SfX first and then SfI. The new serotype 1 d strain agglutinated with both serotype X-specific anti-7;8 grouping serum and serotype 1a-specific anti- I typing serum, and differed from subserotypes 1a, 1b and 1c. Twenty four S. flexneri clinical isolates of serotype X were all converted to serotype 1 d by infection with phage SfI. PCR and sequencing revealed that SfI and SfX were integrated in tandem into the proA-yaiC region of the host chromosome. Conclusions These findings suggest a new S. flexneri serotype could be created in nature. Such a conversion may be constrained by susceptibility of a strain to infection by a given serotype-converting bacteriophage. This finding has significant implications in the emergence of new S. flexneri serotypes in nature.

  9. Sinos River Hydrographic Basin: urban occupation, industrialization and environmental memory

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. F. Nunes

    Full Text Available This article presents an analysis of the process of industrialization and urbanization of the Sinos Valley in Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, starting from the establishment of leather goods and footwear manufacturing in the region during the 19th century when tanneries and factories producing footwear and/or components for footwear began to appear, and with special attention to aspects related to the environmental impact on the Sinos river hydrographic basin. The article is based on both bibliographic and documentary research and also draws on biographical narratives of workers with links to the leather goods and footwear industry obtained using ethnographic method. It was found that contemporary environmental conflicts emerge from within a memory of work and an environmental memory in which the factories, the unplanned urbanization, and the utilization of water and other natural resources form a chain of significance. Significance that precludes any form of fragmented analysis that isolates any of these aspects from the others: the economic, socio-historic, cultural, political, or the environmental.

  10. Sinos River Hydrographic Basin: urban occupation, industrialization and environmental memory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nunes, M F; Figueiredo, J A S; Rocha, A L C

    2015-12-01

    This article presents an analysis of the process of industrialization and urbanization of the Sinos Valley in Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, starting from the establishment of leather goods and footwear manufacturing in the region during the 19th century when tanneries and factories producing footwear and/or components for footwear began to appear, and with special attention to aspects related to the environmental impact on the Sinos river hydrographic basin. The article is based on both bibliographic and documentary research and also draws on biographical narratives of workers with links to the leather goods and footwear industry obtained using ethnographic method. It was found that contemporary environmental conflicts emerge from within a memory of work and an environmental memory in which the factories, the unplanned urbanization, and the utilization of water and other natural resources form a chain of significance. Significance that precludes any form of fragmented analysis that isolates any of these aspects from the others: the economic, socio-historic, cultural, political, or the environmental.

  11. Tracer studies with aortic infusion result in improper tracer distribution

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wisneski, J.A.; Brooks, G.A.; Neese, R.A.; Stanley, W.C.; Morris, D.L.; Gertz, E.W.

    1986-01-01

    It has been suggested that lactate turnover can be accurately assessed by infusing radioactive lactate tracer into the aorta and sampling blood in the vena cava. However, there may be streaming of newly infused tracer in the aorta, resulting in a nonuniform arterial specific activity (SA). Furthermore vena caval blood may not be representative of mixed venous blood. The authors examined this problem in 7 anesthetized dogs with sampling catheters in the pulmonary (PA), carotid (CA), and femoral (FA) arteries, and the superior (SVC) and inferior (IVC) vena cavi. [1- 14 C]lactate was continuously infused into the left ventricle through a catheter introduced through the femoral artery. The same SA (dpm/μmol) was found in the CA and FA, indicating adequate mixing of newly infused tracer with trace. Three dogs showed differences between SVC, IVC and PA, suggesting a mixed venous sample can not be obtained from the VC. When the catheter was moved into the aorta, wide differences in SA appeared between the CA and FA, clearly reflecting streaming of tracer. These differences also appeared in the SVC and IVC. In conclusion, adequate mixing does not occur between tracer and trace in arterial blood with aortic infusion. Further, VC sampling will not give a consistent mixed venous SA. Therefore, for practical reasons, aortic tracer infusion with vena caval sampling will lead to erroneous turnover values

  12. Prognose: SF den store vinder af kommunalvalget

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thomsen, Søren Risbjerg

    2009-01-01

    KV-09: SF stormer ifølge Altinget.dks prognose ind i byråd og ikke mindst regionsråd ved valget til november, mens Radikale halveres.......KV-09: SF stormer ifølge Altinget.dks prognose ind i byråd og ikke mindst regionsråd ved valget til november, mens Radikale halveres....

  13. Chemical Tracer Methods: Chapter 7

    Science.gov (United States)

    Healy, Richard W.

    2017-01-01

    Tracers have a wide variety of uses in hydrologic studies: providing quantitative or qualitative estimates of recharge, identifying sources of recharge, providing information on velocities and travel times of water movement, assessing the importance of preferential flow paths, providing information on hydrodynamic dispersion, and providing data for calibration of water flow and solute-transport models (Walker, 1998; Cook and Herczeg, 2000; Scanlon et al., 2002b). Tracers generally are ions, isotopes, or gases that move with water and that can be detected in the atmosphere, in surface waters, and in the subsurface. Heat also is transported by water; therefore, temperatures can be used to trace water movement. This chapter focuses on the use of chemical and isotopic tracers in the subsurface to estimate recharge. Tracer use in surface-water studies to determine groundwater discharge to streams is addressed in Chapter 4; the use of temperature as a tracer is described in Chapter 8.Following the nomenclature of Scanlon et al. (2002b), tracers are grouped into three categories: natural environmental tracers, historical tracers, and applied tracers. Natural environmental tracers are those that are transported to or created within the atmosphere under natural processes; these tracers are carried to the Earth’s surface as wet or dry atmospheric deposition. The most commonly used natural environmental tracer is chloride (Cl) (Allison and Hughes, 1978). Ocean water, through the process of evaporation, is the primary source of atmospheric Cl. Other tracers in this category include chlorine-36 (36Cl) and tritium (3H); these two isotopes are produced naturally in the Earth’s atmosphere; however, there are additional anthropogenic sources of them.

  14. Transcriptomic analysis of short-fruit 1 (sf1) reveals new insights into the variation of fruit-related traits in Cucumis sativus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Lina; Cao, Chenxing; Zheng, Shuangshuang; Zhang, Haiyang; Liu, Panjing; Ge, Qian; Li, Jinrui; Ren, Zhonghai

    2017-06-07

    Fruit size is an important quality trait in different market classes of Cucumis sativus L., an economically important vegetable cultivated worldwide, but the genetic and molecular mechanisms that control fruit size are largely unknown. In this study, we isolated a natural cucumber mutant, short fruit 1 (sf1), caused by a single recessive Mendelian factor, from the North China-type inbred line CNS2. In addition to significantly decreased fruit length, other fruit-related phenotypic variations were also observed in sf1 compared to the wild-type (WT) phenotype, indicating that sf1 might have pleiotropic effects. Microscopic imaging showed that fruit cell size in sf1 was much larger than that in WT, suggesting that the short fruit phenotype in sf1 is caused by decreased cell number. Fine mapping revealed that sf1 was localized to a 174.3 kb region on chromosome 6. Similarly, SNP association analysis of bulked segregant RNA-Seq data showed increased SNP frequency in the same region of chromosome 6. In addition, transcriptomic analysis revealed that sf1 might control fruit length through the fine-tuning of cytokinin and auxin signalling, gibberellin biosynthesis and signal transduction in cucumber fruits. Overall, our results provide important information for further study of fruit length and other fruit-related features in cucumber.

  15. Molecular dynamics investigation of tracer diffusion in a simple liquid

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ould-Kaddour, F.; Barrat, J.L.

    1991-05-01

    Extensive Molecular-Dynamics (MD) simulations have been carried out for a model trace-solvent system made up of 100 solvent molecules and 8 tracer molecules interacting through truncated Lennard-Jones potentials. The influence of the size ratio between solute and solvent, of their mass ratio and of the solvent viscosity on the diffusivity of a small tracer were investigated. Positive deviations from a Stokes-Einstein behaviour are observed, in qualitative agreement with experimental observations. It was also observed that as tracer and solvent become increasingly dissimilar, their respective dynamics becomes decoupled. We suggest that such decouplings can be interpreted by writing their mobility of the tracer as the sum of two terms, the first one arising from a coupling between tracer dynamics and hydrodynamics modes of the solvent, and the second one describing jump motion in a locally nearly frozen environment. (author). 17 refs, 4 figs, 6 tabs

  16. Evaluación del estado de salud con la Encuesta SF-36: resultados preliminares en México Health status evaluation with the SF-36 Survey: preliminary results in Mexico

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Miguel A. Zúniga

    1999-03-01

    Full Text Available Objetivo. Establecer, con la Encuesta SF-36, un perfil multidimensional del estado de salud de una población del sureste de México y analizar las propiedades psicométricas de una traducción de la Encuesta SF-36 autorizada por el Proyecto Internacional de Evaluación de la Calidad de Vida. Material y métodos. La SF-36 se aplicó a 257 participantes voluntarios de una clínica médica y a un grupo control de una institución pública gubernamental. Se utilizó, sin modificar, la metodología de construcción de las escalas de salud propuestas por los autores de la encuesta. Se analizó psicométricamente la validez y la confiabilidad de la adaptación de la SF-36 para su uso en México. Resultados. Se construyeron ocho escalas o conceptos de salud relacionados con función física, rol físico, dolor corporal, salud general, vitalidad, función social, rol emocional y salud mental. En los participantes de los servicios médicos la escala con más bajo promedio fue la de salud general (63, y la más alta, la de rol físico (89. En la población control la escala con promedio más alto fue función física (94.6, y la más baja, salud general (73. La comparación de promedios de escalas en ambos grupos de participantes mostró diferencias estadísticamente significativas en función física, rol físico, dolor corporal, salud general y vitalidad. Conclusiones. Con base en los resultados de la evaluación psicométrica, la SF-36 muestra que es consistente con todos los supuestos de validez y confiabilidad en forma satisfactoria, aunque la traducción de ciertas preguntas se examinará en profundidad para determinar modificaciones subsecuentes.Objective. To establish a multidimensional profile of the health status in a population of southeastern Mexico and analyze the psychometric properties of a translation of the SF-36 survey authorized by the International Quality of Life Assessment Project. Material and methods. The SF-36 was administered to

  17. SfDredd, a Novel Initiator Caspase Possessing Activity on Effector Caspase Substrates in Spodoptera frugiperda.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Zhouning; Zhou, Ke; Liu, Hao; Wu, Andong; Mei, Long; Liu, Qingzhen

    2016-01-01

    Sf9, a cell line derived from Spodoptera frugiperda, is an ideal model organism for studying insect apoptosis. The first notable study that attempted to identify the apoptotic pathway in Sf9 was performed in 1997 and included the discovery of Sf-caspase-1, an effector caspase of Sf9. However, it was not until 2013 that the first initiator caspase in Sf9, SfDronc, was discovered, and the apoptotic pathway in Sf9 became clearer. In this study, we report another caspase of Sf9, SfDredd. SfDredd is highly similar to insect initiator caspase Dredd homologs. Experimentally, recombinant SfDredd underwent autocleavage and exhibited different efficiencies in cleavage of synthetic caspase substrates. This was attributed to its caspase activity for the predicted active site mutation blocked the above autocleavage and synthetic caspase substrates cleavage activity. SfDredd was capable of not only cleaving Sf-caspase-1 in vitro but also cleaving Sf-caspase-1 and inducing apoptosis when it was co-expressed with Sf-caspase-1 in Sf9 cells. The protein level of SfDredd was increased when Sf9 cells were treated by Actinomycin D, whereas silencing of SfDredd reduced apoptosis and Sf-caspase-1 cleavage induced by Actinomycin D treatment. These results clearly indicate that SfDredd functioned as an apoptotic initiator caspase. Apoptosis induced in Sf9 cells by overexpression of SfDredd alone was not as obvious as that induced by SfDronc alone, and the cleavage sites of Sf-caspase-1 for SfDredd and SfDronc are different. In addition, despite sharing a sequence homology with initiator caspases and possessing weak activity on initiator caspase substrates, SfDredd showed strong activity on effector caspase substrates, making it the only insect caspase reported so far functioning similar to human caspase-2 in this aspect. We believe that the discovery of SfDredd, and its different properties from SfDronc, will improve the understanding of apoptosis pathway in Sf9 cells.

  18. Sino - nasal surgery in the sub-Saharan Africa: A critical appraisal ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Background: Sino - nasal surgery poses a great challenge to practicing ear, nose and throat surgeons in the sub- Saharan Africa where facilities are inadequate and most patients are distantly located from the few hospitals available in this region. Method: A retrospective study of 79 patients who had nasal and paranasal ...

  19. Stability of midazolam in syrspend SF and syrspend SF cherry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Geiger, Christine M; Sorenson, Bridget; Whaley, Paul A

    2013-01-01

    Midazolam is a short-acting benzodiazepine central nervous system depressant available as an injection, tablet, or oral syrup. The need for alternative dosage form options for patients unable to take tablets and shortages of other forms of the drug have led compounding pharmacies to seek alternatives, mainly solutions and suspensions. Additionally, some patients are unable to use suspending agents containing alcohol or sorbitol. The objective of this study was to determine the stability of midazolam in sorbitol-free, alcohol-free SyrSpend SF and SyrSpend SF Cherry suspending agents. The studied samples were compounded into a 1-mg/mL suspension and stored in low-actinic plastic bottles at temperatures between 2 degrees C to 8 degrees C and at room temperature conditions. Six samples were assayed at each time point out to 58 days by a stability-indicating high-performance liquid chromatography method. The method was validated for its specificity through forced-degradation studies. The samples remained within 90% to 110% of the initial concentration throughout the course of the study. Based on the data collected, the beyond-use date of these preparations is at least 58 days when protected from light at both refrigerated and room temperature storage conditions.

  20. Teaching China in Scotland's Secondary Schools as Sino-Scottish Engagement Intensifies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oates, John Vincent

    2011-01-01

    At a time of burgeoning Sino-Scottish engagement, and the introduction of a new national education policy, "Curriculum for Excellence" designed to enhance teacher autonomy, this paper draws on the national response of Modern Studies teachers who are the only group of Scottish teachers to have the (voluntary) option of including the study…

  1. Impact of beta thalassemia on maxillary sinuses and sino-nasal passages: A case control study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ragab, Ahmed; Ragab, Seham Mohammed; Shawki, Mohammed

    2015-12-01

    Skeletal changes among beta (β) thalassemia children are well documented, but without available data regarding sino-nasal passages alterations. The authors investigated the maxillary sinuses and sino-nasal passages changes in β-thalassemia children and correlated such changes with the amount of transfused red cells and the erythroid marrow activity. Clinical analyses including otorhinolaryngical examination (ORL) were obtained in twenty β-thalassemia children and 20 matched healthy controls. Hemoglobin (Hb), serum ferritin, soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) levels and bone mineral density of the lumbar spine (BMD ls) were assayed. The two groups were analyzed for the CT image parameters: bone thickness, anterior and posterior choanae diameters, extramedullary hematopoiesis and chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) RESULTS: Nasal congestion/obstruction was identified in 14 (70%) children. Eight patients (40%) had criteria of chronic rhinosinusitis. In comparison with the normal controls, the increase in the roof, floor, medial, anterior, lateral and posterior maxillary bony walls thickness was significantly higher (1.26, 2.46, 2.6, 2.9, 3.23 and 5.34-folds, respectively). The mean posterior choanae horizontal, vertical diameters and their surface area were significantly reduced in the patients compared to the controls. The mean anterior maxillary wall bone thickness directly correlated with sTfR (P=0.047) while that of the posterior wall correlated inversely with Hb level (P=0.013). The mean vertical posterior choanae diameter had positive correlation with the amount of transfused red cells (P=0.001) and negative correlation with sTfR (P=0.001). The Hounsfield unit of maxillary sinus wall had direct relation with BMDls (P=0.003) CONCLUSIONS: Thalassemia children are at risk of different folds increase of maxillary sinuses walls thicknesses utmost at posterior and lateral walls. Other sino-nasal morbidities include diminished posterior choanal diameter, nasal obstruction

  2. Sino-Japanese Interaction via Chinese Junks in the Edo Period

    OpenAIRE

    MATSUURA, Akira

    2010-01-01

    To maintain its policy of national isolation during the Edo period, Japan restricted contact with the outside world to Dutch merchant ships and Chinese junks at the Japanese port of Nagasaki. Sino-Japanese interaction consisted not only of trade in goods, but also of cultural and scholarly exchanges. This paper will examine how this unofficial trade affected both Japan and China from a cultural perspective.

  3. Normas poblacionales de referencia de la versión española del SF-12V2 para la Región de Murcia Population based norms of the Spanish version of the SF-12V2 for Murcia (Spain

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Olga Monteagudo Piqueras

    2011-02-01

    Full Text Available Objetivo: Los cuestionarios de salud percibida proporcionan información sobre resultados de salud. La valoración de su impacto requiere disponer de valores de referencia. En la población española, los estudios previos los han proporcionado para el SF-12v1. El objetivo fue obtener, para la versión española del SF-12v2, las normas poblacionales de referencia de la Región de Murcia. Métodos: Estudio transversal con encuesta telefónica a 3.486 personas no institucionalizadas de 18 años o más de edad, de la Región de Murcia. Se calcularon medidas de tendencia central, dispersión y percentiles de las dimensiones, y componentes sumario físico y mental (CSF y CSM del SF-12v2. Para la evaluación de constructo se compararon diferencias de medias en grupos conocidos (prueba t de Student o ANOVA. Resultados: Participaron en el estudio 3.381 sujetos. El 50,5% eran hombres, con una media de 43,6 años de edad, y de 46,0 en las mujeres. El CSF medio fue 48,6 (±10,6 y el CSM fue 53,6 (±10,7, y estas puntuaciones fueron superiores (mejores en los hombres, los grupos de edad más joven, las personas con estudios superiores y aquellas sin ninguna condición médica crónica (p=0,000. Los hombres presentaron mejores puntuaciones que las mujeres en la mayoría de las dimensiones y componentes sumario. La dimensión peor valorada por hombres y mujeres fue la salud general y el CSF. Conclusiones: Estos resultados, aunque deben considerarse como normas poblacionales de referencia de la versión española del SF-12v2 para la Región de Murcia, pueden ser utilizados por poblaciones similares a la hora de establecer objetivos de salud.Objective: Questionnaires on perceived health provide information on health results. Reference values are needed to assess these results. Previous studies have provided Spanish population-based norms for the SF-12v1. The aim of this study was to obtain the population-based norms for the Spanish version of the SF-12v2 for

  4. Radio-isotopic tracers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wolfangel, R.G.

    1976-01-01

    The invention concerns the dispersions that may be used for preparing radio-isotopic tracers, technetium labelled dispersions, processes for preparing these dispersions and their use as tracers. Technetium 99m sulphur colloids are utilized as scintillation tracers to give a picture of the reticulo-endothelial system, particularly the liver and spleen. A dispersion is provided which only requires the addition of a radioactive nuclide to form a radioactively labelled dispersion that can be injected as a tracer. It is formed of a colloid of tin sulphur dispersed in an aqueous buffer solution. Such a reagent has the advantage of being safe and reliable and is easier to use. The colloid can be prepared more quickly since additions of several different reagents are avoided. There is no need to heat up and no sulphuretted hydrogen, which is a toxic gas, is used [fr

  5. COMPARISON OF THREE TRACER TESTS AT THE RAFT RIVER GEOTHERMAL SITE

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Earl D Mattson; Mitchell Plummer; Carl Palmer; Larry Hull; Samantha Miller; Randy Nye

    2011-02-01

    Three conservative tracer tests have been conducted through the Bridge Fault fracture zone at the Raft River Geothermal (RRG) site. All three tests were conducted between injection well RRG-5 and production wells RRG-1 (790 m distance) and RRG-4 (740 m distance). The injection well is used during the summer months to provide pressure support to the production wells. The first test was conducted in 2008 using 136 kg of fluorescein tracer. Two additional tracers were injected in 2010. The first 2010 tracer injected was 100 kg fluorescein disodium hydrate salt on June, 21. The second tracer (100 kg 2,6-naphthalene disulfonic acid sodium salt) was injected one month later on July 21. Sampling of the two productions wells is still being performed to obtain the tail end of the second 2010 tracer test. Tracer concentrations were measured using HPLC with a fluorescence detector. Results for the 2008 test, suggest 80% tracer recover at the two production wells. Of the tracer recovered, 85% of tracer mass was recovered in well RRG-4 indicating a greater flow pathway connection between injection well and RRG-4 than RRG-1. Fluorescein tracer results appear to be similar between the 2008 and 2010 tests for well RRG-4 with peak concentrations arriving approximately 20 days after injection despite the differences between the injection rates for the two tests (~950 gpm to 475 gpm) between the 2008 and 2010. The two 2010 tracer tests will be compared to determine if the results support the hypothesis that rock contraction along the flow pathway due to the 55 oC cooler water injection alters the flow through the ~140 oC reservoir.

  6. Never So Important——First Sino-US Strategic and Economic Dialogue

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Wen Xiu

    2009-01-01

    @@ The first Sino-US Strategic and Economic Dialogue was held on July 27 and 28,2009 in Washington.Either before or during the dialogue,PRC and USA attached great importance to it.The former Strategic Dialogue and the biannual Strategic Economic Dialogue were initiated by the two heads of state in 2005 and 2006 respectively.

  7. Dynamic dual-tracer PET reconstruction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Fei; Liu, Huafeng; Jian, Yiqiang; Shi, Pengcheng

    2009-01-01

    Although of important medical implications, simultaneous dual-tracer positron emission tomography reconstruction remains a challenging problem, primarily because the photon measurements from dual tracers are overlapped. In this paper, we propose a simultaneous dynamic dual-tracer reconstruction of tissue activity maps based on guidance from tracer kinetics. The dual-tracer reconstruction problem is formulated in a state-space representation, where parallel compartment models serve as continuous-time system equation describing the tracer kinetic processes of dual tracers, and the imaging data is expressed as discrete sampling of the system states in measurement equation. The image reconstruction problem has therefore become a state estimation problem in a continuous-discrete hybrid paradigm, and H infinity filtering is adopted as the estimation strategy. As H infinity filtering makes no assumptions on the system and measurement statistics, robust reconstruction results can be obtained for the dual-tracer PET imaging system where the statistical properties of measurement data and system uncertainty are not available a priori, even when there are disturbances in the kinetic parameters. Experimental results on digital phantoms, Monte Carlo simulations and physical phantoms have demonstrated the superior performance.

  8. The 3rd Sino-Japan nuclear medicine conference

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1999-01-01

    The 3rd Sino-Japan Nuclear Medicine Conference was hold on May 11-13, 1999 in Xi'an of China by Chinese Society of Nuclear Medicine, Japanese Society of Nuclear Medicine, Chinese Medicine Association and Japan-China Medicine Association. 62 articles were published in the proceeding of the conference. The contents of the articles include development and application of the radioisotopes (such as Tc-99, I-125, I-131, F-18, In-111, Tl-201, Ga-67, Sm-153, Re-188) and its radiopharmaceuticals, but application also include radiotherapy and diagnosis in the oncology and pathology by SPECT and PET

  9. Development of radioisotope tracer technology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jin, Joon Ha; Lee, Myun Joo; Jung, Sung Hee; Park, Soon Chul; Lim, Dong Soon; Kim, Jae Ho; Lee, Jae Choon; Lee, Doo Sung; Cho, Yong Suk; Shin, Sung Kuan

    2000-04-01

    The purpose of this study is to develop the radioisotope tracer technology, which can be used in solving industrial and environmental problems and to build a strong tracer group to support the local industries. In relation to the tracer technology in 1999, experiments to estimate the efficiencies of a sludge digester of a waste water treatment plant and a submerged biological reactor of a dye industry were conducted. As a result, the tracer technology for optimization of facilities related to wastewater treatment has been developed and is believed to contribute to improve their operation efficiency. The quantification of the experimental result was attempted to improve the confidence of tracer technology by ECRIN program which basically uses the MCNP simulation principle. Using thin layer activation technique, wear of tappet shim was estimated. Thin layer surface of a tappet shim was irradiated by proton beam and the correlation between the measured activity loss and the amount of wear was established. The equipment was developed to adjust the energy of proton which collides with the surface of tappet. The tracer project team has participated into the tracer test for estimating the efficiency of RFCC system in SK cooperation. From the experiment the tracer team has obtained the primary elements to be considered for judging the efficiency of RFCC unit. By developing the tracer techniques to test huge industrial units like RFCC, the tracer team will be able to support the local industries that require technical services to solve any urgent trouble. (author)

  10. PROMIS PF CAT Outperforms the ODI and SF-36 Physical Function Domain in Spine Patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brodke, Darrel S; Goz, Vadim; Voss, Maren W; Lawrence, Brandon D; Spiker, William Ryan; Hung, Man

    2017-06-15

    The Oswestry Disability Index v2.0 (ODI), SF36 Physical Function Domain (SF-36 PFD), and PROMIS Physical Function CAT v1.2 (PF CAT) questionnaires were prospectively collected from 1607 patients complaining of back or leg pain, visiting a university-based spine clinic. All questionnaires were collected electronically, using a tablet computer. The aim of this study was to compare the psychometric properties of the PROMIS PF CAT with the ODI and SF36 Physical Function Domain in the same patient population. Evidence-based decision-making is improved by using high-quality patient-reported outcomes measures. Prior studies have revealed the shortcomings of the ODI and SF36, commonly used in spine patients. The PROMIS Network has developed measures with excellent psychometric properties. The Physical Function domain, delivered by Computerized Adaptive Testing (PF CAT), performs well in the spine patient population, though to-date direct comparisons with common measures have not been performed. Standard Rasch analysis was performed to directly compare the psychometrics of the PF CAT, ODI, and SF36 PFD. Spearman correlations were computed to examine the correlations of the three instruments. Time required for administration was also recorded. One thousand six hundred seven patients were administered all assessments. The time required to answer all items in the PF CAT, ODI, and SF-36 PFD was 44, 169, and 99 seconds. The ceiling and floor effects were excellent for the PF CAT (0.81%, 3.86%), while the ceiling effects were marginal and floor effects quite poor for the ODI (6.91% and 44.24%) and SF-36 PFD (5.97% and 23.65%). All instruments significantly correlated with each other. The PROMIS PF CAT outperforms the ODI and SF-36 PFD in the spine patient population and is highly correlated. It has better coverage, while taking less time to administer with fewer questions to answer. 2.

  11. Feasibility of perfluorocarbon tracers (PFTs) in atmospheric source-receptor experiments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dietz, R.N.; Senum, G.I.

