WorldWideScience

Sample records for small photodestruction rates

  1. Biomcompatible gold nanorods conjugated with photosensitizers assisted for photostability and photodestructive ability

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuo, Wen-Shuo; Chen, Shean-Jen

    2012-02-01

    Light-exposure-mediated higher temperatures that markedly accelerate the degradation of indocyanine green (ICG) in aqueous solutions by thermal decomposition have been a serious medical problem. In this work, we present the example of using gold nanorods (Au NRs) simultaneously serving as photodynamic and photothermal agents to destroy malignant cells. Au NRs were successfully conjugated with hydrophilic photosensitizer, indocyanine green (ICG), to achieve photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT). We also demonstrated that Au NRs conjugated with ICG displayed high chemical stability and acted as a promising diagnostic probe. Due to its stability even via higher temperatures mediated by laser irradiation, the combination of PDT and PTT proved to be efficiently killing cancer cells as compared to PDT or PTT treatment alone and enhanced the effectiveness of photodestruction and was demonstrated to enhance its photostability.

  2. Polyphenols attached graphene nanosheets for high efficiency NIR mediated photodestruction of cancer cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abdolahad, M.; Janmaleki, M.; Mohajerzadeh, S.; Akhavan, O.; Abbasi, S.

    2013-01-01

    Green tea-reduced graphene oxide (GT-rGO) sheets have been exploited for high efficiency near infrared (NIR) photothermal therapy of HT29 and SW48 colon cancer cells. The biocompatibility of GT-rGO sheets was investigated by means of MTT assays. The polyphenol constituents of GT-rGO act as effective targeting ligands for the attachment of rGO to the surface of cancer cells, as confirmed by the cell granularity test in flow cytometry assays and also by scanning electron microscopy. The photo-thermal destruction of higher metastatic cancer cells (SW48) is found to be more than 20% higher than that of the lower metastatic one (HT29). The photo-destruction efficiency factor of the GT-rGO is found to be at least two orders of magnitude higher than other carbon-based nano-materials. Such excellent cancer cell destruction efficiency provided application of a low concentration of rGO (3 mg/L) and NIR laser power density (0.25 W/cm 2 ) in our photo-thermal therapy of cancer cells. Highlights: ► Attachment of polyphenol groups to graphene nano-sheets during reduction process by green tea. ► Selective attachment of polyphenols to cancer cell membrane. ► High efficiency photothermal therapy of colon cancer cells with green-tea reduced graphene oxide

  3. Overcoming Multidrug Resistance via Photodestruction of ABCG2-Rich Extracellular Vesicles Sequestering Photosensitive Chemotherapeutics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goler-Baron, Vicky; Assaraf, Yehuda G.

    2012-01-01

    lysosomal photodestruction of normal breast epithelial cells. Thus, MDR modalities including ABCG2-dependent drug sequestration within EVs can be rationally converted to a pharmacologically lethal Trojan horse to selectively eradicate MDR cancer cells. PMID:22530032

  4. Role of active oxygen species in the photodestruction of microsomal cytochrome P-450 and associated monooxygenases by hematoporphyrin derivative in rats

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Das, M.; Dixit, R.; Mukhtar, H.; Bickers, D.R.

    1985-01-01

    The cytochrome P-450 in hepatic microsomes prepared from rats pretreated with hematoporphyrin derivative was shown to be rapidly destroyed in the presence of long-wave ultraviolet light. The photocatalytic destruction of the heme-protein was dependent on both the dose of ultraviolet light and of hematoporphyrin derivative administered to the animals. The destructive reaction was accompanied by increased formation of cytochrome P-420, loss of microsomal heme content, and diminished catalytic activity of cytochrome P-450-dependent monooxygenases such as aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase and 7-ethoxycoumarin O-deethylase. The specificity of the effect on cytochrome P-450 was confirmed by the observation that other heme-containing moieties such as myoglobin and cytochrome c were not susceptible to photocatalytic destruction. The destruction of cytochrome P-450 was a photodynamic process requiring oxygen since quenchers of singlet oxygen, including 2,5-dimethylfuran, histidine, and beta-carotene, each substantially diminished the reaction. Scavengers of superoxide anion such as superoxide dismutase and of H 2 O 2 such as catalase did not protect against photodestruction of cytochrome P-450, whereas inhibitors of the hydroxyl radical, including benzoate, mannitol, and ethyl alcohol, did afford protection. These results indicate that lipid-rich microsomal membranes and the heme-protein cytochrome P-450 embedded therein are potential targets of injury in cells exposed to hematoporphyrin derivative photosensitization

  5. The influence of surface roughness on volatile transport on the Moon

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prem, P.; Goldstein, D. B.; Varghese, P. L.; Trafton, L. M.

    2018-01-01

    The Moon and other virtually airless bodies provide distinctive environments for the transport and sequestration of water and other volatiles delivered to their surfaces by various sources. In this work, we conduct Monte Carlo simulations of water vapor transport on the Moon to investigate the role of small-scale roughness (unresolved by orbital measurements) in the migration and cold-trapping of volatiles. Observations indicate that surface roughness, combined with the insulating nature of lunar regolith and the absence of significant exospheric heat flow, can cause large variations in temperature over very small scales. Surface temperature has a strong influence on the residence time of migrating water molecules on the lunar surface, which in turn affects the rate and magnitude of volatile transport to permanently shadowed craters (cold traps) near the lunar poles, as well as exospheric structure and the susceptibility of migrating molecules to photodestruction. Here, we develop a stochastic rough surface temperature model suitable for simulations of volatile transport on a global scale, and compare the results of Monte Carlo simulations of volatile transport with and without the surface roughness model. We find that including small-scale temperature variations and shadowing leads to a slight increase in cold-trapping at the lunar poles, accompanied by a slight decrease in photodestruction. Exospheric structure is altered only slightly, primarily at the dawn terminator. We also examine the sensitivity of our results to the temperature of small-scale shadows, and the energetics of water molecule desorption from the lunar regolith - two factors that remain to be definitively constrained by other methods - and find that both these factors affect the rate at which cold trap capture and photodissociation occur, as well as exospheric density and longevity.

  6. Skiba points for small discount rates

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wagener, F.O.O.

    2006-01-01

    The present article uses perturbation techniques to approximate the value function of an economic minimization problem for small values of the discount rate. This can be used to obtain the approximate location of the Skiba states in the problem; these are states for which there are two distinct

  7. Measurement and numerical simulation of a small centrifugal compressor characteristics at small or negative flow rate

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsukamoto, Kaname; Okada, Mizuki; Inokuchi, Yuzo; Yamasaki, Nobuhiko; Yamagata, Akihiro

    2017-04-01

    For centrifugal compressors used in automotive turbochargers, the extension of the surge margin is demanded because of lower engine speed. In order to estimate the surge line exactly, it is required to acquire the compressor characteristics at small or negative flow rate. In this paper, measurement and numerical simulation of the characteristics at small or negative flow rate are carried out. In the measurement, an experimental facility with a valve immediately downstream of the compressor is used to suppress the surge. In the numerical work, a new boundary condition that specifies mass flow rate at the outlet boundary is used to simulate the characteristics around the zero flow rate region. Furthermore, flow field analyses at small or negative flow rate are performed with the numerical results. The separated and re-circulated flow fields are investigated by visualization to identify the origin of losses.

  8. Development of a New Small-Rated Reference Torque Wrench

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nishino, Atsuhiro; Ogushi, Koji; Ueda, Kazunaga

    It is imperative that torque standard of small rated capacity is established and disseminated throughout Japanese industry. A 10 N·m dead weight torque standard machine (10-N·m-DWTSM) has been developed and evaluated at the National Metrology Institute of Japan (NMIJ), part of the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST). By 2012, the relative expanded uncertainty of torque realized by the 10-N·m-DWTSM was estimated to be 6.6 × 10-5, with the coverage factor k begin equal to 2, in a range from 0.1 N·m to 10 N·m for calibrations of the torque measuring devices (TMDs). Calibration service for small-rated-capacity TMDs was started to disseminate the torque standard throughout Japanese industry. Here, there are two routes in the torque traceability system in Japan. One is the route for TMDs and the other one is the route for reference torque wrenches (RTWs). The torque standard in the form of RTWs has been disseminated in the range from 5 N·m to 5 kN·m by using the TSMs owned by NMIJ. There remains a strong demand to expand the calibration range of RTWs. To expand the range, we should develop the new high-accuracy small-rated-capacity RTW and evaluate its calibration method. In this study, a high-accuracy RTW (TP-5N-1109), which had a rated capacity of 5 N·m, was newly developed and calibrated with the 10-N·m-DWTSM to evaluate its characteristics. The ordinary calibration procedures adopted at NMIJ was investigated whether it was applicable to the small-rated-capacity RTWs. As a result, the TP-5N-1109 showed good performance in the creep testing, and its characteristic curves were draw for all cases of the calibration procedures. The repeatability in the calibration results was good. We clarified the problem with the calibration conditions of the small-rated-capacity RTW to calibrate it by three cases.

  9. Internal Flow of Contra-Rotating Small Hydroturbine at Off- Design Flow Rates

    Science.gov (United States)

    SHIGEMITSU, Toru; TAKESHIMA, Yasutoshi; OGAWA, Yuya; FUKUTOMI, Junichiro

    2016-11-01

    Small hydropower generation is one of important alternative energy, and enormous potential lie in the small hydropower. However, efficiency of small hydroturbines is lower than that of large one. Then, there are demands for small hydroturbines to keep high performance in wide flow rate range. Therefore, we adopted contra-rotating rotors, which can be expected to achieve high performance. In this research, performance of the contra-rotating small hydroturbine with 60mm casing diameter was investigated by an experiment and numerical analysis. Efficiency of the contra-rotating small hydroturbine was high in pico-hydroturbine and high efficiency could be kept in wide flow rate range, however the performance of a rear rotor decreased significantly in partial flow rates. Then, internal flow condition, which was difficult to measure experimentally, was investigated by the numerical flow analysis. Then, a relation between the performance and internal flow condition was considered by the numerical analysis result.

  10. Photolysis of H2O-H2O2 Mixtures: The Destruction of H2O2

    Science.gov (United States)

    Loeffler, M. J.; Fama, M.; Baragiola, R. A.; Carlson, R. W.

    2013-01-01

    We present laboratory results on the loss of H2O2 in solid H2O + H2O2 mixtures at temperatures between 21 and 145 K initiated by UV photolysis (193 nm). Using infrared spectroscopy and microbalance gravimetry, we measured the decrease of the 3.5 micrometer infrared absorption band during UV irradiation and obtained a photodestruction cross section that varies with temperature, being lowest at 70 K. We use our results, along with our previously measured H2O2 production rates via ionizing radiation and ion energy fluxes from the spacecraft to compare H2O2 creation and destruction at icy satellites by ions from their planetary magnetosphere and from solar UV photons. We conclude that, in many cases, H2O2 is not observed on icy satellite surfaces because the H2O2 photodestruction rate is much higher than the production rate via energetic particles, effectively keeping the H2O2 infrared signature at or below the noise level.

  11. The effect of barium infusion rate on the diagnostic value of small bowel enteroclysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oudkerk, M.; Rijke, A.M.

    1988-01-01

    Although enteroclysis may have many advantages over the conventional methods of small bowel examination, the contrast material is not always infused at a rate appropriate to gain maximum diagnostic information. In this study, 190 patients were examined by small bowell enteroclysis at five contrast infusion rates ranging from 50 to 150 ml/min using a newly designed infusion pump system. The results show that at rates above 75 ml/min, motility disturbances are masked by small bowel dilatation and paralysis, transit times are extended and morphological detail is obscured. At rates below 75 ml/min, incomplete filling of the loops renders optimal diagnostic evaluation impossible. An infusion rate of 75 ml/min was found to be optimal for initiating small bowel studies. This rate can be adjusted for individual cases when pathology or drugs affect the motility of the small bowel. 13 refs.; 5 figs.; 1 table

  12. Real Exchange Rate Dynamics in a Small, Primary-Exporting Country

    OpenAIRE

    Mohsin S. Khan; Peter J. Montiel

    1987-01-01

    Although the nominal exchange rate is often used as a policy instrument in small, primary-commodity-exporting countries, the real exchange rate is an endogenous variable that responds to both exogenous and policyinduced shocks. This paper examines the dynamic effects on the real exchange rate of various shocks, such as devaluation, fiscal and trade policies, and changes in the terms of trade and foreign real interest rates. Because the path of the real exchange rate differs for different type...

  13. Phase recording for formation of holographic optical elements on silver-halide photographic emulsions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ganzherli, Nina M.; Gulyaev, Sergey N.; Maurer, Irina A.; Chernykh, Dmitrii F.

    2009-05-01

    Holographic fabrication methods of regular and nonregular relief-phase structures on silver-halide photographic emulsions are considered. Methods of gelatin photodestruction under short-wave ultra-violet radiation and chemical hardening with the help of dichromated solutions were used as a technique for surface relief formation. The developed techniques permitted us to study specimens of holographic diffusers and microlens rasters with small absorption and high light efficiency.

  14. Air purification by heterogeneous photocatalytic oxidation with multi-doped thin film titanium dioxide

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    O' Keeffe, Cormac, E-mail: cormac.okeeffe@theta.ie [Theta Chemicals Ltd., Station Road, Ballindine, Claremorris, Mayo (Ireland); Gannon, Paul; Gilson, Paul [Theta Chemicals Ltd., Station Road, Ballindine, Claremorris, Mayo (Ireland); Kafizas, Andreas; Parkin, Ivan P. [Department of Chemistry, University College London, Christopher Ingold Laboratories, 20 Gordon Street, London WC1H 0AJ (United Kingdom); Binions, Russell [School of Engineering and Materials Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS (United Kingdom)

    2013-06-30

    Multi element-doped titania films (F, S-TiO{sub 2}) were produced via sol–gel techniques and deposited on glass and ceramic substrates with an annealing temperature of 500 °C. The films were characterised by X-ray diffraction, Raman Spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The X-ray diffraction and Raman spectrum showed the films to have an anatase TiO{sub 2} structure with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirming the presence of sulphur, fluorine and carbon doping. The titania coated glass and ceramic substrates were compared against two commercially available TiO{sub 2} coated products for the photo-destruction of NO{sub 2(g)}. The study included both equivalent indoor and outdoor test conditions. The multi-doped titania films were shown to provide a genuine method of air purification under both visible (room lighting) and UVA lighting with photo-destruction rates as high as 72%. - Highlights: • Synthesis of multi-doped titania films • Excellent NO{sub 2} conversion rates for coated ceramic tiles • Excellent NO{sub 2} conversion rates for coated glass substrates • Significantly better conversion rates for existing commercial products.

  15. The reduced VAT rate for small business in Croatia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mira Dimitrić

    2009-06-01

    Full Text Available This paper assesses the potential effects of introduction of the reduced VAT rate for small business, based on the EU VAT legislation development. The analysis includes effects on prices, sales, shadow economy and employment. It starts with the assumption of no substantial effect. Survey for Croatia is done by small business owners’ interviews and encompasses descriptive and inferential statistics based on parametric tests. The EU expected existence of a link between VAT reduction, price reduction, sales increase and positive effects on employment (as well as decline in the shadow economy is proved even in this research. However, the pass-through to prices is very moderate as well as other effects. The reduced VAT rate could have some positive results for the restaurants and bars only. There exists also some possibility for construction of housing and construction services related to housing as well as some other labour intensive services.

  16. Interference Mitigation and Sum Rate Optimization for MIMO Downlink Small Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    H. H. Kha

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available This paper addresses interference issues in multiuser multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO downlink heterogeneous networks in which multiple small cells are deployed in macrocell coverage. With the higher priority to access the frequency bands, the macro base station (MBS will exploit eigenmode transmission along with water-filling based power allocation to maximize its data rate. To avoid harmful interference to macro users, we propose structures of the precoders at the small cell BSs (SBSs as cascades of two precoding matrices. In addition, to mitigate intra-tier inference in small cells, the SBSs exploit the user scheduling schemes for their associated users. We investigate two user scheduling schemes using the minimum interference leakage and maximum signal to noise ratio criteria. The sum rate of the selected users can be further improved by power allocation. We develop an iterative algorithm using difference of convex functions (d.c. programming to tackle the mathematical challenges of the nonconvex power allocation problem, Numerical simulation results show that the proposed strategy outperforms the conventional methods in terms of the achievable sum rate.

  17. On the upper ocean turbulent dissipation rate due to microscale breakers and small whitecaps

    Science.gov (United States)

    Banner, Michael L.; Morison, Russel P.

    2018-06-01

    In ocean wave modelling, accurately computing the evolution of the wind-wave spectrum depends on the source terms and the spectral bandwidth used. The wave dissipation rate source term which spectrally quantifies wave breaking and other dissipative processes remains poorly understood, including the spectral bandwidth needed to capture the essential model physics. The observational study of Sutherland and Melville (2015a) investigated the relative dissipation rate contributions of breaking waves, from large-scale whitecaps to microbreakers. They concluded that a large fraction of wave energy was dissipated by microbreakers. However, in strong contrast with their findings, our analysis of their data and other recent data sets shows that for young seas, microbreakers and small whitecaps contribute only a small fraction of the total breaking wave dissipation rate. For older seas, we find microbreakers and small whitecaps contribute a large fraction of the breaking wave dissipation rate, but this is only a small fraction of the total dissipation rate, which is now dominated by non-breaking contributions. Hence, for all the wave age conditions observed, microbreakers make an insignificant contribution to the total wave dissipation rate in the wave boundary layer. We tested the sensitivity of the results to the SM15a whitecap analysis methodology by transforming the SM15a breaking data using our breaking crest processing methodology. This resulted in the small-scale breaking waves making an even smaller contribution to the total wave dissipation rate, and so the result is independent of the breaker processing methodology. Comparison with other near-surface total TKE dissipation rate observations also support this conclusion. These contributions to the spectral dissipation rate in ocean wave models are small and need not be explicitly resolved.

  18. A comparison of small-area hospitalisation rates, estimated morbidity and hospital access.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shulman, H; Birkin, M; Clarke, G P

    2015-11-01

    Published data on hospitalisation rates tend to reveal marked spatial variations within a city or region. Such variations may simply reflect corresponding variations in need at the small-area level. However, they might also be a consequence of poorer accessibility to medical facilities for certain communities within the region. To help answer this question it is important to compare these variable hospitalisation rates with small-area estimates of need. This paper first maps hospitalisation rates at the small-area level across the region of Yorkshire in the UK to show the spatial variations present. Then the Health Survey of England is used to explore the characteristics of persons with heart disease, using chi-square and logistic regression analysis. Using the most significant variables from this analysis the authors build a spatial microsimulation model of morbidity for heart disease for the Yorkshire region. We then compare these estimates of need with the patterns of hospitalisation rates seen across the region. Crown Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Seasonal Variation in Trypanosomosis Rates in Small Ruminants at ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Seasonal variation in trypanosome parasitological infection rates in small ruminants was studied at the Kaduna Central abattoir, North Central Nigeria. Blood samples were obtained at slaughter from 320 goats and 209 sheep during the dry and rainy seasons and examined using the Haematocrit Centrifugation Technique ...

  20. Small-volume amnioinfusion: a potential stimulus of intrapartum fetal heart rate accelerations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wax, Joseph R; Flaherty, Nina; Pinette, Michael G; Blackstone, Jacquelyn; Cartin, Angelina

    2004-02-01

    We describe a recurrent nonreassuring fetal heart rate pattern in which small-volume amnioinfusions apparently evoked fetal heart rate accelerations suggested fetal well-being, allowing that progressive labor that culminated in the vaginal delivery of a healthy infant.

  1. Inflation, Growth and Exchange Rate Regimes in Small Open Economies

    OpenAIRE

    Hernandez-Verme, Paula

    2002-01-01

    Summary. This is an extended working paper version of the paper that appeared in Economic Theory. It paper compares the merits of alternative exchange rate regimes in small open economies where financial intermediaries perform a real allocative function, there are multiple reserve requirements, and credit market frictions may or may not cause credit rationing. Under floating exchange rates, raising domestic inflation can increase production if credit is rationed. However, there exist infla...

  2. Peritoneal fluid transport in CAPD patients with different transport rates of small solutes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sobiecka, Danuta; Waniewski, Jacek; Weryński, Andrzej; Lindholm, Bengt

    2004-01-01

    Continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients with high peritoneal solute transport rate often have inadequate peritoneal fluid transport. It is not known whether this inadequate fluid transport is due solely to a too rapid fall of osmotic pressure, or if the decreased effectiveness of fluid transport is also a contributing factor. To analyze fluid transport parameters and the effectiveness of dialysis fluid osmotic pressure in the induction of fluid flow in CAPD patients with different small solute transport rates. 44 CAPD patients were placed in low (n = 6), low-average (n = 13), high-average (n = 19), and high (n = 6) transport groups according to a modified peritoneal equilibration test (PET). The study involved a 6-hour peritoneal dialysis dwell with 2 L 3.86% glucose dialysis fluid for each patient. Radioisotopically labeled serum albumin was added as a volume marker.The fluid transport parameters (osmotic conductance and fluid absorption rate) were estimated using three mathematical models of fluid transport: (1) Pyle model (model P), which describes ultrafiltration rate as an exponential function of time; (2) model OS, which is based on the linear relationship of ultrafiltration rate and overall osmolality gradient between dialysis fluid and blood; and (3) model G, which is based on the linear relationship between ultrafiltration rate and glucose concentration gradient between dialysis fluid and blood. Diffusive mass transport coefficients (K(BD)) for glucose, urea, creatinine, potassium, and sodium were estimated using the modified Babb-Randerson-Farrell model. The high transport group had significantly lower dialysate volume and glucose and osmolality gradients between dialysate and blood, but significantly higher K(BD) for small solutes compared with the other transport groups. Osmotic conductance, fluid absorption rate, and initial ultrafiltration rate did not differ among the transport groups for model OS and model P. Model G yielded

  3. Modelling hourly rates of evaporation from small lakes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R. J. Granger

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available The paper presents the results of a field study of open water evaporation carried out on three small lakes in Western and Northern Canada. In this case small lakes are defined as those for which the temperature above the water surface is governed by the upwind land surface conditions; that is, a continuous boundary layer exists over the lake, and large-scale atmospheric effects such as entrainment do not come into play. Lake evaporation was measured directly using eddy covariance equipment; profiles of wind speed, air temperature and humidity were also obtained over the water surfaces. Observations were made as well over the upwind land surface.

    The major factors controlling open water evaporation were examined. The study showed that for time periods shorter than daily, the open water evaporation bears no relationship to the net radiation; the wind speed is the most significant factor governing the evaporation rates, followed by the land-water temperature contrast and the land-water vapour pressure contrast. The effect of the stability on the wind field was demonstrated; relationships were developed relating the land-water wind speed contrast to the land-water temperature contrast. The open water period can be separated into two distinct evaporative regimes: the warming period in the Spring, when the land is warmer than the water, the turbulent fluxes over water are suppressed; and the cooling period, when the water is warmer than the land, the turbulent fluxes over water are enhanced.

    Relationships were developed between the hourly rates of lake evaporation and the following significant variables and parameters (wind speed, land-lake temperature and humidity contrasts, and the downwind distance from shore. The result is a relatively simple versatile model for estimating the hourly lake evaporation rates. The model was tested using two independent data sets. Results show that the modelled evaporation follows the observed values

  4. Destruction of pigments and lipids in isolated chloroplasts under the effect of visible radiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Merzlyak, M.N.; Pogosyan, S.I.

    1988-01-01

    The results of experiments on the effect of light radiation on lipid and pigment destruction in isolated chloroplasts are generalized. Substrates and products of oxidation destruction of lipid and pigments, the role of photosynthetic electron transport in photodestruction, the participation of activated oxygen and free-radical intermediate forms in it are considered. The role of antioxidants, carotenoids and enzymatic systems in protection of chloroplast membranes from destructive light effect is discussed. A general scheme of possible ways of photodestruction in chloroplasts is presented. 53 refs

  5. Monetary Policy in Small Open Economies: The Role of Exchange Rate Rules

    OpenAIRE

    Santacreu, Ana Maria

    2015-01-01

    Understanding the costs and benefits of alternative monetary policy rules is important for economic welfare. Within the context of a small open economy model and building on the work of Mihov and Santacreu (2013), the author analyzes the economic implications of two monetary policy rules. The first is a rule in which the central bank uses the nominal exchange rate as its policy instrument and adjusts the rate whenever there are changes in the economic environment. The second is a standard int...

  6. Estimating the erosion and deposition rates in a small watershed by the 137Cs tracing method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Mian; Li Zhanbin; Yao Wenyi; Liu Puling

    2009-01-01

    Understanding the erosion and deposition rates in a small watershed is important for designing soil and water conservation measures. The objective of this study is to estimate the net soil loss and gain at points with various land use types and landform positions in a small watershed in the Sichuan Hilly Basin of China by the 137 Cs tracing technique. Among various land use types, the order of erosion rate was bare rock > sloping cultivated land > forest land. The paddy field and Caotu (a kind of cultivated land located at the foot of hills) were depositional areas. The erosion rate under different landform was in this order: hillside > saddle > hilltop. The footslope and the valley were depositional areas. The 137 Cs technique was shown to provide an effective means of documenting the spatial distribution of soil erosion and deposition within the small watershed

  7. Selected Influences on Solo and Small-Ensemble Festival Ratings: Replication and Extension

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bergee, Martin J.; McWhirter, Jamila L.

    2005-01-01

    Festival performance is no trivial endeavor. At one midwestern state festival alone, 10,938 events received a rating over a 3-year period (2001-2003). Such an extensive level of participation justifies sustained study. To learn more about variables that may underlie success at solo and small ensemble evaluative festivals, Bergee and Platt (2003)…

  8. Disappearance rate of praziquantel-containing bait around villages and small towns in southern Bavaria, Germany.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Janko, Christof; König, Andreas

    2011-04-01

    In recent years, the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) has increasingly occupied urban areas in central Europe. Meanwhile, prevalence of infection in foxes with the small fox tapeworm (Echinococcus multilocularis) has increased, thereby increasing the human risk of infection with the parasite, which causes alveolar echinococcosis. Baiting strategies to counteract E. multilocularis have been implemented in cities and the open countryside, but there are few data on the situation in villages and small towns (edges for 7 days after distribution. Disappearance rates were 89.2% in villages, 88.8% in small towns, and 91.8% in settlement edges. More than 75% of the bait was consistently taken within the first three nights. There were no significant differences in disappearance rates between years or among seasons (Cox proportional hazard model). The survival time of the bait in small towns (P=0.021) and villages (P=0.026) depended on the zone (zone 1, first row of houses bordering on open countryside; zone 2, second to fourth rows, zone 3; beyond the fifth row) in which bait was distributed. In villages, the probability of bait being eaten in zone 1 was 119% higher than it was in zone 3 (P=0.007). In small towns, the probability was 60% higher (P=0.006).

  9. Small Business Administration (SBA) Loan Program Performance- Post-Charge Off Recovery Rates by Program

    Data.gov (United States)

    Small Business Administration — Reflects total post-charge off recovery rates, as a percent of the amounts charged off by charge off year, for the major loan programs and aggregate totals by charge...

  10. The Small Nuclear Genomes of Selaginella Are Associated with a Low Rate of Genome Size Evolution.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baniaga, Anthony E; Arrigo, Nils; Barker, Michael S

    2016-06-03

    The haploid nuclear genome size (1C DNA) of vascular land plants varies over several orders of magnitude. Much of this observed diversity in genome size is due to the proliferation and deletion of transposable elements. To date, all vascular land plant lineages with extremely small nuclear genomes represent recently derived states, having ancestors with much larger genome sizes. The Selaginellaceae represent an ancient lineage with extremely small genomes. It is unclear how small nuclear genomes evolved in Selaginella We compared the rates of nuclear genome size evolution in Selaginella and major vascular plant clades in a comparative phylogenetic framework. For the analyses, we collected 29 new flow cytometry estimates of haploid genome size in Selaginella to augment publicly available data. Selaginella possess some of the smallest known haploid nuclear genome sizes, as well as the lowest rate of genome size evolution observed across all vascular land plants included in our analyses. Additionally, our analyses provide strong support for a history of haploid nuclear genome size stasis in Selaginella Our results indicate that Selaginella, similar to other early diverging lineages of vascular land plants, has relatively low rates of genome size evolution. Further, our analyses highlight that a rapid transition to a small genome size is only one route to an extremely small genome. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.

  11. Estimating the erosion and deposition rates in a small watershed by the {sup 137}Cs tracing method

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li Mian [Yellow River Institute of Hydraulic Research, Key Laboratory of Sediment Research of Yellow River of Ministry of Water Resources, Zhengzhou, Henan 450003 (China)], E-mail: hnli-mian@163.com; Li Zhanbin [Xi' an University of Technology, Xi' an, Shaanxi 710048 (China); Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Water Resources, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100 (China); Yao Wenyi [Yellow River Institute of Hydraulic Research, Key Laboratory of Sediment Research of Yellow River of Ministry of Water Resources, Zhengzhou, Henan 450003 (China); Liu Puling [Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Water Resources, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100 (China)

    2009-02-15

    Understanding the erosion and deposition rates in a small watershed is important for designing soil and water conservation measures. The objective of this study is to estimate the net soil loss and gain at points with various land use types and landform positions in a small watershed in the Sichuan Hilly Basin of China by the {sup 137}Cs tracing technique. Among various land use types, the order of erosion rate was bare rock > sloping cultivated land > forest land. The paddy field and Caotu (a kind of cultivated land located at the foot of hills) were depositional areas. The erosion rate under different landform was in this order: hillside > saddle > hilltop. The footslope and the valley were depositional areas. The {sup 137}Cs technique was shown to provide an effective means of documenting the spatial distribution of soil erosion and deposition within the small watershed.

  12. Effect of orientation and loading rate on compression behavior of small-scale Mo pillars

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schneider, A.S.; Clark, B.G.; Frick, C.P.; Gruber, P.A.; Arzt, E.

    2009-01-01

    Recently, much work has focused on the size effect in face centered cubic (fcc) structures, however few pillar studies have focused on body centered cubic (bcc) metals. This paper explores the role of bcc crystal structure on the size effect, through compression testing of [001] and [235] Molybdenum (Mo) small-scale pillars manufactured by focused ion beam (FIB). The pillar diameters ranged from 200 nm to 5 μm. Results show that the relationship between yield stress and diameter exhibits an inverse relationship (σ y ∝ d -0.22 for [001] Mo and σ y ∝ d -0.34 for [235] Mo) weaker than that observed for face centered cubic (fcc) metals (σ y ∝ d -0.6to-1.0 ). Additional tests at various loading rates revealed that small-scale Mo pillars exhibit a strain rate sensitivity similar to bulk Mo.

  13. Optimal Monetary Policy and Exchange Rate in a Small Open Economy with Unemployment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hyuk-Jae Rhee

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, we consider a small open economy under the New Keynesian model with unemployment of Gali (2011a, b to discuss the design of the monetary policy. Our findings can be summarized in three parts. First, even with the existence of unemployment, the optimal policy is to minimize variance of domestic price inflation, wage inflation, and the output gap when both domestic price and wage are sticky. Second, stabilizing unemployment rate is important in reducing the welfare loss incurred by both technology and labor supply shocks. Therefore, introducing the unemployment rate as an another argument into the Taylor-rule type interest rate rule will be welfare-enhancing. Lastly, controlling CPI inflation is the best option when the policy is not allowed to respond to unemployment rate. Once the unemployment rate is controlled, however, stabilizing power of CPI inflation-based Taylor rule is diminished.

  14. Effects of landforms on the erosion rate in a small watershed by the 137Cs tracing method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Mian; Yao Wenyi; Li Zhanbin; Liu Puling; Shen Zhenzhou

    2010-01-01

    It's very important to analyze and evaluate quantitatively the effects of landforms on soil erosion for the prevention and treatment of soil loss in a small watershed. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of landform factors on erosion rate by the 137 Cs tracing method in a small watershed in the Purple Hilly Area of China. The erosion rates under different slope lengths, slope gradients and slope aspects were estimated in Xiangshuitan watershed in the Purple Hilly Area in Sichuan Basin by the 137 Cs tracing method. The results showed that the erosion rate decreased exponentially with downslope distance, and it increased with increasing slope gradient during the scope of 5 deg. - 16 deg. The slope aspect had great impact on the erosion rate, and the hillside on the sunny slope had larger erosion rate than that on the shady slope, particularly for the farmland.

  15. Modelling small-area inequality in premature mortality using years of life lost rates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Congdon, Peter

    2013-04-01

    Analysis of premature mortality variations via standardized expected years of life lost (SEYLL) measures raises questions about suitable modelling for mortality data, especially when developing SEYLL profiles for areas with small populations. Existing fixed effects estimation methods take no account of correlations in mortality levels over ages, causes, socio-ethnic groups or areas. They also do not specify an underlying data generating process, or a likelihood model that can include trends or correlations, and are likely to produce unstable estimates for small-areas. An alternative strategy involves a fully specified data generation process, and a random effects model which "borrows strength" to produce stable SEYLL estimates, allowing for correlations between ages, areas and socio-ethnic groups. The resulting modelling strategy is applied to gender-specific differences in SEYLL rates in small-areas in NE London, and to cause-specific mortality for leading causes of premature mortality in these areas.

  16. An Experimental investigation of critical flow rates of subcooled water through short pipes with small diameters

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Choon Kyung

    1997-02-01

    The primary objective of this study is to improve our understanding on critical flow phenomena in a small size leak and to develop a model which can be used to estimate the critical mass flow rates through reactor vessel or primary coolant pipe wall. For this purpose, critical two-phase flow phenomena of subcooled water through short pipes (100 ≤ L ≤ 400 mm) with small diameters (3.4 ≤ D ≤ 7.15 mm) have been experimentally investigated for wide ranges of subcooling (0∼199 .deg. C) and pressure (0.5∼2.0MPa). To examine the effects of various parameters (i.e., the location of flashing inception, the degree of subcooling, the stagnation temperature and pressure, and the pipe size) on the critical two-phase flow rates of subcooled water, a total of 135 runs were made for various combinations of test parameters using four different L/D test sections. Experimental results that show effects of various parameters on subcooled critical two-phase flow rates are presented. The measured static pressure profiles along the discharge pipe show that the critical flow rate can be strongly influenced by the flashing location. The locations of saturation pressure for different values of the stagnation subcooling have been consistently determined from the pressure profiles. Based upon the test results, two important parameters have been identified. These are cold state discharge coefficient and dimensionless subcooling, which are found to efficiently take into account the test section geometry and the stagnation conditions, respectively. A semi-empirical model has been developed to predict subcooled two-phase flow rates through small size openings. This model provides a simple and direct calculation of the critical mass flow rates with information on the initial condition and on the test section geometry. Comparisons between the mass fluxes calculated by present model and a total of 755 selected experimental data from 9 different investigators show that the agreement is

  17. Local control rate and prognosis after sequential chemoradiation for small cell carcinoma of the bladder

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Meijer, Richard P.; Meinhardt, Wim; Poel, Henk G. van der; Rhijn, Bas W. van; Kerst, J. Martijn; Pos, Floris J.; Horenblas, Simon; Bex, Axel

    2013-01-01

    The objectives of this study were to assess the long-term outcome and the risk for local recurrence of patients with small cell carcinoma of the bladder (SCCB) treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by external beam radiotherapy (sequential chemoradiation). All consecutive patients with primary small cell carcinoma of the bladder (n=66), treated in our institution between 1993 and 2011 were retrospectively evaluated from an institutional database. Only patients with limited disease (Tx-4N0-1M0) small cell carcinoma of the bladder treated with sequential chemoradiation (n=27) were included in this study. Recurrence rates, overall survival and cancer-specific survival were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Median time to recurrence was 20 months, median overall survival 26 months, 5-year overall survival 22.2%, median cancer-specific survival 47 months and 5-year cancer-specific survival 39.6%. For complete responders after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (n=19), median cancer-specific survival was 52 months with a 5-year cancer-specific survival 45.9% versus a median cancer-specific survival of 22 months and 5-year cancer-specific survival 0.0% for incomplete responders (n=8; P=0.034). Eight patients (29.6%) underwent transurethral resections (TUR-BT) for local recurrences in the bladder. At the end of follow up, four patients had undergone cystectomy for recurrence of disease resulting in a bladder-preservation rate of 85.2%. Median time to local recurrence was 29 months and median time to distant recurrence was 10 months. Sequential chemoradiation for limited disease small cell carcinoma of the bladder results in a reasonable outcome with a high bladder preservation rate. Response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy represents a significant prognostic factor in this patient population. (author)

  18. Experimental Platform for Ultra-high Dose Rate FLASH Irradiation of Small Animals Using a Clinical Linear Accelerator

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schüler, Emil; Trovati, Stefania; King, Gregory; Lartey, Frederick; Rafat, Marjan; Villegas, Manuel; Praxel, A. Joe [Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California (United States); Loo, Billy W., E-mail: BWLoo@stanford.edu [Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California (United States); Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California (United States); Maxim, Peter G., E-mail: PMaxim@stanford.edu [Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California (United States); Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California (United States)

    2017-01-01

    Purpose: A key factor limiting the effectiveness of radiation therapy is normal tissue toxicity, and recent preclinical data have shown that ultra-high dose rate irradiation (>50 Gy/s, “FLASH”) potentially mitigates this effect. However, research in this field has been strongly limited by the availability of FLASH irradiators suitable for small animal experiments. We present a simple methodologic approach for FLASH electron small animal irradiation with a clinically available linear accelerator (LINAC). Methods and Materials: We investigated the FLASH irradiation potential of a Varian Clinac 21EX in both clinical mode and after tuning of the LINAC. We performed detailed FLUKA Monte Carlo and experimental dosimetric characterization at multiple experimental locations within the LINAC head. Results: Average dose rates of ≤74 Gy/s were achieved in clinical mode, and the dose rate after tuning exceeded 900 Gy/s. We obtained 220 Gy/s at 1-cm depth for a >4-cm field size with 90% homogeneity throughout a 2-cm-thick volume. Conclusions: We present an approach for using a clinical LINAC for FLASH irradiation. We obtained dose rates exceeding 200 Gy/s after simple tuning of the LINAC, with excellent dosimetric properties for small animal experiments. This will allow for increased availability of FLASH irradiation to the general research community.

  19. Experimental Platform for Ultra-high Dose Rate FLASH Irradiation of Small Animals Using a Clinical Linear Accelerator.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schüler, Emil; Trovati, Stefania; King, Gregory; Lartey, Frederick; Rafat, Marjan; Villegas, Manuel; Praxel, A Joe; Loo, Billy W; Maxim, Peter G

    2017-01-01

    A key factor limiting the effectiveness of radiation therapy is normal tissue toxicity, and recent preclinical data have shown that ultra-high dose rate irradiation (>50 Gy/s, "FLASH") potentially mitigates this effect. However, research in this field has been strongly limited by the availability of FLASH irradiators suitable for small animal experiments. We present a simple methodologic approach for FLASH electron small animal irradiation with a clinically available linear accelerator (LINAC). We investigated the FLASH irradiation potential of a Varian Clinac 21EX in both clinical mode and after tuning of the LINAC. We performed detailed FLUKA Monte Carlo and experimental dosimetric characterization at multiple experimental locations within the LINAC head. Average dose rates of ≤74 Gy/s were achieved in clinical mode, and the dose rate after tuning exceeded 900 Gy/s. We obtained 220 Gy/s at 1-cm depth for a >4-cm field size with 90% homogeneity throughout a 2-cm-thick volume. We present an approach for using a clinical LINAC for FLASH irradiation. We obtained dose rates exceeding 200 Gy/s after simple tuning of the LINAC, with excellent dosimetric properties for small animal experiments. This will allow for increased availability of FLASH irradiation to the general research community. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Effects of landforms on the erosion rate in a small watershed by the {sup 137}Cs tracing method

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li Mian, E-mail: hnli-mian@163.co [Yellow River Institute of Hydraulic Research, Key Laboratory of Sediment Research of Yellow River of Ministry of Water Resources, Zhengzhou, Henan 450003 (China); Yao Wenyi [Yellow River Institute of Hydraulic Research, Key Laboratory of Sediment Research of Yellow River of Ministry of Water Resources, Zhengzhou, Henan 450003 (China); Li Zhanbin [Xi' an University of Technology, Xi' an, Shaanxi 710048 (China); Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Water Resources, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100 (China); Liu Puling [Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Water Resources, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100 (China); Shen Zhenzhou [Yellow River Institute of Hydraulic Research, Key Laboratory of Sediment Research of Yellow River of Ministry of Water Resources, Zhengzhou, Henan 450003 (China)

    2010-05-15

    It's very important to analyze and evaluate quantitatively the effects of landforms on soil erosion for the prevention and treatment of soil loss in a small watershed. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of landform factors on erosion rate by the {sup 137}Cs tracing method in a small watershed in the Purple Hilly Area of China. The erosion rates under different slope lengths, slope gradients and slope aspects were estimated in Xiangshuitan watershed in the Purple Hilly Area in Sichuan Basin by the {sup 137}Cs tracing method. The results showed that the erosion rate decreased exponentially with downslope distance, and it increased with increasing slope gradient during the scope of 5 deg. - 16 deg. The slope aspect had great impact on the erosion rate, and the hillside on the sunny slope had larger erosion rate than that on the shady slope, particularly for the farmland.

  1. 13 CFR 107.855 - Interest rate ceiling and limitations on fees charged to Small Businesses (“Cost of Money”).

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Interest rate ceiling and... § 107.855 Interest rate ceiling and limitations on fees charged to Small Businesses (“Cost of Money... weighted average interest rate you pay on your “qualified borrowings”. “Qualified borrowings” means your...

  2. THE OCCURRENCE RATE OF SMALL PLANETS AROUND SMALL STARS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dressing, Courtney D.; Charbonneau, David

    2013-01-01

    We use the optical and near-infrared photometry from the Kepler Input Catalog to provide improved estimates of the stellar characteristics of the smallest stars in the Kepler target list. We find 3897 dwarfs with temperatures below 4000 K, including 64 planet candidate host stars orbited by 95 transiting planet candidates. We refit the transit events in the Kepler light curves for these planet candidates and combine the revised planet/star radius ratios with our improved stellar radii to revise the radii of the planet candidates orbiting the cool target stars. We then compare the number of observed planet candidates to the number of stars around which such planets could have been detected in order to estimate the planet occurrence rate around cool stars. We find that the occurrence rate of 0.5-4 R ⊕ planets with orbital periods shorter than 50 days is 0.90 +0.04 -0.03 planets per star. The occurrence rate of Earth-size (0.5-1.4 R ⊕ ) planets is constant across the temperature range of our sample at 0.51 -0.05 +0.06 Earth-size planets per star, but the occurrence of 1.4-4 R ⊕ planets decreases significantly at cooler temperatures. Our sample includes two Earth-size planet candidates in the habitable zone, allowing us to estimate that the mean number of Earth-size planets in the habitable zone is 0.15 +0.13 -0.06 planets per cool star. Our 95% confidence lower limit on the occurrence rate of Earth-size planets in the habitable zones of cool stars is 0.04 planets per star. With 95% confidence, the nearest transiting Earth-size planet in the habitable zone of a cool star is within 21 pc. Moreover, the nearest non-transiting planet in the habitable zone is within 5 pc with 95% confidence.

  3. Effect of fishing effort on catch rate and catchability of largemouth bass in small impoundments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wegener, M. G.; Schramm, Harold; Neal, J. W.; Gerard, P.D.

    2018-01-01

    Largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides (Lacepède) catch rates decline with sustained fishing effort, even without harvest. It is unclear why declines in catch rate occur, and little research has been directed at how to improve catch rate. Learning has been proposed as a reason for declining catch rate, but has never been tested on largemouth bass. If catch rate declines because fish learn to avoid lures, periods of no fishing could be a management tool for increasing catch rate. In this study, six small impoundments with established fish populations were fished for two May to October fishing seasons to evaluate the effect of fishing effort on catch rate. Closed seasons were implemented to test whether a 2‐month period of no fishing improved catch rates and to determine whether conditioning from factors other than being captured reduced catch rate. Mixed‐model analysis indicated catch rate and catchability declined throughout the fishing season. Catch rate and catchability increased after a 2‐month closure but soon declined to the lowest levels of the fishing season. These changes in catch rate and catchability support the conclusion of learned angler avoidance, but sustained catchability of fish not previously caught does not support that associative or social learning affected catchability.

  4. Stability of a Model Explaining Selected Extramusical Influences on Solo and Small-Ensemble Festival Ratings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bergee, Martin J.; Westfall, Claude R.

    2005-01-01

    This is the third study in a line of inquiry whose purpose has been to develop a theoretical model of selected extra musical variables' influence on solo and small-ensemble festival ratings. Authors of the second of these (Bergee & McWhirter, 2005) had used binomial logistic regression as the basis for their model-formulation strategy. Their…

  5. Small Business Administration (SBA) Loan Program Performance- Charge Off Rates as a Percent of Unpaid Principal Balance (UPB) Amount by Program

    Data.gov (United States)

    Small Business Administration — Reflects charge off rates, as a percent of the UPB amounts, at the end of the fiscal year for the major loan programs and aggregate totals for the small direct and...

  6. A small unconditional non-financial incentive suggests an increase in survey response rates amongst older general practitioners (GPs): a randomised controlled trial study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pit, Sabrina Winona; Hansen, Vibeke; Ewald, Dan

    2013-07-30

    Few studies have investigated the effect of small unconditional non-monetary incentives on survey response rates amongst GPs or medical practitioners. This study assessed the effectiveness of offering a small unconditional non-financial incentive to increase survey response rates amongst general practitioners within a randomised controlled trial (RCT). An RCT was conducted within a general practice survey that investigated how to prolong working lives amongst ageing GPs in Australia. GPs (n = 125) were randomised to receive an attractive pen or no pen during their first invitation for participation in a survey. GPs could elect to complete the survey online or via mail. Two follow up reminders were sent without a pen to both groups. The main outcome measure was response rates. The response rate for GPs who received a pen was higher in the intervention group (61.9%) compared to the control group (46.8%). This study did not find a statistically significant effect of a small unconditional non-financial incentive (in the form of a pen) on survey response rates amongst GPs (Odds ratio, 95% confidence interval: 1.85 (0.91 to 3.77). No GPs completed the online version. A small unconditional non-financial incentives, in the form of a pen, may improve response rates for GPs.

  7. Comparative efficiencies of photothermal destruction of malignant cells using antibody-coated silica-Au nanoshells, hollow Au/Ag nanospheres and Au nanorods

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cheng, Fong-Yu; Chen, Chen-Tai; Yeh, Chen-Sheng, E-mail: csyeh@mail.ncku.edu.t [Department of Chemistry, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, Taiwan (China)

    2009-10-21

    Three Au-based nanomaterials (silica-Au nanoshells, hollow Au/Ag nanospheres and Au nanorods) were evaluated for their comparative photothermal efficiencies at killing three types of malignant cells (A549 lung cancer cells, HeLa cervix cancer cells and TCC bladder cancer cells) using a CW NIR laser. Photodestructive efficiency was evaluated as a function of the number of nanoparticles required to destroy the cancer cells under 808 nm laser wavelength at fixed laser power. Of the three nanomaterials, silica/Au nanoshells needed the minimum number of particles to produce effective photodestruction, whereas Au nanorods needed the largest number of particles. Together with the calculated photothermal conversion efficiency, the photothermal efficiency rankings are silica-Au nanoshells > hollow Au/Ag nanospheres > Au nanorods. Additionally, we found that HeLa cells seem to present better heat tolerance than the other two cancer cell lines.