    1984-03-01

    A brief description of the perfluorocarbon tracer (PFT) system, which includes the tracers and the release equipment, the air samplers and the analyzers, is presented along with details on the research needs to provide a viable system for MATEX-scenario experiments. The present family of 2 viable PFTs needs to be increased to 5 to 6. Given the present precision of the analysis system, a one year long tracer experiment consisting of 4 hour releases every 60 hours from 5 different sites would require nearly 150 metric tons of PFTs at a cost of $15,000,000. Shortcomings in the programmable sampler include the pump, the sampling sequence control flexibility, data storage and retrieval, and the lack of remote communication capability; sampler adsorbent studies are also needed. The analytical system, including the catalyst processing bed, the chromatography column resolution, and the linearity of the detector, is in need of significant improvement. A higher resolution analysis system could significantly reduce analysis time but, more importantly, reduce tracer requirements more than 10-fold, for a cost savings potential of more than $13,000,000. A model is presented to demonstrate the feasibility of tracer material balances. Assessment of earlier long-range tracer experiments indicates the need for possibly 400 ground sampling sites requiring $8 to $14 million worth of samplers for a one-year tracer experiment. As many as six aircraft would be needed to conduct airborne model validation and material balance studies for each tracer plume

  12. Quadratic tracer dynamical models tobacco growth

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qiang Jiyi; Hua Cuncai; Wang Shaohua

    2011-01-01

    In order to study the non-uniformly transferring process of some tracer dosages, we assume that the absorption of some tracer by tobacco is a quadratic function of the tracer quantity of the tracer in the case of fast absorption, whereas the exclusion of the tracer from tobacco is a linear function of the tracer quantity in the case of slow exclusion, after the tracer is introduced into tobacco once at zero time. A single-compartment quadratic dynamical model of Logistic type is established for the leaves of tobacco. Then, a two-compartment quadratic dynamical model is established for leaves and calms of the tobacco. Qualitative analysis of the models shows that the tracer applied to the leaves of the tobacco is excluded finally; however, the tracer stays at the tobacco for finite time. Two methods are also given for computing the parameters in the models. Finally, the results of the models are verified by the 32 P experiment for the absorption of tobacco. (authors)

  13. Tracers and tracing methods

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leclerc, J.P.

    2001-01-01

    The first international congress on 'Tracers and tracing methods' took place in Nancy in May 2001. The objective of this second congress was to present the current status and trends on tracing methods and their applications. It has given the opportunity to people from different fields to exchange scientific information and knowledge about tracer methodologies and applications. The target participants were the researchers, engineers and technologists of various industrial and research sectors: chemical engineering, environment, food engineering, bio-engineering, geology, hydrology, civil engineering, iron and steel production... Two sessions have been planned to cover both fundamental and industrial aspects: 1)fundamental development (tomography, tracer camera visualization and particles tracking; validation of computational fluid dynamics simulations by tracer experiments and numerical residence time distribution; new tracers and detectors or improvement and development of existing tracing methods; data treatments and modeling; reactive tracer experiments and interpretation) 2)industrial applications (geology, hydrogeology and oil field applications; civil engineering, mineral engineering and metallurgy applications; chemical engineering; environment; food engineering and bio-engineering). The program included 5 plenary lectures, 23 oral communications and around 50 posters. Only 9 presentations are interested for the INIS database

  14. Formation and spreading of Red Sea Outflow Water in the Red Sea

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhai, Ping; Bower, Amy S.; Smethie, William M.; Pratt, Larry J.

    2015-09-01

    Hydrographic data, chlorofluorocarbon-12 (CFC-12) and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) measurements collected in March 2010 and September-October 2011 in the Red Sea, as well as an idealized numerical experiment are used to study the formation and spreading of Red Sea Outflow Water (RSOW) in the Red Sea. Analysis of inert tracers, potential vorticity distributions, and model results confirm that RSOW is formed through mixed-layer deepening caused by sea surface buoyancy loss in winter in the northern Red Sea and reveal more details on RSOW spreading rates, pathways, and vertical structure. The southward spreading of RSOW after its formation is identified as a layer with minimum potential vorticity and maximum CFC-12 and SF6. Ventilation ages of seawater within the RSOW layer, calculated from the partial pressure of SF6 (pSF6), range from 2 years in the northern Red Sea to 15 years at 17°N. The distribution of the tracer ages is in agreement with the model circulation field which shows a rapid transport of RSOW from its formation region to the southern Red Sea where there are longer circulation pathways and hence longer residence time due to basin wide eddies. The mean residence time of RSOW within the Red Sea estimated from the pSF6 age is 4.7 years. This time scale is very close to the mean transit time (4.8 years) for particles from the RSOW formation region to reach the exit at the Strait of Bab el Mandeb in the numerical experiment.

  15. Risbjerg: SF vandt valgkampen, NA og R tabte

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thomsen, Søren Risbjerg

    2007-01-01

    ANALYSE: Endnu engang flyttede en valgkamp for alvor stemmer. SF gik undervejs 27 pct. frem, mens NA gik 34 pct. tilbage og R 26 pct. Udgivelsesdato: 25. november......ANALYSE: Endnu engang flyttede en valgkamp for alvor stemmer. SF gik undervejs 27 pct. frem, mens NA gik 34 pct. tilbage og R 26 pct. Udgivelsesdato: 25. november...

  16. Development of a dual-tracer real-time particle dry-deposition measurement technique for simple and complex terrain

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sehmel, G.A.; Hodgson, W.H.; Campbell, J.A.

    1979-01-01

    Detectors are being developed and tested for measuring the airborne concentrations of lithium particles and SF 6 gas in real time. The airborne lithium detector will be used for real-time measurements of both particle dry-deposition velocities and resuspension rates. Both the lithium and SF 6 detectors will be used for measuring dry deposition in field experiments

  17. Interaction of SF6 and O2 plasma with porous poly phenyl methyl silsesquioxane low-κ films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cherunilam, J F; Rajani, K V; Daniels, S; Byrne, C; Heise, A; McNally, P J

    2015-01-01

    A reduction in the κ-value of dielectric materials is of great interest today as it leads to the reduction of resistance–capacitance delays and parasitic capacitances within integrated circuits, thereby improving device performance. We have recently reported our studies on the great potential of the Poly phenyl methyl silsesquioxane (PMSQ) low-κ films (κ = 2.7  ±  0.2) for interlayer dielectric applications. Here we report on the deposition and characterisation of porous PMSQ thin films using Heptakis (2,3,6-tri-O-methyl)-β-cyclodextrin as the porogen. A reduction in the κ-value of the films was achieved as a function of the increase in porogen loading in the film. The removal of the thermally liable porogen material from the hybrid films was studied using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The change in density as a function of the porosity was studied using x-ray reflectivity techniques. The interaction of the films with pure SF 6 and O 2 plasmas was studied and the surface modification that occurs in the films as a result of the interaction was studied using FTIR and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. A change in the κ-value of the films was observed after plasma treatment which is attributed to the chemical modification of the film surface due to plasma interaction. (paper)

  18. Mass-conserving tracer transport modelling on a reduced latitude-longitude grid with NIES-TM

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D. Belikov

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available The need to perform long-term simulations with reasonable accuracy has led to the development of mass-conservative and efficient numerical methods for solving the transport equation in forward and inverse models. We designed and implemented a flux-form (Eulerian tracer transport algorithm in the National Institute for Environmental Studies Transport Model (NIES TM, which is used for simulating diurnal and synoptic-scale variations of tropospheric long-lived constituents, as well as their seasonal and inter-annual variability. Implementation of the flux-form method requires the mass conservative wind fields. However, the model is off-line and is driven by datasets from a global atmospheric model or data assimilation system, in which vertically integrated mass changes are not in balance with the surface pressure tendency and mass conservation is not achieved. To rectify the mass-imbalance, a flux-correction method is employed. To avoid a singularity near the poles, caused by the small grid size arising from the meridional convergence problem, the proposed model uses a reduced latitude–longitude grid scheme, in which the grid size is doubled several times approaching the poles. This approach overcomes the Courant condition in the Polar Regions, maintains a reasonably high integration time-step, and ensures adequate model performance during simulations. To assess the model performance, we performed global transport simulations for SF6, 222Rn, and CO2. The results were compared with observations available from the World Data Centre for Greenhouse Gases, GLOBALVIEW, and the Hateruma monitoring station, Japan. Overall, the results show that the proposed flux-form version of NIES TM can produce tropospheric tracer transport more realistically than previously possible. The reasons for this improvement are discussed.

  19. Idaho field experiment 1981. Volume 2: measurement data

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Start, G E; Sagendorf, J F; Ackermann, G R; Cate, J H; Hukari, N F; Dickson, C R

    1984-04-01

    The 1981 Idaho Field Experiment was conducted in southeastern Idaho over the upper Snake River Plain. Nine test-day case studies were conducted between July 15 and 30, 1981. Releases of SF/sub 6/ gaseous tracer were made for 8-hour periods from 46m above ground. Tracer was sampled hourly, for 12 sequential hours, at about 100 locations within an area 24km square. Also, a single total integrated sample of about 30 hours duration was collected at approximately 100 sites within an area 48 by 72km square (using 6km spacings). Extensive tower profiles of meteorology at the release point were collected. RAWINSONDES, RABALS and PIBALS were collected at 3 to 5 sites. Horizontal, low-altitude winds were monitored using the INEL MESONET. SF/sub 6/ tracer plume releases were marked with co-located oil fog releases and bi-hourly sequential launches of tetroon pairs. Aerial LIDAR observations of the oil fog plume and airborne samples of SF/sub 6/ were collected. High altitude aerial photographs of daytime plumes were collected. Volume II lists the data in tabular form or cites the special supplemental reports by other participating contractors. While the primary user file and the data archive are maintained on 9 track/1600 cpi magnetic tapes, listings of the individual values are provided for the user who either cannot utilize the tapes or wishes to preview the data. The accuracies and quality of these data are described.

  20. Tracer dating and ocean ventilation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thiele, G.; Sarmiento, J.L.

    1990-01-01

    The interpretation of transient tracer observations depends on difficult to obtain information on the evolution in time of the tracer boundary conditions and interior distributions. Recent studies have attempted to circumvent this problem by making use of a derived quantity, age, based on the simultaneous distribution of two complementary tracers, such as tritium and its daughter, helium 3. The age is defined with reference to the surface such that the boundary condition takes on a constant value of zero. The authors use a two-dimensional model to explore the circumstances under which such a combination of conservation equations for two complementary tracers can lead to a cancellation of the time derivative terms. An interesting aspect of this approach is that mixing can serve as a source or sink of tracer based age. The authors define an idealized ventilation age tracer that is conservative with respect to mixing, and they explore how its behavior compares with that of the tracer-based ages over a range of advective and diffusive parameters

  1. Smart SfM: Salinas Archaeological Museum

    Science.gov (United States)

    Inzerillo, L.

    2017-08-01

    In these last years, there has been an increasing use of the Structure from Motion (SfM) techniques applied to Cultural Heritage. The accessibility of SfM software can be especially advantageous to users in non-technical fields or to those with limited resources. Thanks to SfM using, everyone can make with a digital camera a 3D model applied to an object of both Cultural Heritage, and physically Environment, and work arts, etc. One very interesting and useful application can be envisioned into museum collection digitalization. In the last years, a social experiment has been conducted involving young generation to live a social museum using their own camera to take pictures and videos. Students of university of Catania and Palermo were involved into a national event #digitalinvasion (2015-2016 editions) offering their personal contribution: they realized 3D models of the museums collection through the SfM techniques. In particular at the National Archaeological Museum Salinas in Palermo, it has been conducted an organized survey to recognize the most important part of the archaeological collection. It was a success: in both #digitalinvasion National Event 2015 and 2016 the young students of Engineering classes carried out, with Photoscan Agisoft, more than one hundred 3D models some of which realized by phone camera and some other by reflex camera and some other with compact camera too. The director of the museum has been very impressed from these results and now we are going to collaborate at a National project to use the young generation crowdsourcing to realize a semi-automated monitoring system at Salinas Archaeological Museum.

  2. SMART SfM: SALINAS ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    L. Inzerillo

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available In these last years, there has been an increasing use of the Structure from Motion (SfM techniques applied to Cultural Heritage. The accessibility of SfM software can be especially advantageous to users in non-technical fields or to those with limited resources. Thanks to SfM using, everyone can make with a digital camera a 3D model applied to an object of both Cultural Heritage, and physically Environment, and work arts, etc. One very interesting and useful application can be envisioned into museum collection digitalization. In the last years, a social experiment has been conducted involving young generation to live a social museum using their own camera to take pictures and videos. Students of university of Catania and Palermo were involved into a national event #digitalinvasion (2015-2016 editions offering their personal contribution: they realized 3D models of the museums collection through the SfM techniques. In particular at the National Archaeological Museum Salinas in Palermo, it has been conducted an organized survey to recognize the most important part of the archaeological collection. It was a success: in both #digitalinvasion National Event 2015 and 2016 the young students of Engineering classes carried out, with Photoscan Agisoft, more than one hundred 3D models some of which realized by phone camera and some other by reflex camera and some other with compact camera too. The director of the museum has been very impressed from these results and now we are going to collaborate at a National project to use the young generation crowdsourcing to realize a semi-automated monitoring system at Salinas Archaeological Museum.

  3. The multielectron character of the S 2p → 4e{sub g} shape resonance in the SF{sub 6} molecule studied via detection of soft X-ray emission and neutral high-Rydberg fragments

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kivimäki, A., E-mail: kivimaki@iom.cnr.it [CNR—Istituto Officina dei Materiali (IOM), Laboratorio TASC, 34149 Trieste (Italy); Coreno, M. [CNR—Istituto di Struttura della Materia (ISM), Basovizza Area Science Park, 34149 Trieste (Italy); Miotti, P.; Frassetto, F.; Poletto, L. [CNR—Istituto di Fotonica e Nanotecnologie (IFN), via Trasea 7, 35131 Padova (Italy); Stråhlman, C. [MAX IV Laboratory, Lund University, P.O. Box 118, 22100 Lund (Sweden); Simone, M. de [CNR—Istituto Officina dei Materiali (IOM), Laboratorio TASC, 34149 Trieste (Italy); Richter, R. [Elettra-Sincrotrone Trieste, Area Science Park Basovizza, 34149 Trieste (Italy)

    2016-05-15

    Highlights: • The soft X-ray emission spectrum of SF{sub 6} changes at the S 2p → 4e{sub g} shape resonance. • The emission band around 172 eV indicates the population of the 6a{sub 1g} orbital. • Shake-up processes accompanying S 2p ionization can explain the new emissions. • Field ionization of neutral high Rydberg (HR) fragments reveals F and S atoms. • The yield of neutral HR fragments increases at the S 2p → 4e{sub g} shape resonance. - Abstract: We have studied the nature of the S 2p → 4e{sub g} shape resonance in the SF{sub 6} molecule by performing two different experiments. Soft X-ray emission spectra measured at the 4e{sub g} shape resonance reveal features that do not originate from the S 2p{sup −1} states. One of the features can be assigned to the 6a{sub 1g} → S 2p transition. The 6a{sub 1g} orbital, which is empty in the molecular ground state, can be populated either in core–valence double excitations or in S 2p shake-up transitions. Both these channels are considered. We have also studied the fragmentation of SF{sub 6} molecule after the decay of the S 2p core-hole states by observing neutral fragments in high-Rydberg states, where an electron occupies an orbital with n ≥ 20 (n is the principal quantum number). Such neutral fragments become, in relative terms, more abundant at the S 2p → 4e{sub g} shape resonance with respect to the S 2p → 2t{sub 2g} shape resonance, which is a pure one-electron phenomenon.

  4. Suitability of tracers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Klotz, D.

    1999-01-01

    Hydrological tracer techniques are a means of making statements on the direction and speed of underground water. One of the simpler tasks is to find out whether there is hydrological communication between two given points. This requires a determination of the direction of flow, which places less exacting demands on the properties of the tracer than does the task of determining the flow velocity of underground water. Tracer methods can serve to infer from flow velocity the distance (flow) velocity, which is defined as the ratio between the distance between two points located in flow direction and the actual time it takes water to flow from one to the other [de

  5. SfDronc, an initiator caspase involved in apoptosis in the fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Ning; Civciristov, Srgjan; Hawkins, Christine J; Clem, Rollie J

    2013-05-01

    Initiator caspases are the first caspases that are activated following an apoptotic stimulus, and are responsible for cleaving and activating downstream effector caspases, which directly cause apoptosis. We have cloned a cDNA encoding an ortholog of the initiator caspase Dronc in the lepidopteran insect Spodoptera frugiperda. The SfDronc cDNA encodes a predicted protein of 447 amino acids with a molecular weight of 51 kDa. Overexpression of SfDronc induced apoptosis in Sf9 cells, while partial silencing of SfDronc expression in Sf9 cells reduced apoptosis induced by baculovirus infection or by treatment with UV or actinomycin D. Recombinant SfDronc exhibited several expected biochemical characteristics of an apoptotic initiator caspase: 1) SfDronc efficiently cleaved synthetic initiator caspase substrates, but had very little activity against effector caspase substrates; 2) mutation of a predicted cleavage site at position D340 blocked autoprocessing of recombinant SfDronc and reduced enzyme activity by approximately 10-fold; 3) SfDronc cleaved the effector caspase Sf-caspase-1 at the expected cleavage site, resulting in Sf-caspase-1 activation; and 4) SfDronc was strongly inhibited by the baculovirus caspase inhibitor SpliP49, but not by the related protein AcP35. These results indicate that SfDronc is an initiator caspase involved in caspase-dependent apoptosis in S. frugiperda, and as such is likely to be responsible for the initiator caspase activity in S. frugiperda cells known as Sf-caspase-X. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Metal-free reduction of the greenhouse gas sulfur hexafluoride, formation of SF5 containing ion pairs and the application in fluorinations

    KAUST Repository

    Rueping, Magnus

    2017-05-04

    A protocol for the fast and selective two-electron reduction of the potent greenhouse gas sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) by organic electron donors at ambient temperature has been developed. The reaction yields solid ion pairs consisting of donor dications and SF5-anions which can be effectively used in fluorination reactions.

  7. Experimental plan for tracer testing in the Culebra Dolomite at the WIPP site

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Beauheim, R.L.; Davies, P.B.

    1992-01-01

    This Experimental Plan provides a conceptual description of a proposed series of tracer tests to be conducted in the Culebra Dolomite Member of the Rustler Formation at the WIPP site. The new tracer tests are intended to address deficiencies that have been identified both in the performance and interpretation of previously conducted tracer tests' Tracer tests were conducted at the H-2 hydropad in 1980, at the H-6 hydropad in 1981, 1982, and 1983, at the H-4 hydropad from 1982 to 1984, at the H-3 hydropad in 1984, and at the H-11 hydropad in 1988. These tests were all performed over the entire 7-m thickness of the Culebra and, therefore, provided no information on the effects of vertical heterogeneity within the Culebra on transport. In addition, each of the previous tracer tests provided data only from 1 to 3 flow paths, allowing calibration of interpretive models but not validation of those models. The tracer tests at the H-3, H-6, and H-11 hydropads have been interpreted using a double-porosity continuum model (SWIFT 11) in which advective transport occurs through a uniform network of fractures while diffusion of tracer from the fractures to the porosity in the rock matrix causes a physical retardation of the transport. External reviewers, particularly participants in the international INTRAVAL program, have suggested that alternative mechanisms, such as fracture channeling, could explain the observed physical retardation and have recommended that additional tracer tests be designed and performed to distinguish among these mechanisms. The previous tracer tests also provided no information on chemical-retardation processes within the Culebra, which have been shown through performance-assessment calculations to have a large impact on cumulative releases of radionuclides from the WIPP to the accessible environment

  8. Authentically radiolabelled Mn(II) complexes as bimodal PET/MR tracers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vanasschen, Christian; Brandt, Marie; Ermert, Johannes [Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, INM-5 - Nuclear Chemistry, Forschungszentrum Jülich (Germany); Neumaier, Bernd [Institute for Radiochemistry and Experimental Molecular Imaging, Medical Clinics, University of Cologne (Germany); Coenen, Heinz H [Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, INM-5 - Nuclear Chemistry, Forschungszentrum Jülich (Germany)

    2015-05-18

    The development of small molecule bimodal PET/MR tracers is mainly hampered by the lack of dedicated preparation methods. Authentic radiolabelling of MR contrast agents ensures easy access to such probes: a ligand, chelating a paramagnetic metal ion (e.g. Mn2+) and the corresponding PET isotope (e.g. 52gMn), leads to a “cocktail mixture” where both imaging reporters exhibit the same pharmacokinetics. Paramagnetic [55Mn(CDTA)]2- shows an excellent compromise between thermodynamic stability, kinetic inertness and MR contrast enhancement. Therefore, the aim of this study was to develop new PET/MR tracers by labelling CDTA ligands with paramagnetic manganese and the β+-emitter 52gMn. N.c.a. 52gMn (t1/2: 5.6 d; Eβ+: 575.8 keV (29.6%)) was produced by proton irradiation of a natCr target followed by cation-exchange chromatography. CDTA was radiolabelled with n.c.a. 52gMn2+ in NaOAc buffer (pH 6) at RT. The complex was purified by RP-HPLC and its stability tested in PBS and blood plasma at 37°C. The redox stability was assessed by monitoring the T1 relaxation (20 MHz) in HEPES buffer (pH 7.4). A functionalized CDTA ligand was synthesized in 5 steps. [52gMn(CDTA)]2- was quantitatively formed within 30 min at RT. The complex was stable for at least 6 days in PBS and blood plasma at 37°C and no oxidation occurred within 7 months storage at RT. Labelling CDTA with an isotopic 52g/55Mn2+ mixture led to the corresponding bimodal PET/MR tracer. Furthermore, a functionalized CDTA ligand was synthesized with an overall yield of 18-25%. [52g/55Mn(CDTA)]2-, the first manganese-based bimodal PET/MR tracer prepared, exhibits excellent stability towards decomplexation and oxidation. This makes the functionalized CDTA ligand highly suitable for designing PET/MR tracers with high relaxivity or targeting properties.

  9. Authentically radiolabelled Mn(II) complexes as bimodal PET/MR tracers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vanasschen, Christian; Brandt, Marie; Ermert, Johannes; Neumaier, Bernd; Coenen, Heinz H

    2015-01-01

    The development of small molecule bimodal PET/MR tracers is mainly hampered by the lack of dedicated preparation methods. Authentic radiolabelling of MR contrast agents ensures easy access to such probes: a ligand, chelating a paramagnetic metal ion (e.g. Mn2+) and the corresponding PET isotope (e.g. 52gMn), leads to a “cocktail mixture” where both imaging reporters exhibit the same pharmacokinetics. Paramagnetic [55Mn(CDTA)]2- shows an excellent compromise between thermodynamic stability, kinetic inertness and MR contrast enhancement. Therefore, the aim of this study was to develop new PET/MR tracers by labelling CDTA ligands with paramagnetic manganese and the β+-emitter 52gMn. N.c.a. 52gMn (t1/2: 5.6 d; Eβ+: 575.8 keV (29.6%)) was produced by proton irradiation of a natCr target followed by cation-exchange chromatography. CDTA was radiolabelled with n.c.a. 52gMn2+ in NaOAc buffer (pH 6) at RT. The complex was purified by RP-HPLC and its stability tested in PBS and blood plasma at 37°C. The redox stability was assessed by monitoring the T1 relaxation (20 MHz) in HEPES buffer (pH 7.4). A functionalized CDTA ligand was synthesized in 5 steps. [52gMn(CDTA)]2- was quantitatively formed within 30 min at RT. The complex was stable for at least 6 days in PBS and blood plasma at 37°C and no oxidation occurred within 7 months storage at RT. Labelling CDTA with an isotopic 52g/55Mn2+ mixture led to the corresponding bimodal PET/MR tracer. Furthermore, a functionalized CDTA ligand was synthesized with an overall yield of 18-25%. [52g/55Mn(CDTA)]2-, the first manganese-based bimodal PET/MR tracer prepared, exhibits excellent stability towards decomplexation and oxidation. This makes the functionalized CDTA ligand highly suitable for designing PET/MR tracers with high relaxivity or targeting properties.

  10. Study with a steam tracer in a zone near well Az-64, in the Los Azufres geothermal field, Mich.; Estudio con un trazador de vapor en la zona aledana al pozo Az-64, en el campo geotermico de Los Azufres, Mich.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Iglesias, Eduardo R. [Instituto de Investigaciones Electricas, Cuernavaca, Morelos (Mexico)]. E-mail: iglesias@iie.org.mx; Flores Armenta, Magaly; Quijano Leon, Jose Luis; Torres Rodriguez, Marco A. [Comision Federal de Electricidad, Gerencia de Proyectos Geotermoelectricos, Morelia, Michoacan (Mexico); Torres, Rodolfo J.; Reyes Picasso, Neftali [Instituto de Investigaciones Electricas, Cuernavaca, Morelos (Mexico); Sandoval Medina, Fernando [Comision Federal de Electricidad, Gerencia de Proyectos Geotermoelectricos, Morelia, Michoacan (Mexico)

    2009-01-15

    A previous tracer study in the Maritaro-La Cumbre area of the Los Azufres, Mich., geothermal field concluded that injection in well Az-15 recharges a group of producing wells located east of the injector to a maximum distance of about 2000 m. The study also indicated injection in Az-15 either does not recharge wells farther east in the neighborhood of the Laguna Verde fault, or does so at very low rates over a long period. Because it is important to recharge this zone, it was decided to explore the possibility of doing it by injecting in well Az-64, located in the area. Thus the present study was designed. Six producing wells were chosen to monitor tracer arrivals. Because all the chosen wells produce steam (several also produce water) and for economic reasons, it was decided to use a steam-phase tracer. We chose sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), a tracer successfully used before in the field. On October 24, 2006, we injected 96.4 kg of SF6 into well Az-64. All six chosen wells were sampled for 156 days, starting the day of injection. The tracer was detected in all six wells and for every well the shape of the residence curve clearly depicted the fractured nature of the corresponding permeability. Again in every case, the recovery curves indicated recovery was completed within the 156-day sampling period. The largest recoveries were in wells Az-05 (48.5%) and Az-43 (1.27%), those closest to the injection well and on the same side of the Maritaro fault as Az-64. Well Az-51, lying at 848 m from the injector and farthest away, registered the third-highest recovery percentage (1.01 x 10-5%), significantly higher than well Az-19 (6.95 x 10-6%), located 490 m from the injector; the two wells are on the same side of the Maritaro fault as Az-64. Well Az-32, located 423 m from the injector, but on the other side of the Maritaro fault, recovered 5.6 x 10-7% of the injected tracer, comparable to 8.67 x 10-7%, the amount recovered in well Az-13 on the same side of the Maritaro fault

  11. More light on the 2ν5 Raman overtone of SF6: Can a weak anisotropic spectrum be due to a strong transition anisotropy?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kremer, D.; Rachet, F.; Chrysos, M.

    2014-01-01

    Long known as a fully polarized band with a near vanishing depolarization ratio [ηs = 0.05, W. Holzer and R. Ouillon, Chem. Phys. Lett. 24, 589 (1974)], the 2ν5 Raman overtone of SF6 has so far been considered as of having a prohibitively weak anisotropic spectrum [D. P. Shelton and L. Ulivi, J. Chem. Phys. 89, 149 (1988)]. Here, we report the first anisotropic spectrum of this overtone, at room temperature and for 13 gas densities ranging between 2 and 27 amagat. This spectrum is 10 times broader and 50 times weaker than the isotropic counterpart of the overtone [D. Kremer, F. Rachet, and M. Chrysos, J. Chem. Phys. 138, 174308 (2013)] and its profile much more sensitive to pressure effects than the profile of the isotropic spectrum. From our measurements an accurate value for the anisotropy matrix-element |⟨000020|Δα|000000⟩| was derived and this value was found to be comparable to that of the mean-polarizability | |. Among other conclusions our study offers compelling evidence that, in Raman spectroscopy, highly polarized bands or tiny depolarization ratios are not necessarily incompatible with large polarizability anisotropy transition matrix-elements. Our findings and the way to analyze them suggest that new strategies should be developed on the basis of the complementarity inherent in independent incoherent Raman experiments that run with two different incident-beam polarizations, and on concerted efforts to ab initio calculate accurate data for first and second polarizability derivatives. Values for these derivatives are still rarities in the literature of SF6.

  12. Packet Tracer network simulator

    CERN Document Server

    Jesin, A

    2014-01-01

    A practical, fast-paced guide that gives you all the information you need to successfully create networks and simulate them using Packet Tracer.Packet Tracer Network Simulator is aimed at students, instructors, and network administrators who wish to use this simulator to learn how to perform networking instead of investing in expensive, specialized hardware. This book assumes that you have a good amount of Cisco networking knowledge, and it will focus more on Packet Tracer rather than networking.

  13. Proceedings of the atmospheric tracers and tracer application workshop

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barr, S.; Gedayloo, T.

    1979-12-01

    In addition to presentations by participating members a general discussion was held in order to summarize and outline the goals and objectives of the workshop. A number of new low level background tracers such as heavy methanes, perfluorocarbons, multiply labeled isotopes such as 13 C 18 O 2 , helium 3, in addition to sample collection techniques and analytical methods for various tracers were discussed. This report is a summary of discussions and papers presented at this workshop

  14. Evaluation of water quality at the source of streams of the Sinos River Basin, southern Brazil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    T Benvenuti

    Full Text Available The Sinos River Basin (SRB is located in the northeastern region of the state of Rio Grande do Sul (29º20' to 30º10'S and 50º15' to 51º20'W, southern Brazil, and covers two geomorphologic provinces: the southern plateau and the central depression. It is part of the Guaíba basin, has an area of approximately 800 km2 and contains 32 counties. The basin provides drinking water for 1.6 million inhabitants in one of the most important industrial centres in Brazil. This study describes different water quality indices (WQI used for the sub-basins of three important streams in the SRB: Pampa, Estância Velha/Portão and Schmidt streams. Physical, chemical and microbiological parameters assessed bimonthly using samples collected at each stream source were used to calculate the Horton Index (HI, the Dinius Index (DI and the water quality index adopted by the US National Sanitation Foundation (NSF WQI in the additive and multiplicative forms. These indices describe mean water quality levels at the streams sources. The results obtained for these 3 indexes showed a worrying scenario in which water quality has already been negatively affected at the sites where three important sub-basins in the Sinos River Basin begin to form.

  15. The influence of the carbon surface chemical composition on Dubinin-Astakhov equation parameters calculated from SF{sub 6} adsorption data-grand canonical Monte Carlo simulation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Furmaniak, Sylwester; Terzyk, Artur P; Gauden, Piotr A [Department of Chemistry, Physicochemistry of Carbon Materials Research Group, N Copernicus University, Gagarin Street 7, 87-100 Torun (Poland); Kowalczyk, Piotr [Nanochemistry Research Institute, Curtin University, PO Box U1987, Perth, WA 6845 (Australia); Harris, Peter J F, E-mail: aterzyk@chem.uni.torun.pl [Centre for Advanced Microscopy, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading RG6 6AF (United Kingdom)

    2011-10-05

    Using grand canonical Monte Carlo simulation we show, for the first time, the influence of the carbon porosity and surface oxidation on the parameters of the Dubinin-Astakhov (DA) adsorption isotherm equation. We conclude that upon carbon surface oxidation, the adsorption decreases for all carbons studied. Moreover, the parameters of the DA model depend on the number of surface oxygen groups. That is why in the case of carbons containing surface polar groups, SF{sub 6} adsorption isotherm data cannot be used for characterization of the porosity. (paper)

  16. Aspects of Sino-Japan Complementary and Alternative Medicine and Development on the Traditional Uighur Medicine

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yusup, Abdiryim

    2009-01-01

    Two consecutive conferences on ‘Sino-Japan Complementary and Alternative Medicine and Development on the Traditional Uighur Medicine’ were held in Xinjiang Medical University on July 3 and Kanazawa Medical University on October 6, 2007. The Vice president Halmurat Upur presided over the meeting and gave congratulatory address on holding of the conference. In order to understand mutually and discuss the possibility of the Uighur Medicine as CAM and the situation of medicine in the global sense, specialist scholars of Traditional Uighur Medicine and postgraduates attended this conference. In the meeting of the CAM, the achievements on the research of Traditional Uighur Medicine were exchanged and warmly discussed. Presentations were made in the consecutive conference. PMID:19470524

  17. Simulation of tracer dispersion from elevated and surface releases in complex terrain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hernández, J. F.; Cremades, L.; Baldasano, J. M.

    A new version of an advanced mesoscale dispersion modeling system for simulating passive air pollutant dispersion in the real atmospheric planetary boundary layer (PBL), is presented. The system comprises a diagnostic mass-consistent meteorological model and a Lagrangian particle dispersion model (LADISMO). The former version of LADISMO, developed according to Zannetti (Air pollution modelling, 1990), was based on the Monte Carlo technique and included calculation of higher-order moments of vertical random forcing for convective conditions. Its ability to simulate complex flow dispersion has been stated in a previous paper (Hernández et al. 1995, Atmospheric Environment, 29A, 1331-1341). The new version follows Thomson's scheme (1984, Q. Jl Roy. Met. Soc.110, 1107-1120). It is also based on Langevin equation and follows the ideas given by Brusasca et al. (1992, Atmospheric Environment26A, 707-723) and Anfossi et al. (1992, Nuovo Cemento 15c, 139-158). The model is used to simulate the dispersion and predict the ground level concentration (g.l.c.) of a tracer (SF 6) released from both an elevated source ( case a) and a ground level source ( case b) in a highly complex mountainous terrain during neutral and synoptically dominated conditions ( case a) and light and apparently stable conditions ( case b). The last case is considered as being a specially difficult task to simulate. In fact, few works have reported situations with valley drainage flows in complex terrains and real stable atmospheric conditions with weak winds. The model assumes that nearly calm situations associated to strong stability and air stagnation, make the lowest layers of PBL poorly diffusive (Brusasca et al., 1992, Atmospheric Environment26A, 707-723). Model results are verified against experimental data from Guardo-90 tracer experiments, an intensive field campaign conducted in the Carrion river valley (Northern Spain) to study atmospheric diffusion within a steep walled valley in mountainous

  18. Use of artificial tracers in hydrology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1991-05-01

    The IAEA has convened an Advisory Group Meeting with the following objectives: To define the role of artificial radioactive tracers for water tracing in comparison with other non-radioactive tracers. To evaluate the real needs of artificial radioactive tracers in hydrology. To identify the fields for which artificial radioactive tracers are useful as well as those in which they can be substituted by other tracers. To discuss the strategy to be adopted to overcome the difficulties derived from the restrictions on the use of radioactive tracers in hydrology. The meeting was held at IAEA Headquarters from 19 to 22 March 1990, and was attended by 30 participants from 15 Member States. The conclusions and recommendations are that the use of artificial radioactive tracers should be restricted to cases where other tracers cannot be used or do not provide the same quality of information. Tritium, iodine-131, bromine-82, chromium-51 in the form of Cr-EDTA, technetium-99m obtained from 99 Mo-generators and gold-198 as an adsorbable tracer are, practically, the only radionuclides used for water tracing. The use of other radionuclides for this purpose does not appear to be necessary, possible and/or convenient. Refs, figs and tabs

  19. TRAC-PF1/MOD 1 independent assessment: Semiscale MOD-2A feedwater-line break (S-SF-3) and steam-line break (S-SF-5) tests

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dobranich, D.

    1985-11-01

    The TRAC-PF1/MOD1 independent assessment project at Sandia is part of an overall effort funded by the NRC to determine the ability of various systems codes to predict the detailed thermal/hydraulic response of LWRs during accident and off-normal conditions. As part of this effort, calculations for Semiscale Mod-2A test S-SF-3, a feedwater-line break test, and S-SF-5, a steam-line break test, were performed with TRAC-PF1/MOD1. Most aspects of both the S-SF-3 and S-SF-5 steady-state calculations were found to be in good agreement with data. However, the need for a better steam separator model was identified from the S-SF-3 calculation. Overall, the qualitative behavior of both transients was calculated reasonably well; however, there were some discrepancies in the prediction of the quantitative behavior. The results for the S-SF-3 transient calculation indicate that the primary-to-secondary heat transfer degradation began too early. This was possibly due to overprediction of entrainment in the steam generator boiler, leading to an incorrect calculation of the secondary-side fluid distribution during the steady state. However, there was insufficient data to verify this. Results for the S-SF-5 transient calculation indicate that the primary-side fluid temperature response to a steam-line break was in reasonable agreement with data but the pressure response did not coincide with the data. Uncertainties in the data are sufficient to prevent us from determining the exact cause of this discrepancy, but there is indirect evidence that the calculated rate of phase change in the pressurizer was incorrect. 16 refs., 73 figs., 13 tabs

  20. Convergent validity between SF-36 and WHOQOL-BREF in older adults

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paula Costa Castro

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE : To compare the reliability and convergent validity of instruments assessing quality of life in Brazilian older adults. METHODS : Cross-sectional study of 278 literate, community-dwelling older adults attending a municipal university for the elderly in Sao Carlos, SP, Southeastern Brazil between 2006 and 2008. The Brazilian versions of the SF-36 and WHOQOL-BREF instruments to assess quality of life were compared. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was used to estimate reliability and Pearson’s correlation for comparison between the two scales. RESULTS : Most of participants were women (87.8% with a mean age of 63.83±7.22 years. Both scales showed an acceptable internal consistency – WHOQOL-BREF Cronbach’s alpha was 0.832 and SF-36 was 0.868. There was a weak (r ≤ 0.6 correlation between the related fields in the two questionnaires. CONCLUSIONS : The SF-36 and WHOQOL-BREF are reliable instruments for clinical and research uses in Brazilian older women. To select one, researchers should consider which aspects of quality of life they aim to capture because of weak convergent validity signs. This study’s results indicate that WHOQOL-BREF may be more relevant to evaluate changes in the quality of life of older women because it prioritizes responses to the aging process and avoids focusing on impairment.

  1. A meta-analytic review of measurement equivalence study findings of the SF-36® and SF-12® Health Surveys across electronic modes compared to paper administration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    White, Michelle K; Maher, Stephen M; Rizio, Avery A; Bjorner, Jakob B

    2018-04-16

    Patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures originally developed for paper administration are increasingly being administered electronically in clinical trials and other health research studies. Three published meta-analyses of measurement equivalence among paper and electronic modes aggregated findings across hundreds of PROs, but there has not been a similar meta-analysis that addresses a single PRO, partly because there are not enough published measurement equivalence studies using the same PRO. Because the SF-36 (R) Health Survey (SF-36) is a widely used PRO, the aim of this study was to conduct a meta-analysis of measurement equivalence studies of this survey. A literature search of several medical databases used search terms for variations of "SF-36" or "SF-12" and "equivalence" in the title or abstract of English language publications. The eight scale scores and two summary measures of the SF-36 and SF-12 were transformed to norm-based scores (NBS) using developer guidelines. A threshold of within ± 2 NBS points was set as the margin of equivalence. Comprehensive meta-analysis software was used. Twenty-five studies were included in the meta-analysis. Results indicated that mean differences across domains and summary scores ranged from 0.01 to 0.39 while estimates of agreement ranged from 0.76 to 0.91, all well within the equivalence threshold. Moderator analyses showed that time between administration, survey language, and type of electronic device did not influence equivalence. The results of the meta-analysis support equivalence of paper-based and electronic versions of the SF-36 and SF-12 across a variety of disease populations, countries, and electronic modes.

  2. Analysis of tracer responses in the BULLION Forced-Gradient Experiment at Pahute Mesa, Nevada

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Paul W. Reimus; Marc J. Haga

    1999-10-01

    This report presents an analysis of the tracer data from the BULLION forced-gradient experiment (FGE) conducted on Pahute Mesa at the Nevada Test Site from June 2, 1997 through August 28, 1997, for the Underground Test Area (UGTA) Program. It also serves to document the polystyrene microsphere data from the FGE. The FGE involved the injection of solute and colloid tracers into wells ER-20-6 No. 1 and ER-20-6 No. 2 while ER-20-6 No. 3 was pumped at approximately 116 gallons per minute (gpm). The experimental configuration and test design are described briefly in this report; more details are provided elsewhere (IT, 1996, 1997, 1998). The tracer responses in the various wells yielded valuable information about transport processes such as longitudinal dispersion, matrix diffusion and colloid transport in the hydrogeologic system in the vicinity of the BULLION nuclear test cavity. Parameter values describing these processes are derived from the semi-analytical model interpretations presented in this report. A companion report (IT, 1998) presents more detailed numerical modeling interpretations of the solute tracer responses.

  3. Analysis of tracer responses in the BULLION Forced-Gradient Experiment at Pahute Mesa, Nevada

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Reimus, Paul W.; Haga, Marc J.

    1999-01-01

    This report presents an analysis of the tracer data from the BULLION forced-gradient experiment (FGE) conducted on Pahute Mesa at the Nevada Test Site from June 2, 1997 through August 28, 1997, for the Underground Test Area (UGTA) Program. It also serves to document the polystyrene microsphere data from the FGE. The FGE involved the injection of solute and colloid tracers into wells ER-20-6 No. 1 and ER-20-6 No. 2 while ER-20-6 No. 3 was pumped at approximately 116 gallons per minute (gpm). The experimental configuration and test design are described briefly in this report; more details are provided elsewhere (IT, 1996, 1997, 1998). The tracer responses in the various wells yielded valuable information about transport processes such as longitudinal dispersion, matrix diffusion and colloid transport in the hydrogeologic system in the vicinity of the BULLION nuclear test cavity. Parameter values describing these processes are derived from the semi-analytical model interpretations presented in this report. A companion report (IT, 1998) presents more detailed numerical modeling interpretations of the solute tracer responses

  4. Flow visualization in superfluid helium-4 using He2 molecular tracers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Wei

    Flow visualization in superfluid helium is challenging, yet crucial for attaining a detailed understanding of quantum turbulence. Two problems have impeded progress: finding and introducing suitable tracers that are small yet visible; and unambiguous interpretation of the tracer motion. We show that metastable He2 triplet molecules are outstanding tracers compared with other particles used in helium. These molecular tracers have small size and relatively simple behavior in superfluid helium: they follow the normal fluid motion at above 1 K and will bind to quantized vortex lines below about 0.6 K. A laser-induced fluorescence technique has been developed for imaging the He2 tracers. We will present our recent experimental work on studying the normal-fluid motion by tracking thin lines of He2 tracers created via femtosecond laser-field ionization in helium. We will also discuss a newly launched experiment on visualizing vortex lines in a magnetically levitated superfluid helium drop by imaging the He2 tracers trapped on the vortex cores. This experiment will enable unprecedented insight into the behavior of a rotating superfluid drop and will untangle several key issues in quantum turbulence research. We acknowledge the support from the National Science Foundation under Grant No. DMR-1507386 and the US Department of Energy under Grant No. DE-FG02 96ER40952.

  5. Greenhouse gases regional fluxes estimated from atmospheric measurements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Messager, C.

    2007-07-01

    build up a new system to measure continuously CO 2 (or CO), CH 4 , N 2 O and SF 6 mixing ratios. It is based on a commercial gas chromatograph (Agilent 6890N) which have been modified to reach better precision. Reproducibility computed with a target gas on a 24 hours time step gives: 0.06 ppm for CO 2 , 1.4 ppb for CO, 0.7 ppb for CH 4 , 0.2 ppb for N 2 O and 0.05 ppt for SF 6 . The instrument's run is fully automated, an air sample analysis takes about 5 minutes. In July 2006, I install instrumentation on a telecommunication tall tower (200 m) situated near Orleans forest in Trainou, to monitor continuously greenhouse gases (CO 2 , CH 4 , N 2 O, SF 6 ), atmospheric tracers (CO, Radon-222) and meteorological parameters. Intake lines were installed at 3 levels (50, 100 and 180 m) and allow us to sample air masses along the vertical. Continuous measurement started in January 2007. I used Mace Head (Ireland) and Gif-sur-Yvette continuous measurements to estimate major greenhouse gases emission fluxes at regional scale. To make the link between atmospheric measurements and surface fluxes, we need to quantify dilution due to atmospheric transport. I used Radon-222 as tracer (radon tracer method) and planetary boundary layer heights estimates from ECMWF model (boundary layer budget method) to parameterize atmospheric transport. In both cases I compared results to available emission inventories. (author)

  6. [Survey on the applicability of SF-36 version-2 (SF-36v2) in assessment quality of life among urban residents in Chengdu city].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Longchao; Liu, Zhijun; He, Yan; Li, Ningxiu; Liu, Danping

    2014-05-01

    To explore the psychometric performances and applicability of SF-36v2 in assessment quality of life among urban residents in Chengdu. During Oct. to Dec., 2012, 2 186 adult urban residents with clear mind and well self-express were recruited in the study by multistage stratified cluster sampling method in Chengdu urban area. The survey questionnaires included general health condition and quality of life, which was adopted the SF-36v2. Internal consistency reliability, test-retest reliability and construct validity were all analyzed as indicators of the psychometric performance. The survey released 2 186 questionnaires, with 2 182 ones returned and 2 178(99.8%) met the data standard. The scores of 8 scales in SF-36v2, including physical function (PF), role-physical (RP), bodily pain (BP), general health (GH), vitality (VT), social function (SF), role-emotion (RE) and mental health (MH), were 89.15 ± 17.56, 85.18 ± 22.52, 76.64 ± 17.80, 64.13 ± 19.56, 70.39 ± 17.31, 86.43 ± 17.35, 87.79 ± 19.24 and 80.61 ± 13.49, respectively; the floor effects were 0.28%, 0.41%, 0.23%, 0.28%, 0.09%, 0.05%, 0.14% and 0.23%, respectively; and the ceiling effects were 51.38%, 60.60%, 58.08%, 0.83%, 2.94%, 50.32%, 64.00% and 3.95%, respectively. The item-convergent validities were all achieved the standard (r = 0.40) except the item MH5 (Have you been happy?), and the total scaling success rate of item-convergent validity was 97.14%. The scales' success rates of item-discriminant validities for the SF, VT and MH scales were 93.75%, 56.25% and 97.50% respectively, while the rates of others were 100.00% and the total success rate was 96.43%. The internal reliability ranged from 0.724 to 0.974 across all the scales, except for SF (r = 0.603) and VT (r = 0.697). The two-week test-retest reliability ranged from 0.610 to 0.845. Within factor analysis, two common factors were confirmed, separately representing physical health and mental health, altogether contributing 64.4% of the

  7. Simulation and interpretation of inter-well tracer tests

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dugstad Øyvind

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available In inter-well tracer tests (IWTT, chemical compounds or radioactive isotopes are used to label injection water and gas to establish well connections and fluid patterns in petroleum reservoirs. Tracer simulation is an invaluable tool to ease the interpretation of IWTT results and is also required for assisted history matching application of tracer data. In this paper we present a new simulation technique to analyse and interpret tracer results. Laboratory results are used to establish and test formulations of the tracer conservation equations, and the technique is used to provide simulated tracer responses that are compared with observed tracer data from an extensive tracer program. The implemented tracer simulation methodology use a fast post-processing of previously simulated reservoir simulation runs. This provides a fast, flexible and powerful method for analysing gas tracer behaviour in reservoirs. We show that simulation time for tracers can be reduced by factor 100 compared to solving the tracer flow equations simultaneously with the reservoir fluid flow equations. The post-processing technique, combined with a flexible built-in local tracer-grid refinement is exploited to reduce numerical smearing, particularly severe for narrow tracer pulses.

  8. Exploration and Practice of Green Building Management in Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Sun; Xiaofeng; Song; Kun; Liu; Jinxin

    2016-01-01

    This paper summarizes the current development status of green building management in China, and analyzes the problems existing in its present management pattern. It fi rstly introduces the background, procedures and achievements gained during the green building practice in the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City, expounds the principles and methods of the establishment of the green building management system in this Tianjin Eco-City, and then focuses on practical experience and specifi c measures in separate parts of green building management system in the Tianjin EcoCity, which is constituted by laws, regulations and policies, technical standards, management process, product access, etc. Through exploration and practice, it took 8 years for the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City to preliminarily establish a set of management systems which were suited to its own characteristics. By introduction of the management system, this paper aims to provide reference for other cities to carry out green building practice and improve the quality of green buildings in China.

  9. The 6-minute walk test in female fibromyalgia patients: relationship with tenderness, symptomatology, quality of life, and coping strategies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carbonell-Baeza, Ana; Ruiz, Jonatan R; Aparicio, Virginia A; Ortega, Francisco B; Delgado-Fernández, Manuel

    2013-12-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the 6-minute walk test (6-MWT) and tenderness, symptomatology, quality of life, and coping strategies in women with fibromyalgia. One hundred eighteen women with fibromyalgia aged 51.9 ± 7.3 years participated in the study. The examination included the 6-MWT, tender points, and the following questionnaires: Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), Short-Form Health Survey 36 (SF-36), and Vanderbilt Pain Management Inventory. Fair correlations between the 6-MWT and the subscales of physical impairment (FIQ) and physical function (SF-36) were observed (ρ -0.365 and 0.347, respectively, both p fibromyalgia shows significant relationships, ranging from weak to fair, between the 6-MWT and tenderness, symptomatology, quality of life, and coping strategies. These findings indicate that functional capacity, as assessed by the distance walked in 6 minutes, might be important when planning the assessment, treatment, and monitoring of patients with fibromyalgia. Copyright © 2013 American Society for Pain Management Nursing. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Psychometric Evaluation of the Hypogonadism Impact of Symptoms Questionnaire Short Form (HIS-Q-SF).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gelhorn, Heather L; Roberts, Laurie J; Khandelwal, Nikhil; Revicki, Dennis A; DeRogatis, Leonard R; Dobs, Adrian; Hepp, Zsolt; Miller, Michael G

    2017-08-01

    The Hypogonadism Impact of Symptoms Questionnaire Short Form (HIS-Q-SF) is a patient-reported outcome measurement designed to evaluate the symptoms of hypogonadism. The HIS-Q-SF is an abbreviated version including17 items from the original 28-item HIS-Q. To conduct item analyses and reduction, evaluate the psychometric properties of the HIS-Q-SF, and provide guidance on score interpretation. A 12-week observational longitudinal study of hypogonadal men was conducted as part of the original HIS-Q psychometric evaluation. Participants completed the original HIS-Q every 2 weeks. Blood samples were collected to evaluate testosterone levels. Participants completed the Aging Male's Symptoms Scale, the International Index of Erectile Function, the Short Form-12, and the PROMIS Sexual Activity, Satisfaction with Sex Life, Sleep Disturbance, and Applied Cognition Scales (baseline and weeks 6 and 12). Clinicians completed the Clinical Global Impression of Severity and Change scales and a clinical form. Item performance was evaluated using descriptive statistics and Rasch analyses. Reliability (internal consistency and test-retest), validity (concurrent and know groups), and responsiveness were assessed. One hundred seventy-seven men participated (mean age = 54.1 years, range = 23-83). Similar to the full HIS-Q, the final abbreviated HIS-Q-SF instrument includes five domains (sexual, energy, sleep, cognition, and mood) with two sexual subdomains (libido and sexual function). For key domains, test-retest reliability was very good, and construct validity was good for all domains. Known-groups validity was demonstrated for all domain scores, subdomain scores, and total score based on the Clinical Global Impression-Severity. All domains and subdomains were responsive to change based on patient-rated anchor questions. The HIS-Q-SF could be a useful tool in clinical practice, epidemiologic studies, and other academic research settings. Careful consideration was given to the

  11. Xanthine tracers and their preparation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Groman, E.V.; Cabelli, M.D.

    1980-01-01

    Compounds useful as tracers in the radioimmunoassay of xanthine derivatives such as theophylline and pharmacologically related drugs are described. They are substituted xanthines in which at least one substituted radical contains radioiodine. The tracers are made by linking radioiodinatable or preradioiodinated radicals to the xanthine derivative which is to be assayed. The tracers may be employed in known radioimmunoassay techniques. (author)

  12. Field measurements of tracer gas transport by barometric pumping

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lagus, P.L.; McKinnis, W.B.; Hearst, J.R.; Burkhard, N.R.; Smith, C.F.

    1994-01-01

    Vertical gas motions induced by barometric pressure variations can carry radioactive gases out of the rubblized region produced by an underground nuclear explosion, through overburden rock, into the atmosphere. To better quantify transit time and amount of transport, field experiments were conducted at two sites on Pahute Mesa, Kapelli and Tierra, where radioactive gases had been earlier detected in surface cracks. At each site, two tracer gases were injected into the rubblized chimney 300-400 m beneath the surface and their arrival was monitored by concentration measurements in gas samples extracted from shallow collection holes. The first ''active'' tracer was driven by a large quantity of injected air; the second ''passive'' tracer was introduced with minimal gas drive to observe the natural transport by barometric pumping. Kapelli was injected in the fall of 1990, followed by Tierra in the fall of 1991. Data was collected at both sites through the summer of 1993. At both sites, no surface arrival of tracer was observed during the active phase of the experiment despite the injection of several million cubic feet of air, suggesting that cavity pressurization is likely to induce horizontal transport along high permeability layers rather than vertical transport to the surface. In contrast, the vertical pressure gradients associated with barometric pumping brought both tracers to the surface in comparable concentrations within three months at Kapelli, whereas 15 months elapsed before surface arrival at Tierra. At Kapelli, a quasisteady pumping regime was established, with tracer concentrations in effluent gases 1000 times smaller than concentrations thought to exist in the chimney. Tracer concentrations observed at Tierra were typically an order of magnitude smaller. Comparisons with theoretical calculations suggest that the gases are traveling through ∼1 millimeter vertical fractures spaced 2 to 4 meters apart. 6 refs., 18 figs., 3 tabs

  13. More light on the 2ν5 Raman overtone of SF6: Can a weak anisotropic spectrum be due to a strong transition anisotropy?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kremer, D.; Rachet, F.; Chrysos, M.