  8. A comparison of methods for calculating NMR cross-relaxation rates (NOESY and ROESY intensities) in small peptides

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Feenstra, K Anton; Peter, Christine; Scheek, Ruud M; van Gunsteren, Wilfred F; Mark, Alan E

    Three methods for calculating nuclear magnetic resonance cross-relaxation rates from molecular dynamics simulations of small flexible molecules have been compared in terms of their ability to reproduce relaxation data obtained experimentally and to produce consistent descriptions of the system. The

  9. Rapid protein disappearance rates along the small intestine advantage poultry performance and influence the post-enteral availability of amino acids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Truong, Ha H; Chrystal, Peter V; Moss, Amy F; Selle, Peter H; Liu, Sonia Yun

    2017-12-01

    A foundation diet, an intermediate blend and a summit diet were formulated with different levels of soyabean meal, casein and crystalline amino acids to compare 'slow' and 'rapid' protein diets. The diets were offered to male Ross 308 chicks from 7 to 28 d post-hatch and assessed parameters included growth performance, nutrient utilisation, apparent digestibility coefficients and disappearance rates of starch and protein (N) in four small intestinal segments. Digestibility coefficients and disappearance rates of sixteen amino acids in three small intestinal segments and amino acid concentrations in plasma from portal and systemic circulations from the foundation and summit diets were determined. The dietary transition significantly accelerated protein (N) disappearance rates in the distal jejunum and ileum. The transition from foundation to summit diets significantly increased starch digestibility coefficients in the ileum and disappearance rates in all four small intestinal segments. These starch responses were associated with significant enhancements in nutrient utilisation. The dietary transition linearly increased digestibility coefficients and disappearance rates of amino acids in the majority of cases. The summit diet increased plasma concentrations of five amino acids but decreased those of four amino acids relative to the foundation diet to significant extents. Plasma concentrations of free amino acids were higher in the portal than systemic circulations. Rapid protein disappearance rates advantaged poultry performance and influenced post-enteral availability of amino acids. If the underlying mechanisms are to be identified, further research into the impact of protein digestive dynamics on broiler performance is required but appears justified.

  10. Effect of control activity on blade fatigue damage rate for a small horizontal axis wind turbine

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Riddle, A F; Freris, L L; Graham, J M.R. [Imperial College, London (United Kingdom)

    1996-09-01

    An experiment into the effect of control activity on blade fatigue damage rate for a 5 kW, two bladed, teetered HAWT has been performed. It has been shown that control activity influences the distribution of strain in the blade but that in a high rotor speed, high cycle fatigue regime this has little influence on damage rate. The experiment was conducted on a small test turbine by implementing variable speed stall, pitch and yaw control strategies and measuring blade flapwise strain response at root and midspan locations. A full description of the investigation is provided. (au)

  11. Effect of small-dose levosimendan on mortality rates and organ functions in Chinese elderly patients with sepsis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wang X

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Xin Wang,1,* Shikui Li2,* 1Intensive Care Unit, 2Cardiothoracic Surgery, Daqing Oilfield General Hospital, Daqing, Heilongjiang, People’s Republic of China *These authors contributed equally to this work Aim: As a primary cause of death not only in Western countries but also in the People’s Republic of China, sepsis is diagnosed as abnormal organ functions as a result of a disordered response to a severe infection. This study was designed to assess the effect of small-dose levosimendan without a loading dose on mortality rates and organ functions in Chinese elderly patients with sepsis.Methods: Following a prospective, randomized, and double-blinded design, 240 Chinese elderly patients with sepsis shock were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU. All patients were randomly and evenly assigned into a levosimendan group (number of patients =120 and a control group (number of patients =120. The control group underwent standard care, and the levosimendan group was administered levosimendan in addition to standard care.Results: All participants, comprising 134 males (55.8% and 106 females (44.2%, were 70 (67–73 years old. Baseline characteristics, preexisting illnesses, initial infections, organ failures, and additional agents and therapies showed no significant difference between the two groups (P>0.05 for all. There were no significant differences in mortality rates at 28 days, at ICU discharge, and at hospital discharge between the two groups (P>0.05 for all. The number of days of ICU and hospital stay in the levosimendan group was significantly less than for those in the control group (P<0.05 for all. Mean daily total sequential organ failure assessment score and all organ scores except the cardiovascular scores showed no significant difference between the two groups (P>0.05 for all. Cardiovascular scores in the levosimendan group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P<0.05 for all.Conclusion: Small

  12. The allele-frequency spectrum in a decoupled Moran model with mutation, drift, and directional selection, assuming small mutation rates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vogl, Claus; Clemente, Florian

    2012-05-01

    We analyze a decoupled Moran model with haploid population size N, a biallelic locus under mutation and drift with scaled forward and backward mutation rates θ(1)=μ(1)N and θ(0)=μ(0)N, and directional selection with scaled strength γ=sN. With small scaled mutation rates θ(0) and θ(1), which is appropriate for single nucleotide polymorphism data in highly recombining regions, we derive a simple approximate equilibrium distribution for polymorphic alleles with a constant of proportionality. We also put forth an even simpler model, where all mutations originate from monomorphic states. Using this model we derive the sojourn times, conditional on the ancestral and fixed allele, and under equilibrium the distributions of fixed and polymorphic alleles and fixation rates. Furthermore, we also derive the distribution of small samples in the diffusion limit and provide convenient recurrence relations for calculating this distribution. This enables us to give formulas analogous to the Ewens-Watterson estimator of θ for biased mutation rates and selection. We apply this theory to a polymorphism dataset of fourfold degenerate sites in Drosophila melanogaster. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Comparing sensitivity and count rate performance of small-bore DOI-PET scanners by computer simulation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kobayashi, Tetsuya; Takahashi, Hisashi; Yamaya, Taiga; Murayama, Hideo; Kitamura, Keishi; Hasegawa, Tomoyuki; Suga, Mikio

    2006-01-01

    In the development of a dedicated small-bore DOI-PET scanner for small animals (jPET-RD), we performed Monte Carlo simulations using the GATE based on Geant4 and investigated the influence of the proximity of the detectors to the target object on the sensitivity and count rate performance. The jPET-RD is based on a large-size depth-of-interaction (DOI) block detector that consists of a 4-layered array of 32 x 32 LSO crystals (1.4 mm x 1.4 mm x 4.5 mm) and a 256-ch flat panel position-sensitive photomultiplier tube. In this work, three detector geometries were simulated: two rings of six detector blocks arranged in a hexagonal pattern (FOV 85 mm in diameter) and four detector blocks arranged in a tetragonal pattern (FOV 49 mm in diameter) and in an overlapped tetragonal pattern (FOV 38 mm in diameter). The simulation results showed that the smaller bore geometry can provide higher sensitivity because of its larger solid angle. Although it clearly affected the noise equivalent count rate (NECR) due to its high dead-time, parallel readout with appropriate anode segmentation improved the NECR at 20 MBq by a factor of 1.1 to 1.4 compared with the case of 256-ch anodes read out by one front-end circuit. (author)

  14. Small regulatory RNA-induced growth rate heterogeneity of Bacillus subtilis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mars, Ruben A T; Nicolas, Pierre; Ciccolini, Mariano; Reilman, Ewoud; Reder, Alexander; Schaffer, Marc; Mäder, Ulrike; Völker, Uwe; van Dijl, Jan Maarten; Denham, Emma L

    2015-03-01

    Isogenic bacterial populations can consist of cells displaying heterogeneous physiological traits. Small regulatory RNAs (sRNAs) could affect this heterogeneity since they act by fine-tuning mRNA or protein levels to coordinate the appropriate cellular behavior. Here we show that the sRNA RnaC/S1022 from the Gram-positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis can suppress exponential growth by modulation of the transcriptional regulator AbrB. Specifically, the post-transcriptional abrB-RnaC/S1022 interaction allows B. subtilis to increase the cell-to-cell variation in AbrB protein levels, despite strong negative autoregulation of the abrB promoter. This behavior is consistent with existing mathematical models of sRNA action, thus suggesting that induction of protein expression noise could be a new general aspect of sRNA regulation. Importantly, we show that the sRNA-induced diversity in AbrB levels generates heterogeneity in growth rates during the exponential growth phase. Based on these findings, we hypothesize that the resulting subpopulations of fast- and slow-growing B. subtilis cells reflect a bet-hedging strategy for enhanced survival of unfavorable conditions.

  15. Gastric emptying rate and small bowel transit time in patients with irritable bowel syndrome determined with 99mTc-labeled pellets and scintigraphy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nielsen, O.H.; Gjorup, T.; Christensen, F.N.

    1986-12-01

    A new method employing 99mTc-labeled pellets for determination of the gastric emptying rate and small bowel transit time is described. The participants were six normal subjects and 16 patients with irritable bowel syndrome (eight with diarrhea and eight with obstipation as the primary complaint). The gastric emptying rate was the same in the three groups. The patients in the obstipation group had a significantly longer small bowel transit time than the normals (P less than 0.02) and the patients in the diarrhea group (P less than 0.01). There was no demonstrable difference between the small bowel transit time in the normals and in the patients in the diarrhea group.

  16. Gastric emptying rate and small bowel transit time in patients with irritable bowel syndrome determined with 99mTc-labeled pellets and scintigraphy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nielsen, O.H.; Gjorup, T.; Christensen, F.N.

    1986-01-01

    A new method employing 99mTc-labeled pellets for determination of the gastric emptying rate and small bowel transit time is described. The participants were six normal subjects and 16 patients with irritable bowel syndrome (eight with diarrhea and eight with obstipation as the primary complaint). The gastric emptying rate was the same in the three groups. The patients in the obstipation group had a significantly longer small bowel transit time than the normals (P less than 0.02) and the patients in the diarrhea group (P less than 0.01). There was no demonstrable difference between the small bowel transit time in the normals and in the patients in the diarrhea group

  17. Nitrogen replenishment using variable rate application technique in a small hand-harvested pear orchard

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vatsanidou, A.; Nanos, G.D.; Fountas, S.; Baras, J.; Castrignano, A.; Gemtos, T.A.

    2017-07-01

    Precision agriculture is a management approach for sustainable agriculture. It can be applied even in small fields. It aims to optimize inputs, improve profits, and reduce adverse environmental impacts. In this study, a series of measurements were conducted over three growing seasons to assess variability in a 0.55 ha pear orchard located in central Greece. Soil ECa was measured using EM38 sensor, while soil samples were taken from a grid 17 × 8 m and analysed for texture, pH, P, K, Mg, CaCO3, and organic matter content. Data analysis indicated that most of the nutrients were at sufficient levels. Soil and yield maps showed considerable variability while fruit quality presented small variations across the orchard. Yield fluctuations were observed, possibly due to climatic conditions. Prescription maps were developed for nitrogen variable rate application (VRA) for two years based on the replacement of the nutrients removed by the crop. VRA application resulted in 56% and 50% reduction of N fertiliser compared to uniform application.

  18. Nitrogen replenishment using variable rate application technique in a small hand-harvested pear orchard

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vatsanidou, A.; Nanos, G.D.; Fountas, S.; Baras, J.; Castrignano, A.; Gemtos, T.A.

    2017-01-01

    Precision agriculture is a management approach for sustainable agriculture. It can be applied even in small fields. It aims to optimize inputs, improve profits, and reduce adverse environmental impacts. In this study, a series of measurements were conducted over three growing seasons to assess variability in a 0.55 ha pear orchard located in central Greece. Soil ECa was measured using EM38 sensor, while soil samples were taken from a grid 17 × 8 m and analysed for texture, pH, P, K, Mg, CaCO3, and organic matter content. Data analysis indicated that most of the nutrients were at sufficient levels. Soil and yield maps showed considerable variability while fruit quality presented small variations across the orchard. Yield fluctuations were observed, possibly due to climatic conditions. Prescription maps were developed for nitrogen variable rate application (VRA) for two years based on the replacement of the nutrients removed by the crop. VRA application resulted in 56% and 50% reduction of N fertiliser compared to uniform application.

  19. Nitrogen replenishment using variable rate application technique in a small hand-harvested pear orchard

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anna Vatsanidou

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Precision agriculture is a management approach for sustainable agriculture. It can be applied even in small fields. It aims to optimize inputs, improve profits, and reduce adverse environmental impacts. In this study, a series of measurements were conducted over three growing seasons to assess variability in a 0.55 ha pear orchard located in central Greece. Soil ECa was measured using EM38 sensor, while soil samples were taken from a grid 17 × 8 m and analysed for texture, pH, P, K, Mg, CaCO3, and organic matter content. Data analysis indicated that most of the nutrients were at sufficient levels. Soil and yield maps showed considerable variability while fruit quality presented small variations across the orchard. Yield fluctuations were observed, possibly due to climatic conditions. Prescription maps were developed for nitrogen variable rate application (VRA for two years based on the replacement of the nutrients removed by the crop. VRA application resulted in 56% and 50% reduction of N fertiliser compared to uniform application.

  20. DEM study of granular discharge rate through a vertical pipe with a bend outlet in small absorber sphere system

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, Tianjin, E-mail: tjli@tsinghua.edu.cn; Zhang, He; Liu, Malin; Huang, Zhiyong; Bo, Hanliang; Dong, Yujie

    2017-04-01

    Highlights: • The work concerns granular flow in a vertical pipe with a bend. • Discharge rate fluctuation in vertical pipe are mainly from velocity fluctuation. • Steady discharge rate decreases rapidly and saturates with μ{sub s} increasing. • Steady discharge rate W{sub s} still obey the 5/2 power law of pipe internal diameter. • A correlation developed for steady discharge rate for this new geometry. - Abstract: Absorber sphere pneumatic conveying is a special application of pneumatic conveying technique in the pebble bed High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor (HTGR or HTR). Granular discharge through a vertical pipe with a bend outlet is one of the control modes to determine solid mass flowrate which is an important parameter for the design of absorber sphere pneumatic conveying. Granular discharge rate through the vertical pipe with a bend outlet in the small absorber sphere system are investigated by discrete element method simulation. The effect of geometry parameters on discharge rate, the discharge rate fluctuation in the vertical pipe, and the effect of friction on steady discharge rate (W{sub s}) are analyzed and discussed. The phenomena of discharge rate fluctuation in the vertical pipe are observed, which are mainly resulted from the evolution of the average downward granular velocity. The steady discharge rate decreases rapidly with sliding friction coefficient increasing from 0.125 to 0.5, and gradually saturates with the friction coefficient further increasing from 0.5 to 1. It is interesting that the linear relation between W{sub s}{sup 2/5} and pipe internal diameter D with zero intercept are found for the vertical pipe discharge with a bend outlet, which is different from the orifice discharge through a hopper or silo with none-zero intercept. A correlation similar to Beverloo’s correlation is developed to predict the steady discharge rate through the vertical pipe with a bend outlet. These results are helpful for the design of sphere

  1. E-Government Attempts in Small Island Developing States: The Rate of Corruption with Virtualization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sari, Arif

    2017-12-01

    In recent years, many Small Island Developing State (SIDS) governments have worked to increase openness and transparency of their transactions as a means to enhance efficiency and reduce corruption in their economies. In order to achieve a cost-effective and efficient strategy to implement a transparent government, Information Communication Technologies offer an opportunity of virtualization by deploying e-government services to promote transparency, accountability and consistency in the public sector and to minimize corruption. This paper explores the potential impact of government virtualization by SIDS and against corruption by comparing the corruption perception index (CPI) rates of 15 SIDS countries. The CPI relates to the degree by which corruption is perceived to exist among public officials and politicians by business people and country analysts. In order to reveal the long-term impact of virtual deployment and its consequences on corruption, an in-depth case analysis based on the CPI index rates was conducted on the deployment of the e-government system in Cyprus.

  2. The triplet excited state of bilirubin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Land, E.J.

    1976-01-01

    Pulse radiolysis of benzene solutions of 40 μM bilirubin alone or with 0.1 M biphenyl has yielded evidence for the formation of the triplet excited state of bilirubin. Measurements were made of a number of properties, including the absorption spectrum (lambdasub(max)500nm), lifetime 9μs), extinction coefficient (8800 M -1 cm -1 ), energy level (approximately 150 kJ mol -1 ) and the rate of quenching by oxygen (rate constant, 8.2 x 10 8 M -1 s -1 ). An upper limit of 0.1 has also been obtained for the singlet to triplet crossover efficiency of bilirubin following excitation by 353 nm radiation. Consideration is given to the relevance of these data to the mechanism of bilirubin photo-destruction, both in vivo and in vitro. (U.K.)

  3. 75 FR 17453 - Interest Rates

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-06

    ... SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION Interest Rates The Small Business Administration publishes an interest rate called the optional ``peg'' rate (13 CFR 120.214) on a quarterly basis. This rate is a.... This rate may [[Page 17454

  4. Evaluation of effective coolant flow rate in advanced design of the small scale VHTR core

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fumizawa, Motoo; Suzuki, Kunihiko; Murakami, Tomoyuki.

    1988-02-01

    This report describes the evaluation of effective coolant flow rate in the advanced design of the small scale VHTR core. The analytical design study was carried out after the 2nd stage of detailed design in order to reduce the cost of construction. The summary of the analytical results are as follows: (1) Crossflow loss coefficient of flange type fuel block having 0.1 mm of sealing gap is about 100 times higher than that of dowel type block adopted in the 2nd stage of detailed design. (2) In case that coolant channel outer diameter is 52 mm and hydraulic diameter is 6 mm, the effective coolant flow rates using flange and dowel type fuel blocks are 80 % and 70 % respectively. Because the crossflow loss coefficients of dowel type are lower than that of flange type. (3) The effective coolant flow rate, when crossflow loss coefficients are distributed along with the axial direction, agrees well with that using mean value of crossflow loss coefficient i.e. 5 x 10 11 m -4 . (author)

  5. 76 FR 77581 - Interest Rates

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-12-13

    ... SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION Interest Rates The Small Business Administration publishes an interest rate called the optional ``peg'' rate (13 CFR 120.214) on a quarterly basis. This rate is a.... This rate may be used as a base rate for guaranteed fluctuating interest rate SBA loans. This rate will...

  6. 77 FR 76586 - Interest Rates

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-12-28

    ... SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION Interest Rates The Small Business Administration publishes an interest rate called the optional ``peg'' rate (13 CFR 120.214) on a quarterly basis. This rate is a.... This rate may be used as a base rate for guaranteed fluctuating interest rate SBA loans. This rate will...

  7. 76 FR 18821 - Interest Rates

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-04-05

    ... SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION Interest Rates The Small Business Administration publishes an interest rate called the optional ``peg'' rate (13 CFR 120.214) on a quarterly basis. This rate is a.... This rate may be used as a base rate for guaranteed fluctuating interest rate SBA loans. This rate will...

  8. 78 FR 18664 - Interest Rates

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-03-27

    ... SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION Interest Rates The Small Business Administration publishes an interest rate called the optional ``peg'' rate (13 CFR 120.214) on a quarterly basis. This rate is a.... This rate may be used as a base rate for guaranteed fluctuating interest rate SBA loans. This rate will...

  9. 75 FR 81326 - Interest Rates

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-12-27

    ... SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION Interest Rates The Small Business Administration publishes an interest rate called the optional ``peg'' rate (13 CFR 120.214) on a quarterly basis. This rate is a.... This rate may be used as a base rate for guaranteed fluctuating interest rate SBA loans. This rate will...

  10. 77 FR 39560 - Interest Rates

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-07-03

    ... SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION Interest Rates The Small Business Administration publishes an interest rate called the optional ``peg'' rate (13 CFR 120.214) on a quarterly basis. This rate is a.... This rate may be used as a base rate for guaranteed fluctuating interest rate SBA loans. This rate will...

  11. 75 FR 37872 - Interest Rates

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-06-30

    ... SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION Interest Rates The Small Business Administration publishes an interest rate called the optional ``peg'' rate (13 CFR 120.214) on a quarterly basis. This rate is a.... This rate may be used as a base rate for guaranteed fluctuating interest rate SBA loans. This rate will...

  12. 77 FR 20476 - Interest Rates

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-04-04

    ... SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION Interest Rates The Small Business Administration publishes an interest rate called the optional ``peg'' rate (13 CFR 120.214) on a quarterly basis. This rate is a.... This rate may be used as a base rate for guaranteed fluctuating interest rate SBA loans. This rate will...

  13. 75 FR 60152 - Interest Rates

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-09-29

    ... SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION Interest Rates The Small Business Administration publishes an interest rate called the optional ``peg'' rate (13 CFR 120.214) on a quarterly basis. This rate is a.... This rate may be used as a base rate for guaranteed fluctuating interest rate SBA loans. This rate will...

  14. 77 FR 59447 - Interest Rates

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-09-27

    ... SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION Interest Rates The Small Business Administration publishes an interest rate called the optional ``peg'' rate (13 CFR 120.214) on a quarterly basis. This rate is a.... This rate may be used as a base rate for guaranteed fluctuating interest rate SBA loans. This rate will...

  15. 78 FR 62932 - Interest Rates

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-10-22

    ... SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION Interest Rates The Small Business Administration publishes an interest rate called the optional ``peg'' rate (13 CFR 120.214) on a quarterly basis. This rate is a.... This rate may be used as a base rate for guaranteed fluctuating interest rate SBA loans. This rate will...

  16. 78 FR 39434 - Interest Rates

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-07-01

    ... SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION Interest Rates The Small Business Administration publishes an interest rate called the optional ``peg'' rate (13 CFR 120.214) on a quarterly basis. This rate is a.... This rate may be used as a base rate for guaranteed fluctuating interest rate SBA loans. This rate will...

  17. 76 FR 59767 - Interest Rates; Notice

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-09-27

    ... SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION Interest Rates; Notice AGENCY: Small Business Administration. The Small Business Administration publishes an interest rate called the optional ``peg'' rate (13 CFR 120... fluctuating interest rate SBA loans. This rate will be 3.125 (3\\1/8\\) percent for the October-December quarter...

  18. 76 FR 38717 - Interest Rates

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-07-01

    ... SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION Interest Rates The Small Business Administration publishes an interest rate called the optional ``peg'' rate (13 CFR 120.214) on a quarterly basis. This rate is a.... This rate may be used as a base rate for guaranteed fluctuating interest rate SBA loans. This [[Page...

  19. Inter-Location Small Business Tax Rate Variation in Ukraine: What Is Behind It?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sergii Slukhai

    2009-03-01

    Full Text Available This paper’s aim is to research into the variation in effective tax rates among local jurisdictions of two regions of Ukraine, Ivano-Frankivsk and Vinnitsa, in order to get new insights into the peculiarity of inter-location fiscal competition in the context of a transitional economy. It is argued that, despite a highly centralized taxation system, the room for inter-jurisdictional tax competition is somewhat limited, at least with regard to a unified small business tax for natural persons. This competition could take on a very specific shape because it is closely related to the issue of hidden economy. The study demonstrates that local fiscal policy has a potential to affect the number of business units registered in a specific jurisdiction.

  20. Progress in generating fracture data base as a function of loading rate and temperature using small-scale tests

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Couque, H.; Hudak, S.J. Jr.

    1993-01-01

    Structural integrity assessment of nuclear pressure vessels requires small specimen fracture testing to generate data over a wide range of material loading, and temperature conditions. Small scale testing is employed since extensive testing is required including small radiation embrittled samples from nuclear surveillance capsules. However, current small scale technology does not provide the needed dynamic fracture toughness relevant to the crack arrest/reinitiation events that may occur during pressurized thermal shock transients following emergency shutdown. This paper addresses the generation of this much needed dynamic toughness data using a novel experimental-computational approach involving a coupled pressure bars (CPB) technique and a viscoplastic dynamic fracture code. CPB data have been generated to testing temperatures never before reached: 37 to 100 degrees C -- 60 to 123 degrees C above the nil ductility transition temperature. Fracture behavior of pressure vessel steel from lower shelf to upper shelf temperatures and previous toughness estimates for the 10 6 MPa√m s -1 loading rate regime are assessed in light of the new CPB data. 26 refs., 14 figs., 3 tabs

  1. Scaling A Moment-Rate Function For Small To Large Magnitude Events

    Science.gov (United States)

    Archuleta, Ralph; Ji, Chen

    2017-04-01

    Since the 1980's seismologists have recognized that peak ground acceleration (PGA) and peak ground velocity (PGV) scale differently with magnitude for large and moderate earthquakes. In a recent paper (Archuleta and Ji, GRL 2016) we introduced an apparent moment-rate function (aMRF) that accurately predicts the scaling with magnitude of PGA, PGV, PWA (Wood-Anderson Displacement) and the ratio PGA/2πPGV (dominant frequency) for earthquakes 3.3 ≤ M ≤ 5.3. This apparent moment-rate function is controlled by two temporal parameters, tp and td, which are related to the time for the moment-rate function to reach its peak amplitude and the total duration of the earthquake, respectively. These two temporal parameters lead to a Fourier amplitude spectrum (FAS) of displacement that has two corners in between which the spectral amplitudes decay as 1/f, f denotes frequency. At higher or lower frequencies, the FAS of the aMRF looks like a single-corner Aki-Brune omega squared spectrum. However, in the presence of attenuation the higher corner is almost certainly masked. Attempting to correct the spectrum to an Aki-Brune omega-squared spectrum will produce an "apparent" corner frequency that falls between the double corner frequency of the aMRF. We reason that the two corners of the aMRF are the reason that seismologists deduce a stress drop (e.g., Allmann and Shearer, JGR 2009) that is generally much smaller than the stress parameter used to produce ground motions from stochastic simulations (e.g., Boore, 2003 Pageoph.). The presence of two corners for the smaller magnitude earthquakes leads to several questions. Can deconvolution be successfully used to determine scaling from small to large earthquakes? Equivalently will large earthquakes have a double corner? If large earthquakes are the sum of many smaller magnitude earthquakes, what should the displacement FAS look like for a large magnitude earthquake? Can a combination of such a double-corner spectrum and random

  2. Penguin head movement detected using small accelerometers: a proxy of prey encounter rate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kokubun, Nobuo; Kim, Jeong-Hoon; Shin, Hyoung-Chul; Naito, Yasuhiko; Takahashi, Akinori

    2011-11-15

    Determining temporal and spatial variation in feeding rates is essential for understanding the relationship between habitat features and the foraging behavior of top predators. In this study we examined the utility of head movement as a proxy of prey encounter rates in medium-sized Antarctic penguins, under the presumption that the birds should move their heads actively when they encounter and peck prey. A field study of free-ranging chinstrap and gentoo penguins was conducted at King George Island, Antarctica. Head movement was recorded using small accelerometers attached to the head, with simultaneous monitoring for prey encounter or body angle. The main prey was Antarctic krill (>99% in wet mass) for both species. Penguin head movement coincided with a slow change in body angle during dives. Active head movements were extracted using a high-pass filter (5 Hz acceleration signals) and the remaining acceleration peaks (higher than a threshold acceleration of 1.0 g) were counted. The timing of head movements coincided well with images of prey taken from the back-mounted cameras: head movement was recorded within ±2.5 s of a prey image on 89.1±16.1% (N=7 trips) of images. The number of head movements varied largely among dive bouts, suggesting large temporal variations in prey encounter rates. Our results show that head movement is an effective proxy of prey encounter, and we suggest that the method will be widely applicable for a variety of predators.

  3. Small crater modification on Meridiani Planum and implications for erosion rates and climate change on Mars

    Science.gov (United States)

    Golombek, M.P.; Warner, N.H.; Ganti, V.; Lamb, M.P.; Parker, T.J.; Fergason, Robin L.; Sullivan, R.

    2014-01-01

    A morphometric and morphologic catalog of ~100 small craters imaged by the Opportunity rover over the 33.5 km traverse between Eagle and Endeavour craters on Meridiani Planum shows craters in six stages of degradation that range from fresh and blocky to eroded and shallow depressions ringed by planed off rim blocks. The age of each morphologic class from Mars over ~100 Myr and 3 Gyr timescales from the Amazonian and Hesperian are of order <0.01 m/Myr, which is 3–4 orders of magnitude slower than typical terrestrial rates. Erosion rates during the Middle-Late Noachian averaged over ~250 Myr, and ~700 Myr intervals are around 1 m/Myr, comparable to slow terrestrial erosion rates calculated over similar timescales. This argues for a wet climate before ~3 Ga in which liquid water was the erosional agent, followed by a dry environment dominated by slow eolian erosion.

  4. Estimating dust production rate of carbon-rich stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nanni, A.; Marigo, P.; Groenewegen, M. A. T.; Aringer, B.; Pastorelli, G.; Rubele, S.; Girardi, L.; Bressan, A.; Bladh, S.

    We compute a grid of spectra describing dusty Circumstellar Envelopes of Thermally Pulsing Asymptotic Giant Branch carbon-rich stars by employing a physically grounded description for dust growth. The optical constants for carbon dust have been selected in order to reproduce simultaneously the most important color-color diagrams in the Near and Mid Infrared bands. We fit the Spectral Energy Distribution of ≈2000 carbon-rich in the Small Magellanic Cloud and we compute their total dust production rate. We compare our results with the ones in the literature. Different choices of the dust-to-gas ratio and outflow expansion velocity adopted in different works, yield, in some cases, a total dust budget about three times lower than the one derived from our scheme, with the same optical data set for carbon dust.

  5. Exchange rate and price dynamics in a small open economy - the role of the zero lower bound and monetary policy regimes

    OpenAIRE

    Gregor Bäurle; Daniel Kaufmann

    2014-01-01

    We analyse nominal exchange rate and price dynamics after risk premium shocks with short-term interest rates constrained by the zero lower bound (ZLB). In a small-open-economy DSGE model, temporary risk premium shocks lead to shifts of the exchange rate and the price level if a central bank implements an inflation target by means of a traditional Taylor rule. These shifts are strongly amplified and become more persistent once the ZLB is included in the model. We also provide empirical support...

  6. Precision for Smallholder Farmers: A Small-Scale-Tailored Variable Rate Fertilizer Application Kit

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jelle Van Loon

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Precision agriculture technology at the hands of smallholder farmers in the developing world is often deemed far-fetched. Low-resource farmers, however, are the most susceptible to negative changes in the environment. Providing these farmers with the right tools to mitigate adversity and to gain greater control of the production process could unlock their potential and support rural communities to meet the increasing global food demand. In this study, a real-time variable rate fertilizer application system was developed and tested as an add-on kit to conventional farm machinery. In the context of low investment costs for smallholder farmers, high user-friendliness and easy installment were the main concerns for the system to be viable. The system used nitrogen (N-sensors to assess the plant nutrient status on the spot and subsequently adjust the amount of fertilizer deposited according to the plant’s needs. Test bench trials showed that the add-on kit performed well with basic operations, but more precision is required. Variability between N-sensors and metering systems, combined with power fluctuations, created inaccuracies in the resulting application rate. Nevertheless, this work is a stepping stone towards catalyzing the elaboration of more cutting-edge precision solutions to support small-scale farmers to become successful, high producing agro-entrepreneurs.

  7. Success and failure rates of tumor genotyping techniques in routine pathological samples with non-small-cell lung cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vanderlaan, Paul A; Yamaguchi, Norihiro; Folch, Erik; Boucher, David H; Kent, Michael S; Gangadharan, Sidharta P; Majid, Adnan; Goldstein, Michael A; Huberman, Mark S; Kocher, Olivier N; Costa, Daniel B

    2014-04-01

    Identification of some somatic molecular alterations in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has become evidence-based practice. The success and failure rate of using commercially available tumor genotyping techniques in routine day-to-day NSCLC pathology samples is not well described. We sought to evaluate the success and failure rate of EGFR mutation, KRAS mutation, and ALK FISH in a cohort of lung cancers subjected to routine clinical tumor genotype. Clinicopathologic data, tumor genotype success and failure rates were retrospectively compiled and analyzed from 381 patient-tumor samples. From these 381 patients with lung cancer, the mean age was 65 years, 61.2% were women, 75.9% were white, 27.8% were never smokers, 73.8% had advanced NSCLC and 86.1% had adenocarcinoma histology. The tumor tissue was obtained from surgical specimens in 48.8%, core needle biopsies in 17.9%, and as cell blocks from aspirates or fluid in 33.3% of cases. Anatomic sites for tissue collection included lung (49.3%), lymph nodes (22.3%), pleura (11.8%), bone (6.0%), brain (6.0%), among others. The overall success rate for EGFR mutation analysis was 94.2%, for KRAS mutation 91.6% and for ALK FISH 91.6%. The highest failure rates were observed when the tissue was obtained from image-guided percutaneous transthoracic core-needle biopsies (31.8%, 27.3%, and 35.3% for EGFR, KRAS, and ALK tests, respectively) and bone specimens (23.1%, 15.4%, and 23.1%, respectively). In specimens obtained from bone, the failure rates were significantly higher for biopsies than resection specimens (40% vs. 0%, p=0.024 for EGFR) and for decalcified compared to non-decalcified samples (60% vs. 5.5%, p=0.021 for EGFR). Tumor genotype techniques are feasible in most samples, outside small image-guided percutaneous transthoracic core-needle biopsies and bone samples from core biopsies with decalcification, and therefore expansion of routine tumor genotype into the care of patients with NSCLC may not require special

  8. Acute Effects of Different Formats of Small-Sided and Conditioned Handball Games on Heart Rate Responses in Female Students During PE Classes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Filipe Manuel Clemente

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was to analyze the impact of different formats (2-a-side, 3-a-side and 4-a-side on heart rate responses of female students during small-sided and conditioned handball games. The heart rate responses were measured using heart rate monitors during physical education classes. Eight female students participated in the study (15 ± 0.0 years. The one-way ANOVA showed statistical differences with moderate effect between the three different formats (F(2, 1674 = 86.538; p-value ˂ 0.001;  = 0.094; Power = 1.0. The results showed that smaller formats (2-a-side and 3-a-side increased the heart rate responses of female students during small-sided and conditioned handball games during physical education (PE classes. The results also suggested that 2-a-side games can be used for anaerobic workouts and the 3-a-side and 4-a-side games can be better used to reach lactate-threshold and for aerobic workouts of high intensity.

  9. Fracture toughness evaluation of small notched specimen in consideration of notch effect and loading rate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Baik Woo; Kwon, Dong Il; Jang, Jae Il

    2000-01-01

    Notch effect and loading rate dependency on fracture toughness were considered when evaluating fracture toughness of small notched specimens using the instrumented impact test. Notch effect was analyzed into stress redistribution effect and stress relaxation with a viewpoint of stress triaxiality. Stress redistribution effect was corrected by introducing effective crack length, which was the sum of actual crack length and plastic zone size. Stress relaxation effect was also corrected using elastic stress concentration factor, which would decrease if plastic deformation occurred. As a result, corrected fracture toughness of the notched specimen was very consistent with the reference fracture toughness obtained using precracked specimen. In addition, limiting notch root radius, below which fracture toughness was independent of notch radius, was observed and discussed. Loading rate dependency on fracture toughness, which was obtained from the static three point bending test and the instrumented impact test, was also discussed with stress field in plastic zone ahead of a notch and fracture based on stress control mechanism. (author)

  10. Measurement of disintegration rates of small [60Co]Co sources in lead containers by the sum-peak method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kawano, Takao; Ebihara, Hiroshi

    1991-01-01

    The sum-peak method has been applied to determine the disintegration rates of two small [ 60 Co]Co sources (30 and 350 kBq) in lead containers with several thickness by using a NaI(Tl) detector. The experimental results showed that the sum-peak method was perfectly effective for the determination of the disintegration rates (unrelated to the thicknesses of the containers) of the 350 kBq source. The sum-peak method was also absolutely effective for the 30 kBq source in the case of containers with thicknesses of 15 mm and less, but in the cases of those with thicknesses of 21, 27 and 33 mm, the disintegration rates were under-estimated and the deviations from the true disintegration rate increased rapidly with increasing thicknesses of the containers. We presume that the under-estimation of the disintegration rates was the result of the over-estimation of the areas under the sum peaks, caused by the interference of the γ-ray (2614 keV) emitted from the naturally occurring radionuclide 208 Tl. (author)

  11. Cyanide Removal Efficiency of Photocatalytic Nanoparticles Stabilized on Glass Microbeads Under Sun Irradiation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Neda Masoudipour

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper investigates cyanide photodestruction (at pH 9 using the S, N-TiO2 photocatalyst synthesized by the sol-gel method and stabilized on glass microbeads. The main raw materials were thiourea, as a source of N and S, and tetra butyl ortho titanate. The effects of S and N doses, visible light (a 400W light, sunlight, irradiation time, and different initial cyanide concentrations (50, 100, 200, and 300 ppm were studied on cyanide photodestruction. Cyanide concentration was measured by the titration method and the photocatalyst film was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD, UV-Vis diffuse reflection spectroscopy (DRS, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM, and Energy dispersive X-ray (EDX analysis. XRD patterns and SEM images were used to determine the nanoparticle size of the photocatalyst on glass microbeads. EDX and DRS analyses confirmed the presence of S and N as well as the activity of the photocatalyst in the visible region, respectively. The S, N-TiO2 film with 0.25 g Thiuourea proved to be the best cyanide photodestruction agent in the visible light. Based on the results obtained, S, N-TiO2/ glass microbead was capable of destroying cyanide (50 ppm by up to 94% in the visible light and by approximately 100% in the sunlight. The results also indicated that S, N-Tio2/scoria stone was capable of destroying cyanide by 85% in the visible light and by 94% in the sunlight within 4 h.  The reaction kinetic for all cyanide concentrations and two photocatalyst substrates were described by a first order equation. Finally, it was concluded that the S, N-TiO2 stabilized on glass microbeads could be effectively used as a new method for treating wastewater containing free cyanide under the sunlight.

  12. Effect of hole geometry and Electric-Discharge Machining (EDM) on airflow rates through small diameter holes in turbine blade material

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hippensteele, S. A.; Cochran, R. P.

    1980-01-01

    The effects of two design parameters, electrode diameter and hole angle, and two machine parameters, electrode current and current-on time, on air flow rates through small-diameter (0.257 to 0.462 mm) electric-discharge-machined holes were measured. The holes were machined individually in rows of 14 each through 1.6 mm thick IN-100 strips. The data showed linear increase in air flow rate with increases in electrode cross sectional area and current-on time and little change with changes in hole angle and electrode current. The average flow-rate deviation (from the mean flow rate for a given row) decreased linearly with electrode diameter and increased with hole angle. Burn time and finished hole diameter were also measured.

  13. Self-rated health: small area large area comparisons amongst older adults at the state, district and sub-district level in India.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hirve, Siddhivinayak; Vounatsou, Penelope; Juvekar, Sanjay; Blomstedt, Yulia; Wall, Stig; Chatterji, Somnath; Ng, Nawi

    2014-03-01

    We compared prevalence estimates of self-rated health (SRH) derived indirectly using four different small area estimation methods for the Vadu (small) area from the national Study on Global AGEing (SAGE) survey with estimates derived directly from the Vadu SAGE survey. The indirect synthetic estimate for Vadu was 24% whereas the model based estimates were 45.6% and 45.7% with smaller prediction errors and comparable to the direct survey estimate of 50%. The model based techniques were better suited to estimate the prevalence of SRH than the indirect synthetic method. We conclude that a simplified mixed effects regression model can produce valid small area estimates of SRH. © 2013 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  14. Economic fluctuations in a small economy with two productive sectors under a floating exchange rate regime

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    José Ustorgio Mora Mora

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents a theoretical model of aggregate supply and demand in a small economy with two productive sectors, under a flexible exchange regime and imperfect capital mobility. Only one of the production sectors is assumed to produce an exportable commodity sold at world market prices, while the production of the other sector is assumed to supply the domestic market. This model helps to explain how the impact of both domestic (economic policy, productivity, etc. and foreign (changes in exchange terms shocks is spread. In every case studied, results show that real output increases consistently with those cases postulated by economic theory. Conversely, the effects on the price level, the exchange rate and the real interest rate are ambiguous. In terms of domestic shocks, fiscal or monetary policy may be seen as a way to stabilize or stimulate the economy but the costs involved raise the price level.

  15. Population growth rate and genetic variability of small and large populations of Red flour beetle (Tribolium castaneum) following multigenerational exposure to copper.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laskowski, Ryszard; Radwan, Jacek; Kuduk, Katarzyna; Mendrok, Magdalena; Kramarz, Paulina

    2015-07-01

    We reared large (1000 individuals) and small (20 individuals) populations of Tribolium castaneum on diet contaminated with copper in order to determine if the size of a population affects its ability to adapt to adverse environmental conditions. After 10 generations, we used microsatellite markers to estimate and subsequently compare the genetic variability of the copper-treated populations with that of the control populations, which were reared on uncontaminated medium. Additionally, we conducted a full cross-factorial experiment which evaluated the effects of 10 generations of "pre-exposure" to copper on a population's fitness in control and copper-contaminated environments. In order to distinguish results potentially arising from genetic adaptation from those due to non-genetic effects associated to parental exposure to copper, we subjected also F11 generation, originating from parents not exposed to copper, to the same cross-factorial experiment. The effects of long-term exposure to copper depended on population size: the growth rates of small populations that were pre-exposed to copper were inhibited compared to those of small populations reared in uncontaminated environments. Large Cu-exposed populations had a higher growth rate in the F10 generation compared to the control groups, while the growth rate of the F11 generation was unaffected by copper exposure history. The only factor that had a significant effect on genetic variability was population size, but this was to be expected given the large difference in the number of individuals between large and small populations. Neither copper contamination nor its interaction with population size affected the number of microsatellite alleles retained in the F10 generation.

  16. Big bang nucleosynthesis: The strong nuclear force meets the weak anthropic principle

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    MacDonald, J.; Mullan, D. J.

    2009-01-01

    Contrary to a common argument that a small increase in the strength of the strong force would lead to destruction of all hydrogen in the big bang due to binding of the diproton and the dineutron with a catastrophic impact on life as we know it, we show that provided the increase in strong force coupling constant is less than about 50% substantial amounts of hydrogen remain. The reason is that an increase in strong force strength leads to tighter binding of the deuteron, permitting nucleosynthesis to occur earlier in the big bang at higher temperature than in the standard big bang. Photodestruction of the less tightly bound diproton and dineutron delays their production to after the bulk of nucleosynthesis is complete. The decay of the diproton can, however, lead to relatively large abundances of deuterium.

  17. Cracked-Mixture Sieving Rates And Efficiencies In Small-Scale ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    A number of innovations, including the inclined manual rotary sieve or trommel, have been introduced by small-scale process equipment manufacturers and are being used in palm-nut cracked mixture separation. But the proficiency of these innovations has not been officially established. The study measures the sieving ...

  18. RELATION OF FETAL BLOOD-GASES AND DATA FROM COMPUTER-ASSISTED ANALYSIS OF FETAL HEART-RATE PATTERNS IN SMALL FOR GESTATION FETUSES

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    RIBBERT, LSM; SNIJDERS, RJM; NICOLAIDES, KH; VISSER, GHA

    Fetal heart rate (FHR) monitoring and computer-assisted analysis were performed immediately before cordocentesis in 25 severely small-for-gestational age fetuses. There were significant associations between FHR variation and both umbilical vein blood Po2 (r = 0.66) and pH (r = 0.69). However, the

  19. Estimation of unemployment rates using small area estimation model by combining time series and cross-sectional data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muchlisoh, Siti; Kurnia, Anang; Notodiputro, Khairil Anwar; Mangku, I. Wayan

    2016-02-01

    Labor force surveys conducted over time by the rotating panel design have been carried out in many countries, including Indonesia. Labor force survey in Indonesia is regularly conducted by Statistics Indonesia (Badan Pusat Statistik-BPS) and has been known as the National Labor Force Survey (Sakernas). The main purpose of Sakernas is to obtain information about unemployment rates and its changes over time. Sakernas is a quarterly survey. The quarterly survey is designed only for estimating the parameters at the provincial level. The quarterly unemployment rate published by BPS (official statistics) is calculated based on only cross-sectional methods, despite the fact that the data is collected under rotating panel design. The study purpose to estimate a quarterly unemployment rate at the district level used small area estimation (SAE) model by combining time series and cross-sectional data. The study focused on the application and comparison between the Rao-Yu model and dynamic model in context estimating the unemployment rate based on a rotating panel survey. The goodness of fit of both models was almost similar. Both models produced an almost similar estimation and better than direct estimation, but the dynamic model was more capable than the Rao-Yu model to capture a heterogeneity across area, although it was reduced over time.

  20. A practical approach to estimate emission rates of indoor air pollutants due to the use of personal combustible products based on small-chamber studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Szulejko, Jan E; Kim, Ki-Hyun

    2016-02-01

    As emission rates of airborne pollutants are commonly measured from combusting substances placed inside small chambers, those values need to be re-evaluated for the possible significance under practical conditions. Here, a simple numerical procedure is investigated to extrapolate the chamber-based emission rates of formaldehyde that can be released from various combustible sources including e-cigarettes, conventional cigarettes, or scented candles to their concentration levels in a small room with relatively poor ventilation. This simple procedure relies on a mass balance approach by considering the masses of pollutants emitted from source and lost through ventilation under the assumption that mixing occurs instantaneously in the room without chemical reactions or surface sorption. The results of our study provide valuable insights into re-evaluation procedure of chamber data to allow comparison between extrapolated and recommended values to judge the safe use of various combustible products in confined spaces. If two scented candles with a formaldehyde emission rate of 310 µg h(-1) each were lit for 4 h in a small 20 m(3) room with an air change rate of 0.5 h(-1), then the 4-h (candle lit) and 8-h (up to 8 h after candle lighting) TWA [FA] were determined to be 28.5 and 23.5 ppb, respectively. This is clearly above the 8-h NIOSH recommended exposure limit (REL) time weighted average of 16 ppb. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Preliminary Design and Simulation of a Turbo Expander for Small Rated Power Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Roberto Capata

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available Nowadays, the Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC system, which operates with organic fluids, is one of the leading technologies for “waste energy recovery”. It works as a conventional Rankine Cycle but, as mentioned, instead of steam/water, an organic fluid is used. This change allows it to convert low temperature heat into electric energy where required. Large numbers of studies have been carried out to identify the most suitable fluids, system parameters and the various configurations. In the present market, most ORC systems are designed and manufactured for the recovery of thermal energy from various sources operating at “large power rating” (exhaust gas turbines, internal combustion engines, geothermal sources, large melting furnaces, biomass, solar, etc.; from which it is possible to produce a large amount of electric energy (30 kW ÷ 300 kW. Such applications for small nominal power sources, as well as the exhaust gases of internal combustion engines (car sedan or town, ships, etc. or small heat exchangers, are very limited. The few systems that have been designed and built for small scale applications, have, on the other hand, different types of expander (screw, scroll, etc.. These devices are not adapted for placement in small and restricted places like the interior of a conventional car. The aim of this work is to perform the preliminary design of a turbo-expander that meets diverse system requirements such as low pressure, small size and low mass flow rates. The expander must be adaptable to a small ORC system utilizing gas of a diesel engine or small gas turbine as thermal source to produce 2–10 kW of electricity. The temperature and pressure of the exhaust gases, in this case study (400–600 °C and a pressure of 2 bar, imposes a limit on the use of an organic fluid and on the net power that can be produced. In addition to water, fluids such as CO2, R134a and R245fa have been considered. Once the operating fluids has been chosen

  2. Increasing Winter Maximal Metabolic Rate Improves Intrawinter Survival in Small Birds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petit, Magali; Clavijo-Baquet, Sabrina; Vézina, François

    Small resident bird species living at northern latitudes increase their metabolism in winter, and this is widely assumed to improve their chances of survival. However, the relationship between winter metabolic performance and survival has yet to be demonstrated. Using capture-mark-recapture, we followed a population of free-living black-capped chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) over 3 yr and evaluated their survival probability within and among winters. We also measured the size-independent body mass (M s ), hematocrit (Hct), basal metabolic rate (BMR), and maximal thermogenic capacity (Msum) and investigated how these parameters influenced survival within and among winters. Results showed that survival probability was high and constant both within (0.92) and among (0.96) winters. They also showed that while M s , Hct, and BMR had no significant influence, survival was positively related to Msum-following a sigmoid relationship-within but not among winter. Birds expressing an Msum below 1.26 W (i.e., similar to summer levels) had a winter. Our data therefore suggest that black-capped chickadees that are either too slow or unable to adjust their phenotype from summer to winter have little chances of survival and thus that seasonal upregulation of metabolic performance is highly beneficial. This study is the first to document in an avian system the relationship between thermogenic capacity and winter survival, a proxy of fitness.