    2014-01-01

    Long known as a fully polarized band with a near vanishing depolarization ratio [η s = 0.05, W. Holzer and R. Ouillon, Chem. Phys. Lett. 24, 589 (1974)], the 2ν 5 Raman overtone of SF 6 has so far been considered as of having a prohibitively weak anisotropic spectrum [D. P. Shelton and L. Ulivi, J. Chem. Phys. 89, 149 (1988)]. Here, we report the first anisotropic spectrum of this overtone, at room temperature and for 13 gas densities ranging between 2 and 27 amagat. This spectrum is 10 times broader and 50 times weaker than the isotropic counterpart of the overtone [D. Kremer, F. Rachet, and M. Chrysos, J. Chem. Phys. 138, 174308 (2013)] and its profile much more sensitive to pressure effects than the profile of the isotropic spectrum. From our measurements an accurate value for the anisotropy matrix-element |〈000020|Δα|000000〉| was derived and this value was found to be comparable to that of the mean-polarizability ((000020), α ¯ (000000)). Among other conclusions our study offers compelling evidence that, in Raman spectroscopy, highly polarized bands or tiny depolarization ratios are not necessarily incompatible with large polarizability anisotropy transition matrix-elements. Our findings and the way to analyze them suggest that new strategies should be developed on the basis of the complementarity inherent in independent incoherent Raman experiments that run with two different incident-beam polarizations, and on concerted efforts to ab initio calculate accurate data for first and second polarizability derivatives. Values for these derivatives are still rarities in the literature of SF 6

  14. Complete study demonstrating the absence of rhabdovirus in a distinct Sf9 cell line.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yoshifumi Hashimoto

    Full Text Available A putative novel rhabdovirus (SfRV was previously identified in a Spodoptera frugiperda cell line (Sf9 cells [ATCC CRL-1711 lot 58078522] by next generation sequencing and extensive bioinformatic analysis. We performed an extensive analysis of our Sf9 cell bank (ATCC CRL-1711 lot 5814 [Sf9L5814] to determine whether this virus was already present in cells obtained from ATCC in 1987. Inverse PCR of DNA isolated from Sf9 L5814 cellular DNA revealed integration of SfRV sequences in the cellular genome. RT-PCR of total RNA showed a deletion of 320 nucleotides in the SfRV RNA that includes the transcriptional motifs for genes X and L. Concentrated cell culture supernatant was analyzed by sucrose density gradient centrifugation and revealed a single band at a density of 1.14 g/ml. This fraction was further analysed by electron microscopy and showed amorphous and particulate debris that did not resemble a rhabdovirus in morphology or size. SDS-PAGE analysis confirmed that the protein composition did not contain the typical five rhabdovirus structural proteins and LC-MS/MS analysis revealed primarily of exosomal marker proteins, the SfRV N protein, and truncated forms of SfRV N, P, and G proteins. The SfRV L gene fragment RNA sequence was recovered from the supernatant after ultracentrifugation of the 1.14 g/ml fraction treated with diethyl ether suggesting that the SfRV L gene fragment sequence is not associated with a diethyl ether resistant nucleocapsid. Interestingly, the 1.14 g/ml fraction was able to transfer baculovirus DNA into Sf9L5814 cells, consistent with the presence of functional exosomes. Our results demonstrate the absence of viral particles in ATCC CRL-1711 lot 5814 Sf9 cells in contrast to a previous study that suggested the presence of infectious rhabdoviral particles in Sf9 cells from a different lot. This study highlights how cell lines with different lineages may present different virosomes and therefore no general conclusions can

  15. Emission quantification using the tracer gas dispersion method: The influence of instrument, tracer gas species and source simulation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Delre, Antonio; Mønster, Jacob; Samuelsson, Jerker

    2018-01-01

    The tracer gas dispersion method (TDM) is a remote sensing method used for quantifying fugitive emissions by relying on the controlled release of a tracer gas at the source, combined with concentration measurements of the tracer and target gas plumes. The TDM was tested at a wastewater treatment...... plant for plant-integrated methane emission quantification, using four analytical instruments simultaneously and four different tracer gases. Measurements performed using a combination of an analytical instrument and a tracer gas, with a high ratio between the tracer gas release rate and instrument...... precision (a high release-precision ratio), resulted in well-defined plumes with a high signal-to-noise ratio and a high methane-to-tracer gas correlation factor. Measured methane emission rates differed by up to 18% from the mean value when measurements were performed using seven different instrument...

  16. A new algorithm to build bridges between two patient-reported health outcome instruments: the MOS SF-36® and the VR-12 Health Survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Selim, Alfredo; Rogers, William; Qian, Shirley; Rothendler, James A; Kent, Erin E; Kazis, Lewis E

    2018-04-19

    To develop bridging algorithms to score the Veterans Rand-12 (VR-12) scales for comparability to those of the SF-36® for facilitating multi-cohort studies using data from the National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER) linked to Medicare Health Outcomes Survey (MHOS), and to provide a model for minimizing non-statistical error in pooled analyses stemming from changes to survey instruments over time. Observational study of MHOS cohorts 1-12 (1998-2011). We modeled 2-year follow-up SF-36 scale scores from cohorts 1-6 based on baseline SF-36 scores, age, and gender, yielding 100 clusters using Classification and Regression Trees. Within each cluster, we averaged follow-up SF-36 scores. Using the same cluster specifications, expected follow-up SF-36 scores, based on cohorts 1-6, were computed for cohorts 7-8 (where the VR-12 was the follow-up survey). We created a new criterion validity measure, termed "extensibility," calculated from the square root of the mean square difference between expected SF-36 scale averages and observed VR-12 item score from cohorts 7-8, weighted by cluster size. VR-12 items were rescored to minimize this quantity. Extensibility of rescored VR-12 items and scales was considerably improved from the "simple" scoring method for comparability to the SF-36 scales. The algorithms are appropriate across a wide range of potential subsamples within the MHOS and provide robust application for future studies that span the SF-36 and VR-12 eras. It is possible that these surveys in a different setting outside the MHOS, especially in younger age groups, could produce somewhat different results.

  17. The isotope separator on-line at the INS-SF cyclotron

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yonehara, H.; Kawakami, H.; Tanaka, J.; Omata, K.; Shida, Y.

    1981-02-01

    The Isotope Separator On-Line at the SF Cyclotron has been improved. Some details of improvements are described on the target-ion source, rapid extraction with aluminized tape, tape transport system and data aquisition. The performance of the improved SF-ISOL is discussed. (author)

  18. Predictive value of tracer studies for 131I treatment in hyperthyroid cats

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Broome, M.R.; Turrel, J.M.; Hays, M.T.

    1988-01-01

    In 76 cats with hyperthyroidism, peak thyroidal radioiodine ( 131 I) uptakes and effective half-lives were determined after administration of tracer and therapeutic activities of 131 I. In 6 additional hyperthyroid cats, only peak thyroidal uptakes after administration of tracer and therapeutic activities of 131 I were determined. Good correlation was found between peak thyroidal uptakes of tracer and therapeutic 131 I; however, only fair correlation was observed between effective half-lives. In 79% of the cats, the effective half-life for therapeutic 131 I was longer than that for tracer 131 I. After administration of therapeutic activity of 131 I, monoexponential and biphasic decay curves were observed in 51 and 16 cats, respectively. Using therapeutic kinetic data, radiation doses to the thyroid gland were calculated retrospectively on the basis of 2 methods for determining the activity of 131 I administered: (1) actual administration of tracer-compensated activity and (2) hypothetic administration of uniform activity (3 mCi). Because of the good predictive ability of tracer kinetic data for the therapeutic kinetic data, the tracer-compensated radiation doses came significantly (P = 0.008) closer to the therapeutic goal than did the uniform-activity doses. In addition, the use of tracer kinetic information reduced the extent of the tendency for consistently high uniform-activity doses. A manual method for acquiring tracer kinetic data was developed and was an acceptable alternative to computerized techniques. Adoption of this method gives individuals and institutions with limited finances the opportunity to characterize the iodine kinetics in cats before proceeding with administration of therapeutic activities of 131 I

  19. Guidebook on radioisotope tracers in industry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1990-01-01

    The idea of using tracers (chemical, dyes, etc.) in the investigation of complex physical phenomena has always attracted the attention of scientists and engineers. When radioactive isotopes became available it was immediately recognized that they offered an almost ideal solution to tracer selection. This book is devoted to reviewing the present status of the tracer method as such and to its applications to those branches of industry which have derived large benefits from the use of this modern technology. The main objectives of the IAEA's Industrial Applications and Chemistry Section is to help Member States in introducing to their own industries the different isotope and radiation techniques which have become available as a result of developments in the nuclear sciences. This section proposed the preparation of this guidebook, putting together various radiotracer methods and the experience obtained so far in their industrial use. Chapters 2 to 4 cover the general concept of tracers, technology and safety aspects, as well as data evaluation and interpretation. In chapter 5, therefore, general applications are discussed. In chapter 6, specialists in selected fields discuss their experience in radiotracer applications in various types of industrial activity. Most case studies are illustrated by at least one detailed example of an experiment carried out at an industrial installation. Current trends in the development of radiotracer methods are discussed in chapter 7, from both a theoretical and a practical viewpoint. Some possible new RTT applications in the future are also discussed here. Sealed radioactive sources are used almost as often as radioisotope tracers in industrial measurements. Annex I gives a short review of these techniques. Readers who are interested in the basic principles of radioisotope production will find the necessary information in Annex II. Annexes III, V and VI provide a demonstration of fundamental relations and properties; useful

  20. Isotopic marking and tracers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morel, F.

    1997-01-01

    The use of radioactive isotopes as tracers in biology has been developed thanks to the economic generation of the required isotopes in accelerators and nuclear reactors, and to the multiple applications of tracers in the life domain; the most usual isotopes employed in biology are carbon, hydrogen, phosphorus and sulfur isotopes, because these elements are present in most of organic molecules. Most of the life science knowledge appears to be dependent to the extensive use of nuclear tools and radioactive tracers; the example of the utilization of radioactive phosphorus marked ATP to study the multiple reactions with proteins, nucleic acids, etc., is given

  1. Sino-Nasal Outcome Test-22: Translation, Cross-cultural Adaptation, and Validation in Hebrew-Speaking Patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shapira Galitz, Yael; Halperin, Doron; Bavnik, Yosef; Warman, Meir

    2016-05-01

    To perform the translation, cross-cultural adaptation, and validation of the Sino-Nasal Outcome Test-22 (SNOT-22) questionnaire to the Hebrew language. A single-center prospective cross-sectional study. Seventy-three chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) patients and 73 patients without sinonasal disease filled the Hebrew version of the SNOT-22 questionnaire. Fifty-one CRS patients underwent endoscopic sinus surgery, out of which 28 filled a postoperative questionnaire. Seventy-three healthy volunteers without sinonasal disease also answered the questionnaire. Internal consistency, test-retest reproducibility, validity, and responsiveness of the questionnaire were evaluated. Questionnaire reliability was excellent, with a high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha coefficient, 0.91-0.936) and test-retest reproducibility (Spearman's coefficient, 0.962). Mean scores for the preoperative, postoperative, and control groups were 50.44, 29.64, and 13.15, respectively (P < .0001 for CRS vs controls, P < .001 for preoperative vs postoperative), showing validity and responsiveness of the questionnaire. The Hebrew version of SNOT-22 questionnaire is a valid outcome measure for patients with CRS with or without nasal polyps. © American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery Foundation 2016.

  2. Incremental Validity of the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire-Short Form (TEIQue-SF).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Siegling, A B; Vesely, Ashley K; Petrides, K V; Saklofske, Donald H

    2015-01-01

    This study examined the incremental validity of the adult short form of the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (TEIQue-SF) in predicting 7 construct-relevant criteria beyond the variance explained by the Five-factor model and coping strategies. Additionally, the relative contributions of the questionnaire's 4 subscales were assessed. Two samples of Canadian university students completed the TEIQue-SF, along with measures of the Big Five, coping strategies (Sample 1 only), and emotion-laden criteria. The TEIQue-SF showed consistent incremental effects beyond the Big Five or the Big Five and coping strategies, predicting all 7 criteria examined across the 2 samples. Furthermore, 2 of the 4 TEIQue-SF subscales accounted for the measure's incremental validity. Although the findings provide good support for the validity and utility of the TEIQue-SF, directions for further research are emphasized.

  3. Tracer diffusion in colloidal suspensions under dilute and crowded conditions with hydrodynamic interactions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tomilov, A.; Videcoq, A.; Chartier, T.

    2012-01-01

    We consider tracer diffusion in colloidal suspensions under solid loading conditions, where hydrodynamic interactions play an important role. To this end, we carry out computer simulations based on the hybrid stochastic rotation dynamics-molecular dynamics (SRD-MD) technique. Many details of the ...... that hydrodynamic interactions are correctly included within the SRD-MD technique. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4731661]...

  4. Deuterium used as artificial tracer in column studies under saturated water flow conditions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koeniger, P.; Geiges, M.; Leibundgut, Ch.

    2003-04-01

    In contrast to numerous investigations using deuterium as an environmental tracer, hydrological investigations with deuterium-labelled water are rather rare. Currently applications in groundwater studies are restricted due to increasing costs of spiking large water quantities but an application as intelligent tracer might be of advantage especially in combination with other tracers and under distinct environmental conditions. Therefore deuterium was applied as artificial tracer in column experiments that are well proved as a tool to characterise tracer behaviour in recent studies. Deuterium was tested in comparison to the more familiar conservative tracer fluorescein. Varying experimental conditions, e.g. column length (0.5, 1.0, 1.5 m), initial tracer concentration (0.01, 0.02, 0.2 mg) and flow velocity (1.5 to 6.0 m/d) were used to investigate tracer behaviour under saturated water flow conditions. Deuterium was analysed using an H/Device with chrome reduction connected to an isotope ratio mass spectrometer and expressed in relative concentrations [per mill V-SMOW]. Theoretical tracer breakthrough curves were calculated using a one dimensional dispersion model. The results indicate higher mean transport velocities and smaller dispersion for deuterium in all experiments. Due to different molecule properties that also determine the interaction of soil substrate and tracer, deuterium indicates a more conservative transport behaviour. Deuterium is non-toxic, completely soluble, chemically and biologically stable and not subject to light-influenced decay. Furthermore, it shows promise for investigations of water flow in the unsaturated zone, and of interactions of water in soil-plant-atmosphere systems. A further discussion of problems, together with possibilities for applying deuterium as an artificial tracer, will be presented.

  5. The inertial attitude augmentation for ambiguity resolution in SF/SE-GNSS attitude determination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Jiancheng; Hu, Xiaoping; Zhang, Jingyu; Li, Tao; Wang, Jinling; Wu, Meiping

    2014-06-26

    The Unaided Single Frequency/Single Epoch Global Navigation Satellite System (SF/SE GNSS) model is the most challenging scenario for ambiguity resolution in the GNSS attitude determination application. To improve the performance of SF/SE-GNSS ambiguity resolution without excessive cost, the Micro-Electro-Mechanical System Inertial Measurement Unit (MEMS-IMU) is a proper choice for the auxiliary sensor that carries out the inertial attitude augmentation. Firstly, based on the SF/SE-GNSS compass model, the Inertial Derived Baseline Vector (IDBV) is defined to connect the MEMS-IMU attitude measurement with the SF/SE-GNSS ambiguity search space, and the mechanism of inertial attitude augmentation is revealed from the perspective of geometry. Then, through the quantitative description of model strength by Ambiguity Dilution of Precision (ADOP), two ADOPs are specified for the unaided SF/SE-GNSS compass model and its inertial attitude augmentation counterparts, respectively, and a sufficient condition is proposed for augmenting the SF/SE-GNSS model strength with inertial attitude measurement. Finally, in the framework of an integer aperture estimator with fixed failure rate, the performance of SF/SE-GNSS ambiguity resolution with inertial attitude augmentation is analyzed when the model strength is varying from strong to weak. The simulation results show that, in the SF/SE-GNSS attitude determination application, MEMS-IMU can satisfy the requirements of ambiguity resolution with inertial attitude augmentation.

  6. The Inertial Attitude Augmentation for Ambiguity Resolution in SF/SE-GNSS Attitude Determination

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Jiancheng; Hu, Xiaoping; Zhang, Jingyu; Li, Tao; Wang, Jinling; Wu, Meiping

    2014-01-01

    The Unaided Single Frequency/Single Epoch Global Navigation Satellite System (SF/SE GNSS) model is the most challenging scenario for ambiguity resolution in the GNSS attitude determination application. To improve the performance of SF/SE-GNSS ambiguity resolution without excessive cost, the Micro-Electro-Mechanical System Inertial Measurement Unit (MEMS-IMU) is a proper choice for the auxiliary sensor that carries out the inertial attitude augmentation. Firstly, based on the SF/SE-GNSS compass model, the Inertial Derived Baseline Vector (IDBV) is defined to connect the MEMS-IMU attitude measurement with the SF/SE-GNSS ambiguity search space, and the mechanism of inertial attitude augmentation is revealed from the perspective of geometry. Then, through the quantitative description of model strength by Ambiguity Dilution of Precision (ADOP), two ADOPs are specified for the unaided SF/SE-GNSS compass model and its inertial attitude augmentation counterparts, respectively, and a sufficient condition is proposed for augmenting the SF/SE-GNSS model strength with inertial attitude measurement. Finally, in the framework of an integer aperture estimator with fixed failure rate, the performance of SF/SE-GNSS ambiguity resolution with inertial attitude augmentation is analyzed when the model strength is varying from strong to weak. The simulation results show that, in the SF/SE-GNSS attitude determination application, MEMS-IMU can satisfy the requirements of ambiguity resolution with inertial attitude augmentation. PMID:24971472

  7. The rise of China and the time of Africa: Gauging Afro-Sino relations ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The article focuses on Sino-African relations, with specific reference to South Africa. An outline is provided of recent developments as a roadmap for the unfolding of this relationship. The question of whether China's African interest can be seen as tacit colonisation is discussed. Even if these fears are allayed, the question ...

  8. Identification and characteristics of microRNAs from army worm, Spodoptera frugiperda cell line Sf21.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kakumani, Pavan Kumar; Chinnappan, Mahendran; Singh, Ashok K; Malhotra, Pawan; Mukherjee, Sunil K; Bhatnagar, Raj K

    2015-01-01

    microRNAs play important regulatory role in all intrinsic cellular functions. Amongst lepidopteran insects, miRNAs from only Bombyx mori have been studied extensively with a little focus on Spodoptera sp. In the present study, we identified a total of 226 miRNAs from Spodoptera frugiperda cell line Sf21. Of the total, 116 miRNAs were well conserved within other insects, like B. mori, Drosophila melanogaster and Tribolium castenum while the remaining 110 miRNAs were identified as novel based on comparative analysis with the insect miRNA data set. Landscape distribution analysis based on Sf21 genome assembly revealed clustering of few novel miRNAs. A total of 5 miRNA clusters were identified and the largest one encodes 5 miRNA genes. In addition, 12 miRNAs were validated using northern blot analysis and putative functional role assignment for 6 Sf miRNAs was investigated by examining their relative abundance at different developmental stages of Spodoptera litura and body parts of 6th instar larvae. Further, we identified a total of 809 potential target genes with GO terms for selected miRNAs, involved in different metabolic and signalling pathways of the insect. The newly identified miRNAs greatly enrich the repertoire of insect miRNAs and analysis of expression profiles reveal their involvement at various steps of biochemical pathways of the army worm.

  9. Crystal structure and functional characterization of SF216 from Shigella flexneri.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Ha-Neul; Seok, Seung-Hyeon; Lee, Yoo-Sup; Won, Hyung-Sik; Seo, Min-Duk

    2017-11-01

    Shigella flexneri is a Gram-negative anaerobic bacterium that causes highly infectious bacterial dysentery in humans. Here, we solved the crystal structure of SF216, a hypothetical protein from the S. flexneri 5a strain M90T, at 1.7 Å resolution. The crystal structure of SF216 represents a homotrimer stabilized by intersubunit interactions and ion-mediated electrostatic interactions. Each subunit consists of three β-strands and five α-helices with the β-β-β-α-α-α-α-α topology. Based on the structural information, we also demonstrate that SF216 shows weak ribonuclease activity by a fluorescence quenching assay. Furthermore, we identify potential druggable pockets (putative hot spots) on the surface of the SF216 structure by computational mapping. © 2017 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.

  10. Bromide as a tracer for studying water movement and nitrate displacement in soils: comparison with stable isotope tracers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Russow, R.; Knappe, S.

    1999-01-01

    Tracers are an ideal means of studying water movement and associated nitrate displacement. Often bromide is preferred as a tracer because it is considered a representative tracer for water and because, being a conservative tracer (i.e. not involved in chemical and biological soil processes), it can be used for studying anion transport in soils. Moreover, it is less expensive and easier to measure than the stable isotopes deuterium and 15 N. Its great advantage over radioactive tracers (e.g. tritium), which outweighs their extreme sensitivity and ease of measurement and which it has in common with stable isotopes, is that it does not require radiation protection measures. However, there are also constraints on the use of bromide as a tracer in soil/water/plant systems. Our own studies on different soils using D 2 O, bromide and [ 15 N]-nitrate in lysimeters suggest that the above assumptions on bromide tracers need not always be valid under conditions as they prevail in biologically active soils. As the present paper shows, these studies permit a good assessment of the possibilities and limits to these tracers [de

  11. Predictions of PuO2 and tracer compound release from ISV melts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cronenberg, A.W.; Callow, R.A.

    1992-04-01

    Two field tests were conducted at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) to assess in situ vitrification (ISV) suitability for long-term stabilization of buried radioactive waste. Both tests contained rare-earth oxide tracers (DY 2 O 3 , Yb 2 O 3 , and Tb 4 O 7 ) to simulate the presence of plutonium in the form of PuO 2 . In the first test, Intermediate Field Test (IFT)-l, approximately 4-% release of tracer material occurred during soil melting and associated off-gassing, while essentially nil release was observed for the second experiment (IFT-2) for which off-gassing was much reduced. This report presents an evaluation of the IFT test data in terms of governing release processes. Prediction of tracer release during ISV melting centered on an assessment of three potential transport mechanisms, (a) tracer diffusion through stagnant pool, (b) tracer transport by convective currents, and (c) tracer carry-off by escaping gas bubbles. Analysis indicates that tracer release by escaping gas is the dominant release mechanism, which is consistent with video records of gas bubble escape from the ISV melt surface. Quantitative mass transport predictions were also made for the IFT-I test conditions, indicating similarity between the 4-% release data and calculational results at viscosities of ∼ poise and tracer diffusivities of ∼10 -6 CM 2 /s. Since PuO 2 has similar chemical and transport (diffusivity) properties as the rare-earth tracers used in the rare earth tracers used in the IFT experiments, release of PuO 2 is predicted for similar off-gassing conditions. Reduced off-gassing during ISV would thus be expected to improve the overall retention of heavy-oxides within vitrified soil

  12. Measurement of open streams by using tracers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ramos, German F.; Tarquino, W.; Curcuy, H.; Orozco, C.

    1999-01-01

    This paper presents an intercomparison study to be carried out between flux measurements by using tracers and moulinet. This intercomparison is scheduled to be performed at the measurement station belonging to the National Service of Meteorology and Hydrology (SENAMHI). Two techniques of tracer dilution are outstanded: total evaluation with tracer punctual injection and punctual evaluation with tracer continuous injection. Total evaluation with tracer punctual injection has been used since this technique is considered to be more suitable for hydrology purposes

  13. Japanese Scholarship on the Sino-Japanese War, 2007–2012

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Duan Ruicong

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available This article examines in detail the last five years of Japanese scholarship related to the Sino-Japanese War, highlighting its principle trends and achievements. Due to the broad range and large quantity of scholarship on the subject, Duan Ruicong focuses foremost on the 2007–2012 period, although by necessity this article also touches on pre-2007 scholarship. Additionally, this overview will primarily introduce Japanese-language, single-authored and co-authored books (monographs, collections of papers, and other single-issue publications; only when necessary will it refer to pertinent journal articles.

  14. Study on the Introduction of High-Quality Educational Resources for Sino-Foreign Cooperative Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jinhui, Lin

    2016-01-01

    In Sino-foreign cooperative education, high-quality introduced educational resources must benefit the growth and development of students, facilitate the school's capacity building and the improvement of overall educational standards, and promote national socioeconomic development. It is necessary to establish and perfect the various working…

  15. The DAPP-SF as a screener for personality disorder in a forensic setting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spaans, Marleen; Rinne, Thomas; de Beurs, Edwin; Spinhoven, Philip

    2015-01-01

    Studies on the Dimensional Assessment of Personality Pathology-Short Form (DAPP-SF) have shown its ability to identify treatment-seeking patients with personality disorders. This study focuses on its screening potential for personality disorder in 89 criminal suspects (77 men, 12 women; M age = 37.0 years) undergoing residential pretrial psychological assessments in a high-security setting. It was expected that Structured Interview for DSM-IV Personality (SIDP-IV) criteria met for personality disorder(s) would be associated with higher DAPP-SF scores. A floor effect was found in DAPP-SF scores: The forensic population reported less personality pathology than the general population. Only moderate associations between DAPP-SF and SIDP-IV outcome were found. Receiver operating characteristic analysis showed that some DAPP-SF subscales did not exceed chance level in their ability to screen for personality disorders. It is concluded that the DAPP-SF has limited usefulness as a screener for personality disorders in a forensic pretrial setting. Alternative forensic screening instruments are presented.

  16. Shake-up transitions in S 2p, S 2s and F 1s photoionization of the SF6 molecule

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Decleva, P; Fronzoni, G; Kivimaeki, A; Alvarez Ruiz, J; Svensson, S

    2009-01-01

    Shake-up transitions occurring upon core photoionization in the SF 6 molecule have been studied experimentally and theoretically. The S 2p, S 2s and F 1s shake-up satellite photoelectron spectra were measured using Al Ka radiation at 1487 eV photon energy. They have been interpreted with the aid of ab initio configuration interaction calculations in the sudden-limit approximation. For the S 2p spectrum, conjugate shake-up transitions were also calculated. Clear evidence of conjugate processes is observed in the S 2p shake-up spectrum measured at 230 eV photon energy. The experimental and theoretical S 2p and S 2s shake-up spectra show very similar structures mainly due to orbital relaxation involving S 3s and 3p participation. For the calculation of the F 1s shake-up spectrum, the symmetry lowering of the molecule in the final states was considered, resulting in a good agreement with the experiment.