  3. Effect of Acidity of a Medium on Riboflavin Photodestruction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Astanov, S. Kh.; Turdiev, M.; Sharipov, M. Z.; Kurtaliev, É. N.; Nizomov, N. N.

    2016-03-01

    Effect of acidity of a medium on the spectroscopic characteristics of riboflavin aqueous solutions is investigated by the method of fluorescent and absorption spectroscopy. Significant deformation of the electronic spectra of riboflavin aqueous solutions irradiated with unfiltered light of a PRK-2 lamp is observed. It is established that riboflavin photostability in an acid medium is about twice as much as the photostability in a neutral medium, which is caused by the formation of a protonated species.

  4. Can peers rate reliably as experts in small CSCL groups?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Magnisalis, Ioannis; Demetriadis, Stavros; Papadopoulos, Pantelis M.

    2016-01-01

    Research on the impact of peer rating (PR) has provided encouraging results, as a method to foster collaborative learning and improve its outcomes. The scope of this paper is to discuss peer rating towards two specific directions that usually are neglected in the CSCL field, namely: (a) coaching...... of objective anonymous peer rating through a rubric, and (b) provision of peer rating summary information during collaboration. The case study utilized an asynchronous CSCL tool with the two aforementioned capabilities. Initial results showed that peer rating, when anonymous, and guided, can be as reliable...

  5. To Selection of Small-Capacity Turbine Type and Rated Conditions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    N. B. Karnitsky

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Profitability of industrial-heating boiler transition to mini-TPP is revealed in the paper. The paper presents a comparative analysis of high- and low-speed turbines of small capacity.

  6. A low-power and small-area column-level ADC for high frame-rate CMOS pixel sensor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, L., E-mail: liang.zhang@iphc.cnrs.fr [School of Physics, Key Laboratory of Particle Physics and Particle Irradiation, Shandong University, 250100 Jinan (China); Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, University of Strasbourg, CNRS/IN2P3/UDS, 23 rue du loess, BP 28, 67037 Strasbourg (France); Morel, F.; Hu-Guo, C.; Hu, Y. [Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, University of Strasbourg, CNRS/IN2P3/UDS, 23 rue du loess, BP 28, 67037 Strasbourg (France)

    2014-07-01

    CMOS pixel sensors (CPS) have demonstrated performances meeting the specifications of the International Linear Collider (ILC) vertex detector (VTX). This paper presents a low-power and small-area 4-bit column-level analog-to-digital converter (ADC) for CMOS pixel sensors. The ADC employs a self-timed trigger and completes the conversion by performing a multi-bit/step approximation. As in the outer layers of the ILC vertex detector hit density is of the order of a few per thousand, in order to reduce power consumption, the ADC is designed to work in two modes: active mode and idle mode. The ADC is fabricated in a 0.35 μm CMOS process with a pixel pitch of 35 μm. It is implemented with 48 columns in a sensor prototype. Each column ADC covers an area of 35 ×545 μm{sup 2}. The measured temporal noise and Fixed Pattern Noise (FPN) are 0.96 mV and 0.40 mV, respectively. The power consumption, for a 3 V supply and 6.25 MS/s sampling rate, is 486 μW during idle time, which is by far the most frequently employed one. This value rises to 714 μW in the case of the active mode. The measured differential nonlinearity (DNL) and integral nonlinearity (INL) are 0.49/−0.28 LSB and 0.29/−0.20 LSB, respectively. - Highlights: • CMOS sensor integrated with column-level ADC is proposed for ILC VTX outer layers. • A low-power and small-area column-level ADC for high frame-rate CPS is presented. • The test results demonstrate the power and area efficiency. • The architecture is suitable for the outer layer CMOS sensors.

  7. A low-power and small-area column-level ADC for high frame-rate CMOS pixel sensor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, L.; Morel, F.; Hu-Guo, C.; Hu, Y.

    2014-01-01

    CMOS pixel sensors (CPS) have demonstrated performances meeting the specifications of the International Linear Collider (ILC) vertex detector (VTX). This paper presents a low-power and small-area 4-bit column-level analog-to-digital converter (ADC) for CMOS pixel sensors. The ADC employs a self-timed trigger and completes the conversion by performing a multi-bit/step approximation. As in the outer layers of the ILC vertex detector hit density is of the order of a few per thousand, in order to reduce power consumption, the ADC is designed to work in two modes: active mode and idle mode. The ADC is fabricated in a 0.35 μm CMOS process with a pixel pitch of 35 μm. It is implemented with 48 columns in a sensor prototype. Each column ADC covers an area of 35 ×545 μm 2 . The measured temporal noise and Fixed Pattern Noise (FPN) are 0.96 mV and 0.40 mV, respectively. The power consumption, for a 3 V supply and 6.25 MS/s sampling rate, is 486 μW during idle time, which is by far the most frequently employed one. This value rises to 714 μW in the case of the active mode. The measured differential nonlinearity (DNL) and integral nonlinearity (INL) are 0.49/−0.28 LSB and 0.29/−0.20 LSB, respectively. - Highlights: • CMOS sensor integrated with column-level ADC is proposed for ILC VTX outer layers. • A low-power and small-area column-level ADC for high frame-rate CPS is presented. • The test results demonstrate the power and area efficiency. • The architecture is suitable for the outer layer CMOS sensors

  8. How carotenoids protect bacterial photosynthesis.

    OpenAIRE

    Cogdell, R J; Howard, T D; Bittl, R; Schlodder, E; Geisenheimer, I; Lubitz, W

    2000-01-01

    The essential function of carotenoids in photosynthesis is to act as photoprotective agents, preventing chlorophylls and bacteriochlorophylls from sensitizing harmful photodestructive reactions in the presence of oxygen. Based upon recent structural studies on reaction centres and antenna complexes from purple photosynthetic bacteria, the detailed organization of the carotenoids is described. Then with specific reference to bacterial antenna complexes the details of the photoprotective role, ...

  9. Diagnostic accuracy of gadoxetic acid-enhanced MR for small hypervascular hepatocellular carcinoma and the concordance rate of Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (LI-RADS).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bae, Jae Seok; Kim, Jung Hoon; Yu, Mi Hye; Lee, Dong Ho; Kim, Hyo-Cheol; Chung, Jin Wook; Han, Joon Koo

    2017-01-01

    To assess diagnostic accuracy of gadoxetic acid-enhanced MR for small hypervascular hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) detected by C-arm CT and concordance rate of Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (LI-RADS). In this retrospective study, we recruited 4,544 patients suspected of having HCC underwent C-arm CT from November 2008 to May 2013. Among these patients, gadoxetic acid-enhanced MR was performed in 167 patients with HCC (n = 379; 257 > 1 cm, 122 ≤ 1 cm). HCC was confirmed by MR, CT, or follow-up images. Two radiologists graded likelihood of HCC and assessed MR features. Jackknife alternative free-response receiver operating characteristic (JAFROC) analysis was performed. All HCCs were evaluated concordance rate of LI-RADS. Mean JAFROC figure of merit for large (>1-cm) HCC was 0.948, while that for small HCC was 0.787 with fair agreement (κ = 0.409). Mean sensitivity and positive predictive value (PPV) were 91% and 90% for large HCC versus 63.0% and 79% for small HCC, respectively. Seventeen of 122 small HCCs (13.9%) were not visible on MR. Among 379 HCCs, 99 met LR-5, and 259 met LR-4. Common features for small HCC included arterial enhancement (81.9%), hepatobiliary phase hypointensity (80.3%), and delayed washout (72.9%). Diagnostic accuracy of gadoxetic acid-enhanced MR imaging for small, hypervascular HCCs (Mean figure of merit = 0.787) was still low compared with large HCC (Mean figure of merit = 0.948). LR-5 and LR-4 covered 94% (358/379) of the HCCs.

  10. Transcutaneous measurement of glomerular filtration rate in small rodents: through the skin for the win?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ellery, Stacey J; Cai, Xiaochu; Walker, David D; Dickinson, Hayley; Kett, Michelle M

    2015-03-01

    Rodent models of renal physiology and pathology are crucial to our understanding of the molecular, histological and functional sequelae that contribute to kidney diseases. One of the most important measures of renal function is glomerular filtration rate (GFR). While the accurate determination of GFR is pivotal to understanding the progression of disease and/or the benefits of treatment strategies, in rodents the conventional methods for assessment of GFR are inconvenient and cumbersome, not the least because they involve stress and often anaesthesia. The legitimacy of assay-based assessment of plasma and urine markers of GFR in mice has also been heavily scrutinized for their insensitivity to minor declines in GFR and inaccurate detection of renal biomarkers. While infusion-based clearance methods of GFR assessment are thus the gold standard in terms of accuracy, they are limited by the fact that they are primarily non-recovery procedures. This presents a dilemma when trying to document the progression of renal disease, as these measures cannot be taken in the same experimental subject. Here we review a technique of transcutaneous measurement of fluorescein isothiocyanate-labelled sinistrin to calculate GFR in small rodents, using a non-invasive clearance device (NIC-Kidney Device). This is a recently validated non-invasive technique for measuring GFR in small rodents that allows for the real-time measurement of GFR in conscious animals, without the need for plasma and urine assays. © 2014 Asian Pacific Society of Nephrology.

  11. Analysis of successful rate factors for small and medium enterprises in furniture manufacturing sector in Klaten Regency - Central Java, Indonesia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Budhi Utomo, R.; Lasminiasih; Prajaka, S.

    2018-03-01

    Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are business activities that can expand the level of employment rate and provide economic services to the wider community and can play a role in the process of equalizing and improving people’s income, stimulating economic growth as well as realizing national stabilities. The aim of this study is to identify the factors of the success rate for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in furniture manufacturing sector in Klaten regency, Central Java, Indonesia. The method employed in this study was descriptive qualitative by also employing quantitative analysis of which the data were collected through observations, interviews and by administering questionnaires. The results seemed to indicate that the furniture business in Klaten is still experiencing difficulties in managing its various aspects of business, namely in terms of marketing (either directly or indirectly or by making the best use media of technology) and managing capital. All this time, the SMEs in furniture manufacturing sector in Klaten have been utilizing a very simple system in producing tables, chairs, wardrobes and any other furniture products which are then distributed to be sold by larger furniture companies. This condition makes the SMEs unable to be independent in running their business.

  12. Overcoming time scale and finite size limitations to compute nucleation rates from small scale well tempered metadynamics simulations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salvalaglio, Matteo; Tiwary, Pratyush; Maggioni, Giovanni Maria; Mazzotti, Marco; Parrinello, Michele

    2016-12-01

    Condensation of a liquid droplet from a supersaturated vapour phase is initiated by a prototypical nucleation event. As such it is challenging to compute its rate from atomistic molecular dynamics simulations. In fact at realistic supersaturation conditions condensation occurs on time scales that far exceed what can be reached with conventional molecular dynamics methods. Another known problem in this context is the distortion of the free energy profile associated to nucleation due to the small, finite size of typical simulation boxes. In this work the problem of time scale is addressed with a recently developed enhanced sampling method while contextually correcting for finite size effects. We demonstrate our approach by studying the condensation of argon, and showing that characteristic nucleation times of the order of magnitude of hours can be reliably calculated. Nucleation rates spanning a range of 10 orders of magnitude are computed at moderate supersaturation levels, thus bridging the gap between what standard molecular dynamics simulations can do and real physical systems.

  13. Big Data, Small Sample.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gerlovina, Inna; van der Laan, Mark J; Hubbard, Alan

    2017-05-20

    Multiple comparisons and small sample size, common characteristics of many types of "Big Data" including those that are produced by genomic studies, present specific challenges that affect reliability of inference. Use of multiple testing procedures necessitates calculation of very small tail probabilities of a test statistic distribution. Results based on large deviation theory provide a formal condition that is necessary to guarantee error rate control given practical sample sizes, linking the number of tests and the sample size; this condition, however, is rarely satisfied. Using methods that are based on Edgeworth expansions (relying especially on the work of Peter Hall), we explore the impact of departures of sampling distributions from typical assumptions on actual error rates. Our investigation illustrates how far the actual error rates can be from the declared nominal levels, suggesting potentially wide-spread problems with error rate control, specifically excessive false positives. This is an important factor that contributes to "reproducibility crisis". We also review some other commonly used methods (such as permutation and methods based on finite sampling inequalities) in their application to multiple testing/small sample data. We point out that Edgeworth expansions, providing higher order approximations to the sampling distribution, offer a promising direction for data analysis that could improve reliability of studies relying on large numbers of comparisons with modest sample sizes.

  14. Epidemics in interconnected small-world networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Meng; Li, Daqing; Qin, Pengju; Liu, Chaoran; Wang, Huijuan; Wang, Feilong

    2015-01-01

    Networks can be used to describe the interconnections among individuals, which play an important role in the spread of disease. Although the small-world effect has been found to have a significant impact on epidemics in single networks, the small-world effect on epidemics in interconnected networks has rarely been considered. Here, we study the susceptible-infected-susceptible (SIS) model of epidemic spreading in a system comprising two interconnected small-world networks. We find that the epidemic threshold in such networks decreases when the rewiring probability of the component small-world networks increases. When the infection rate is low, the rewiring probability affects the global steady-state infection density, whereas when the infection rate is high, the infection density is insensitive to the rewiring probability. Moreover, epidemics in interconnected small-world networks are found to spread at different velocities that depend on the rewiring probability.

  15. Epidemics in interconnected small-world networks.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Meng Liu

    Full Text Available Networks can be used to describe the interconnections among individuals, which play an important role in the spread of disease. Although the small-world effect has been found to have a significant impact on epidemics in single networks, the small-world effect on epidemics in interconnected networks has rarely been considered. Here, we study the susceptible-infected-susceptible (SIS model of epidemic spreading in a system comprising two interconnected small-world networks. We find that the epidemic threshold in such networks decreases when the rewiring probability of the component small-world networks increases. When the infection rate is low, the rewiring probability affects the global steady-state infection density, whereas when the infection rate is high, the infection density is insensitive to the rewiring probability. Moreover, epidemics in interconnected small-world networks are found to spread at different velocities that depend on the rewiring probability.

  16. The impact of small irrigation diversion dams on the recent migration rates of steelhead and redband trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weigel, Dana E.; Connolly, Patrick J.; Powell, Madison S.

    2013-01-01

    Barriers to migration are numerous in stream environments and can occur from anthropogenic activities (such as dams and culverts) or natural processes (such as log jams or dams constructed by beaver (Castor canadensis)). Identification of barriers can be difficult when obstructions are temporary or incomplete providing passage periodically. We examine the effect of several small irrigation diversion dams on the recent migration rates of steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in three tributaries to the Methow River, Washington. The three basins had different recent migration patterns: Beaver Creek did not have any recent migration between sites, Libby Creek had two-way migration between sites and Gold Creek had downstream migration between sites. Sites with migration were significantly different from sites without migration in distance, number of obstructions, obstruction height to depth ratio and maximum stream gradient. When comparing the sites without migration in Beaver Creek to the sites with migration in Libby and Gold creeks, the number of obstructions was the only significant variable. Multinomial logistic regression identified obstruction height to depth ratio and maximum stream gradient as the best fitting model to predict the level of migration among sites. Small irrigation diversion dams were limiting population interactions in Beaver Creek and collectively blocking steelhead migration into the stream. Variables related to stream resistance (gradient, obstruction number and obstruction height to depth ratio) were better predictors of recent migration rates than distance, and can provide important insight into migration and population demographic processes in lotic species.

  17. Studies on colon cancer prone rats. Spontaneous small intestinal carcinomas and tumor induction of small intestine by x-irradiation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Maeura, Y [Osaka Univ. (Japan). Faculty of Medicine

    1979-12-01

    Histological investigation was carried out for Wister-Furth (WF) rats, prone to cancers of the colon and small intestine. Gastric cancer was observed in about 1/4 of the rats with the cancers of the colon and the small intestine, indicating that these rats could be the model animals of the cancer family syndrome with multi-cancers in the gastrointestinal tracts. The small intestine of WF and SD (Sprague-Dowley) rats as exposed to 1000, 2 x 1000, 1500, and 2000 R of x-rays at a dose rate of 157 R/min. In each group the stomach, small intestine, cecum, and colon were histologically investigated, immediately and 15, 25, and 35 weeks after irradiation. The rates of cancer occurrence in 15, 25, and 35 weeks were 5/17, 9/19, and 9/14 for WF strain and 1/8, 2/7, and 2/8 for SD strain, respectively. The rate increased with the increment of the days after irradiation. It was suggested that the atypical epithelium of the gastrointestinal tracts induced the cancer in high rates when some trigger was added.

  18. The perception of small crime

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Douhou, S.; Magnus, J.R.; van Soest, A.H.O.

    2011-01-01

    In this paper we measure perceptions of incorrect behavior or ‘small crime’, based on a questionnaire administered to a large representative sample from the Dutch population. In the questionnaire we ask the respondents to rate the severity or justifiability of a number of small crimes. We present

  19. The BCRA’s Small Economic Model

    OpenAIRE

    Pedro Elosegui; Guillermo Escudé; Lorena Garegnani; Juan Martín Sotes Paladino

    2007-01-01

    The use of macroeconomic forecasting models is a common practice in central banks for monetary policy design, for the analysis of the current economic developments and for medium and long term forecasts. Among those models, the small-scale macroeconomic models stand out. Though relatively simple, they are structured and take into account the transmission mechanisms that relate the main variables of interest: the interest rate, the exchange rate, GDP and inflation. The Small Economic Model (ME...

  20. Pattern and Rate of Cognitive Decline in Cerebral Small Vessel Disease: A Prospective Study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrew J Lawrence

    Full Text Available Cognitive impairment, predominantly affecting processing speed and executive function, is an important consequence of cerebral small vessel disease (SVD. To date, few longitudinal studies of cognition in SVD have been conducted. We determined the pattern and rate of cognitive decline in SVD and used the results to determine sample size calculations for clinical trials of interventions reducing cognitive decline.121 patients with MRI confirmed lacunar stroke and leukoaraiosis were enrolled into the prospective St George's Cognition And Neuroimaging in Stroke (SCANS study. Patients attended one baseline and three annual cognitive assessments providing 36 month follow-up data. Neuropsychological assessment comprised a battery of tests assessing working memory, long-term (episodic memory, processing speed and executive function. We calculated annualized change in cognition for the 98 patients who completed at least two time-points.Task performance was heterogeneous, but significant cognitive decline was found for the executive function index (p<0.007. Working memory and processing speed decreased numerically, but not significantly. The executive function composite score would require the smallest samples sizes for a treatment trial with an aim of halting decline, but this would still require over 2,000 patients per arm to detect a 30% difference with power of 0.8 over a three year follow-up.The pattern of cognitive decline seen in SVD over three years is consistent with the pattern of impairments at baseline. Rates of decline were slow and sample sizes would need to be large for clinical trials aimed at halting decline beyond initial diagnosis using cognitive scores as an outcome measure. This emphasizes the importance of more sensitive surrogate markers in this disease.

  1. Small protease sensitive oligomers of PrPSc in distinct human prions determine conversion rate of PrP(C.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chae Kim

    Full Text Available The mammalian prions replicate by converting cellular prion protein (PrP(C into pathogenic conformational isoform (PrP(Sc. Variations in prions, which cause different disease phenotypes, are referred to as strains. The mechanism of high-fidelity replication of prion strains in the absence of nucleic acid remains unsolved. We investigated the impact of different conformational characteristics of PrP(Sc on conversion of PrP(C in vitro using PrP(Sc seeds from the most frequent human prion disease worldwide, the Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD. The conversion potency of a broad spectrum of distinct sCJD prions was governed by the level, conformation, and stability of small oligomers of the protease-sensitive (s PrP(Sc. The smallest most potent prions present in sCJD brains were composed only of∼20 monomers of PrP(Sc. The tight correlation between conversion potency of small oligomers of human sPrP(Sc observed in vitro and duration of the disease suggests that sPrP(Sc conformers are an important determinant of prion strain characteristics that control the progression rate of the disease.

  2. The Association between Noise, Cortisol and Heart Rate in a Small-Scale Gold Mining Community-A Pilot Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Green, Allyson; Jones, Andrew D; Sun, Kan; Neitzel, Richard L

    2015-08-21

    We performed a cross-sectional pilot study on salivary cortisol, heart rate, and personal noise exposures in a small-scale gold mining village in northeastern Ghana in 2013. Cortisol level changes between morning and evening among participants showed a relatively low decline in cortisol through the day (-1.44 ± 4.27 nmol/L, n = 18), a pattern consistent with chronic stress. A multiple linear regression, adjusting for age, sex, smoking status, and time between samples indicated a significant increase of 0.25 nmol/L cortisol from afternoon to evening per 1 dBA increase in equivalent continuous noise exposure (Leq) over that period (95% CI: 0.08-0.42, Adj R(2) = 0.502, n = 17). A mixed effect linear regression model adjusting for age and sex indicated a significant increase of 0.29 heart beats per minute (BPM) for every 1 dB increase in Leq. Using standard deviations (SDs) as measures of variation, and adjusting for age and sex over the sampling period, we found that a 1 dBA increase in noise variation over time (Leq SD) was associated with a 0.5 BPM increase in heart rate SD (95% CI: 0.04--0.9, Adj. R(2) = 0.229, n = 16). Noise levels were consistently high, with 24-hour average Leq exposures ranging from 56.9 to 92.0 dBA, with a mean daily Leq of 82.2 ± 7.3 dBA (mean monitoring duration 22.1 ± 1.9 hours, n = 22). Ninety-five percent of participants had 24-hour average Leq noise levels over the 70 dBA World health Organization (WHO) guideline level for prevention of hearing loss. These findings suggest that small-scale mining communities may face multiple, potentially additive health risks that are not yet well documented, including hearing loss and cardiovascular effects of stress and noise.

  3. Investigation of small break loss-of-coolant phenomena in a small scale nonnuclear test facility

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cozzuol, J.M.; Fauble, T.J.; Harvego, E.A.

    1980-01-01

    A small-scale nonnuclear integral test facility designed to simulate a pressurized water reactor (PWR) system was used to evaluate the effects of a small break loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA) on the system thermal-hydraulic response. The experiment approximated a 2.5% (11-cm diameter) communicative break in the cold leg of a PWR, and included initial conditions which were similar to conditions in a PWR operating at full power. The 2.5% break size ensured that the nominal break flow rate was greater than the high pressure injection system (HPIS) flow rate, thus providing the potential for a continuous system depressurization. The sequence of events was similar to that used in evaluation model analysis of small break loss-of-coolant accidents, and included simulated reactor scram and loss of offsite power. Comparisions of experimental data with computer code calculations are used to demonstrate the capabilities and limitations of integral system calculations used to predict phenomena which can be important in the assessment of a small break LOCA in a PWR

  4. Effects of α-amino acids and small peptides on the rate of an SN1 acetal hydrolysis reaction in aqueous solution : The interplay of hydrophobic and hydrophilic solute hydration

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Streefland, L.; Blandamer, M.J; Engberts, J.B.F.N.