  17. Tracer attenuation in groundwater

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cvetkovic, Vladimir

    2011-12-01

    The self-purifying capacity of aquifers strongly depends on the attenuation of waterborne contaminants, i.e., irreversible loss of contaminant mass on a given scale as a result of coupled transport and transformation processes. A general formulation of tracer attenuation in groundwater is presented. Basic sensitivities of attenuation to macrodispersion and retention are illustrated for a few typical retention mechanisms. Tracer recovery is suggested as an experimental proxy for attenuation. Unique experimental data of tracer recovery in crystalline rock compare favorably with the theoretical model that is based on diffusion-controlled retention. Non-Fickian hydrodynamic transport has potentially a large impact on field-scale attenuation of dissolved contaminants.

  18. Conflict vs Co-evolution: The Future of Sino-American Relations

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-04-18

    to sustain industrialization.26 Today, estimates of 200 million migrant urban workers hold rural hukous, keeping families separated and limiting...politics, philosophy, human rights and other issues, economic interdependence will in the near term dissuade the possibility of any of those factors...modern history of humiliation that when a country loses sovereignty, its people lose dignity and status.6 The non-interference principle has

  19. Prenatal nicotinic exposure suppresses fetal adrenal steroidogenesis via steroidogenic factor 1 (SF-1) deacetylation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yan, You-e [Department of Pharmacology, Basic Medical School of Wuhan University, Wuhan (China); Liu, Lian [Department of Pharmacology, Basic Medical School of Wuhan University, Wuhan (China); Department of Pharmacology, Medical School of Yangtze University, Jingzhou 434000 (China); Wang, Jian-fei; Liu, Fang; Li, Xiao-hai; Qin, Hai-quan [Department of Pharmacology, Basic Medical School of Wuhan University, Wuhan (China); Wang, Hui, E-mail: wanghui19@whu.edu.cn [Department of Pharmacology, Basic Medical School of Wuhan University, Wuhan (China); Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, Wuhan 430071 (China)

    2014-06-15

    This study aimed to investigate the suppressive effect of nicotine on fetal adrenal steroidogenesis and to explore the potential role of epigenetic modification of steroidogenic factor-1 (SF-1) transcriptional activity in this process. Nicotine was intragastrically administered to pregnant rats and NCI-H295A cells were treated with nicotine or trichostatin A (TSA). The pathomorphology of fetal adrenals, steroid hormone levels, the expression of SF-1 and its target genes, and histone deacetylase (HDAC) mRNA were analyzed. Histone modification and DNA methylation of the SF-1 promoter region were assessed using chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and bisulfite sequencing PCR. The interaction between SF1 and its target genes was observed. Prenatal nicotinic exposure decreased fetal body weight, increased the IUGR rate and caused detrimental changes in fetal adrenal. In addition, the levels of corticosterone, the expression of SF-1 and its target genes were decreased while HDAC2 expression was enhanced. Nicotine treatment decreased histone H3K9 and H3K14 acetylation levels while there was no effect on the methylation frequency on the SF-1 promoter region. Furthermore, in nicotine-treated NCI-H295A cells, lower levels of steroidogenic synthesis, lower expression of SF-1 and its target genes were observed while the expression of HDACs was enhanced. The interaction between SF1 and StAR decreased with nicotine treatment. Nicotine treatment decreased histone H3K9 and H3K14 acetylation levels, and addition of TSA reversed the inhibition of nicotine-mediated SF-1 and its partial target genes. Thus, nicotine-mediated reduction of SF-1 expression resulted in an inhibitory effect on the expression of its target genes and steroid production via histone deacetylation. - Highlights: • Prenatal nicotine-exposed suppresses fetal adrenal steroidogenesis. • Nicotine-supressed fetal adrenal steroidogenesis is related to SF-1 deacetylation. • Prenatal nicotinic exposure decreased

  20. Prenatal nicotinic exposure suppresses fetal adrenal steroidogenesis via steroidogenic factor 1 (SF-1) deacetylation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yan, You-e; Liu, Lian; Wang, Jian-fei; Liu, Fang; Li, Xiao-hai; Qin, Hai-quan; Wang, Hui

    2014-01-01

    This study aimed to investigate the suppressive effect of nicotine on fetal adrenal steroidogenesis and to explore the potential role of epigenetic modification of steroidogenic factor-1 (SF-1) transcriptional activity in this process. Nicotine was intragastrically administered to pregnant rats and NCI-H295A cells were treated with nicotine or trichostatin A (TSA). The pathomorphology of fetal adrenals, steroid hormone levels, the expression of SF-1 and its target genes, and histone deacetylase (HDAC) mRNA were analyzed. Histone modification and DNA methylation of the SF-1 promoter region were assessed using chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and bisulfite sequencing PCR. The interaction between SF1 and its target genes was observed. Prenatal nicotinic exposure decreased fetal body weight, increased the IUGR rate and caused detrimental changes in fetal adrenal. In addition, the levels of corticosterone, the expression of SF-1 and its target genes were decreased while HDAC2 expression was enhanced. Nicotine treatment decreased histone H3K9 and H3K14 acetylation levels while there was no effect on the methylation frequency on the SF-1 promoter region. Furthermore, in nicotine-treated NCI-H295A cells, lower levels of steroidogenic synthesis, lower expression of SF-1 and its target genes were observed while the expression of HDACs was enhanced. The interaction between SF1 and StAR decreased with nicotine treatment. Nicotine treatment decreased histone H3K9 and H3K14 acetylation levels, and addition of TSA reversed the inhibition of nicotine-mediated SF-1 and its partial target genes. Thus, nicotine-mediated reduction of SF-1 expression resulted in an inhibitory effect on the expression of its target genes and steroid production via histone deacetylation. - Highlights: • Prenatal nicotine-exposed suppresses fetal adrenal steroidogenesis. • Nicotine-supressed fetal adrenal steroidogenesis is related to SF-1 deacetylation. • Prenatal nicotinic exposure decreased

  1. Coefficients of tracer transfer through membranes. Pt. 7

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dorabialska, A; Hawlicka, E; Plonka, A [Politechnika Lodzka (Poland)

    1974-01-01

    The doubled value of the tracer transfer coefficient in the self-diffusion process is equal to the sum of tracer transfer coefficients in the diffusion and interfusion processes. The fundamental phenomenological relation can be deduced for the coefficients of tracer transfer between two phases of electrolyte solutions spearated by a virtual boundary. Indeed, the doubled value of the tracer mobility in the self-diffusion experiment (no concentration gradient of the traced substance) is equal to the sum of the tracer mobilities in the diffusion (tracer movement along with the concentration gradient of the traced substance) and interfusion experiments (tracer movement against the concentration gradient of the traced substance). Thus the doubled value of the tracer transfer coefficient in the self-diffusion process should be equal to the sum of tracer transfer coefficients in the diffusion and interfusion processes. The experimental verification of that fundamental relation is presented.

  2. Use of a variable tracer infusion method to determine glucose turnover in humans

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Molina, J.M.; Baron, A.D.; Edelman, S.V.; Brechtel, G.; Wallace, P.; Olefsky, J.M.

    1990-01-01

    The single-compartment pool fraction model, when used with the hyperinsulinemic glucose clamp technique to measure rates of glucose turnover, sometimes underestimates true rates of glucose appearance (Ra) resulting in negative values for hepatic glucose output (HGO). We focused our attention on isotope discrimination and model error as possible explanations for this underestimation. We found no difference in [3-3H] glucose specific activity in samples obtained simultaneously from the femoral artery and vein (2,400 +/- 455 vs. 2,454 +/- 522 dpm/mg) in 6 men during a hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp study where insulin was infused at 40 mU.m-2.min-1 for 3 h; therefore, isotope discrimination did not occur. We compared the ability of a constant (0.6 microCi/min) vs. variable tracer infusion method (tracer added to the glucose infusate) to measure non-steady-state Ra during hyperinsulinemic clamp studies. Plasma specific activity fell during the constant tracer infusion studies but did not change from base line during the variable tracer infusion studies. By maintaining a constant plasma specific activity the variable tracer infusion method eliminates uncertainty about changes in glucose pool size. This overcame modeling error and more accurately measures non-steady-state Ra (P less than 0.001 by analysis of variance vs. constant infusion method). In conclusion, underestimation of Ra determined isotopically during hyperinsulinemic clamp studies is largely due to modeling error that can be overcome by use of the variable tracer infusion method. This method allows more accurate determination of Ra and HGO under non-steady-state conditions

  3. Natural tracer profiles across argillaceous formations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mazurek, Martin; Alt-Epping, Peter; Bath, Adrian; Gimmi, Thomas; Niklaus Waber, H.; Buschaert, Stephane; Canniere, Pierre De; Craen, Mieke De; Gautschi, Andreas; Savoye, Sebastien; Vinsot, Agnes; Wemaere, Isabelle; Wouters, Laurent

    2011-01-01

    Highlights: → Solute transport processes in clay and shale formations at nine sites are examined. → Conservative pore-water tracers (e.g. Cl - , δ 18 O, δ 2 H, He) show regular profiles. → These indicate the dominance of diffusive transport over times of 10 5 -10 6 years. → The contribution of vertical advection to transport is limited or negligible. → Modelled evolution times are in line with independent palaeo-hydrogeological data. - Abstract: Argillaceous formations generally act as aquitards because of their low hydraulic conductivities. This property, together with the large retention capacity of clays for cationic contaminants, has brought argillaceous formations into focus as potential host rocks for the geological disposal of radioactive and other waste. In several countries, programmes are under way to characterise the detailed transport properties of such formations at depth. In this context, the interpretation of profiles of natural tracers in pore waters across the formations can give valuable information about the large-scale and long-term transport behaviour of these formations. Here, tracer-profile data, obtained by various methods of pore-water extraction for nine sites in central Europe, are compiled. Data at each site comprise some or all of the conservative tracers: anions (Cl - , Br - ), water isotopes (δ 18 O, δ 2 H) and noble gases (mainly He). Based on a careful evaluation of the palaeo-hydrogeological evolution at each site, model scenarios are derived for initial and boundary pore-water compositions and an attempt is made to numerically reproduce the observed tracer distributions in a consistent way for all tracers and sites, using transport parameters derived from laboratory or in situ tests. The comprehensive results from this project have been reported in . Here the results for three sites are presented in detail, but the conclusions are based on model interpretations of the entire data set. In essentially all cases, the

  4. Key aspects of stratospheric tracer modeling using assimilated winds

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    B. Bregman

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available This study describes key aspects of global chemistry-transport models and their impact on stratospheric tracer transport. We concentrate on global models that use assimilated winds from numerical weather predictions, but the results also apply to tracer transport in general circulation models. We examined grid resolution, numerical diffusion, air parcel dispersion, the wind or mass flux update frequency, and time interpolation. The evaluation is performed with assimilated meteorology from the "operational analyses or operational data" (OD from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF. We also show the effect of the mass flux update frequency using the ECMWF 40-year re-analyses (ERA40. We applied the three-dimensional chemistry-transport Tracer Model version 5 (TM5 and a trajectory model and performed several diagnoses focusing on different transport regimes. Covering different time and spatial scales, we examined (1 polar vortex dynamics during the Arctic winter, (2 the large-scale stratospheric meridional circulation, and (3 air parcel dispersion in the tropical lower stratosphere. Tracer distributions inside the Arctic polar vortex show considerably worse agreement with observations when the model grid resolution in the polar region is reduced to avoid numerical instability. The results are sensitive to the diffusivity of the advection. Nevertheless, the use of a computational cheaper but diffusive advection scheme is feasible for tracer transport when the horizontal grid resolution is equal or smaller than 1 degree. The use of time interpolated winds improves the tracer distributions, particularly in the middle and upper stratosphere. Considerable improvement is found both in the large-scale tracer distribution and in the polar regions when the update frequency of the assimilated winds is increased from 6 to 3 h. It considerably reduces the vertical dispersion of air parcels in the tropical lower stratosphere. Strong

  5. Long residence times - bad tracer tests?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghergut, Julia; Behrens, Horst; Sauter, Martin

    2015-04-01

    Tracer tests conducted at geothermal well doublets or triplets in the Upper Rhine Rift Valley [1] all face, with very few exceptions so far, one common issue: lack of conclusive tracer test results, or tracer signals still undetectable for longer than one or two years after tracer injection. While the reasons for this surely differ from site to site (Riehen, Landau, Insheim, Bruchsal, ...), its effects on how the usefulness of tracer tests is perceived by the non-tracer community are pretty much the same. The 'poor-signal' frustration keeps nourishing two major 'alternative' endeavours : (I) design and execute tracer tests in single-well injection-withdrawal (push-pull), 'instead of' inter-well flow-path tracing configurations; (II) use 'novel' tracer substances instead of the 'old' ones which have 'obviously failed'. Frustration experienced with most inter-well tracer tests in the Upper Rhine Rift Valley has also made them be regarded as 'maybe useful for EGS' ('enhanced', or 'engineered' geothermal systems, whose fluid RTD typically include a major share of values below one year), but 'no longer worthwhile a follow-up sampling' in natural, large-scale hydrothermal reservoirs. We illustrate some of these arguments with the ongoing Bruchsal case [2]. The inter-well tracer test conducted at Bruchsal was (and still is!) aimed at assessing inter-well connectivity, fluid residence times, and characterizing the reservoir structure [3]. Fluid samples taken at the geothermal production well after reaching a fluid turnover of about 700,000 m3 showed tracer concentrations in the range of 10-8 Minj per m3, in the liquid phase of each sample (Minj being the total quantity of tracer injected as a short pulse at the geothermal re-injection well). Tracer signals might actually be higher, owing to tracer amounts co-precipitated and/or adsorbed onto the solid phase whose accumulation in the samples was unavoidable (due to pressure relief and degassing during the very sampling

  6. Fluorescence guided surgery and tracer-dose, fact or fiction?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    KleinJan, Gijs H.; Olmos, Renato A.V.; Bunschoten, Anton; Berg, Nynke S. van den; Klop, W.M.C.; Horenblas, Simon; Poel, Henk G. van der; Wester, Hans-Juergen; Leeuwen, Fijs W.B. van

    2016-01-01

    Fluorescence guidance is an upcoming methodology to improve surgical accuracy. Challenging herein is the identification of the minimum dose at which the tracer can be detected with a clinical-grade fluorescence camera. Using a hybrid tracer such as indocyanine green (ICG)- 99m Tc-nanocolloid, it has become possible to determine the accumulation of tracer and correlate this to intraoperative fluorescence-based identification rates. In the current study, we determined the lower detection limit of tracer at which intraoperative fluorescence guidance was still feasible. Size exclusion chromatography (SEC) provided a laboratory set-up to analyze the chemical content and to simulate the migratory behavior of ICG-nanocolloid in tissue. Tracer accumulation and intraoperative fluorescence detection findings were derived from a retrospective analysis of 20 head-and-neck melanoma patients, 40 penile and 20 prostate cancer patients scheduled for sentinel node (SN) biopsy using ICG- 99m Tc-nanocolloid. In these patients, following tracer injection, single photon emission computed tomography fused with computed tomography (SPECT/CT) was used to identify the SN(s). The percentage injected dose (% ID), the amount of ICG (in nmol), and the concentration of ICG in the SNs (in μM) was assessed for SNs detected on SPECT/CT and correlated with the intraoperative fluorescence imaging findings. SEC determined that in the hybrid tracer formulation, 41 % (standard deviation: 12 %) of ICG was present in nanocolloid-bound form. In the SNs detected using fluorescence guidance a median of 0.88 % ID was present, compared to a median of 0.25 % ID in the non-fluorescent SNs (p-value < 0.001). The % ID values could be correlated to the amount ICG in a SN (range: 0.003-10.8 nmol) and the concentration of ICG in a SN (range: 0.006-64.6 μM). The ability to provide intraoperative fluorescence guidance is dependent on the amount and concentration of the fluorescent dye accumulated in the lesion(s) of

  7. Positron emission tomography with additional γ-ray detectors for multiple-tracer imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fukuchi, Tomonori; Okauchi, Takashi; Shigeta, Mika; Yamamoto, Seiichi; Watanabe, Yasuyoshi; Enomoto, Shuichi

    2017-06-01

    the field of view. Dual-radionuclide imaging of the point sources and rod phantom revealed that our system maintained PET's intrinsic spatial resolution and quantitative nature for the second tracer. We also successfully acquired simultaneous double- and triple-coincidence events from a mouse containing 18 F-fluoro-deoxyglucose and 22 Na dissolved in water. The dual-tracer distributions in the mouse obtained by our MI-PET were reasonable from the viewpoints of physiology and pharmacokinetics. This study demonstrates the feasibility of multiple-tracer imaging using PET with additional γ-ray detectors. This method holds promise for enabling the reconstruction of quantitative multiple-tracer images and could be very useful for analyzing multiple-molecular dynamics. © 2017 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

  8. Wairakei tracer tests 1983

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McCabe, W.J.; Barry, B.J.

    1984-05-01

    Tracer tests, with and without, hot water reinjection into WK213 showed returns of tracer iodine-131; in wells in both the Waiora Valley and the eastern end of the field. The effect of reinjection at a rate of 200 cu. m/h was to reduce the arrived time from 15 to 7 days. Increasing the rate of reinjection into WK62 from 30 cu. m/h to 200 cu. m/h seemed to increase the initial velocity of the tracer wave and the distance it moved. However, returns were recorded only in the adjacent wells WK61 and WK63 with a very small, and three days delayed, response in WK43

  9. Typing of Panton-Valentine Leukocidin-Encoding Phages and lukSF-PV Gene Sequence Variation in Staphylococcus aureus from China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Huanqiang; Hu, Fupin; Jin, Shu; Xu, Xiaogang; Zou, Yuhan; Ding, Baixing; He, Chunyan; Gong, Fang; Liu, Qingzhong

    2016-01-01

    Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL, encoded by lukSF-PV genes), a bi-component and pore-forming toxin, is carried by different staphylococcal bacteriophages. The prevalence of PVL in Staphylococcus aureus has been reported around the globe. However, the data on PVL-encoding phage types, lukSF-PV gene variation and chromosomal phage insertion sites for PVL-positive S. aureus are limited, especially in China. In order to obtain a more complete understanding of the molecular epidemiology of PVL-positive S. aureus, an integrated and modified PCR-based scheme was applied to detect the PVL-encoding phage types. Phage insertion locus and the lukSF-PV variant were determined by PCR and sequencing. Meanwhile, the genetic background was characterized by staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) typing, staphylococcal protein A (spa) gene polymorphisms typing, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) typing, accessory gene regulator (agr) locus typing and multilocus sequence typing (MLST). Seventy eight (78/1175, 6.6%) isolates possessed the lukSF-PV genes and 59.0% (46/78) of PVL-positive strains belonged to CC59 lineage. Eight known different PVL-encoding phage types were detected, and Φ7247PVL/ΦST5967PVL (n = 13) and ΦPVL (n = 12) were the most prevalent among them. While 25 (25/78, 32.1%) isolates, belonging to ST30, and ST59 clones, were unable to be typed by the modified PCR-based scheme. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified at five locations in the lukSF-PV genes, two of which were non-synonymous. Maximum-likelihood tree analysis of attachment sites sequences detected six SNP profiles for attR and eight for attL, respectively. In conclusion, the PVL-positive S. aureus mainly harbored Φ7247PVL/ΦST5967PVL and ΦPVL in the regions studied. lukSF-PV gene sequences, PVL-encoding phages, and phage insertion locus generally varied with lineages. Moreover, PVL-positive clones that have emerged worldwide likely carry distinct phages.

  10. Typing of Panton-Valentine Leukocidin-encoding Phages and lukSF-PV Gene Sequence Variation in Staphylococcus aureus from China

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Huanqiang Zhao

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Panton-Valentine leucocidin (PVL, encoded by lukSF-PV genes, a bi-component and pore-forming toxin, is carried by different staphylococcal bacteriophages. The prevalence of PVL in Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus have been reported around the globe. However, the data on PVL-encoding phage types, lukSF-PV gene variation and chromosomal phage insertion sites for PVL-positive S. aureus are limited, especially in China. In order to obtain a more complete understanding of the molecular epidemiology of PVL-positive S. aureus, an integrated and modified PCR-based scheme was applied to detect the PVL-encoding phage types. Phage insertion locus and the lukSF-PV variant were determined by PCR and sequencing. Meanwhile, the genetic background was characterized by staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec typing, staphylococcal protein A (spa gene polymorphisms typing, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE typing, accessory gene regulator (agr locus typing and multilocus sequence typing (MLST. Seventy eight (78/1175, 6.6% isolates possessed the lukSF-PV genes and 59.0% (46/78 of PVL-positive strains belonged to CC59 lineage. Eight known different PVL-encoding phage types were detected, and Φ7247PVL/ΦST5967PVL (n=13 and ΦPVL (n=12 were the most prevalent among them. While 25 (25/78, 32.1% isolates, belonging to ST30 and ST59 clones, were unable to be typed by the modified PCR-based scheme. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs were identified at five locations in the lukSF-PV genes, two of which were non-synonymous. Maximum-likelihood tree analysis of attachment sites sequences detected six SNP profiles for attR and eight for attL, respectively. In conclusion, the PVL-positive S. aureus mainly harbored Φ7247PVL/ΦST5967PVL and ΦPVL in the regions studied. lukSF-PV gene sequences, PVL-encoding phages and phage insertion locus generally varied with lineages. Moreover, PVL-positive clones that have emerged worldwide likely carry distinct phages.

  11. Greenhouse gases regional fluxes estimated from atmospheric measurements; Estimation des flux de gaz a effet de serre a l'echelle regionale a partir de mesures atmospheriques

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Messager, C

    2007-07-15

    build up a new system to measure continuously CO{sub 2} (or CO), CH{sub 4}, N{sub 2}O and SF{sub 6} mixing ratios. It is based on a commercial gas chromatograph (Agilent 6890N) which have been modified to reach better precision. Reproducibility computed with a target gas on a 24 hours time step gives: 0.06 ppm for CO{sub 2}, 1.4 ppb for CO, 0.7 ppb for CH{sub 4}, 0.2 ppb for N{sub 2}O and 0.05 ppt for SF{sub 6}. The instrument's run is fully automated, an air sample analysis takes about 5 minutes. In July 2006, I install instrumentation on a telecommunication tall tower (200 m) situated near Orleans forest in Trainou, to monitor continuously greenhouse gases (CO{sub 2}, CH{sub 4}, N{sub 2}O, SF{sub 6}), atmospheric tracers (CO, Radon-222) and meteorological parameters. Intake lines were installed at 3 levels (50, 100 and 180 m) and allow us to sample air masses along the vertical. Continuous measurement started in January 2007. I used Mace Head (Ireland) and Gif-sur-Yvette continuous measurements to estimate major greenhouse gases emission fluxes at regional scale. To make the link between atmospheric measurements and surface fluxes, we need to quantify dilution due to atmospheric transport. I used Radon-222 as tracer (radon tracer method) and planetary boundary layer heights estimates from ECMWF model (boundary layer budget method) to parameterize atmospheric transport. In both cases I compared results to available emission inventories. (author)

  12. Greenhouse gases regional fluxes estimated from atmospheric measurements; Estimation des flux de gaz a effet de serre a l'echelle regionale a partir de mesures atmospheriques

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Messager, C

    2007-07-15

    build up a new system to measure continuously CO{sub 2} (or CO), CH{sub 4}, N{sub 2}O and SF{sub 6} mixing ratios. It is based on a commercial gas chromatograph (Agilent 6890N) which have been modified to reach better precision. Reproducibility computed with a target gas on a 24 hours time step gives: 0.06 ppm for CO{sub 2}, 1.4 ppb for CO, 0.7 ppb for CH{sub 4}, 0.2 ppb for N{sub 2}O and 0.05 ppt for SF{sub 6}. The instrument's run is fully automated, an air sample analysis takes about 5 minutes. In July 2006, I install instrumentation on a telecommunication tall tower (200 m) situated near Orleans forest in Trainou, to monitor continuously greenhouse gases (CO{sub 2}, CH{sub 4}, N{sub 2}O, SF{sub 6}), atmospheric tracers (CO, Radon-222) and meteorological parameters. Intake lines were installed at 3 levels (50, 100 and 180 m) and allow us to sample air masses along the vertical. Continuous measurement started in January 2007. I used Mace Head (Ireland) and Gif-sur-Yvette continuous measurements to estimate major greenhouse gases emission fluxes at regional scale. To make the link between atmospheric measurements and surface fluxes, we need to quantify dilution due to atmospheric transport. I used Radon-222 as tracer (radon tracer method) and planetary boundary layer heights estimates from ECMWF model (boundary layer budget method) to parameterize atmospheric transport. In both cases I compared results to available emission inventories. (author)

  13. Sci-Fri AM: Imaging - 09: Serial estimation of cross-talk for correction in dual-isotope imaging with dynamic tracers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wells, R G; Lockwood, J; Wei, L; Duan, D; Fernando, P; Bensimon, C; Ruddy, T D

    2012-07-01

    The recent radioisotope shortage has led to interest in non-Tc99m-based tracers. We have developed a novel I-123-labelled myocardial perfusion imaging tracer. We compare the I123-tracer to the clinical standard of Tc99m tetrofosmin in vivo in a rat model using a small-animal SPECT/CT camera. SPECT distinguishes different isotopes based on the different energies of the emitted gamma rays and thus allows simultaneous comparison of two tracer distributions in the same animal. Dual-isotope imaging is complicated by cross-talk between the energy windows of the isotopes. Standard energy-window-based correction methods are difficult to employ because of the proximity in energy of Tc99m (140keV) and I123 (159keV). Imaging the second tracer's energy window prior to its injection provides an estimate of the cross-talk. However, this estimate is only accurate if the tracer distribution is static. We use serial imaging prior to the introduction of the second tracer to estimate the dynamics of the first tracer and interpolate the cross-talk images to provide a more accurate correction. We used rat models of myocardial disease (n=3). I123 tracer was injected and imaged for one hour at 20min intervals. The Tc99m tetrofosmin was then injected and 30min later, a dual-isotope image was obtained. The impact of this approach is assessed by comparing the differences in the Tc99m-tetrofosmin image using this method with correction by simple correction for physical decay. The interpolative approach improves the accuracy of the correction by 2%-5% and thereby enhances the comparison of the two tracers. © 2012 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

  14. Statistically Based Morphodynamic Modeling of Tracer Slowdown

    Science.gov (United States)

    Borhani, S.; Ghasemi, A.; Hill, K. M.; Viparelli, E.