    The effects of small amounts of anionic a-amino acids and several small peptides on the kinetics of the S(N)1 hydrolysis of 2-(4-nitrophenoxy)tetrahydropyran have been investigated at pH 11 and 40 degrees C. The rate-retarding effect at 1 molal of cosolute is plotted as ln (k(m=1)/k(m=0)) versus the

  5. The relationship between physical activity level and completion rate of small bowel examination in patients undergoing capsule endoscopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shibuya, Tomoyoshi; Mori, Hiroki; Takeda, Tsutomu; Konishi, Masae; Fukuo, Yuka; Matsumoto, Kenshi; Beppu, Kazuko; Sakamoto, Naoto; Osada, Taro; Nagahara, Akihito; Otaka, Michiro; Ogihara, Tatsuo; Watanabe, Sumio

    2012-01-01

    Capsule endoscopy (CE) allows direct examination of the small bowel in a safe, noninvasive and well-tolerated manner. Nonetheless, experience indicates failure to reach the cecum in 20-30% of patients within the 8 hour battery life. Attempts to improve the completion rate (CR) as defined by reaching the cecum have been unsuccessful. This study was to investigate the relationship between patients' physical activity and CR. Between January 2009 and January 2010, 76 patients (44 men, 32 women; median age 64.5 yr) underwent CE for the diagnosis of small intestinal disorders. Indications for CE were obscure gastrointestinal bleeding/anemia (62 cases), others (14 cases). Patients were divided into an outpatient group (n=23), mild bed rest group (n=35) and strict bed rest group (n=18). For all patients, the average gastric transit time was 65.5 minutes, small bowel transit time was 301.4 minutes and the CR was 86.8%. However, the CR was 100% (23/23) in the outpatient group, an 85.7% (30/35) in the mild bed rest group, and 72.2% (13/18) in the strict bed rest group. The CR increased with physical activity of patients by Cochran-Armitage Trend Test (p=0.009). In multivariate logistic regression analyses, low physical activity was a significant risk factor for failure to reach the cecum during CE examination; adjusted OR: 3.39, 95% CI: 1.01-11.42 (p=0.048). Our observations suggested that increasing physical activity would increase the likelihood of a complete bowel examination by CE. Further, for CE, inconvenient bowel preparations like the use of polyethylene glycol may be avoided.

  6. Small liquid sodium leaks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dufresne, J.; Rochedereux, Y.; Antonakas, D.; Casselman, C.; Malet, J.C.

    1986-05-01

    Usually, pessimistic considerations inassessing the safety of secondary sodium loops in LMFBR reactor lead to assume guillotine rupture releasing a large amount of sodium estimate the consequences of large sodium fires. In order to reduce these consequences, one has to detect the smallest leak as soon as possible and to evaluate the future of an initial small leak. Analysis of the relationship between crack size and sodium outflow rate; Analysis of a sodium pipe with a small open crack

  7. Why Small Is Beautiful: Wing Colour Is Free from Thermoregulatory Constraint in the Small Lycaenid Butterfly, Polyommatus icarus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Keyser, Rien; Breuker, Casper J; Hails, Rosemary S; Dennis, Roger L H; Shreeve, Tim G

    2015-01-01

    We examined the roles of wing melanisation, weight, and basking posture in thermoregulation in Polyommatus Icarus, a phenotypically variable and protandrous member of the diverse Polyommatinae (Lycaenidae). Under controlled experimental conditions, approximating to marginal environmental conditions for activity in the field (= infrequent flight, long duration basking periods), warming rates are maximised with fully open wings and maximum body temperatures are dependent on weight. Variation in wing melanisation within and between sexes has no effect on warming rates; males and females which differ in melanisation had similar warming rates. Posture also affected cooling rates, consistent with cooling being dependent on convective heat loss. We hypothesise that for this small sized butterfly, melanisation has little or no effect on thermoregulation. This may be a factor contributing to the diversity of wing colours in the Polyommatinae. Because of the importance of size for thermoregulation in this small butterfly, requirements for attaining a suitable size to confer thermal stability in adults may also be a factor influencing larval feeding rates, development time and patterns of voltinism. Our findings indicate that commonly accepted views of the importance of melanisation, posture and size to thermoregulation, developed using medium and large sized butterflies, are not necessarily applicable to small sized butterflies.

  8. Why Small Is Beautiful: Wing Colour Is Free from Thermoregulatory Constraint in the Small Lycaenid Butterfly, Polyommatus icarus.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rien De Keyser

    Full Text Available We examined the roles of wing melanisation, weight, and basking posture in thermoregulation in Polyommatus Icarus, a phenotypically variable and protandrous member of the diverse Polyommatinae (Lycaenidae. Under controlled experimental conditions, approximating to marginal environmental conditions for activity in the field (= infrequent flight, long duration basking periods, warming rates are maximised with fully open wings and maximum body temperatures are dependent on weight. Variation in wing melanisation within and between sexes has no effect on warming rates; males and females which differ in melanisation had similar warming rates. Posture also affected cooling rates, consistent with cooling being dependent on convective heat loss. We hypothesise that for this small sized butterfly, melanisation has little or no effect on thermoregulation. This may be a factor contributing to the diversity of wing colours in the Polyommatinae. Because of the importance of size for thermoregulation in this small butterfly, requirements for attaining a suitable size to confer thermal stability in adults may also be a factor influencing larval feeding rates, development time and patterns of voltinism. Our findings indicate that commonly accepted views of the importance of melanisation, posture and size to thermoregulation, developed using medium and large sized butterflies, are not necessarily applicable to small sized butterflies.

  9. Small flow rate can supply inwardly migrating shortest-period planets

    OpenAIRE

    Taylor, Stuart F.

    2013-01-01

    The number of exoplanets found with periods as short as one day and less was surprising given how fast these planets had been expected to migrate into the star due to the tides raised on the star by planets at such close distances. It has been seen as improbable that we would find planets in such a small final fraction of their lives. The favored solution has been that the tidal dissipation is much weaker than expected, which would mean that the final infall would be a larger fraction of the ...

  10. Small Enterprise Strategies in an Unstable Public Environment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daryl D. Green

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Many small business owners in the United States dream about getting a large contract with the federal government, feeling that their lives would be easier if they did. Ironically, there have been numerous occasions where small businesses have gone out of business after being overwhelmed by a government contract. This case study addresses how small businesses can improve their survival and success rate in the public sector with a strategic approach to their operations. It begins by discussing the preparation that goes into federal contracting by small businesses. Case examples of four American companies involved in contracting with the Department of Energy are evaluated. Data collection is achieved through qualitative analysis. The application of these conclusions could increase the survival rate of small businesses operating in an unstable public environment. The study is significant because this research widens contemporary assumptions about strategic thinking for small businesses engaged in government contracting.

  11. Increased accuracy of the carbon-14 D-xylose breath test in detecting small-intestinal bacterial overgrowth by correction with the gastric emptying rate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chang Chisen; Chen Granhum; Kao Chiahung; Wang Shyhjen; Peng Shihnen; Huang Chihkuen; Poon Sekkwong

    1995-01-01

    The aim of this study was to determine whether the accuracy of 14 C-D-xylose breath test for detecting bacterial overgrowth can be increased by correction with the gastric emptying rate of 14 C-D-xylose. Ten culture-positive patients and ten culture-negative controls were included in the study. Small-intestinal aspirates for bacteriological culture were obtained endoscopically. A liquid-phase gastric emptying study was performed simultaneously to assess the amount of 14 C-D-xylose that entered the small intestine. The results of the percentage of expired 14 CO 2 at 30 min were corrected with the amount of 14 C-D-xylose that entered the small intestine. There were six patients in the culture-positive group with a 14 CO 2 concentration above the normal limit. Three out of four patients with initially negative results using the uncorrected method proved to be positive after correction. All these three patients had prolonged gastric emptying of 14 C-D-xylose. When compared with cultures of small-intestine aspirates, the sensitivity and specificity of the uncorrected 14 C-D-xylose breath test were 60% and 90%, respectively. In contrast, the sensitivity and specificity of the corrected 14 C-D-xylose breath test improved to 90% and 100%, respectively. (orig./MG)

  12. Small flow rate can supply inwardly migrating shortest-period planets

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Taylor S.F.

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available The number of exoplanets found with periods as short as one day and less was surprising given how fast these planets had been expected to migrate into the star due to the tides raised on the star by planets at such close distances. It has been seen as improbable that we would find planets in such a small final fraction of their lives [1]. The favored solution has been that the tidal dissipation is much weaker than expected, which would mean that the final infall would be a larger fraction of the planets’ life. We find no reason, however, to exclude the explanation that a small number of planets are continuously sent migrating inwards such that these planets indeed are in the last fraction of their lives. Following the observation that the distribution of medium planets disfavors tidal dissipation being significantly weaker than has been found from observations of binary stars [2], we now show that the numbers of planets in such a “flow” of excess planets migrating inwards is low enough that even depletion of the three-day pileup is a plausible source. Then the shortest period occurrence distribution would be shaped by planets continuously being sent into the star, which may explain the depletion of the pileup in the Kepler field relative to the solar neighborhood [3]. Because Kepler observes above the galactic plan, [3] suggested the Kepler field may include an older population of stars. The tidal dissipation strength in stars due to giant planets may be not greatly weaker than it is in binary stars.

  13. smallWig: parallel compression of RNA-seq WIG files.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Zhiying; Weissman, Tsachy; Milenkovic, Olgica

    2016-01-15

    We developed a new lossless compression method for WIG data, named smallWig, offering the best known compression rates for RNA-seq data and featuring random access functionalities that enable visualization, summary statistics analysis and fast queries from the compressed files. Our approach results in order of magnitude improvements compared with bigWig and ensures compression rates only a fraction of those produced by cWig. The key features of the smallWig algorithm are statistical data analysis and a combination of source coding methods that ensure high flexibility and make the algorithm suitable for different applications. Furthermore, for general-purpose file compression, the compression rate of smallWig approaches the empirical entropy of the tested WIG data. For compression with random query features, smallWig uses a simple block-based compression scheme that introduces only a minor overhead in the compression rate. For archival or storage space-sensitive applications, the method relies on context mixing techniques that lead to further improvements of the compression rate. Implementations of smallWig can be executed in parallel on different sets of chromosomes using multiple processors, thereby enabling desirable scaling for future transcriptome Big Data platforms. The development of next-generation sequencing technologies has led to a dramatic decrease in the cost of DNA/RNA sequencing and expression profiling. RNA-seq has emerged as an important and inexpensive technology that provides information about whole transcriptomes of various species and organisms, as well as different organs and cellular communities. The vast volume of data generated by RNA-seq experiments has significantly increased data storage costs and communication bandwidth requirements. Current compression tools for RNA-seq data such as bigWig and cWig either use general-purpose compressors (gzip) or suboptimal compression schemes that leave significant room for improvement. To substantiate

  14. Police suicide in small departments: a comparative analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Violanti, John M; Mnatsakanova, Anna; Burchfiel, Cecil M; Hartley, Tara A; Andrew, Michael E

    2012-01-01

    The majority of police suicide research has focused on larger police departments. Very little research has been done within small departments. The present study compared suicide rates between small and larger police departments. Two Hundred ninty-eight departments were drawn from the U.S. Public Safety Officer Benefits database totaling 119,624 officers. Annual suicide rates were calculated per 100,000 for each of four category (by size of department) and p-values from Chi-square tests were employed to assess differences in rates across categories. The annual suicide rate varied significantly across departments. Smaller police departments had a significantly higher suicide rate than large departments. Possible reasons include lack of availability for mental health assistance, increased workload and danger and community visibility.

  15. Exchange rate smoothing in Hungary

    OpenAIRE

    Karádi, Péter

    2005-01-01

    The paper proposes a structural empirical model capable of examining exchange rate smoothing in the small, open economy of Hungary. The framework assumes the existence of an unobserved and changing implicit exchange rate target. The central bank is assumed to use interest rate policy to obtain this preferred rate in the medium term, while market participants are assumed to form rational expectations about this target and influence exchange rates accordingly. The paper applies unobserved varia...

  16. Hate Speech on Small College Campuses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hemmer, Joseph J., Jr.

    A study identified and evaluated the approach of small colleges in dealing with hate speech and/or verbal harassment incidents. A questionnaire was sent to the Dean of Students at 200 randomly-selected small (500-2000 students), private, liberal arts colleges and universities. Responses were received from 132 institutions, for a response rate of…

  17. The Association between Noise, Cortisol and Heart Rate in a Small-Scale Gold Mining Community—A Pilot Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Allyson Green

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available We performed a cross-sectional pilot study on salivary cortisol, heart rate, and personal noise exposures in a small-scale gold mining village in northeastern Ghana in 2013. Cortisol level changes between morning and evening among participants showed a relatively low decline in cortisol through the day (−1.44 ± 4.27 nmol/L, n = 18, a pattern consistent with chronic stress. A multiple linear regression, adjusting for age, sex, smoking status, and time between samples indicated a significant increase of 0.25 nmol/L cortisol from afternoon to evening per 1 dBA increase in equivalent continuous noise exposure (Leq over that period (95% CI: 0.08–0.42, Adj R2 = 0.502, n = 17. A mixed effect linear regression model adjusting for age and sex indicated a significant increase of 0.29 heart beats per minute (BPM for every 1 dB increase in Leq. Using standard deviations (SDs as measures of variation, and adjusting for age and sex over the sampling period, we found that a 1 dBA increase in noise variation over time (Leq SD was associated with a 0.5 BPM increase in heart rate SD (95% CI: 0.04–−0.9, Adj. R2 = 0.229, n = 16. Noise levels were consistently high, with 24-hour average Leq exposures ranging from 56.9 to 92.0 dBA, with a mean daily Leq of 82.2 ± 7.3 dBA (mean monitoring duration 22.1 ± 1.9 hours, n = 22. Ninety-five percent of participants had 24-hour average Leq noise levels over the 70 dBA World health Organization (WHO guideline level for prevention of hearing loss. These findings suggest that small-scale mining communities may face multiple, potentially additive health risks that are not yet well documented, including hearing loss and cardiovascular effects of stress and noise.

  18. Choice of exchange rate regimes for African countries: Fixed or Flexible Exchange rate regimes?

    OpenAIRE

    Simwaka, Kisu

    2010-01-01

    The choice of an appropriate exchange rate regime has been a subject of ongoing debate in international economics. The majority of African countries are small open economies and thus where the choice of the exchange rate regime is an important policy issue. Aside from factors such as interest rates and inflation, the exchange rate is one of the most important determinants of a country’s relative level of economic health. For this reason, exchange rates are among the most watched analyzed and ...

  19. Limnology of nine small lakes, Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska, and the survival and growth rates of rainbow trout

    Science.gov (United States)

    Woods, P.F.

    1985-01-01

    The survival and growth rates of rainbow trout (Salmo gairdnieri) were concurrently measured with selected limnological characteristics in nine small (surface area Gasterosteus aculeatus) also influenced survival of rainbow trout but their effects were overshadowed by winterkill. Predictive capability was also reduced because of inconsistencies in rankings generated by each of the four limnological variables chosen as indicators of potential biological productivity. A lake ranked low in productivity by one variable was commonly ranked high in productivity by another variable. The survivability of rainbow trout stocked in lakes such as these nine may be a more important indicator of potential biomass production than are indicators of lake fertility. Assessments of a lake 's susceptibility to winterkill and the degree of competition with threespine stickleback are suggested as important topics for additional research. (Author 's abstract)

  20. Growth rate correlates negatively with protein turnover in Arabidopsis accessions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ishihara, Hirofumi; Moraes, Thiago Alexandre; Pyl, Eva-Theresa; Schulze, Waltraud X; Obata, Toshihiro; Scheffel, André; Fernie, Alisdair R; Sulpice, Ronan; Stitt, Mark

    2017-08-01

    Previous studies with Arabidopsis accessions revealed that biomass correlates negatively to dusk starch content and total protein, and positively to the maximum activities of enzymes in photosynthesis. We hypothesized that large accessions have lower ribosome abundance and lower rates of protein synthesis, and that this is compensated by lower rates of protein degradation. This would increase growth efficiency and allow more investment in photosynthetic machinery. We analysed ribosome abundance and polysome loading in 19 accessions, modelled the rates of protein synthesis and compared them with the observed rate of growth. Large accessions contained less ribosomes than small accessions, due mainly to cytosolic ribosome abundance falling at night in large accessions. The modelled rates of protein synthesis resembled those required for growth in large accessions, but were up to 30% in excess in small accessions. We then employed 13 CO 2 pulse-chase labelling to measure the rates of protein synthesis and degradation in 13 accessions. Small accessions had a slightly higher rate of protein synthesis and much higher rates of protein degradation than large accessions. Protein turnover was negligible in large accessions but equivalent to up to 30% of synthesised protein day -1 in small accessions. We discuss to what extent the decrease in growth in small accessions can be quantitatively explained by known costs of protein turnover and what factors may lead to the altered diurnal dynamics and increase of ribosome abundance in small accessions, and propose that there is a trade-off between protein turnover and maximisation of growth rate. © 2017 The Authors The Plant Journal © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  1. Combination chemotherapy concurrent with small dose radiation therapy for small cell carcinoma of the lung

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tada, Toshihiko; Fujita, Hiroji; Shintomi, Takenori

    1987-01-01

    Forty consecutive patients with small cell carcinoma of the lung were treated with chemotherapy, radiotherapy or both. Of 34 patients treated with chemotherapy, 24 were treated with combination chemotherapy, containing cyclophosphamide vincristine methotrexate and procarbazine, concurrent with small dose radiation therapy (500 cGy/5 fraction) as a chemosensitizer (COMPrt). The response rate to this regimen was 81 % (29 % complete) and the 2 year survival rate was 28.6 %. These results have been superior to other regimens and the toxicity was not see to be any higher. After completion of COMPrt regimen, 10 patients were treated with intrathoracic radiation therapy (average dose 3000 cGy) and 3 recieved surgical treatment. Radiation therapy improved the 2-year survival rate (42.2 %) when compared with those patients who received no radiation therapy (18.2 %). Three patients received surgical treatment were considered to be disease-free for 23, 17, and 9 months respectively, after induction of chemotherapy. (author)

  2. Computing Rates of Small Molecule Diffusion Through Protein Channels Using Markovian Milestoning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abrams, Cameron

    2014-03-01

    Measuring diffusion rates of ligands plays a key role in understanding the kinetic processes inside proteins. For example, although many molecular simulation studies have reported free energy barriers to infer rates for CO diffusion in myoglobin (Mb), they typically do not include direct calculation of diffusion rates because of the long simulation times needed to infer these rates with statistical accuracy. We show in this talk how to apply Markovian milestoning along minimum free-energy pathways to calculate diffusion rates of CO inside Mb. In Markovian milestoning, one partitions a suitable reaction coordinate space into regions and performs restrained molecular dynamics in each region to accumulate kinetic statistics that, when assembled across regions, provides an estimate of the mean first-passage time between states. The mean escape time for CO directly from the so-called distal pocket (DP) through the histidine gate (HG) is estimated at about 24 ns, confirming the importance of this portal for CO. But Mb is known to contain several internal cavities, and cavity-to-cavity diffusion rates are also computed and used to build a complete kinetic network as a Markov state model. Within this framework, the effective mean time of escape to the solvent through HG increases to 30 ns. Our results suggest that carrier protein structure may have evolved under pressure to modulate dissolved gas release rates using a network of ligand-accessible cavities. Support: NIH R01GM100472.

  3. Estimates of ground-water recharge rates for two small basins in central Nevada

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lichty, R.W.; McKinley, P.W.

    1995-01-01

    Estimates of ground-water recharge rates developed from hydrologic modeling studies are presented for 3-Springs and East Stewart basins, two small basins (analog sites) located in central Nevada. The analog-site studies were conducted to aid in the estimation of recharge to the paleohydrologic regime associated with ground water in the vicinity of Yucca Mountain under wetter climatic conditions. The two analog sites are located to the north and at higher elevations than Yucca Mountain, and the prevailing (current) climatic conditions at these sites is thought to be representative of the possible range of paleoclimatic conditions in the general area of Yucca Mountain during the Quaternary. Two independent modeling approaches were conducted at each of the analog sites using observed hydrologic data on precipitation, temperature, solar radiation, stream discharge, and chloride-ion water chemistry for a 6-year study period (October 1986 through September 1992). Both models quantify the hydrologic water-balance equation and yield estimates of ground-water recharge, given appropriate input data. Results of the modeling approaches support the conclusion that reasonable estimates of average-annual recharge to ground water range from about 1 to 3 centimeters per year for 3-Springs basin (the drier site), and from about 30 to 32 centimeters per year for East Stewart basin (the wetter site). The most reliable results are those derived from a reduced form of the chloride-ion model because they reflect integrated, basinwide processes in terms of only three measured variables: precipitation amount, precipitation chemistry, and streamflow chemistry

  4. A single-supply, high rate, small size and cheap electronic chain for 3He neutron counters

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boffa, A.; Fazzi, A.; Pirovano, C.; Varoli, V.

    1996-01-01

    The paper describes a complete counting chain (charge preamplifier, shaping amplifier and threshold discriminator) devoted to 3 He neutron detectors. Since it is characterized by single supply operation, high counting rate, small size and low cost, it is well suited for high efficiency neutron well detectors where a large number (10 - 100) of counting tubes are used. Such detectors are commonly used for verification of Plutonium stocks. The preamplifier adopts an innovative circuit with the gate of the input JFET floating and a DC feedback loop that stabilizes the output voltage acting on the input cascode second transistor. Static and dynamic analysis, including the effects of the detector bias network, is reported. The shaping amplifier transfer function is a fifth order approximation of the gaussian response. All the complex pole pairs are realized with a single fourth order Voltage Controlled Voltage Source cell thus minimizing component count. Experimental signals and spectra, obtained with shaping time constants in the 1 μs - 100 ns range, are reported and discussed

  5. Small business activity does not measure entrepreneurship.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Henrekson, Magnus; Sanandaji, Tino

    2014-02-04

    Entrepreneurship policy mainly aims to promote innovative Schumpeterian entrepreneurship. However, the rate of entrepreneurship is commonly proxied using quantity-based metrics, such as small business activity, the self-employment rate, or the number of startups. We argue that those metrics give rise to misleading inferences regarding high-impact Schumpeterian entrepreneurship. To unambiguously identify high-impact entrepreneurs we focus on self-made billionaires (in US dollars) who appear on Forbes Magazine's list and who became wealthy by founding new firms. We identify 996 such billionaire entrepreneurs in 50 countries in 1996-2010, a systematic cross-country study of billionaire entrepreneurs. The rate of billionaire entrepreneurs correlates negatively with self-employment, small business ownership, and firm startup rates. Countries with higher income, higher trust, lower taxes, more venture capital investment, and lower regulatory burdens have higher billionaire entrepreneurship rates but less self-employment. Despite its limitations, the number of billionaire entrepreneurs appears to be a plausible cross-country measure of Schumpeterian entrepreneurship.

  6. Small business activity does not measure entrepreneurship

    Science.gov (United States)

    Henrekson, Magnus; Sanandaji, Tino

    2014-01-01

    Entrepreneurship policy mainly aims to promote innovative Schumpeterian entrepreneurship. However, the rate of entrepreneurship is commonly proxied using quantity-based metrics, such as small business activity, the self-employment rate, or the number of startups. We argue that those metrics give rise to misleading inferences regarding high-impact Schumpeterian entrepreneurship. To unambiguously identify high-impact entrepreneurs we focus on self-made billionaires (in US dollars) who appear on Forbes Magazine’s list and who became wealthy by founding new firms. We identify 996 such billionaire entrepreneurs in 50 countries in 1996–2010, a systematic cross-country study of billionaire entrepreneurs. The rate of billionaire entrepreneurs correlates negatively with self-employment, small business ownership, and firm startup rates. Countries with higher income, higher trust, lower taxes, more venture capital investment, and lower regulatory burdens have higher billionaire entrepreneurship rates but less self-employment. Despite its limitations, the number of billionaire entrepreneurs appears to be a plausible cross-country measure of Schumpeterian entrepreneurship. PMID:24449873

  7. Adenocarcinoma of the small bowel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Savli, M.; Jamar, B.

    2007-01-01

    Adenocarcinoma of small bowel is generally a rather rare primary tumour of small bowel with a prevalence rate of 0.5 - 3.0 / 100.000 population, but the most frequent tumour of small intestine. It more often involves the duodenum and jejunum than the ileum. The aim of this paper is also to point out the value of small bowel follow through (SBFT) in the diagnosis of stenosing lesions. An 83 - year old male patient suffered from abdominal pain, malaise, vomiting, cachexia and diarrhoea for 3 months. The result of occult blood testing was negative. Haemoglobin level was normal. Proctoscopy, colonoscopy, upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy, and ultrasonography (US) did not explain the patient's problems. Ileus of the small bowel was established with abdominal plain film. Small bowel follow through (SBFT) and computer tomography (CT) showed a stenosing tumour in the jejunum. Adenocarcinoma of the small bowel was established with histological examination after resection of the tumor. SBFT, with manual compression of all segments of the small bowel, can be a very accurate diagnostic investigation for evaluation of stenosing lesions in this part of the intestine. (author)

  8. Adenocarcinoma of the small bowel

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Savli, M; Jamar, B [Inst. of Clinical Radiology, Univ. Medical Centre, Ljubljana (Slovenia)

    2007-06-15

    Adenocarcinoma of small bowel is generally a rather rare primary tumour of small bowel with a prevalence rate of 0.5 - 3.0 / 100.000 population, but the most frequent tumour of small intestine. It more often involves the duodenum and jejunum than the ileum. The aim of this paper is also to point out the value of small bowel follow through (SBFT) in the diagnosis of stenosing lesions. An 83 - year old male patient suffered from abdominal pain, malaise, vomiting, cachexia and diarrhoea for 3 months. The result of occult blood testing was negative. Haemoglobin level was normal. Proctoscopy, colonoscopy, upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy, and ultrasonography (US) did not explain the patient's problems. Ileus of the small bowel was established with abdominal plain film. Small bowel follow through (SBFT) and computer tomography (CT) showed a stenosing tumour in the jejunum. Adenocarcinoma of the small bowel was established with histological examination after resection of the tumor. SBFT, with manual compression of all segments of the small bowel, can be a very accurate diagnostic investigation for evaluation of stenosing lesions in this part of the intestine. (author)

  9. 利率市场化对中小企业融资的影响及对策%Impact of Interest Rate Marketization on Financing of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises and Countermeasures

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    潘向亚

    2015-01-01

    中小企业是我国经济的重要组成部分,在改善民生、促进就业方面发挥着重要的作用。但是中小企业的发展受到种种限制,尤其是在融资方面。最近,央行实施了利率市场化调控措施,全面放开了金融贷款利率管制,这一政策对处于融资困境的中小企业带来了一定的影响。  本文首先分析中小企业在经济中的重要地位,然后阐述中小企业的融资现状,紧接着,分析了利率市场化对中小企业的影响,最后提出在利率市场化下中小企业应如何应对和利用好这一发展契机来为自己谋福利。%Abstrac:As an important part of Chinese national economy, small and medium-sized enterprises have helped improve people's livelihood, employment, etc. However, the development of small and medium-sized enterprises is limited, especially the ifnancing problem. Recently, the central bank has carried out the interest rate marketization measures, opening the ifnancial loan interest rate control. The small and medium-sized enterprises get a chance from the policy. At ifrst, the paper analyses the current economic role of small and medium-sized enterprises; secondly, the present ifnancing situation of the small and medium-sized enterprise is revealed; thirdly, this paper analyzes the inlfuence of interest rate marketization for small and medium-sized enterprises; ifnally, this paper proposes how the small and medium-sized enterprises should deal with and make good use of this development opportunity under the marketization of interest rate.

  10. Police Suicide in Small Departments: A Comparative Analysis

    OpenAIRE

    Violanti, John M.; Mnatsakanova, Anna; Hartley, Tara A.; Andrew, Michael E.; Burchfiel, Cecil M.

    2012-01-01

    The majority of police suicide research has focused on larger police departments. Very little research has been done within small departments. The present study compared suicide rates between small and larger police departments. Two Hundred ninty-eight departments were drawn from the U.S. Public Safety Officer Benefits database totaling 119,624 officers. Annual suicide rates were calculated per 100,000 for each of four category (by size of department) and p-values from Chi-square tests were e...

  11. How to engage small retail businesses in workplace violence prevention: Perspectives from small businesses and influential organizations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bruening, Rebecca A; Strazza, Karen; Nocera, Maryalice; Peek-Asa, Corinne; Casteel, Carri

    2015-06-01

    Small retail businesses experience high robbery and violent crime rates leading to injury and death. Workplace violence prevention programs (WVPP) based on Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design reduce this risk, but low small business participation limits their effectiveness. Recent dissemination models of occupational safety and health information recommend collaborating with an intermediary organization to engage small businesses. Qualitative interviews with 70 small business operators and 32 representatives of organizations with small business influence were conducted to identify factors and recommendations for improving dissemination of a WVPP. Both study groups recommended promoting WVPPs through personal contacts but differed on other promotion methods and the type of influential groups to target. Small business operators indicated few connections to formal business networks. Dissemination of WVPPs to small businesses may require models inclusive of influential individuals (e.g., respected business owners) as intermediaries to reach small businesses with few formal connections. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  12. Are small business owners more successful in avoiding taxes: Evidence from Sweden

    OpenAIRE

    Hansson, Åsa

    2009-01-01

    It is commonly argued that high tax rates motivate individuals to start a business as it is easier to avoid and evade taxes if self-employed compared to employed. If this is the case we would expect small business owners to be more responsive to tax rate changes than employees. This study investigates how responsive existing small business owners are to tax rate changes by estimating the elasticities of taxable income, gross income and reported income from business ventures for small business...

  13. Estimating diversification rates for higher taxa: BAMM can give problematic estimates of rates and rate shifts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meyer, Andreas L S; Wiens, John J

    2018-01-01

    Estimates of diversification rates are invaluable for many macroevolutionary studies. Recently, an approach called BAMM (Bayesian Analysis of Macro-evolutionary Mixtures) has become widely used for estimating diversification rates and rate shifts. At the same time, several articles have concluded that estimates of net diversification rates from the method-of-moments (MS) estimators are inaccurate. Yet, no studies have compared the ability of these two methods to accurately estimate clade diversification rates. Here, we use simulations to compare their performance. We found that BAMM yielded relatively weak relationships between true and estimated diversification rates. This occurred because BAMM underestimated the number of rates shifts across each tree, and assigned high rates to small clades with low rates. Errors in both speciation and extinction rates contributed to these errors, showing that using BAMM to estimate only speciation rates is also problematic. In contrast, the MS estimators (particularly using stem group ages), yielded stronger relationships between true and estimated diversification rates, by roughly twofold. Furthermore, the MS approach remained relatively accurate when diversification rates were heterogeneous within clades, despite the widespread assumption that it requires constant rates within clades. Overall, we caution that BAMM may be problematic for estimating diversification rates and rate shifts. © 2017 The Author(s). Evolution © 2017 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

  14. 13 CFR 120.932 - Interest rate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Interest rate. 120.932 Section 120.932 Business Credit and Assistance SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION BUSINESS LOANS Development Company Loan Program (504) 504 Loans and Debentures § 120.932 Interest rate. The interest rate of the 504 Loan...

  15. Various imaging methods in the detection of small hepatomas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nakatsuka, Haruki; Kaminou, Toshio; Takemoto, Kazumasa; Takashima, Sumio; Kobayashi, Nobuyuki; Nakamura, Kenji; Onoyama, Yasuto; Kurioka, Naruto

    1985-01-01

    Fifty-one patients with small hepatomas under 5 cm in diameter were studied to compare the detectability of various imaging methods. Positive finding was obtained in 50 % of the patients by scintigraphy, in 74 % by ultrasonography and in 79 % by CT during screening tests. Rate of detection in retrospective analysis, after the site of the tumor had been known, were 73 %, 93 % and 87 % respectively. Rate of detection was 92 % by celiac arteriography and 98 % by selective hepatic arteriography. In 21 patients, who had the tumor under 3 cm, the rate was 32 % for scintigraphy, 74 % for ultrasonography and 65 % for CT during screening, whereas it was 58 %, 84 % and 75 % retrospectively. By celiac arteriography, it was 85 %, and by hepatic arteriography, 95 %. Rate of detection of small hepatomas in screening tests differed remarkably from that in retrospective analysis. No single method of imaging can disclose reliably the presense of small hepatoma, therefore more than one method should be used in screening. (author)

  16. 75 FR 13145 - SBA Lender Risk Rating System

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-03-18

    ... SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION [Docket No. SBA-2010-0004] SBA Lender Risk Rating System AGENCY: Small Business Administration. ACTION: Notice; extension of comment period and correction. SUMMARY: On... of Credit Risk Management, U.S. Small Business Administration, 409 Third Street, SW., 8th Floor...

  17. SmallSat Database

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petropulos, Dolores; Bittner, David; Murawski, Robert; Golden, Bert

    2015-01-01

    The SmallSat has an unrealized potential in both the private industry and in the federal government. Currently over 70 companies, 50 universities and 17 governmental agencies are involved in SmallSat research and development. In 1994, the U.S. Army Missile and Defense mapped the moon using smallSat imagery. Since then Smart Phones have introduced this imagery to the people of the world as diverse industries watched this trend. The deployment cost of smallSats is also greatly reduced compared to traditional satellites due to the fact that multiple units can be deployed in a single mission. Imaging payloads have become more sophisticated, smaller and lighter. In addition, the growth of small technology obtained from private industries has led to the more widespread use of smallSats. This includes greater revisit rates in imagery, significantly lower costs, the ability to update technology more frequently and the ability to decrease vulnerability of enemy attacks. The popularity of smallSats show a changing mentality in this fast paced world of tomorrow. What impact has this created on the NASA communication networks now and in future years? In this project, we are developing the SmallSat Relational Database which can support a simulation of smallSats within the NASA SCaN Compatability Environment for Networks and Integrated Communications (SCENIC) Modeling and Simulation Lab. The NASA Space Communications and Networks (SCaN) Program can use this modeling to project required network support needs in the next 10 to 15 years. The SmallSat Rational Database could model smallSats just as the other SCaN databases model the more traditional larger satellites, with a few exceptions. One being that the smallSat Database is designed to be built-to-order. The SmallSat database holds various hardware configurations that can be used to model a smallSat. It will require significant effort to develop as the research material can only be populated by hand to obtain the unique data

  18. Small groups, large profits: Calculating interest rates in community-managed microfinance

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rasmussen, Ole Dahl

    2012-01-01

    Savings groups are a widely used strategy for women’s economic resilience – over 80% of members worldwide are women, and in the case described here, 72.5%. In these savings groups it is common to see the interest rate on savings reported as "20-30% annually". Using panel data from 204 groups...... in Malawi, I show that the right figure is likely to be at least twice this figure. For these groups, the annual return is 62%. The difference comes from sector-wide application of a non-standard interest rate calculations and unrealistic assumptions about the savings profile in the groups. As a result......, it is impossible to compare returns in savings groups with returns elsewhere. Moreover, the interest on savings is incomparable to the interest rate on loans. I argue for the use of a standardized comparable metric and suggest easy ways to implement it. Developments of new tools and standard along these lines...

  19. 75 FR 9257 - SBA Lender Risk Rating System

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-03-01

    ... Liquidation Rate; 3. Gross Delinquency Rate; 4. Gross Past-Due Rate; 5. Six (6) Month Net Flow Indicator; 6.... The statistical analysis performed showed that incorporating the Portfolio Size/Age component improved...) Month Delinquency Rate; 3. Gross Delinquency Rate; 4. Gross Past-Due Rate; 5. Average Small Business...

  20. Experiment and analyses on intentional secondary-side depressurization during PWR small break LOCA. Effects of depressurization rate and break area on core liquid level behavior

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Asaka, Hideaki; Ohtsu, Iwao; Anoda, Yoshinari; Kukita, Yutaka

    1997-01-01

    The effects of the secondary-side depressurization rate and break area on the core liquid level behavior during a PWR small-break LOCA were studied using experimental data from the Large Scale Test Facility (LSTF) and by using analysis results obtained with a JAERI modified version of RELAP5/MOD3 code. The LSTF is a 1/ 48 volumetrically scaled full-height integral model of a Westinghouse-type PWR. The code reproduced the thermal-hydraulic responses, observed in the experiment, for important parameters such as the primary and secondary side pressures and core liquid level behavior. The sensitivity of the core minimum liquid level to the depressurization rate and break area was studied by using the code assessed above. It was found that the core liquid level took a local minimum value for a given break area as a function of secondary side depressurization rate. Further efforts are, however, needed to quantitatively define the maximum core temperature as a function of break area and depressurization rate. (author)

  1. 13 CFR 120.1015 - Risk Rating System.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Risk Rating System. 120.1015 Section 120.1015 Business Credit and Assistance SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION BUSINESS LOANS Risk-Based Lender Oversight Supervision § 120.1015 Risk Rating System. (a) Risk Rating. SBA may assign a Risk Rating...

  2. 46 CFR 63.25-1 - Small automatic auxiliary boilers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Small automatic auxiliary boilers. 63.25-1 Section 63.25... AUXILIARY BOILERS Requirements for Specific Types of Automatic Auxiliary Boilers § 63.25-1 Small automatic auxiliary boilers. Small automatic auxiliary boilers defined as having heat-input ratings of 400,000 Btu/hr...

  3. Definitive Radiotherapy of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Jong Young; Park, Kyung Ran

    1995-01-01

    Purpose : The effect of dose escalation of up to 6500 cGy on local control and survival was investigated in locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer. Materials and Methods : Ninety eight patients with biopsy-proven unresectable non-small cell lung cancer without distant metastases or medically inoperable patients with lower-stage were treated with definitive radiotherapy alone. Group A were treated by thoracic irradiation, 6000 cGy or less in total tumor dose with daily fractions of 180 to 200 cGy: and group B was treated with 6500 cGy of same daily fractions. Results : The actuarial overall survival rate for the entire group was 54% at 1 year, 26.6% at 2 years and 16.4% at 3 years with a median survival time of 13 months. Statistically significant prognostic factors that affect survival rate were stage and N-stage. However, no improvement in local control and survival has been seen with higher dose radiotherapy(group B). Conclusion : Dose escalation of up to 6500 cGy was no effect on local control and survival rate. To increase the survival rate of non-small cell lung cancer hyperfractionated radiotherapy or concurrent chemoradiotherapy should be considered

  4. Having your cake and eating it - Staphylococcus aureus small colony variants can evolve faster growth rate without losing their antibiotic resistance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gerrit Brandis

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Staphylococcus aureus can produce small colony variants (SCVs during infections. These cause significant clinical problems because they are difficult to detect in standard microbiological screening and are associated with persistent infections. The major causes of the SCV phenotype are mutations that inhibit respiration by inactivation of genes of the menadione or hemin biosynthesis pathways. This reduces the production of ATP required to support fast growth. Importantly, it also decreases cross-membrane potential in SCVs, resulting in decreased uptake of cationic compounds, with reduced susceptibility to aminoglycoside antibiotics as a consequence. Because SCVs are slow-growing (mutations in men genes are associated with growth rates in rich medium ~30% of the wild-type growth rate bacterial cultures are very susceptible to rapid takeover by faster-growing mutants (revertants or suppressors. In the case of reversion, the resulting fast growth is obviously associated with the loss of antibiotic resistance. However, direct reversion is relatively rare due to the very small genetic target size for such mutations. We explored the phenotypic consequences of SCVs evolving faster growth by routes other than direct reversion, and in particular whether any of those routes allowed for the maintenance of antibiotic resistance. In a recent paper (mBio 8: e00358-17 we demonstrated the existence of several different routes of SCV evolution to faster growth, one of which maintained the antibiotic resistance phenotype. This discovery suggests that SCVs might be more adaptable and problematic that previously thought. They are capable of surviving as a slow-growing persistent form, before evolving into a significantly faster-growing form without sacrificing their antibiotic resistance phenotype.

  5. Comparison between full- and small-scale sensory assessments of air quality

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wargocki, Pawel; Sabikova, J.; Lagercrantz, Love Per

    2002-01-01

    Thirty-nine untrained subjects made small- and full-scale evaluations of the acceptability of the quality of air at 22 deg.C and 40% RH, polluted by either carpet, felt floor covering, painted gypsum board, linoleum or chipboard. Small-scale evaluations were made on the air extracted from 200-L......-scale sensory ratings of acceptability of air polluted by carpet and by linoleum were systematically better than small-scale assessments, but not for the other three materials. Calculated sensory emission rates from carpet and linoleum were significantly lower in full scale than in small scale. When modelling...

  6. NIF small optics laser damage test specifications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sheehan, L

    1999-01-01

    The Laser Damage Group is currently conducting tests on small optics samples supplied for initial evaluation of potential NIF suppliers. This document is meant to define the specification of laser-induced damage for small optics and the test methods used to collect the data. A rating system which will be applied for vendor selection is presented

  7. Exchange rate policy under sovereign default risk

    OpenAIRE

    Schabert, Andreas

    2011-01-01

    We examine monetary policy options for a small open economy where sovereign default might occur due to intertemporal insolvency. Under interest rate policy and floating exchange rates the equilibrium is indetermined. Under a fixed exchange rate the equilibrium is uniquely determined and independent of sovereign default.

  8. Analysis of small-signal intensity modulation of semiconductor ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    This paper demonstrates theoretical characterization of intensity modulation of semiconductor lasers (SL's). The study is based on a small-signal model to solve the laser rate equations taking into account suppression of optical gain. Analytical forms of the small-signal modulation response and modulation bandwidth are ...

  9. 47 CFR 76.1805 - Alternative rate regulation agreements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... agreements. Small systems owned by small cable companies must file with the Commission a copy of any operative alternative rate regulation agreement entered into with a local franchising authority pursuant to...

  10. Allegheny County Obesity Rates

    Data.gov (United States)

    Allegheny County / City of Pittsburgh / Western PA Regional Data Center — Obesity rates for each Census Tract in Allegheny County were produced for the study “Developing small-area predictions for smoking and obesity prevalence in the...

  11. Allegheny County Smoking Rates

    Data.gov (United States)

    Allegheny County / City of Pittsburgh / Western PA Regional Data Center — Smoking rates for each Census Tract in Allegheny County were produced for the study “Developing small-area predictions for smoking and obesity prevalence in the...

  12. An evaluation of fresh gas flow rates for spontaneously breathing cats and small dogs on the Humphrey ADE semi-closed breathing system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gale, Elizabeth; Ticehurst, Kim E; Zaki, Sanaa

    2015-05-01

    To evaluate the fresh gas flow (FGF) rate requirements for the Humphrey ADE semi-closed breathing system in the Mapleson A mode; to determine the FGF at which rebreathing occurs, and compare the efficiency of this system to the Bain (Mapleson D) system in spontaneously breathing cats and small dogs. Prospective clinical study. Twenty-five healthy (ASA score I or II) client-owned cats and dogs (mean ± SD age 4.7 ± 5.0 years, and body weight 5.64 ± 3.26 kg) undergoing elective surgery or minor procedures. Anaesthesia was maintained with isoflurane delivered via the Humphrey ADE system in the A mode using an oxygen FGF of 100 mL kg(-1) minute(-1). The FGF was then reduced incrementally by 5-10 mL kg(-1) minute(-1) at approximately five-minute intervals, until rebreathing (inspired CO(2) >5 mmHg (0.7 kPa)) was observed, after which flow rates were increased. In six animals, once the minimum FGF at which rebreathing occurred was found, the breathing system was changed to the Bain, and the effects of this FGF delivery examined, before FGF was increased. Rebreathing did not occur at the FGF recommended by the manufacturer for the ADE. The mean ± SD FGF that resulted in rebreathing was 60 ± 20 mL kg(-1) minute(-1). The mean minimum FGF at which rebreathing did not occur with the ADE was 87 ± 39 mL kg(-1) minute(-1). This FGF resulted in significant rebreathing (inspired CO(2) 8.8 ± 2.6 mmHg (1.2 ± 0.3 kPa)) on the Bain system. The FGF rates recommended for the Humphrey ADE are adequate to prevent rebreathing in spontaneously breathing cats and dogs cats and small dogs. © 2014 Association of Veterinary Anaesthetists and the American College of Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia.

  13. Financing to meet community needs: a guide for small hospitals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilson, Bill

    2009-03-01

    To succeed in the current financial markets, small hospitals need flexible project and financing plans. Many small local banks today can offer small hospitals financing solutions on par with what was previously offered only by the country's strongest investment-grade rated banks. Federal assistance through programs such as HUD's Section 242 mortgage insurance program is also a viable option for small hospitals.

  14. (Azadirachta indica) seed extract for tick control in Small

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Dr. Matayo David

    ... extract for tick control in Small East African and Toggenburg female goat kids in Tanzania ... adoption rate by the local traditional small-scale resource poor farmers, etc.) (de Castro ..... SAS Institute Inc., Cary, North California. Saxena, R.C. ...

  15. Model Uncertainty and Exchange Rate Forecasting

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kouwenberg, R.; Markiewicz, A.; Verhoeks, R.; Zwinkels, R.C.J.

    2017-01-01

    Exchange rate models with uncertain and incomplete information predict that investors focus on a small set of fundamentals that changes frequently over time. We design a model selection rule that captures the current set of fundamentals that best predicts the exchange rate. Out-of-sample tests show

  16. A comparison of licensed and un-licensed artisanal and small-scale gold miners (ASGM) in terms of socio-demographics, work profiles, and injury rates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Calys-Tagoe, Benedict N L; Clarke, Edith; Robins, Thomas; Basu, Niladri

    2017-11-06

    Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) represents one of the most hazardous work environments. While formalization of this sector has been suggested (e.g., Minamata Convention) as a means to improve working conditions, we are unaware of empirical evidence that supports this notion. This study aimed to compare sociodemographic profiles, work profiles, and injury rates among miners working in licensed versus un-licensed ASGM sites. In the Tarkwa mining region of Ghana, 404 small-scale miners were recruited in 2014 and interviewed regarding their occupational injury experiences over the preceding 10 years. Workers were drawn from 9 mining sites, of which 5 were licensed and 4 were not licensed. Sociodemographic characteristics of miners from the two groups were relatively similar. Those currently working in an un-licensed mine have spent more time in the ASGM sector than those currently working in a licensed mine (94 vs. 70 months). Miners working in an un-licensed site tended to experience more injury episodes (e.g., 26% vs. 8% had 3 or more injury events) and not use personal protective equipment during the time of an injury (92% indicated to not using vs. 73%) when compared to miners working in a licensed site. A total of 121 injury episodes were recorded for 2245 person years of ASGM work. The injury rate for those working in un-licensed mines was 5.9 per 100 person years (59 injuries in 995 person years) versus 5.0 (62 injuries in 1250 person-years) in the licensed mines. When focusing on the male miners, there was a significant difference in injury rates between those working in a licensed mine (4.2 per 100 person years) versus an un-licensed mine (6.1 per 100 person years). These findings advance our understanding of injuries amongst ASGM workers, and help identify important differences in socio-demographics, work profiles, and injury rates between miners working in a licensed versus and un-licensed site. The findings suggest that certain working

  17. An improved camera trap for amphibians, reptiles, small mammals, and large invertebrates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hobbs, Michael T; Brehme, Cheryl S

    2017-01-01

    Camera traps are valuable sampling tools commonly used to inventory and monitor wildlife communities but are challenged to reliably sample small animals. We introduce a novel active camera trap system enabling the reliable and efficient use of wildlife cameras for sampling small animals, particularly reptiles, amphibians, small mammals and large invertebrates. It surpasses the detection ability of commonly used passive infrared (PIR) cameras for this application and eliminates problems such as high rates of false triggers and high variability in detection rates among cameras and study locations. Our system, which employs a HALT trigger, is capable of coupling to digital PIR cameras and is designed for detecting small animals traversing small tunnels, narrow trails, small clearings and along walls or drift fencing.

  18. An improved camera trap for amphibians, reptiles, small mammals, and large invertebrates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hobbs, Michael T.; Brehme, Cheryl S.

    2017-01-01

    Camera traps are valuable sampling tools commonly used to inventory and monitor wildlife communities but are challenged to reliably sample small animals. We introduce a novel active camera trap system enabling the reliable and efficient use of wildlife cameras for sampling small animals, particularly reptiles, amphibians, small mammals and large invertebrates. It surpasses the detection ability of commonly used passive infrared (PIR) cameras for this application and eliminates problems such as high rates of false triggers and high variability in detection rates among cameras and study locations. Our system, which employs a HALT trigger, is capable of coupling to digital PIR cameras and is designed for detecting small animals traversing small tunnels, narrow trails, small clearings and along walls or drift fencing.