    2017-12-01

    Tracer particles are used to study bedload transport in gravel-bed rivers. One of the advantages associated with using of tracer particles is that they allow for direct measures of the entrainment rates and their size distributions. The main issue in large scale studies with tracer particles is the difference between tracer stone short term and long term behavior. This difference is due to the fact that particles undergo vertical mixing or move to less active locations such as bars or even floodplains. For these reasons the average virtual velocity of tracer particle decreases in time, i.e. the tracer slowdown. In summary, tracer slowdown can have a significant impact on the estimation of bedload transport rate or long term dispersal of contaminated sediment. The vast majority of the morphodynamic models that account for the non-uniformity of the bed material (tracer and not tracer, in this case) are based on a discrete description of the alluvial deposit. The deposit is divided in two different regions; the active layer and the substrate. The active layer is a thin layer in the topmost part of the deposit whose particles can interact with the bed material transport. The substrate is the part of the deposit below the active layer. Due to the discrete representation of the alluvial deposit, active layer models are not able to reproduce tracer slowdown. In this study we try to model the slowdown of tracer particles with the continuous Parker-Paola-Leclair morphodynamic framework. This continuous, i.e. not layer-based, framework is based on a stochastic description of the temporal variation of bed surface elevation, and of the elevation specific particle entrainment and deposition. Particle entrainment rates are computed as a function of the flow and sediment characteristics, while particle deposition is estimated with a step length formulation. Here we present one of the first implementation of the continuum framework at laboratory scale, its validation against

  15. Asian Tracer Experiment and Atmospheric Modeling (TEAM) Project: Draft Field Work Plan for the Asian Long-Range Tracer Experiment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Allwine, K Jerry; Flaherty, Julia E.

    2007-08-01

    This report provides an experimental plan for a proposed Asian long-range tracer study as part of the international Tracer Experiment and Atmospheric Modeling (TEAM) Project. The TEAM partners are China, Japan, South Korea and the United States. Optimal times of year to conduct the study, meteorological measurements needed, proposed tracer release locations, proposed tracer sampling locations and the proposed durations of tracer releases and subsequent sampling are given. Also given are the activities necessary to prepare for the study and the schedule for completing the preparation activities leading to conducting the actual field operations. This report is intended to provide the TEAM members with the information necessary for planning and conducting the Asian long-range tracer study. The experimental plan is proposed, at this time, to describe the efforts necessary to conduct the Asian long-range tracer study, and the plan will undoubtedly be revised and refined as the planning goes forward over the next year.

  16. Recharge processes and vertical transfer investigated through long-term monitoring of dissolved gases in shallow groundwater

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Montety, V.; Aquilina, L.; Labasque, T.; Chatton, E.; Fovet, O.; Ruiz, L.; Fourré, E.; de Dreuzy, J. R.

    2018-05-01

    We investigated temporal variations and vertical evolution of dissolved gaseous tracers (CFC-11, CFC-12, SF6, and noble gases), as well as 3H/3He ratio to determine groundwater recharge processes of a shallow unconfined, hard-rock aquifer in an agricultural catchment. We sampled dissolved gas concentration at 4 locations along the hillslope of a small experimental watershed, over 6 hydrological years, between 2 and 6 times per years, for a total of 20 field campaigns. We collected groundwater samples in the fluctuation zone and the permanently saturated zone using piezometers from 5 to 20 m deep. The purpose of this work is i) to assess the benefits of using gaseous tracers like CFCs and SF6 to study very young groundwater with flows suspected to be heterogeneous and variable in time, ii) to characterize the processes that control dissolved gas concentrations in groundwater during the recharge of the aquifer, and iii) to understand the evolution of recharge flow processes by repeated measurement campaigns, taking advantage of a long monitoring in a site devoted to recharge processes investigation. Gas tracer profiles are compared at different location of the catchment and for different hydrologic conditions. In addition, we compare results from CFCs and 3H/3He analysis to define the flow model that best explains tracer concentrations. Then we discuss the influence of recharge events on tracer concentrations and residence time and propose a temporal evolution of residence times for the unsaturated zone and the permanently saturated zone. These results are used to gain a better understanding of the conceptual model of the catchment and flow processes especially during recharge events.

  17. Meteorological tracers in regional planning

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mueller, K.H.

    1974-11-01

    Atmospheric tracers can be used as indicators to study both the ventilation of an urban region and its dispersion meteorology for air pollutants. A correlation analysis applied to the space-time dependent tracer concentrations is able to give transfer functions, the structure and characteristic parameters of which describe the meteorological and topographical situation of the urban region and its surroundings in an integral manner. To reduce the number of persons usually involved in a tracer experiment an automatic air sampling system had to be developed

  18. New SPECT tracers: Example of tracers of proteoglycans and melanin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cachin, F.; Mestas, D.; Kelly, A.; Merlin, C.; Veyre, A.; Maublant, J.; Cachin, F.; Chezal, J.M.; Miot-Noirault, E.; Moins, N.; Auzeloux, P.; Vidal, A.; Bonnet-Duquennoy, M.; Boisgard, S.; D'Incan, M.; Madelmont, J.C.; Maublant, J.; Boisgard, S.; D'Incan, M.; Redini, F.; Filaire, M.

    2009-01-01

    The majority of research program on new radiopharmaceuticals turn to tracers used for positron emission tomography (PET). Only a few teams work on new non fluorine labeled tracers. However, the coming of SPECT/CT gamma cameras, the arrival of semi-conductors gamma cameras should boost the development of non-PET tracers. We exhibit in this article the experience acquired by our laboratory in the conception and design of two new non fluorine labelled compounds. The 99m Tc-N.T.P. 15-5 (N.T.P. 15-5 for N-[tri-ethyl-ammonium]-3-propyl-[15]ane-N5) which binds to proteoglycans could be used for the diagnosis and staging of osteoarthritis and chondrosarcoma. The iodo benzamides, specific to the melanin, are nowadays compared to 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose in a phase III clinical trial for the diagnosis and detection of melanoma metastasis. Our last development focus on N-[2-(diethyl-amino)ethyl]-4 and 2-iodo benzamides respectively B.Z.A. and B.Z.A.2 hetero-aromatic analogues usable for melanoma treatment. (authors)

  19. Marijuana Craving Questionnaire (MCQ-SF/Versão Brasil: validação semântica Marijuana Craving Questionnaire (MCQ-SF/Brazil Version: semantic validation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rosemeri Siqueira Pedroso

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available OBJETIVO: O objetivo deste estudo foi realizar tradução e adaptação transcultural do Marijuana Craving Questionnaire (MCQ-SF10, que avalia o craving por maconha em uma amostra brasileira. MÉTODO: O MCQ-SF foi traduzido do inglês para o português, aplicado em 10 sujeitos, submetido ao brainstorming num grupo de três indivíduos para reprodução individual e verbal, item a item. Realizou-se o back-translation, uma versão para o idioma de origem, a partir da primeira tradução e do brainstorming. Logo após, traduziu-se novamente para o português. Um comitê de juízes especialistas analisou todas as traduções. RESULTADOS: Após as considerações do comitê e um estudo-piloto com 30 sujeitos, a versão final do MCQ-SF/Versão Brasil foi construída. CONCLUSÃO: Os resultados demonstraram uma equivalência semântica satisfatória entre as versões. O MCQ-SF/Versão Brasil pode ser útil para avaliar o craving pela maconha nos dependentes dessa substância.OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to translate and adapt culturally the Marijuana Craving Questionnaire (MCQ-SF10 which evaluates the craving for marijuana in a Brazilian sample. METHOD: The Marijuana Craving Questionnaire (MCQ-SF was translated from English to Portuguese, administered to 10 subjects, submitted to a brainstorming in a group of three people for individual and verbal reproduction, item by item. Back-translation was executed, a translation for the original language, based on first translation and from brainstorming. Soon after, it was translated again into Portuguese. A committee of specialists analyzed all translations. RESULTS: After the committee considerations and a pilot study with 30 subjects, the final version of MCQ-SF/Versão Brasil was built. CONCLUSION: The results showed a satisfactory semantic equivalence between versions. The MCQ/Versão Brasil can be useful to evaluate the craving for marijuana on the dependents of this substance.

  20. Complex functionality with minimal computation: Promise and pitfalls of reduced-tracer ocean biogeochemistry models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Galbraith, Eric D.; Dunne, John P.; Gnanadesikan, Anand; Slater, Richard D.; Sarmiento, Jorge L.; Dufour, Carolina O.; de Souza, Gregory F.; Bianchi, Daniele; Claret, Mariona; Rodgers, Keith B.; Marvasti, Seyedehsafoura Sedigh

    2015-12-01

    Earth System Models increasingly include ocean biogeochemistry models in order to predict changes in ocean carbon storage, hypoxia, and biological productivity under climate change. However, state-of-the-art ocean biogeochemical models include many advected tracers, that significantly increase the computational resources required, forcing a trade-off with spatial resolution. Here, we compare a state-of-the art model with 30 prognostic tracers (TOPAZ) with two reduced-tracer models, one with 6 tracers (BLING), and the other with 3 tracers (miniBLING). The reduced-tracer models employ parameterized, implicit biological functions, which nonetheless capture many of the most important processes resolved by TOPAZ. All three are embedded in the same coupled climate model. Despite the large difference in tracer number, the absence of tracers for living organic matter is shown to have a minimal impact on the transport of nutrient elements, and the three models produce similar mean annual preindustrial distributions of macronutrients, oxygen, and carbon. Significant differences do exist among the models, in particular the seasonal cycle of biomass and export production, but it does not appear that these are necessary consequences of the reduced tracer number. With increasing CO2, changes in dissolved oxygen and anthropogenic carbon uptake are very similar across the different models. Thus, while the reduced-tracer models do not explicitly resolve the diversity and internal dynamics of marine ecosystems, we demonstrate that such models are applicable to a broad suite of major biogeochemical concerns, including anthropogenic change. These results are very promising for the further development and application of reduced-tracer biogeochemical models that incorporate "sub-ecosystem-scale" parameterizations.

  1. Effects of Yoga on Measures of Health-related Quality of Life from SF-36 and SF-12 Assessments: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gabriel Benavidez

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Objectives Yoga is commonly being adopted and prescribed with the intent to increase a participant’s health-related quality of life. In practice, the current gold-standard health-related quality of life measurement tool is the SF-36 and SF-12 assessments. Therefore, it is important for yoga scientists and practitioners to understand yoga’s effects on health-related quality of life when in fact a gold-standard assessment is implemented. The purpose of this study was to employ systematic review and meta-analytic techniques to examine the effect of yoga on measures of health-related quality of life measured using only the SF-36/12 assessments. Methods A current (January 2007 to December 2016 systematic review of the Pubmed database was conducted and included studies that used yoga as an intervention with outcomes measures of health-related quality of life measured by the SF-36/12. Ten different measures were extracted from studies including eight dimension scores (physical functioning, bodily pain, physical role function, general health, mental health, emotional role function, social function, and vitality and two summary scores (physical component and mental component. Ten different meta-analyses were performed using calculated standardized mean effect sizes and random effects models. Both moderator and sensitivity analyses were conducted. Results A total of 34 studies were included is the analyses with 185 independent effect sizes. Yoga intervention showed a significant positive effect on all ten measures of the SF-36/12. Effects ranged from 0.56 (0.39-0.73 to 0.28 (0.17-0.40. Yoga type (Hatha, Iyengar, Other moderated the effects of yoga intervention on the mental component (p=.021, with Hatha yielding the greatest effects (ES=1.63, 0.61-2.65. The sensitivity analysis showed little to no bias in mean effect size estimates. Conclusions The meta-analytic evidence clearly supports the small-to-medium positive effects of yoga on health

  2. Compilation and analyses of results from cross-hole tracer tests with conservative tracers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hjerne, Calle; Nordqvist, Rune; Harrstroem, Johan (Geosigma AB (Sweden))

    2010-09-15

    Radionuclide transport in hydrogeological formations is one of the key factors for the safety analysis of a future repository of nuclear waste. Tracer tests have therefore been an important field method within the SKB investigation programmes at several sites since the late 1970's. This report presents a compilation and analyses of results from cross-hole tracer tests with conservative tracers performed within various SKB investigations. The objectives of the study are to facilitate, improve and reduce uncertainties in predictive tracer modelling and to provide supporting information for SKB's safety assessment of a final repository of nuclear waste. More specifically, the focus of the report is the relationship between the tracer mean residence time and fracture hydraulic parameters, i.e. the relationship between mass balance aperture and fracture transmissivity, hydraulic diffusivity and apparent storativity. For 74 different combinations of pumping and injection section at six different test sites (Studsvik, Stripa, Finnsjoen, Aespoe, Forsmark, Laxemar), estimates of mass balance aperture from cross-hole tracer tests as well as transmissivity were extracted from reports or in the SKB database Sicada. For 28 of these combinations of pumping and injection section, estimates of hydraulic diffusivity and apparent storativity from hydraulic interference tests were also found. An empirical relationship between mass balance aperture and transmissivity was estimated, although some uncertainties for individual data exist. The empirical relationship between mass balance aperture and transmissivity presented in this study deviates considerably from other previously suggested relationships, such as the cubic law and transport aperture as suggested by /Dershowitz and Klise 2002/, /Dershowitz et al. 2002/ and /Dershowitz et al. 2003/, which also is discussed in this report. No clear and direct empirical relationship between mass balance aperture and hydraulic

  3. Radioactive tracers in the sea

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jenkins, W.J.; Livingston, H.D.

    1980-01-01

    Artificial radionuclides introduced to the oceans during the last four decades have proved invaluable tools for study of many processes in marine water columns and sediments. Both global and close-in fallout of radioactivity from atmospheric nuclear weapons testing have distributed these radionuclides widely, and in amounts sufficient to be useful as tracers. An additional source of considerable significance and tracer potential comes from coastal discharges of European nuclear fuel reprocessing wastes. The nature of these sources, types and amounts of radionuclides introduced and the time histories of their introduction generate a variety of tracer distributions which illuminate a broad spectrum of physical and chemical processes active over a wide range of timescales. Depending on their respective chemistries, artificial radionuclides have been demonstrated to exhibit both conservative and non-conservative properties in the oceans. Some examples are given of the uses made of soluble, conservative tracers for the study of oceanic transport processes and of non-conservative tracers for studies of processes which move them to, and mix them within, marine sediments. Sampling and measurement techniques which have been used in these studies are described

  4. Perfil diferencial do administrador do Vale do Rio dos Sinos

    OpenAIRE

    Lauro Tischer

    1999-01-01

    As indústrias de calçados da região do Vale do Rio dos Sinos, sempre se destacaram no Brasil e no mundo por produtos reconhecidos internacionalmente, pela quantidade, qualidade e variedade de modelos. Com a globalização da economia e o desenvolvimento tecnológico imperante no mundo industrial, a região começou, rapidamente a ser deslocada de centro produtor de calçados para, quem sabe, centro consumidor de calçados. Quando as empresas começam a ter maus resultados, a culpa recai sempre nos “o...

  5. On the Cultural Legacy of the Cold War: Sino-US Educational Exchange (1949-1990)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gu, Ning

    2006-01-01

    The Cold War affected the Sino-US educational exchange between 1949 and 1990. During those years, preparation for educational exchanges, personal contact and cross-government relations characterized the three periods of the exchanges. However, even though the relationship had developed very fast, it was by no means smooth sailing. These exchanges…

  6. Physical and chemical processes of sulphur dioxide in the plume from an oil-fired power station

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Flyger, H.; Lewin, E.; Lund Thomsen, E.; Fenger, J.; Lyck, E.; Gryning, S.E.

    1977-03-01

    The Danish contribution to the EUROCOP COST 61a project is described. Work concerned the physical and chemical reactions of sulphur dioxide released from a power station. The investigation was based on the application of two tracers. Inactive, inert SF 6 is used to monitor the dispersion of and deposition from the plume; it was intended to use radioactive 35 SO 2 to determine the degree of oxidation of sulphur released from the stack; so far, however, public reaction has prevented the use of a release of activity in field experiments. The report describes the construction and testing of airborne instruments for continuous registration of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, ozone and the tracer SF 6 , as well as for measurements of temperature and humidity. Sulphur samples were collected on filter paper in a specially constructed low volume air sampler, and the subsequent chemical analysis in the laboratory is described. Finally, the problem of navigation is treated. It is shown that nitrogen oxides may be used as an internal tracer in plume experiments. Preliminary experiments based on inactive analysis only indicated an overall half-life for SO 2 in the plume of about half an hour. (author)

  7. New PET tracers for cerebral dopamine: Should 6-[18f]fluoro-dopa be replaced?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Firnau, G.; Chirakal, R.; Chen, J.J.; Murthy, D.; Nahmias, C.; Garnett, E.S.

    1993-01-01

    The visualization with PET of dopaminergic terminals in the human brain has been accomplished by a variety of approaches using β + -labelled substrates 1. for Aromatic L-Amino acid Decarboxylase, AADC, (6-[ 18 F]fluoro-L-dopa, FD; 6-[ 18 F]fluoro-L-meta-tyrosine, FmT; L-[ 11 C]Dopa); and β + -labelled inhibitors 2. for reuptake transporter ([ 11 C]Cocain, [ 11 C]WIN 35,428); 3. for Monoamine Oxidase-B ([ 11 C]deprenyl); 4. for the Vesicular uptake site ([ 11 C]tetrabenzamine). The enzyme approach with FD has been particularly successful in providing important insights into Parkinson's disease and dystonias. The extraction of quantitative data from FD/PET studies in humans is complicated by the formation of O-methylFD in the periphery, which, like FD, also enters the brain. Following the suggestion by deJesus (1988) to use a labelled meta-tyrosine (substrate for AADC but not COMT) the authors have synthesized FmT, developed it into a radiopharmaceutical (toxicology and radiation dose in humans) and studied the intracerebral distribution in man and the metabolites in monkeys. They found that FmT's peripheral metabolite does not enter the brain. Unlike FD, FmT delineates with greater clarity the dopaminergic terminals and cells including those in the substantia nigra that, so far, could not be investigated with any other PET tracer. Thus, FmT appears to be superior to FD

  8. Tracer filamentation at an unstable ocean front

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feng, Yen Chia; Mahadevan, Amala; Thiffeault, Jean-Luc; Yecko, Philip

    2017-11-01

    A front, where two bodies of ocean water with different physical properties meet, can become unstable and lead to a flow with high strain rate and vorticity. Phytoplankton and other oceanic tracers are stirred into filaments by such flow fields, as can often be seen in satellite imagery. The stretching and folding of a tracer by a two-dimensional flow field has been well studied. In the ocean, however, the vertical shear of horizontal velocity is typically two orders of magnitude larger than the horizontal velocity gradient. Theoretical calculations show that vertical shear alters the way in which horizontal strain affects the tracer, resulting in thin, sloping structures in the tracer field. Using a non-hydrostatic ocean model of an unstable ocean front, we simulate tracer filamentation to identify the effect of vertical shear on the deformation of the tracer. In a complementary laboratory experiment, we generate a simple, vertically sheared strain flow and use dye and particle image velocimetry to quantify the filamentary structures in terms of the strain and shear. We identify how vertical shear alters the tracer filaments and infer how the evolution of tracers in the ocean will differ from the idealized two-dimensional paradigm. Support of NSF DMS-1418956 is acknowledged.

  9. Tracer dispersion - experiment and CFD

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zitny, R.

    2004-01-01

    Description of tracer distribution by means of dispersion models is a method successfully used in process engineering for fifty years. Application of dispersion models in reactor engineering for characterization of flows in column apparatus, heat exchangers, etc. is summarized and experimental tracer techniques as well as CFD methods for dispersion coefficients evaluation are discussed. Possible extensions of thermal axial dispersion model (ADM) and a core-wall ADM model suitable for description of tracer dispersion in laminar flows are suggested as well as CFD implementation as 1D finite elements. (author)

  10. Selection of tracers for oil and gas evaluation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bjoernstad, T.

    1991-08-01

    The importance of tracer tests in reservoir descriptions is increasingly acknowledged by reservoir engineers as a method to obtain valuable dynamic information from the reservoir. The report describes the ''state-of-the art'' on tracer technology for interwell investigations. Experiences gained from a number of reported field tracer tests are reviewed, and results from detailed laboratory investigations on the static and dynamic behavior of various tracer molecules are discussed. A critical evaluation of the applicability of the various identified tracers is provided. Present and future trends in the development of tracer technology for reservoir description are sketched. 64 refs., 12 figs., 2 tabs

  11. Structural mechanical and antibacterial properties of HPMC/SF-AgNPs nanocomposite films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harish, K. V.; Rao, B. Lakshmeesha; Asha, S.; Vipin, C.; Sangappa, Y.

    2018-04-01

    In the present study, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose (HPMC) pure and HPMC/SF-AgNPs biopolymer nanocomposite films were prepared by simple solution casting method. The prepared nanocomposite films were characterized using UV-Visible spectroscopy(UV-Vis), X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements. The mechanical properties of HPMC/SF-AgNPs nanocomposites were found to be decrease with increase in the AgNP's concentrations. The HPMC/SF-AgNPs nanocomposites showed very good antibacterial activity against human pathogens P. aeruginosa, E.coli, and S.aureus.

  12. Human Rights in Sino-American Relations

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Day, Jana

    2002-01-01

    .... Key among these has been human rights, which both countries view differently. Whereas the United States emphasizes individual civil and political liberties, the People's Republic of China (PRC...

  13. Tracer techniques in microelectronics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Flachowsky, J.; Freyer, K.

    1981-01-01

    Tracer technique and neutron activation analysis are capable of measuring impurities in semiconductor material or on the semiconductor surface in a very low concentration range. The methods, combined with autoradiography, are also suitable to determine dopant distributions in silicon. However, both techniques suffer from certain inherent experimental difficulties and/or limitations which are discussed. Methods of tracer technique practicable in the semiconductor field are described. (author)

  14. Tracer transport in fractured rocks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tsang, C.F.; Tsang, Y.W.; Hale, F.V.

    1988-07-01

    Recent interest in the safety of toxic waste underground disposal and nuclear waste geologic repositories has motivated many studies of tracer transport in fractured media. Fractures occur in most geologic formations and introduce a high degree of heterogeneity. Within each fracture, the aperture is not constant in value but strongly varying. Thus for such media, tracer tends to flow through preferred flowpaths or channels within the fractures. Along each of these channels, the aperture is also strongly varying. A detailed analysis is carried out on a 2D single fracture with variable apertures and the flow through channels is demonstrated. The channels defined this way are not rigidly set pathways for tracer transport, but are the preferred flow paths in the sense of stream-tubes in the potential theory. It is shown that such variable-aperture channels can be characterized by an aperture probability distribution function, and not by the exact deterministic geometric locations. We also demonstrate that the 2D tracer transport in a fracture can be calculated by a model of a system of 1D channels characterized by this distribution function only. Due to the channeling character of tracer transport in fractured rock, random point measurements of tracer breakthrough curves may give results with a wide spread in value due to statistical fluctuations. The present paper suggests that such a wide spread can probably be greatly reduced by making line/areal (or multiple) measurements covering a few spatial correlation lengths. 13 refs., 11 figs., 1 tab

  15. Full Genome Sequence and sfRNA Interferon Antagonist Activity of Zika Virus from Recife, Brazil.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Claire L Donald

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available The outbreak of Zika virus (ZIKV in the Americas has transformed a previously obscure mosquito-transmitted arbovirus of the Flaviviridae family into a major public health concern. Little is currently known about the evolution and biology of ZIKV and the factors that contribute to the associated pathogenesis. Determining genomic sequences of clinical viral isolates and characterization of elements within these are an important prerequisite to advance our understanding of viral replicative processes and virus-host interactions.We obtained a ZIKV isolate from a patient who presented with classical ZIKV-associated symptoms, and used high throughput sequencing and other molecular biology approaches to determine its full genome sequence, including non-coding regions. Genome regions were characterized and compared to the sequences of other isolates where available. Furthermore, we identified a subgenomic flavivirus RNA (sfRNA in ZIKV-infected cells that has antagonist activity against RIG-I induced type I interferon induction, with a lesser effect on MDA-5 mediated action.The full-length genome sequence including non-coding regions of a South American ZIKV isolate from a patient with classical symptoms will support efforts to develop genetic tools for this virus. Detection of sfRNA that counteracts interferon responses is likely to be important for further understanding of pathogenesis and virus-host interactions.

  16. Tracers of air-sea gas exchange

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liss, P.S.

    1988-01-01

    The flux of gas across the air-sea interface is determined by the product of the interfacial concentration difference driving the exchange and a rate constant, often termed the transfer velocity. The concentration-difference term is generally obtained by direct measurement, whereas more indirect approaches are required to estimate the transfer velocity and its variation as a function of controlling parameters such as wind and sea state. Radioactive tracers have proved particularly useful in the estimation of air-sea transfer velocities and, recently, stable purposeful tracers have also started to be used. In this paper the use of the following tracers to determine transfer velocities at the sea surface is discussed: natural and bomb-produced 14 C, dissolved oxygen, 222 Rn and sulphur hexafluoride. Other topics covered include the relation between transfer velocity and wind speed as deduced from tracer and wind-tunnel studies, and the discrepancy between transfer velocities determined by using tracers and from eddy correlation measurements in the atmosphere. (author)

  17. Comparing the adequacy of the MNA-SF, NRS-2002 and MUST nutritional tools in assessing malnutrition in hip fracture operated elderly patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koren-Hakim, Tamar; Weiss, Avraham; Hershkovitz, Avital; Otzrateni, Irena; Anbar, Ronit; Gross Nevo, Revital Feige; Schlesinger, Agata; Frishman, Sigal; Salai, Moshe; Beloosesky, Yichayaou

    2016-10-01

    Malnutrition is common in hip fracture elderly patients. There is no gold standard for screening nutritional risk. We compared the adequacy of 3 screening tools, their association to nutritional measurements and their ability to predict outcome. The Mini Nutrition Assessment Short Form (MNA-SF), the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST) and the Nutrition Risk Screening 2002 (NRS-2002) were prospectively determined. Length of stay (LOS), complications, 6 months readmission and up-to 36 months mortality were recorded. 215 operated patients were included: 154 (71.6%) were women; mean age was 83.5 ± 6.09 years (66-104). According to the MNA-SF, 95 patients were well-nourished, 95 were at risk of malnutrition and 25 were malnourished. Based on the MUST, 171 patients were at a low risk of malnutrition, 31 at a medium risk, 13 at a high risk. According to the NRS-2002, 134 patients were at a low risk of malnutrition, 70 at a medium risk, 11 at a high risk. A significant relationship between the nutritional groups of the 3 scores (p patients' nutritional status (p patients' nutritional status of each screening tool; only the MNA-SF predicted that well-nourished patients would have less readmissions during a 6 month follow-up (p = 0.024). During a 36 month follow-up, 79 patients died. According to the MNA-SF, mortality was lower in the well-nourished patients vs. the malnourished (p = 0.001) and at risk of malnutrition patients (p = 0.01). A less significant association was found between the NRS-2002 patients' nutritional status and mortality (p = 0.048). The MUST did not reveal this relationship. All screening tools were adequate in assessing malnutrition parameters in hip fracture operated elderly patients, however, only the MNA-SF could also predict readmissions and mortality. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd and European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. All rights reserved.

  18. TracerLPM (Version 1): An Excel® workbook for interpreting groundwater age distributions from environmental tracer data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jurgens, Bryant C.; Böhlke, J.K.; Eberts, Sandra M.

    2012-01-01

    TracerLPM is an interactive Excel® (2007 or later) workbook program for evaluating groundwater age distributions from environmental tracer data by using lumped parameter models (LPMs). Lumped parameter models are mathematical models of transport based on simplified aquifer geometry and flow configurations that account for effects of hydrodynamic dispersion or mixing within the aquifer, well bore, or discharge area. Five primary LPMs are included in the workbook: piston-flow model (PFM), exponential mixing model (EMM), exponential piston-flow model (EPM), partial exponential model (PEM), and dispersion model (DM). Binary mixing models (BMM) can be created by combining primary LPMs in various combinations. Travel time through the unsaturated zone can be included as an additional parameter. TracerLPM also allows users to enter age distributions determined from other methods, such as particle tracking results from numerical groundwater-flow models or from other LPMs not included in this program. Tracers of both young groundwater (anthropogenic atmospheric gases and isotopic substances indicating post-1940s recharge) and much older groundwater (carbon-14 and helium-4) can be interpreted simultaneously so that estimates of the groundwater age distribution for samples with a wide range of ages can be constrained. TracerLPM is organized to permit a comprehensive interpretive approach consisting of hydrogeologic conceptualization, visual examination of data and models, and best-fit parameter estimation. Groundwater age distributions can be evaluated by comparing measured and modeled tracer concentrations in two ways: (1) multiple tracers analyzed simultaneously can be evaluated against each other for concordance with modeled concentrations (tracer-tracer application) or (2) tracer time-series data can be evaluated for concordance with modeled trends (tracer-time application). Groundwater-age estimates can also be obtained for samples with a single tracer measurement at one

  19. Uptake and transport of positron-emitting tracer in plants

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kume, Tamikazu; Matsuhashi, Shinpei; Shimazu, Masamitsu [Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Takasaki, Gunma (Japan). Takasaki Radiation Chemistry Research Establishment; and others

    1997-03-01

    The transport of a positron-emitting isotope introduced into a plant was dynamically followed by a special observation apparatus called `Positron-Emitting Tracer Imaging System`. In the system, annihilation {gamma}-rays from the positron emitter are detected with two planer detectors (5 x 6 cm square). The water containing ca. 5 MBq/ml of {sup 18}F was fed to the cut stem of soybean for 2 min and then the images of tracer activity were recorded for 30 - 50 min. When the midrib of a leaf near the petiole was cut just before measurement, the activity in the injured leaf was decreased but detected even at the apex. This result suggests that the damaged leaf recovered the uptake of water through the lamina. Maximum tracer activities in leaves of unirradiated plant were observed within 10 min, whereas those of irradiated plant at 100 Gy were observed after over 25 min. The final activity of irradiated plant after 30 min was lower than that of unirradiated plant. In case of beans, there was a difference in the absorption behavior of the {sup 18}F-labeled water between unirradiated and irradiated samples. These results show that the system is effective to observe the uptake and transportation of water containing positron emitting tracer for the study of damage and recovery functions of plants. (author)

  20. New developments in the use of stable activable tracers in environmental science

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Loveland, W.; Keasler, K.; Ghannam, L.; Borovik, A.

    1980-01-01

    Recent developments in the use of stable activable tracers (SATs) in environmental science are reported. (A stable activable tracer is a stable material injected into a system under study and whose concentration is measured by post-sampling activation analysis.) The activable nuclear parts of the tracers studied have been rare earth nuclides with short-lived activation products or Cu. To trace the fate of fluid-bound pollutants (and/or water masses) in marine waters, we have used anionic DTPA complexes of the rare earths. These tracers were shown to be stable (80 to 90% nondissociated) in extensive laboratory tests involving solutions of the tracer in estuarine water including large amounts of marine sediments. Results of a field study in which the flushing time and other hydrological characteristics of an estuarine marina were measured by simultaneously using a fluorescent dye and a SAT are presented. To trace the path of potentially toxic organic molecules, three stable activable tracers, dysprosium(III)-trisacetylacetonate DY(acac) 3 3H 2 O), dysprosium(III)-trisdibenzoylmethane (DY(dbm) 3 H 2 O and copper oxinate Cu (C 9 H 6 ON) 2 were synthesized. Their octanol/water partition coefficients and their solubility in water were measured and used to correlate the tracer species and its biological activity with that of known toxic materials. In a project to demonstrate the simple use of SATs to trace the origin of common insecticides and herbicides, seven common insecticides and herbicides were marked with anionic rare earth DTPA complexes and shown to be detectable at dilutions of 1 part in 10 12 . Two arsenical herbicides were chosen for further study and the tracer/herbicide ratio was shown to remain constant in samples of herbicide material collected on plant surfaces and runoff waters in the environment for long periods

  1. Interpretation of the tracer testing conducted in the Leuggern borehole

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McNeish, J.A.; Andrews, R.W.; Vomvoris, S.

    1990-12-01

    Tracer testing was conducted in the Leuggern borehole from July to December 1988 to evaluate the hydraulic properties of the crystalline host rock. The tested interval was an approximately 50 m section of fractured crystalline rock at a depth of greater than 1,600 m. The testing consisted of three tracer injection/recovery periods (uranin - 44 days, eosin - 30 days, and naphtionat -14 days), which utilized tracer injection/circulation rates, ranging between 25 and 50 ml/min. During these testing periods, tracer was injected in either of two 1/4 flow lines ported at the top or bottom of the interval and recovered from the other. Following the three tracer injection periods, a natural outflow tracer recovery test was conducted from the central tubing at an average outflow of 12 l/min. The central tubing was ported near the center of the test interval. Data collected during the testing periods included: continuous monitoring of fluid temperature, injection pressure, and electrical conductivity as well as discrete measurement of flow rates, electrical conductivity, fluid temperature, and tracer concentration. Testing results indicate a downward vertical flow of approximately 195-225 ml/min in the isolated interval, from an upper fracture inflow zone to a lower fracture outflow zone. Through analysis of the dilution levels of uranin and eosin during the injection/recovery periods, and review of field data, the top of the upper inflow zone was determined to be approximately 13 m below the top flow line and the bottom of the outflow zone to be approximately 3 to 5 meters above the bottom flow line. The calculated transmissivity value of 6E-05 m 2 /s from observed outflow rate and pressure recovery data, is consistent with results derived from previous hydraulic packer testing in the interval. The effective porosity was determined to be 0.1. Dispersion coefficient values ranged from 1.0 m to 5.0 m. The lateral hydraulic gradient value calculated from tracer recovery

  2. Tracer measured substrate turnover requires arterial sampling downstream of infusion site

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stanley, W.C.; Neese, R.A.; Gertz, E.W.; Wisneski, J.A.; Morris, D.L.; Brooks, G.A.

    1986-01-01

    Measurement of metabolite turnover (Rt) with radioactive tracers is done by either infusing tracer venously and sampling specific activity (SA) arterially (V-A modes), or by infusing into the aorta and sampling venous blood (A-V mode). Using the Fick principle, the necessity for using the V-A mode can be demonstrated. If tracer is infused into the left ventricle, in a steady state the Rt is the product of arterial trace concentration, the cardiac output, and the tracer extraction ratio for the whole body. This is expressed as: Rt = Ca x Qx ((*Ca - *Cv)/*Ca) (Eq1) where C=trace concentration (μmol/ml), *C=tracer conc. (dpm/ml), a=arterial, v-=mixed venous, and Q=cardiac output (ml/min). Rearranging the equation: Rt = Qx(*Ca - *Cv)/SAa = F/SAa (Eq2) where SAa is *Ca/Ca, and Qx (*Ca-*Cv) equals the infusion rate (F). The authors compared Eqs1 and 2 (Rt = F/SAa) in 3 anesthetized dogs in which [1- 14 C] lactate was infused into the left ventricle, and blood was sampled arterially downstream from the infusion site and in the pulmonary artery. Eqs 1 and 2 gave similar results for Rt (45.9 vs. 43.9 μmol/kg min), while substituting SAv for SAa (A-V mode) into Eq 2 gave a higher Rt (53.6). When SAv (A-V mode) is used, the specific activity seen by the tissues (SAa) is not considered in the calculation of Rt. Therefore, only the V-A mode meets the requirements for tracer measured metabolite turnover

  3. Bromide as chemical tracer to measure the liquid effluent flow at IPEN-CNEN/SP

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Silva, Douglas B.; Faustino, Mainara G.; Monteiro, Lucilena R.; Cotrim, Marycel E.B.; Pires, Maria Aparecida F.

    2013-01-01

    Due to recent changes in CONAMA Resolution 357, which occurred through the publication of Resolution 430, on May 13, 2011 that now set standards about the effluent release, IPEN-CNEN/SP initiated several actions to improve the Environmental Monitoring Program (PMA-Q) of stable chemical compounds. Besides various parameters (physical and chemical) established by CONAMA, the submission of an annual pollution inventory report became necessary. The liquid effluent flow measurement is required to implement this inventory. Thereby, this paper describes a study that uses bromide as a chemical tracer. This paper presents the results of 6 tracer releases in IPEN wastewater collection network between 2011 and 2012. Two tracer releases designs were performed: single pulse and continuous releases performed with 1 to 6 hours duration, done by using one single piston pump manufactured by DIONEX. After the release, one fraction of the effluent was collected every 15 minutes at IPEN effluent monitoring station. The tracer concentration in the effluent was analyzed by ion chromatography and flow was calculated considering the dilution in the system and pump flow set up for the release. The flow values were measured in 6 events were determined and evaluated as per Brazilian regulation requirements. Experimental designs to be implemented during 2013 monitoring were also discussed in this paper, contributing to legal compliance and to improve IPEN's Environmental Monitoring Program for stable chemical compounds (PMA-Q). (author)

  4. Effect of selected insecticides on SF9 insect cell line

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saleh, M.; Rahmo, A.; Hajjar, J.

    2013-01-01

    The toxic effect of three insecticides: dimethoate (organophosphate insecticide), acetamiprid (neonicotinoid insecticide) and deltamethrin (pyrethroid insecticide) were evaluated in vitro on cultured Sf9 cell line. Cell growth inhibition was measured by the 3- (4,5- dimethylthiazol - 2-yl) - 2,5 - diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Regression Analysis was used to estimate the 20% inhibition of cells growth (IC 20). The IC 20 values obtained for deltamethrin, acetamipridand dimethoate were: 46.8, 61.6 and 68.9 μM, respectively. The proportion of phagocytic cells was positively correlated with the applied concentrations of the insecticides. (author)

  5. Influence of bariatric surgery on quality of life, body image, and general self-efficacy within 6 and 24 months-a prospective cohort study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nickel, Felix; Schmidt, Lukas; Bruckner, Thomas; Büchler, Markus W; Müller-Stich, Beat-Peter; Fischer, Lars

    2017-02-01

    It has been proven that bariatric surgery affects weight loss. Patients with morbid obesity have a significantly lower quality of life (QOL) and body image compared with the general population. To evaluate QOL, body image, and general self-efficacy (GSE) in patients with morbid obesity undergoing bariatric surgery within clinical parameters. Monocentric, prospective, longitudinal cohort study. Patients completed the short form 36 (SF-36) for QOL, body image questionnaire, and GSE scale 3 times: before surgery and within 6 months and 24 months after surgery. Influence of gender, age, and type of procedure, either laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (SG) or laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, were analyzed. Thirty patients completed the questionnaires before and within 6 and 24 months after surgery. SF-36 physical summary score improved significantly from 34.3±11.0 before surgery to 46.0±10.4 within 6 months (Psurgery. SF-36 mental summary score improved significantly from 42.1±14.7 before surgery to 52.3±8.4 within 6 months (Psurgery. There were no significant differences between gender, age, and type of operation. Body image and GSE improved significantly after bariatric surgery (Pbariatric surgery. Improvements were independent of gender, age, and type of operation. Mental QOL was influenced by body image and GSE. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Bariatric Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. The K-SF-42

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aurelio José Figueredo

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of the present article is to propose an alternative short form for the 199-item Arizona Life History Battery (ALHB, which we are calling the K-SF-42, as it contains 42 items as compared with the 20 items of the Mini-K, the short form that has been in greatest use for the past decade. These 42 items were selected from the ALHB, unlike those of the Mini-K, making direct comparisons of the relative psychometric performance of the two alternative short forms a valid and instructive exercise. A series of secondary data analyses were performed upon a recently completed five-nation cross-cultural survey, which was originally designed to assess the role of life history strategy in the etiology of interpersonal aggression. Only data from the ALHB that were collected in all five cross-cultural replications were used for the present analyses. The single immediate objective of this secondary data analysis was producing the K-SF-42 such that it would perform optimally across all five cultures sampled, and perhaps even generalize well to other modern industrial societies not currently sampled as a result of the geographic breadth of those included in the present study. A novel method, based on the use of the Cross-Sample Geometric Mean as a criterion for item selection, was used for generating such a cross-culturally valid short form.

  7. Ricostruzione di una scena urbana 3D utilizzando VisualSfM.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Laura Inzerillo

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available Le tecniche di computer vision oggi danno la possibilità di costruire in maniera rapida e automatica modelli 3D dettagliati a partire da dataset fotografici. La comunità accademica ha visto una crescente attenzione alla ricostruzione 3D a scala urbana. Tra i vari strumenti oggi a disposizione spicca VisualSfM sviluppato dall’università di Washingthon e Google. Si tratta di una Interfaccia grafica open source strutturata in algoritmi dedicati alla tecnica di Structure from Motion (SfM. VisualSfM utilizza un estrattore di features chiamato SIFTGPU e un algoritmo di Bundle Adjustment Multicore. Inoltre è possibile ottenere una nuvola di punti densa utilizzando gli algoritmi CMVS/PMVS2. La finalità di questo studio è di verificare l’accuratezza metrica delle ricostruzioni attraverso l’utilizzo integrato di VisualSfM e CMVS/PMVS2. L’approccio quindi è stato testato su diversi dataset di una certa entità strutturati da collezioni fotografiche ragionate. 

  8. Doublet Tracer Testing in Klamath Falls, Oregon

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gudmundsson, J S; Johnson, S E; Horne, R N; Jackson, P B [Pet. Eng. Dept., Stanford University; Culver, G G [Geo-Heat Center, Oregon Institute of Technology, Klamath Falls, OR

    0000-12-30

    A tracer test was carried out in a geothermal doublet system to study the injection behavior of a developed reservoir known to be fractured. The doublet produces about 320 gpm of 160 degrees Fahrenheit water that is used for space heating and then injected; the wells are spaced 250 ft apart. Tracer breakthrough was observed in 2 hours and 45 minutes in the production well, indicating fracture flow. However, the tracer concentrations were low and indicated porous media flow; the tracers mixed with a reservoir volume much larger than a fracture.

  9. Tracer a application in marine outfall studies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Genders, S.

    1979-01-01

    The applicability of radioactive and fluorescent tracers for field studies to predict or investigate waste water transport and dispersion from marine outfalls is evaluated. The application of either instantaneous or continuous tracer release, 'in situ' detection of tracers and data processing are considered. The necessity of a combined use of tracer techniques and conventional hydrographic methods for a statistical prediction of transport and dillution of waste water are pointed out. A procedure to determine an outlet distance from the coast, which satisfy bathing water criteria is outlined. (M.A.) [pt

  10. Doublet Tracer Testing in Klamath Falls, Oregon

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gudmundsson, J.S.; Johnson, S.E.; Horne, R.N.; Jackson, P. B. [Pet. Eng. Dept., Stanford University; Culver, G.G. [Geo-Heat Center, Oregon Institute of Technology, Klamath Falls, OR

    0001-01-01

    A tracer test was carried out in a geothermal doublet system to study the injection behavior of a developed reservoir known to be fractured. The doublet produces about 320 gpm of 160 degrees Fahrenheit water that is used for space heating and then injected; the wells are spaced 250 ft apart. Tracer breakthrough was observed in 2 hours and 45 minutes in the production well, indicating fracture flow. However, the tracer concentrations were low and indicated porous media flow; the tracers mixed with a reservoir volume much larger than a fracture.

  11. Bromide as a tracer for studying water movement and nitrate displacement in soils: comparison with stable isotope tracers; Bromid als Tracer zur Untersuchung der Wasserbewegung und der Nitratverlagerung in Boeden: Vergleich mit stabilisotopen Tracern

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Russow, R.; Knappe, S. [UFZ - Umweltforschungszentrum Leipzig-Halle GmbH, Bad Lauchstaedt (Germany). Sektion Bodenforschung

    1999-02-01

    Tracers are an ideal means of studying water movement and associated nitrate displacement. Often bromide is preferred as a tracer because it is considered a representative tracer for water and because, being a conservative tracer (i.e. not involved in chemical and biological soil processes), it can be used for studying anion transport in soils. Moreover, it is less expensive and easier to measure than the stable isotopes deuterium and {sup 15}N. Its great advantage over radioactive tracers (e.g. tritium), which outweighs their extreme sensitivity and ease of measurement and which it has in common with stable isotopes, is that it does not require radiation protection measures. However, there are also constraints on the use of bromide as a tracer in soil/water/plant systems. Our own studies on different soils using D{sub 2}O, bromide and [{sup 15}N]-nitrate in lysimeters suggest that the above assumptions on bromide tracers need not always be valid under conditions as they prevail in biologically active soils. As the present paper shows, these studies permit a good assessment of the possibilities and limits to these tracers. [Deutsch] Fuer die Untersuchung der Wasserbewegung sowie der daran gekoppelten Nitrat-Verlagerung ist der Einsatz von Tracern das Mittel der Wahl. Dabei wird Bromid als Tracer haeufig bevorzugt, da es allgemein als ein repraesentativer Tracer fuer Wasser und als konservativer Tracer (nicht involviert in chemische und biologische Bodenprozesse) zur Untersuchung des Anionentransportes in Boeden angesehen wird und es gegenueber den stabilen Isotopen Deuterium und {sup 15}N billiger und einfacher zu bestimmen ist. Gegenueber den radioaktiven Tracern (z.B. Tritium), die zwar sehr empfindlich und einfach messbar sind, besteht der grosse Vorteil, dass, wie bei den stabilen Isotopen, keine Strahlenschutzmassnahmen ergriffen werden muessen. Es gibt jedoch auch einschraenkende Hinweise fuer die Verwendung von Bromid als Tracer im System Boden

  12. Leptin and insulin engage specific PI3K subunits in hypothalamic SF1 neurons

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jong-Woo Sohn

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Objective: The ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus (VMH regulates energy balance and glucose homeostasis. Leptin and insulin exert metabolic effects via their cognate receptors expressed by the steroidogenic factor 1 (SF1 neurons within the VMH. However, detailed cellular mechanisms involved in the regulation of these neurons by leptin and insulin remain to be identified. Methods: We utilized genetically-modified mouse models and performed patch-clamp electrophysiology experiments to resolve this issue. Results: We identified distinct populations of leptin-activated and leptin-inhibited SF1 neurons. In contrast, insulin uniformly inhibited SF1 neurons. Notably, we found that leptin-activated, leptin-inhibited, and insulin-inhibited SF1 neurons are distinct subpopulations within the VMH. Leptin depolarization of SF1 neuron also required the PI3K p110β catalytic subunit. This effect was mediated by the putative transient receptor potential C (TRPC channel. On the other hand, hyperpolarizing responses of SF1 neurons by leptin and insulin required either of the p110α or p110β catalytic subunits, and were mediated by the putative ATP-sensitive K+ (KATP channel. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that specific PI3K catalytic subunits are responsible for the acute effects of leptin and insulin on VMH SF1 neurons, and provide insights into the cellular mechanisms of leptin and insulin action on VMH SF1 neurons that regulate energy balance and glucose homeostasis. Author Video: Author Video Watch what authors say about their articles Keywords: Cellular mechanism, Conditional knockout mouse, Patch clamp technique, Functional heterogeneity, Homeostasis

  13. An injected gamma-tracer method for soil-moisture movement investigations in arid zones

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nair, A.R.; Navada, S.V.; Rao, S.M.

    1980-01-01

    A method for the in-situ determination of soil-moisture transport rates using K 3 60 Co(CN) 6 is discussed. The tracer compares well with tritiated water in laboratory investigations and the results obtained in limited field studies are very encouraging. The method promises to be of specific interest in arid-zone investigations where the soil-moisture fluxes in liquid and vapour phases could cause complications for tritium tracer data interpretation. (author)

  14. Why do festival goers drink? Assessment of drinking motives using the DMQ-R SF in a recreational setting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Németh, Zsófia; Kuntsche, Emmanuel; Urbán, Róbert; Farkas, Judit; Demetrovics, Zsolt

    2011-01-01

    The aim of this study is to confirm the four-dimensional structure and other measurement properties of the Drinking Motives Questionnaire Revised Short Form (DMQ-R SF) among young Hungarian adults in a recreational setting. In a 'Health Tent' at Europe's biggest music and cultural festival, 390 attendees (mean age 23.6, SD = 4.4) completed the DMQ-R SF and answered other alcohol-related questions. Data were analysed by confirmatory factor analysis, repeated measures anova and structural equation modelling. The results confirmed the good measurement properties of the DMQ-R SF in terms of factor loadings, model fit and internal consistency. These statistics were similar for men and women. For both genders, social motives were the most frequently indicated motivational dimension, followed by coping, conformity and enhancement. Social motives were consistently related to drinking, and coping to alcohol-related problems. It seems that the DMQ-R SF is a useful instrument for measuring the motivation to engage in drinking in recreational settings, such as parties, clubs and festivals, where hard-to-reach target groups vulnerable to risky drinking behaviour are present, but time for filling out questionnaires is restricted. © 2010 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.

  15. PET and SPET tracers for mapping the cardiac nervous system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Langer, Oliver; Halldin, Christer

    2002-01-01

    The human cardiac nervous system consists of a sympathetic and a parasympathetic branch with (-)-norepinephrine and acetylcholine as the respective endogenous neurotransmitters. Dysfunction of the cardiac nervous system is implicated in various types of cardiac disease, such as heart failure, myocardial infarction and diabetic autonomic neuropathy. In vivo assessment of the distribution and function of cardiac sympathetic and parasympathetic neurones with positron emission tomography (PET) and single-photon emission tomography (SPET) can be achieved by means of a number of carbon-11-, fluorine-18-, bromine-76- and iodine-123-labelled tracer molecules. Available tracers for mapping sympathetic neurones can be divided into radiolabelled catecholamines, such as 6-[ 18 F]fluorodopamine, (-)-6-[ 18 F]fluoronorepinephrine and (-)-[ 11 C]epinephrine, and radiolabelled catecholamine analogues, such as [ 123 I]meta-iodobenzylguanidine, [ 11 C]meta-hydroxyephedrine, [ 18 F]fluorometaraminol, [ 11 C]phenylephrine and meta-[ 76 Br]bromobenzylguanidine. Resistance to metabolism by monoamine oxidase and catechol-O-methyl transferase simplifies the myocardial kinetics of the second group. Both groups of compounds are excellent agents for an overall assessment of sympathetic innervation. Biomathematical modelling of tracer kinetics is complicated by the complexity of the steps governing neuronal uptake, retention and release of these agents as well as by their high neuronal affinity, which leads to partial flow dependence of uptake. Mapping of cardiac parasympathetic neurones is limited by a low density and focal distribution pattern of these neurones in myocardium. Available tracers are derivatives of vesamicol, a molecule that binds to a receptor associated with the vesicular acetylcholine transporter. Compounds like (-)-[ 18 F]fluoroethoxybenzovesamicol display a high degree of non-specific binding in myocardium which restricts their utility for cardiac neuronal imaging. (orig.)

  16. Is there regional variation in the SF-36 scores of Canadian adults?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hopman, Wilma M; Berger, Claudie; Joseph, Lawrence; Towheed, Tanveer; Anastassiades, Tassos; Tenenhouse, Alan; Poliquin, Suzette; Brown, Jacques P; Murray, Timothy M; Adachi, Jonathan D; Hanley, David A; Papadimitropoulos, Emmanuel A

    2002-01-01

    Canadian normative data for the Medical Outcomes Study 36-item short form (SF-36) have recently been published. However, there is evidence from other countries to suggest that regional variation in health-related quality of life (HRQOL) may exist. We therefore examined the SF-36 data from nine Canadian centres for evidence of systematic differences. Bayesian hierarchical modelling was used to compare the differences in the eight SF-36 domains and the two summary component scores within each of the age and gender strata across the nine sites. Five domains and the two summary component scores showed little clinically important variation. Other than a small number of exceptions, there was little overall evidence of HRQOL differences across most domains and across most sites. Our finding of only a few small differences suggests that there is no need to develop region-specific Canadian normative data for the SF-36 health survey.

  17. Tracers vs. trajectories in a coastal region

    Science.gov (United States)

    Engqvist, A.; Döös, K.

    2008-12-01

    Two different methods of estimating the water exchange through a Baltic coastal region have been used, consisting of particle trajectories and passive tracers. Water is traced from and to a small discharge region near the coast. The discharge material in this region is treated as zero dimensional particles or tracers with neutral buoyancy. The real discharge material could be a leakage of radio-nuclides through the sea floor from an underground repository of nuclear waste. Water exchange rates between the discharge region and the model domain are estimated using both forward and backward trajectories as well as passive tracers. The Lagrangian trajectories can account for the time evolution of the water exchange while the tracers give one average age per model grid box. Water exchange times such as residence time, age and transient times have been calculated with trajectories but only the average age (AvA) for tracers. The trajectory calculations provide a more detailed time evolution than the tracers. On the other hand the tracers are integrated "on-line" simultaneously in the sea circulation model with the same time step while the Lagrangian trajectories are integrated "off-line" from the stored model velocities with its inherent temporal resolution, presently one hour. The sub-grid turbulence is parameterised as a Laplacian diffusion for the passive tracers and with an extra stochastic velocity for trajectories. The importance of the parameterised sub-grid turbulence for the trajectories is estimated to give an extra diffusion of the same order as the Laplacian diffusion by comparing the Lagrangian dispersions with and without parameterisation. The results of the different methods are similar but depend on the chosen diffusivity coefficient with a slightly higher correlation between trajectories and tracers when integrated with a lower diffusivity coefficient.

  18. 75 FR 29962 - Special Conditions: Cirrus Design Corporation Model SF50 Airplane; Function and Reliability Testing

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-05-28

    ... SF50 airplanes. 1. Function and Reliability Testing Flight tests: In place of 14 CFR part 21.35(b)(2... Reliability Testing AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT. ACTION: Notice of proposed special..., 1951, and deleted the service test requirements in Section 3.19 for airplanes of 6,000 pounds maximum...

  19. Hydraulic and tracer experiments in the TVO research tunnel 1993- 1994

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hautojaervi, A.; Ilvonen, M.; Vieno, T.; Viitanen, P.

    1995-04-01

    Three full-size deposition holes (diameter 1.5 m, depth 7.5 m) for spent fuel canisters in a KBS-3 type repository have been bored with a new fullface boring method in the TVO Research Tunnel. The Research Tunnel lies in the crystalline bedrock at the depth of 60 metres in the VLJ Repository for low and medium level waste. The holes are 6 metres apart. The boring tests were accompanied by comprehensive pre- and post-characterization of the rock and the bored wells. The inflow rates of groundwater in two of the three full-size holes are 6 and 20 litres/hour. The well in the middle is almost dry as expected on the basis of the pre-characterization. In the tracer tests two different tracers, a dye and a radioactive tracer, were used at the same time. The comprehensive data analysis performed showed that novel techniques (e.g. Extreme Value Estimation, EVE) can be successfully applied to determine the impulse response from the experimental results even in cases where the measured signals are disturbed. Hydraulic and tracer tests as well as visual inspection of the inflow gave clear indications of flow and transport in sparse and narrow channels. Transport velocities could be predicted with a reasonable accuracy by using a simple concept of fracture cavities determining the transport time and 'bottlenecks' causing the hydraulic resistance. The observed non-Fickian dispersion is thought to be caused by velocity differences over the channel width or by diffusion into stagnant pools in the fracture filling. (orig.) (36 refs., 67 figs., 1 tab.)

  20. Nonuniqueness of two-temperature Guldberg-Waage and Saha equations: Influence on thermophysical properties of SF6 plasmas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Weizong; Rong, Mingzhe; Spencer, Joseph W.

    2013-01-01

    This paper focuses to study how the choice of Guldberg-Waage and Saha equations affects the thermodynamic properties and transport coefficients of SF 6 plasmas under both thermal equilibrium and non-equilibrium conditions. The species composition is numerically determined using two typical forms of two-temperature Saha equations and Guldberg-Waage equations that have appeared in the literature. The great influence of the choice of the excitation temperature on the plasma composition and hence the thermodynamic properties and transport coefficients is discussed as well. Transport coefficients are calculated with most recent collision interaction potentials by adopting Devoto's electron and heavy particle decoupling approach but expanded to the third-order approximation (second-order for viscosity) within the framework of Chapman-Enskog method. Furthermore, an analysis of the effect of different definitions of Debye length on the properties values was performed as well. The results are computed for various values of pressures from 0.10 atm to 10 atm and non-equilibrium parameter, i.e., ratio of the electron temperature to the heavy particle temperature from 1 to 5 with electron temperature range from 300 to 40 000 K. Both forms of Guldberg-Waage and Saha equations used here can give completely the same value when the two-temperature model reaches the special case of local thermodynamic equilibrium. It has been observed that all above mentioned factors can significantly modify the plasma species composition and consequently affect the thermodynamic and transport properties

  1. Using Tracer Technology to Characterize Contaminated Pipelines

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Maresca, Joseph, W., Jr., Ph.D.; Bratton, Wesley, L., Ph.D., P.E.; Dickerson, Wilhelmina; Hales, Rochelle

    2005-12-30

    The Pipeline Characterization Using Tracers (PCUT) technique uses conservative and partitioning, reactive or other interactive tracers to remotely determine the amount of contaminant within a run of piping or ductwork. The PCUT system was motivated by a method that has been successfully used to characterize subsurface soil contaminants and is similar in operation to that of a gas chromatography column. By injecting a ?slug? of both conservative and partitioning tracers at one end (or section) of the piping and measuring the time history of the concentration of the tracers at the other end (or another section) of the pipe, the presence, location, and amount of contaminant within the pipe or duct can be determined. The tracers are transported along the pipe or duct by a gas flow field, typically air or nitrogen, which has a velocity that is slow enough so that the partitioning tracer has time to interact with the contaminant before the tracer slug completely passes over the contaminate region. PCUT not only identifies the presence of contamination, it also can locate the contamination along the pipeline and quantify the amount of residual. PCUT can be used in support of deactivation and decommissioning (D&D) of piping and ducts that may have been contaminated with hazardous chemicals such as chlorinated solvents, petroleum products, radioactive materials, or heavy metals, such as mercury.

  2. 48 CFR 53.236-2 - Architect-engineer services (SF's 252 and 330).

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Architect-engineer... ACQUISITION REGULATION (CONTINUED) CLAUSES AND FORMS FORMS Prescription of Forms 53.236-2 Architect-engineer...-engineer and related services: (a) SF 252 (Rev. 10/83), Architect-Engineer Contract. SF 252 is prescribed...

  3. An Efficient SF-ISF Approach for the Slepian-Wolf Source Coding Problem

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tu Zhenyu

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available A simple but powerful scheme exploiting the binning concept for asymmetric lossless distributed source coding is proposed. The novelty in the proposed scheme is the introduction of a syndrome former (SF in the source encoder and an inverse syndrome former (ISF in the source decoder to efficiently exploit an existing linear channel code without the need to modify the code structure or the decoding strategy. For most channel codes, the construction of SF-ISF pairs is a light task. For parallelly and serially concatenated codes and particularly parallel and serial turbo codes where this appear less obvious, an efficient way for constructing linear complexity SF-ISF pairs is demonstrated. It is shown that the proposed SF-ISF approach is simple, provenly optimal, and generally applicable to any linear channel code. Simulation using conventional and asymmetric turbo codes demonstrates a compression rate that is only 0.06 bit/symbol from the theoretical limit, which is among the best results reported so far.

  4. A simple technique for continuous measurement of time-variable gas transfer in surface waters

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tobias, Craig R.; Bohlke, John Karl; Harvey, Judson W.; Busenberg, Eurybiades

    2009-01-01

    Mass balance models of dissolved gases in streams, lakes, and rivers serve as the basis for estimating wholeecosystem rates for various biogeochemical processes. Rates of gas exchange between water and the atmosphere are important and error-prone components of these models. Here we present a simple and efficient modification of the SF6 gas tracer approach that can be used concurrently while collecting other dissolved gas samples for dissolved gas mass balance studies in streams. It consists of continuously metering SF6-saturated water directly into the stream at a low rate of flow. This approach has advantages over pulse injection of aqueous solutions or bubbling large amounts of SF6 into the stream. By adding the SF6 as a saturated solution, we minimize the possibility that other dissolved gas measurements are affected by sparging and/or bubble injecta. Because the SF6 is added continuously we have a record of changing gas transfer velocity (GTV) that is contemporaneous with the sampling of other nonconservative ambient dissolved gases. Over a single diel period, a 30% variation in GTV was observed in a second-order stream (Sugar Creek, Indiana, USA). The changing GTV could be attributed in part to changes in temperature and windspeed that occurred on hourly to diel timescales.

  5. In situ measurement of methane oxidation in groundwater by using natural-gradient tracer tests

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Smith, R.L.; Howes, B.L.; Garabedian, S.P.

    1991-01-01

    Methane oxidation was measured in an unconfined sand and gravel aquifer (Cape Cod, Mass.) by using in situ natural-gradient tracer tests at both a pristine, oxygenated site and an anoxic, sewage-contaminated site. The tracer sites were equipped with multilevel sampling devices to create target grids of sampling points; the injectate was prepared with groundwater from the tracer site to maintain the same geochemical conditions. Methane oxidation was calculated from breakthrough curves of methane relative to halide and inert gas (hexafluoroethane) tracers and was confirmed by the appearance of 13 C-enriched carbon dioxide in experiments in which 13 C-enriched methane was used as the tracer. A V max for methane oxidation could be calculated when the methane concentration was sufficiently high to result in zero-order kinetics throughout the entire transport interval. Methane breakthrough curves could be simulated by modifying a one-dimensional advection-dispersion transport model to include a Michaelis-Menten-based consumption term for methane oxidation. The K m values for methane oxidation that gave the best match for the breakthrough curve peaks were 6.0 and 9.0 μM for the uncontaminated and contaminated sites, respectively. Natural-gradient tracer tests are a promising approach for assessing microbial processes and for testing in situ bioremediation potential in groundwater systems

  6. Iodine 123-antipyrine. A diffusible tracer for brain exploration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dantonel-Mathieu, Evelyne.

    1978-09-01

    Iodine 123-labelled iodoantipyrine is a liposoluble diffusible tracer which crosses the blood-brain barrier intact. Its build-up in brain tissue is proportional to the regional blood flow. Its behavior was studied in undervascularised brain lesions and in cases where research with traditional radioactive tracers (99mTc and its different vectors for example) has proved limited. Because of the great diffusibility of iodoantipyrine a brain parenchyma image is obtained within minutes after its injection, and this by the use of a non-invasive technique and under good gamma-camera exploration conditions. 81 brain explorations including 11 standards have been carried out on subjects averaging 51,2 years old; these examinations took place in three nuclear medicine centres. The 123 I iodoantipyrine used in each nuclear medicine centre is supplied by the CEA. Iodoantipyrine is labelled with a good yield (>98%) checked by chromatography by means of a CEA kit. After intraveinous injection of 4 to 6 mCi iodine-123 iodoantipyrine, a dynamic study (from 0 to 60 seconds) of the tracer passage in the brain tissue may be followed by static images taken in the next minutes according to a standard procedure. The table of results shows the major interest of this tracer for the exploration of vascular accidents with ischemic lesions, especially in the early phase of the accident. The lesion appears as a hypoactive zone and this lack of perfusion lasts for some minutes after the injection [fr

  7. Identification and Molecular Characterisation of a Novel Mu-Like Bacteriophage, SfMu, of Shigella flexneri.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Richa Jakhetia

    Full Text Available S. flexneri is the leading cause of bacillary dysentery in the developing countries. Several temperate phages originating from this host have been characterised. However, all S. flexneri phages known to date are lambdoid phages, which have the ability to confer the O-antigen modification of their host. In this study, we report the isolation and characterisation of a novel Mu-like phage from a serotype 4a strain of S. flexneri. The genome of phage SfMu is composed of 37,146 bp and is predicted to contain 55 open reading frames (orfs. Comparative genome analysis of phage SfMu with Mu and other Mu-like phages revealed that SfMu is closely related to phage Mu, sharing >90% identity with majority of its proteins. Moreover, investigation of phage SfMu receptor on the surface of the host cell revealed that the O-antigen of the host serves as the receptor for the adsorption of phage SfMu. This study also demonstrates pervasiveness of SfMu phage in S. flexneri, by identifying complete SfMu prophage strains of serotype X and Y, and remnants of SfMu in strains belonging to 4 other serotypes, thereby indicating that transposable phages in S. flexneri are not uncommon. The findings of this study contribute an advance in our current knowledge of S. flexneri phages and will also play a key role in understanding the evolution of S. flexneri.

  8. POD-1/Tcf21 overexpression reduces endogenous SF-1 and StAR expression in rat adrenal cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. M. França

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available During gonad and adrenal development, the POD-1/capsulin/TCF21transcription factor negatively regulates SF-1/NR5A1expression, with higher SF-1 levels being associated with increased adrenal cell proliferation and tumorigenesis. In adrenocortical tumor cells, POD-1 binds to the SF-1 E-box promoter region, decreasing SF-1 expression. However, the modulation of SF-1 expression by POD-1 has not previously been described in normal adrenal cells. Here, we analyzed the basal expression of Pod-1 and Sf-1 in primary cultures of glomerulosa (G and fasciculata/reticularis (F/R cells isolated from male Sprague-Dawley rats, and investigated whether POD-1 overexpression modulates the expression of endogenous Sf-1 and its target genes in these cells. POD-1 overexpression, following the transfection of pCMVMycPod-1, significantly decreased the endogenous levels of Sf-1 mRNA and protein in F/R cells, but not in G cells, and also decreased the expression of the SF-1 target StAR in F/R cells. In G cells overexpressing POD-1, no modulation of the expression of SF-1 targets, StAR and CYP11B2, was observed. Our data showing that G and F/R cells respond differently to ectopic POD-1 expression emphasize the functional differences between the outer and inner zones of the adrenal cortex, and support the hypothesis that SF-1 is regulated by POD-1/Tcf21 in normal adrenocortical cells lacking the alterations in cellular physiology found in tumor cells.

  9. Principles and techniques of gamma ray tracers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Claxton, K.T.

    1978-01-01

    Radioactive tracer techniques provide a very sensitive means of studying physical and chemical processes in a whole variety of different media. Some of the techniques and principles of radioactive tracers and their application to practical engineering systems are discussed. Information which has been found useful in the design of high temperature liquid sodium facilities employing radio-tracers, is presented. The report deals solely with the use of gamma-emitting species as the tracer. These find particular application for in-situ studies on engineering systems where the highly penetrating properties of gamma rays are needed for detection through strongly absorbent media such as stainless steel pepe walls. (author)

  10. Groundwater residence time downgradient of Trench No. 22 at the Chernobyl Pilot Site: Constraints on hydrogeological aquifer functioning

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Le Gal La Salle, C.; Aquilina, L.; Fourre, E.; Jean-Baptiste, P.; Michelot, J.-L.; Roux, C.; Bugai, D.; Labasque, T.; Simonucci, C.; Van Meir, N.; Noret, A.; Bassot, S.; Dapoigny, A.; Baumier, D.

    2012-01-01

    Following the explosion of reactor 4 at the Chernobyl power plant in northern Ukraine in 1986, contaminated soil and vegetation were buried in shallow trenches dug directly on-site in an Aeolian sand deposit. These trenches are sources of radionuclide (RN) pollution. The objective of the present study is to provide constraints for the Chernobyl flow and RN transport models by characterising groundwater residence time. A radiochronometer 3 H/ 3 He method (t 1/2 = 12.3 a) and anthropogenic tracers including CFC and SF 6 are investigated along with the water mass natural tracers Na, Cl, 18 O and 2 H. The groundwater is stratified, as evidenced by Na and Cl concentrations and stable isotopes ( 18 O, 2 H). In the upper aeolian layer, the Na–Cl relationship corresponds to evapotranspiration of precipitation, while in the underlying alluvial layer, an increase in Na and Cl with depth suggests both water–rock interactions and mixing processes. The 3 H/ 3 He and CFC apparent groundwater ages increase with depth, ranging from ‘recent’ (1–3 a) at a 2 m depth below the groundwater table to much higher apparent ages of 50–60 a at 27 m depth below the groundwater table. Discrepancies in 3 H/ 3 He and CFC apparent ages (20–25 a and 3–10 a, respectively) were observed during the 2008 campaign at an intermediate depth immediately below the aeolian/alluvial sand limit, which were attributed to the complex water transfer processes. Extremely high SF 6 concentrations, well above equilibrium with the atmosphere and up to 1112 pptv, are attributed to significant contamination of the soils following the nuclear reactor explosion in 1986. The SF 6 concentration vs. the apparent groundwater ages agrees with this interpretation, as the high SF 6 concentrations are all more recent than 1985. The persistence of the SF 6 concentration suggests that SF 6 was introduced in the soil atmosphere and slowly integrated in the groundwater moving along the hydraulic gradient. The

  11. Evaluation and cultural adaptation of a German version of the AIMS2-SF questionnaire (German AIMS2-SF).

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Rosemann, T.J.; Korner, T.; Wensing, M.J.P.; Schneider, A.; Szecsenyi, J.

    2005-01-01

    OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to examine the validity of a translated and culturally adapted version of the Arthritis Impact Measurement Scales 2, Short Form (AIMS2-SF) in patients suffering from osteoarthritis (OA) in primary care. METHODS: A structured procedure was used for the translation

  12. Plutonium and tracer particle resuspension: an overview of selected Battelle-Northwest experiments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sehmel, G.A.

    1977-01-01

    Plutonium resuspension at Rocky Flats was determined in July 1973, by measuring airborne plutonium as a function of sampling height and of wind speed. The maximum airborne plutonium-239 concentration was 3700 aCi/m 3 . The maximum plutonium-239 activity per gram of collected airborne soil was 50 pCi/g. Airborne plutonium concentrations were shown to increase as the sixth power of wind speed, but the data were very imprecise. In measurement of fallout resuspension caused by burning vegetation, the 137 Cs concentration in a forest fire smoke plume was 22 times the concentration in ambient air. Resuspension rates for a man walking across a tracer area on an asphalt surface ranged from 1 x 10 -5 to 7 x 10 -4 fraction of tracer resuspended/pass. For vehicular traffic driven on a tracer lane, resuspension rates from the asphalt surface ranged from 10 -4 to 10 -2 fraction resuspended/pass. When the vehicle was driven on the lane adjacent to the tracer lane, resuspension rates were smaller, ranging from 10 -5 to 10 -3 fraction resuspended/pass. Resuspension rates decreased when the tracer had been on the ground for several days. In comparison to the asphalt surface, vehicle-caused tracer resuspension rates from a cheat grass area were lower, ranging from 10 -5 to 10 -4 fraction resuspended/pass. Wind caused tracer resuspension rates were on the order of 10 -11 fraction resuspended/sec for nonrespirable particles. Resuspension rates for respirable particles increased as the 4.8th power of wind speed, ranging from 10 -11 to 10 -7 fraction resuspended/sec. In another study, airborne respirable soil concentrations measured as a function of wind speed increased as the 0.6 to 3.2 power of wind speed

  13. Toxicity of fluorescent tracers and their degradation byproducts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Philippe Gombert

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Tracer tests are frequently used to delineate catchment area of water supply springs in karstic zones. In the karstic chalk of Normandy, the main tracers used are fluorescent: uranine, sulforhodamine B, naphtionate, and Tinopal®. In this area, a statistical analysis shows that less than half of the injected tracers joins the monitored restitution points and enters the drinking water system where they undergo chlorination. Most of the injected tracers is absorbed in the rock matrix or is thrown out of the aquifer via karstic springs: then it can join superficial waters where it is degraded due to the sun and air action. The paper presents firstly the laboratory degradation of a first batch of fluorescent tracers in contact with chlorine, in order to simulate their passage through a water treatment system for human consumption. A second batch of the same tracers is subjected to agents of natural degradation: ultraviolet illumination, sunlight and air sparging. Most tracers is degraded, and toxicity and ecotoxicity tests (on rats, daphniae and algae are performed on degradation byproducts. These tests do not show any acute toxicity but a low to moderate ecotoxicity. In conclusion, the most used fluorescent tracers of the Normandy karstic chalk and their artificial and natural degradation byproducts do not exhibit significant toxicity to humans and the aquatic environment, at the concentrations generally noted at the restitution points.

  14. An uncertainty inclusive un-mixing model to identify tracer non-conservativeness

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sherriff, Sophie; Rowan, John; Franks, Stewart; Fenton, Owen; Jordan, Phil; hUallacháin, Daire Ó.

    2015-04-01

    Sediment fingerprinting is being increasingly recognised as an essential tool for catchment soil and water management. Selected physico-chemical properties (tracers) of soils and river sediments are used in a statistically-based 'un-mixing' model to apportion sediment delivered to the catchment outlet (target) to its upstream sediment sources. Development of uncertainty-inclusive approaches, taking into account uncertainties in the sampling, measurement and statistical un-mixing, are improving the robustness of results. However, methodological challenges remain including issues of particle size and organic matter selectivity and non-conservative behaviour of tracers - relating to biogeochemical transformations along the transport pathway. This study builds on our earlier uncertainty-inclusive approach (FR2000) to detect and assess the impact of tracer non-conservativeness using synthetic data before applying these lessons to new field data from Ireland. Un-mixing was conducted on 'pristine' and 'corrupted' synthetic datasets containing three to fifty tracers (in the corrupted dataset one target tracer value was manually corrupted to replicate non-conservative behaviour). Additionally, a smaller corrupted dataset was un-mixed using a permutation version of the algorithm. Field data was collected in an 11 km2 river catchment in Ireland. Source samples were collected from topsoils, subsoils, channel banks, open field drains, damaged road verges and farm tracks. Target samples were collected using time integrated suspended sediment samplers at the catchment outlet at 6-12 week intervals from July 2012 to June 2013. Samples were dried (affected whereas uncertainty was only marginally impacted by the corrupted tracer. Improvement of uncertainty resulted from increasing the number of tracers in both the perfect and corrupted datasets. FR2000 was capable of detecting non-conservative tracer behaviour within the range of mean source values, therefore, it provided a more

  15. The European Tracer Experiment - experimental results and database

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nodop, K.; Connolly, R.; Girardi, F.

    1997-01-01

    As part of the European Tracer Experiment (ETEX) two successful atmospheric experiments were carried out in October and November, 1994. Perfluorocarbon (PFC) tracers were released into the atmosphere in Monterfil, Brittany, and air samples were taken at 168 stations in 17 European countries for 72 hours after the release. Upper air tracer measurements were made from three aircraft. During the first experiment a westerly air flow transported the tracer plume north-eastwards across Europe. During the second release the flow was eastwards. The results from the ground sampling network allowed the determination of the cloud evolution as far as Sweden, Poland and Bulgaria. Typical background concentrations of the tracer used are around 5 to 7 fl/l in ambient air. Concentrations in the plume ranged from 10 to above 200 fl/l. The tracer release characteristics, the tracer concentrations at the ground and in upper air, the routine and additional meteorological observations at the ground level and in upper air, trajectories derived from constant-level balloons and the meteorological input fields for long-range transport (LRT) models are assembled in the ETEX database. The ETEX database is accessible via the Internet

  16. Application of different 125I tracers in radioimmunoassays of estradiol-17β

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bienert, R.; Flentje, H.; Herzmann, H.; Akademie der Wissenschaften der DDR, Leipzig. Zentralinstitut fuer Isotopen- und Strahlenforschung)

    1984-01-01

    Some different 125 I-labelled estradiol tracers were produced by direct radioiodizing of estradiol and also of the histamine and tyramine conjugates of estradiol-3-carboxymethylether (E 2 -3-CM) by means of the chloramine-T method. The linkage properties of these tracers were investigated in relation to the 3 H-labelled estradiol opposite to the antisera, which were produced against the cow serum albumin (RSA) conjugates of E 2 -3-CM and estradiol-6-carboxymethyloxime (E 2 -6-CMO). As suitable system for the radioimmunological estradiol determination could be revealed 4- 125 I-iodine estradiol in connection with one antiserum in each case of the radioligand antiserum combinations against E 2 -3-CM-RSA- and E 2 -6-CMO-RSA-conjugate. The double antibody method is used for separation in optimized RIA systems. The first and the second antibody reaction take place simultaneously. (author)

  17. Photoabsorption and S 2p photoionization of the SF6 molecule: resonances in the excitation energy range of 200-280 eV.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stener, M; Bolognesi, P; Coreno, M; O'Keeffe, P; Feyer, V; Fronzoni, G; Decleva, P; Avaldi, L; Kivimäki, A

    2011-05-07

    Photoabsorption and S 2p photoionization of the SF(6) molecule have been studied experimentally and theoretically in the excitation energy range up to 100 eV above the S 2p ionization potentials. In addition to the well-known 2t(2g) and 4e(g) shape resonances, the spin-orbit-resolved S 2p photoionization cross sections display two weak resonances between 200 and 210 eV, a wide resonance around 217 eV, a Fano-type resonance around 240 eV, and a second wide resonance around 260 eV. Calculations based on time-dependent density functional theory allow us to assign the 217-eV and 260-eV features to the shape resonances in S 2p photoionization. The Fano resonance is caused by the interference between the direct S 2p photoionization channel and the resonant channel that results from the participator decay of the S 2s(-1)6t(1u) excited state. The weak resonances below 210-eV photon energy, not predicted by theory, are tentatively suggested to originate from the coupling between S 2p shake-up photoionization and S 2p single-hole photoionization. The experimental and calculated angular anisotropy parameters for S 2p photoionization are in good agreement.

  18. 76 FR 71610 - Market Test of First-Class Tracer

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-11-18

    ... electronically by accessing the ``Filing Online'' link in the banner at the top of the Commission's Web site... Commission. Id. at 6. A First-Class Tracer, which consists of a barcoded label, tracing number, and QR Code... 28, 2011. The filing can be accessed via the Commission's Web site ( http://www.prc.gov ). The...

  19. The evolution of Sf. Gheorghe (Danube asymmetric deltaic lobe

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alfred VESPREMEANU-STROE

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available The wave asymmetric Sf. Gheorghe lobe is the only active in the Danube delta where river mouth bar (and the associated barrier islands and spits continuously deployed a cyclic development for almost two millennia. During first stage, the Sf. Gheorghe distributary had a small discharge (with an order of magnitude lower than present which after that experienced a rapid increase in consequence of the successive avulsions of Împuţita (southern distributary of Sulina arm and Dunavăţ distributaries. Our morphological analyses together with the newly obtained chronology, revealed the multiple ridgesets structure of Sf. Gheorghe deltaic lobe. In fact, all ridgesets (10 follow a common morphodynamic pattern characterized by the cyclic succession of three stages: i subaqueous mouth bar development, ii barrier island emergence, iii barrier spit phase with several secondary spits derived from an updrift trunk ridge. The size of each ridgeset increased exponentially with every new cycle due to the constant lengthening of the coastline as the downdrift side of the lobe advances seaward through a series of progressively larger similar quadrilaterals, yielding to a constant enlargment of the delta front size. 

  20. Improving Marine Ecosystem Models with Biochemical Tracers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pethybridge, Heidi R.; Choy, C. Anela; Polovina, Jeffrey J.; Fulton, Elizabeth A.

    2018-01-01

    Empirical data on food web dynamics and predator-prey interactions underpin ecosystem models, which are increasingly used to support strategic management of marine resources. These data have traditionally derived from stomach content analysis, but new and complementary forms of ecological data are increasingly available from biochemical tracer techniques. Extensive opportunities exist to improve the empirical robustness of ecosystem models through the incorporation of biochemical tracer data and derived indices, an area that is rapidly expanding because of advances in analytical developments and sophisticated statistical techniques. Here, we explore the trophic information required by ecosystem model frameworks (species, individual, and size based) and match them to the most commonly used biochemical tracers (bulk tissue and compound-specific stable isotopes, fatty acids, and trace elements). Key quantitative parameters derived from biochemical tracers include estimates of diet composition, niche width, and trophic position. Biochemical tracers also provide powerful insight into the spatial and temporal variability of food web structure and the characterization of dominant basal and microbial food web groups. A major challenge in incorporating biochemical tracer data into ecosystem models is scale and data type mismatches, which can be overcome with greater knowledge exchange and numerical approaches that transform, integrate, and visualize data.