  19. Decomposition rates of radiopharmaceutical indium chelates in serum

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yeh, S.M.; Meares, C.F.; Goodwin, D.A.

    1979-01-01

    The rates at which six small aminopolycarboxylate chelates of trivalent 111 In and three protein-bound chelates of 111 In deliver indium to the serum protein transferrin have been studied in sterile human serum at pH 7.3, 37 deg C. Sterically hindered chelates containing a substituent on an ethylene carbon of EDTA decompose with rates in the range 0.03 to 0.11% per day - one to two orders of magnitude slower than other chelates. Only small differences are observed between rates of decomposition for low-molecular-weight chelates and for protein-bound chelates having analogous structures. (author)

  20. Diagnosis of small hepatocellular carcinoma by incremental dynamic CT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Uchida, Masafumi; Kumabe, Tsutomu; Edamitsu, Osamu

    1993-01-01

    Thirty cases of pathologically confirmed small hepatocellular carcinoma were examined by Incremental Dynamic CT (ICT). ICT scanned the whole liver with single-breath-hold technique; therefore, effective early contrast enhancement could be obtained for diagnosis. Among the 30 tumors, 26 were detected. The detection rate was 87%. A high detection rate was obtained in tumors more than 20 mm in diameter. Twenty-two of 26 tumors could be diagnosed correctly. ICT examination was useful for detection of small hepatocellular carcinoma. (author)

  1. Spontaneous mutation rates and the rate-doubling dose

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Von Borstel, R.C.; Moustaccki, E.; Latarjet, R.

    1978-01-01

    The amount of radiation required to double the frequency of mutations or tumours over the rate of those that occur spontaneously is called the rate-doubling dose. An equivalent concept has been proposed for exposure to other environmental mutagens. The doubling dose concept is predicated on the assumption that all human populations have the same spontaneous mutation rate, and that this spontaneous mutation rate is known. It is now established for prokaryotes and lower eukaryotes that numerous genes control the spontaneous mutation rate, and it is likely that the same is true for human cells as well. Given that the accepted mode of evolution of human populatons is from small, isolated groups of individuals, it seems likely that each population would have a different spontaneous mutation rate. Given that a minimum of twenty genes control or affect the spontaneous mutation rate, and that each of these in turn is susceptible to spontaneously arising or environmentally induced mutations, it seems likely that every individual within a population (except for siblings from identical multiple births) will have a unique spontaneous mutation rate. If each individual in a population does have a different spontaneous mutation rate, the doubling dose concept, in rigorous terms, is fallacious. Therefore, as with other concepts of risk evaluation, the doubling dose concept is subject to criticism. Nevertheless, until we know individual spontaneous mutation rates with precision, and can evaluate risks based on this information, the doubling dose concept has a heuristic value and is needed for practical assessment of risks for defined populations. (author)

  2. Small polaron hopping in magnetic semiconductors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Emin, D.; Liu, N.L.H.

    1978-01-01

    In a number of magnetic insulators it has been hypothesized that the charge carriers form small polarons. The transfer of an electron between magnetic sites and how the magnetic nature of the material affects the rate which characterizes small-polaron hops between magnetic sites were studied. The basic transfer processes are addressed from a many-electron point in which the itinerant electron is treated as indistinguishable from those which contribute unpaired spins at the magnetic sites

  3. Microcredit Loan Repayment Default among Small Scale ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The model is applied to primary data from a survey of 200 small scale entrepreneurs in the Upper West Region of Ghana. Results show that enterprise size, interest rate, loan duration, level of profit and loan amount are the simultaneous determinants of probability and rate of default. The study recommends that the National ...

  4. Photoinactivation of Propionibacterium acnes by near-ultraviolet light

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kjeldstad, B.

    1984-01-01

    Photodestruction of Propionibacterium acnes was investigated by broad-band near-ultraviolet light. The inactivation of the bacteria was found to be oxygen dependent, and without O 2 practically no photoinactivation occurred. D 2 O caused an increased inactivation (D 10 = 5 kJ/m 2 in D 2 O as compared to D 10 = 11 kJ/m 2 in normal water). Decreased temperature during illumination increased the ability to form colonies. The results are compared with corresponding results for other types of cells and the destruction mechanism is discussed. (orig.)

  5. Small Enterprise Dynamics in Indonesia

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Berry, A.; Rodriquez, E.; Sandee, H.M.

    2001-01-01

    This paper discusses the development of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Indonesia before and during the crisis. It argues that SME productivity has risen substantially, at rates not far from those of larger firms. Case studies indicate that various mechanisms are at work, such as technology

  6. Collection of large and small food particles by Bosmina

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bleiwas, A.H.; Stokes, P.M.

    1985-01-01

    The rate of collection by Bosmina of large and small food particles was measured with 14 C-labeled algae and checked by visual observation. Bosmina collected and ingested a large alga, Cosmarium, about six times faster than a small one, Chlorella. This is consistent with the observation of DeMott and Kerfoot that Bosmina has two modes of feeding: small-particle filtering and large-particle grasping

  7. Effect of Amifostine on Response Rates in Locally Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Patients Treated on Randomized Controlled Trials: A Meta-Analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mell, Loren K.; Malik, Renuka; Komaki, Ritsuko; Movsas, Benjamin; Swann, R. Suzanne; Langer, Corey; Antonadou, Dosia; Koukourakis, Michael; Mundt, Arno J.

    2007-01-01

    Purpose: Amifostine can reduce the cytotoxic effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy in patients with locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer, but concerns remain regarding its possible tumor-protective effects. Studies with sufficient statistical power to address this question are lacking. Methods and Materials: We performed a meta-analysis of all published clinical trials involving locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer patients treated with radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy, who had been randomized to treatment with amifostine vs. no amifostine or placebo. Random effects estimates of the relative risk of overall, partial, and complete response were obtained. Results: Seven randomized trials involving 601 patients were identified. Response rate data were available for six studies (552 patients). The pooled relative risk (RR) estimate was 1.07 (95% confidence interval, 0.97-1.18; p = 0.18), 1.21 (95% confidence interval, 0.83-1.78; p = 0.33), and 0.99 (95% confidence interval, 0.78-1.26; p = 0.95) for overall, complete, and partial response, respectively (a RR >1 indicates improvement in response with amifostine compared with the control arm). The results were similar after sensitivity analyses. No evidence was found of treatment effect heterogeneity across the studies. Conclusions: Amifostine has no effect on tumor response in patients with locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer treated with radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy

  8. 12 CFR 563e.28 - Assigned ratings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 12 Banks and Banking 5 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Assigned ratings. 563e.28 Section 563e.28 Banks... for Assessing Performance § 563e.28 Assigned ratings. (a) Ratings in general. Subject to paragraphs (b... performance under the lending, investment and service tests, the community development test, the small savings...

  9. Rating mutual funds

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bechmann, Ken L.; Rangvid, Jesper

    2007-01-01

    We develop a new rating of mutual funds: the atpRating. The atpRating assigns crowns to each individual mutual fund based upon the costs an investor pays when investing in the fund in relation to what it would cost to invest in the fund's peers. Within each investment category, the rating assigns...... the return of a fund in a certain year generally contains only little information about the future return that the fund will generate. Finally, we have information on the investments in different mutual funds made by a small subgroup of investors known to have been exposed to both the atp...... five crowns to funds with the lowest costs and one crown to funds with the highest costs. We investigate the ability of the atpRating to predict the future performance of a fund. We find that an investor who has invested in the funds with the lowest costs within an investment category would have...

  10. Rating Mutual Funds

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bechmann, Ken L.; Rangvid, Jesper

    We develop a new rating of mutual funds: the atpRating. The atpRating assigns crowns to each individual mutual fund based upon the costs an investor pays when investing in the fund in relation to what it would cost to invest in the fund’s peers. Within each investment category, the rating assigns......, whereas the return of a fund in a certain year generally contains only little information about the future return that the fund will generate. Finally, we have information on the investments in different mutual funds made by a small subgroup of investors known to have been exposed to both the atp...... five crowns to funds with the lowest costs and one crown to funds with the highest costs. We investigate the ability of the atpRating to predict the future performance of a fund. We find that an investor who has invested in the funds with the lowest costs within an investment category would have...

  11. Small Business Taxation: Revamping Incentives to Encourage Growth

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Duanjie Chen

    2011-05-01

    aforementioned threshold effect. We use a new approach in assessing the impact of taxes on small business growth by estimating the amount of tax paid on the rate of return to capital as a small business grows in size. We show that small business growth is hampered by the existing tax system. As a business grows, effective tax rates on capital investments made by entrepreneurs virtually double when the business grows from as a little as $1 million to over $30 million in asset size. The issue is particularly important to the provinces that have been creating greater gaps between large and small business tax rates. The aim of tax incentives should be to try to avoid creating a wall that inhibits growth in small businesses, but instead flattens corporate and personal taxes with respect to incentives structured to induce growth. We provide some specific recommendations for growth-enhancing incentives that are superior to the small business tax deduction and other incentives of a similar type. Incentives associated with size should be avoided as much as possible, a proposal that is consistent with International Monetary Fund (IMF recommendations.

  12. Neuroendocrine small cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reig Castillejo, Anna; Membrive Conejo, Ismael; Foro Arnalot, Palmira; Rodríguez de Dios, Nuria; Algara López, Manuel

    2010-07-01

    Neuroendocrine small cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix (SCC) is a rare disease that mixes clinical and biological characteristics of both cervical neoplasms and neuroendocrine small cell cancer. The prognosis is poor and the optimal treatment has not yet been clarified. Multimodality treatment, with surgery and concurrent chemoradiation has recently been shown to improve local control and survival rates.

  13. Relativistic electronic structure calculations on endohedral Gd rate at C60, La rate at C60, Gd rate at C74, and La rate at C74

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lu, J.; Zhang, X.; Zhao, X.

    2000-01-01

    Relativistic discrete-variational local density functional calculations on endohedral Gd rate at C 60 , La rate at C 60 ,Gd rate at C 74 , and La rate at C 74 are performed. All the C 60 - and C 74 -derived levels are lowered upon endohedral Gd and La doping. Both the Gd (4f 7 5d 1 6s 2 ) and La (5d 1 6s 2 ) atoms only donate their two 6s valence electrons to the cages, leaving behind their 5d electrons when they are placed at the cage centers. Compared with large-band-gap C 60 , small-band-gap C 74 and Gd (La)-metallofullerenes have strong both electron-donating and electron-accepting characters, and the calculated ionization potentials and electron affinities for them agree well with the available experimental data. (orig.)

  14. Predicting the 3D fatigue crack growth rate of small cracks using multimodal data via Bayesian networks: In-situ experiments and crystal plasticity simulations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rovinelli, Andrea; Sangid, Michael D.; Proudhon, Henry; Guilhem, Yoann; Lebensohn, Ricardo A.; Ludwig, Wolfgang

    2018-06-01

    Small crack propagation accounts for most of the fatigue life of engineering structures subject to high cycle fatigue loading conditions. Determining the fatigue crack growth rate of small cracks propagating into polycrystalline engineering alloys is critical to improving fatigue life predictions, thus lowering cost and increasing safety. In this work, cycle-by-cycle data of a small crack propagating in a beta metastable titanium alloy is available via phase and diffraction contrast tomography. Crystal plasticity simulations are used to supplement experimental data regarding the micromechanical fields ahead of the crack tip. Experimental and numerical results are combined into a multimodal dataset and sampled utilizing a non-local data mining procedure. Furthermore, to capture the propensity of body-centered cubic metals to deform according to the pencil-glide model, a non-local driving force is postulated. The proposed driving force serves as the basis to construct a data-driven probabilistic crack propagation framework using Bayesian networks as building blocks. The spatial correlation between the postulated driving force and experimental observations is obtained by analyzing the results of the proposed framework. Results show that the above correlation increases proportionally to the distance from the crack front until the edge of the plastic zone. Moreover, the predictions of the propagation framework show good agreement with experimental observations. Finally, we studied the interaction of a small crack with grain boundaries (GBs) utilizing various slip transmission criteria, revealing the tendency of a crack to cross a GB by propagating along the slip directions minimizing the residual Burgers vector within the GB.

  15. Effect of massing on larval growth rate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Aidan P; Wallman, James F

    2014-08-01

    Estimation of minimum postmortem interval commonly relies on predicting the age of blowfly larvae based on their size and an estimate of the temperatures to which they have been exposed throughout their development. The majority of larval growth rate data have been developed using small larval masses in order to avoid excess heat generation. The current study collected growth rate data for larvae at different mass volumes, and assessed the temperature production of these masses, for two forensically important blow fly species, Chrysomya rufifacies and Calliphora vicina. The growth rate of larvae in a small mass, exposed to the higher temperatures equivalent to those experienced by large masses, was also assessed to determine if observed differences were due to the known temperature effects of maggot masses. The results showed that temperature production increased with increasing mass volume, with temperature increases of 11 °C observed in the large Ch. rufifacies masses and increases of 5 °C in the large C. vicina masses. Similarly, the growth rate of the larvae was affected by mass size. The larvae from small masses grown at the higher temperatures experienced by large masses displayed an initial delay in growth, but then grew at a similar rate to those larvae at a constant 23 °C. Since these larvae from masses of equivalent sizes displayed similar patterns of growth rate, despite differing temperatures, and these growth rates differed from larger masses exposed to the same temperatures, it can be concluded that larval growth rate within a mass may be affected by additional factors other than temperature. Overall, this study highlights the importance of understanding the role of massing in larval development and provides initial developmental data for mass sizes of two forensically important blowfly species commonly encountered in Australian forensic casework. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Divergent biparietal diameter growth rates in twin pregnancies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Houlton, M C

    1977-05-01

    Twenty-eight twin pregnancies were monitored by serial ultrasonic cephalometry from 30 or 31 weeks' gestation. The rates of growth of the individual twins as determined by biparietal diameters were similar in 11 cases (39%) and divergent in 17 (61%). When the rates of growth were divergent, the lesser rate was always below the mean for singleton pregnancies, and the incidence of small-for-gestational-age babies was 18 of 34 (53%). It was apparent that the greater the difference in biparietal diameters within the 2 weeks preceding delivery, the higher the risk of a small-for-gestation-age baby being delivered. No comment could be made on the growth rate prior to 28 weeks except that at diagnosis there was little or no difference in biparietal diameters.

  17. Rules versus Discretion in Loan Rate Setting

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Cerqueiro, G.M.; Degryse, H.A.; Ongena, S.

    2007-01-01

    We propose a heteroscedastic regression model to identify the determinants of the dispersion in interest rates on loans granted to small and medium sized enterprises. We interpret unexplained deviations as evidence of the banks’ discretionary use of market power in the loan rate setting process.

  18. Rules versus discretion in loan rate setting

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Cerqueiro, G.M.; Degryse, H.A.; Ongena, S.

    2011-01-01

    Loan rates for seemingly identical borrowers often exhibit substantial dispersion. This paper investigates the determinants of the dispersion in interest rates on loans granted by banks to small and medium sized enterprises. We associate this dispersion with the loan officers’ use of “discretion” in

  19. Estimates of ground-water recharge rates for two small basins in central Nevada

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lichty, R.W.; McKinley, P.W.

    1995-01-01

    Estimates of ground-water recharge rates developed from hydrologic modeling studies are presented for 3-Springs and East Stewart basins. two small basins (analog sites) located in central Nevada. The analog-site studies were conducted to aid in the estimation of recharge to the paleohydrologic regime associated with ground water in the vicinity of Yucca Mountain under wetter climatic conditions. The two analog sites are located to the north and at higher elevations than Yucca Mountain, and the prevailing (current) climatic conditions at these sites is thought to be representative of the possible range of paleoclimatic conditions in the general area of Yucca Mountain during the Quaternary. Two independent modeling approaches were conducted at each of the analog sites using observed hydrologic data on precipitation, temperature, solar radiation stream discharge, and chloride-ion water chemistry for a 6-year study period (October 1986 through September 1992). Both models quantify the hydrologic water-balance equation and yield estimates of ground-water recharge, given appropriate input data. The first model uses a traditional approach to quantify watershed hydrology through a precipitation-runoff modeling system that accounts for the spatial variability of hydrologic inputs, processes, and responses (outputs) using a dailycomputational time step. The second model is based on the conservative nature of the dissolved chloride ion in selected hydrologic environments, and its use as a natural tracer allows the computation of acoupled, water and chloride-ion, mass-balance system of equations to estimate available water (sum ofsurface runoff and groundwater recharge). Results of the modeling approaches support the conclusion that reasonable estimates of average-annual recharge to ground water range from about 1 to 3 centimeters per year for 3-Springs basin (the drier site), and from about 30 to 32 centimeters per year for East Stewart basin (the wetter site). The most

  20. Policy Interventions Favouring Small Business: Rationales, Results and Recommendations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    John Lester

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Small business has a well-deserved reputation as the driver of job growth and as a key contributor to innovation. In the 12 years ending in 2013, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs accounted for about 90% of private sector job growth in Canada. What is less well-recognized, however, is that a small fraction of SMEs account for most of the job growth and innovation. As a result, governments have offered broad-based support for small businesses, rather than focusing on high-impact entrepreneurs. This approach is wasteful: firms that do not grow or innovate receive most of the benefits. Further, this approach can harm economic performance by promoting the expansion of smaller, lessefficient firms at the expense of larger ones. The federal government elected in 2015 is focussing new initiatives on innovative and growth-oriented businesses. Legislated reductions in the small business tax rate were reversed and targeted support for innovative SMEs was increased. While the change in direction is welcome, almost 85% of the $7 billion yearly funding for small business continues to provide broad-based support. The largest program is the special low rate of tax for small businesses, implemented to improve access to financing for capacity-expanding investment. This measure is harming economic performance because the cost of shifting capital and labour from large to smaller, less-efficient businesses outweighs the benefit from improving access to capital. Large subsidies for small business financing are also provided by the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC. With access to cheap government funding, the BDC is profitable, but evaluated using a more realistic cost of financing, the bank operates at a substantial loss. This loss exceeds the benefit from improving access to capital, particularly for the bank’s direct-lending program. While there is a solid argument for supporting R&D, subsidies provided to small firms are so generous that they are

  1. A comparison of licensed and un-licensed artisanal and small-scale gold miners (ASGM in terms of socio-demographics, work profiles, and injury rates

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Benedict N. L. Calys-Tagoe

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM represents one of the most hazardous work environments. While formalization of this sector has been suggested (e.g., Minamata Convention as a means to improve working conditions, we are unaware of empirical evidence that supports this notion. This study aimed to compare sociodemographic profiles, work profiles, and injury rates among miners working in licensed versus un-licensed ASGM sites. Methods In the Tarkwa mining region of Ghana, 404 small-scale miners were recruited in 2014 and interviewed regarding their occupational injury experiences over the preceding 10 years. Workers were drawn from 9 mining sites, of which 5 were licensed and 4 were not licensed. Results Sociodemographic characteristics of miners from the two groups were relatively similar. Those currently working in an un-licensed mine have spent more time in the ASGM sector than those currently working in a licensed mine (94 vs. 70 months. Miners working in an un-licensed site tended to experience more injury episodes (e.g., 26% vs. 8% had 3 or more injury events and not use personal protective equipment during the time of an injury (92% indicated to not using vs. 73% when compared to miners working in a licensed site. A total of 121 injury episodes were recorded for 2245 person years of ASGM work. The injury rate for those working in un-licensed mines was 5.9 per 100 person years (59 injuries in 995 person years versus 5.0 (62 injuries in 1250 person-years in the licensed mines. When focusing on the male miners, there was a significant difference in injury rates between those working in a licensed mine (4.2 per 100 person years versus an un-licensed mine (6.1 per 100 person years. Conclusions These findings advance our understanding of injuries amongst ASGM workers, and help identify important differences in socio-demographics, work profiles, and injury rates between miners working in a licensed versus and un

  2. Small-scale eruptive filaments on the quiet sun

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hermans, L.M.; Martin, S.F.

    1986-01-01

    A study of a little known class of eruptive events on the quiet sun was conducted. All of 61 small-scale eruptive filamentary structures were identified in a systematic survey of 32 days of H alpha time-lapse films of the quiet sun acquired at Big Bear Solar Observatory. When fully developed, these structures have an average length of 15 arc seconds before eruption. They appear to be the small-scale analog of large-scale eruptive filaments observed against the disk. At the observed rate of 1.9 small-scale eruptive features per field of view per average 7.0 hour day, the rate of occurence of these events on the sun were estimated to be greater than 600 per 24 hour day.. The average duration of the eruptive phase was 26 minutes while the average lifetime from formation through eruption was 70 minutes. A majority of the small-scale filamentary sturctures were spatially related to cancelling magnetic features in line-of-sight photospheric magnetograms. Similar to large-scale filaments, the small-scale filamentary structures sometimes divided opposite polarity cancelling fragments but often had one or both ends terminating at a cancellation site. Their high numbers appear to reflect the much greater flux on the quiet sun. From their characteristics, evolution, and relationship to photospheric magnetic flux, it was concluded that the structures described are small-scale eruptive filaments and are a subset of all filaments

  3. Nesting success and survival rates of suburban Olive Thrushes ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Reproductive rate, clutch size, nesting success and survival rate of dependent fledglings were estimated from breeding records in the Eastern Cape. These data were used to estimate survival rate of independent fledglings. The estimated adult survival rate in this region was high and the clutch size was small, compared to ...

  4. Blood pressure and heart rate during stress in children born small for gestational age.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pirojsakul, Kwanchai; Thanapinyo, Apinya; Nuntnarumit, Pracha

    2017-06-01

    Increased sympathetic nervous system activity has been proposed as a potential mechanism for the blood pressure (BP) elevation seen in individuals born small for gestational age (SGA). This study was carried out to detect the changes in BP and heart rate (HR) in children born SGA during exposure to stress and to assess for changes in urinary catecholamine excretion. Nineteen children aged 6-14 years born SGA and 17 age- and gender-matched healthy controls were included in the study. The stress test included a mathematical test and venipuncture. BP and HR were monitored during the test. Spot urine samples were collected at baseline and after the stress test to determine dopamine, epinephrine and norepinephrine levels. At baseline, there was no difference in BP and HR between the SGA and control groups, but mean urinary norepinephrine levels were slightly higher in the SGA group (55.7 ± 16.1 vs. 43.4 ± 3.8 mcg/gCr; P = 0.10). Compared to the control group, mean maximal HR increase was higher in the SGA group (31.3 ± 3.1 vs. 19.2 ± 3.8%; P = 0.008), and mean duration of maximal HR to baseline HR was longer (186 ± 23 vs. 97 ± 13 s, respectively; P = 0.003). There was a significant negative correlation between birth weight and maximal HR increase (r = -0.497, P = 0.003). Children born SGA showed significantly greater increases in HR and significantly longer periods of tachycardia during exposure to stress than did healthy controls. The rise in HR was inversely correlated with birth weight. These findings suggest that children born SGA have a greater increase in sympathetic response when exposed to stress than do healthy individuals.

  5. Locomotor and Heart Rate Responses of Floaters During Small-Sided Games in Elite Soccer Players: Effect of Pitch Size and Inclusion of Goal Keepers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lacome, Mathieu; Simpson, Ben M; Cholley, Yannick; Buchheit, Martin

    2017-09-27

    To (1) compare the locomotor and heart rate responses between floaters and regular players during both small and large small sided games (SSGs) and (2) examine whether the type of game (i.e., game simulation vs possession game) affects the magnitude of the difference between floaters and regular players. Data were collected in 41 players belonging to an elite French football team during three consecutive seasons (2014-2017). 5-Hz GPS were used to collect all training data, with the Athletic Data Innovation analyser (v5.4.1.514, Sydney, Australia) used to derive total distance (m), high-speed distance (> 14.4 km.h -1 , m) and external mechanical load (MechL, a.u). All SSGs included exclusively one floater, and were divided into two main categories, according to the participation of goal-keepers (GK) (game simulation, GS) or not (possession games, PO) and then further divided into small and large (>100 m2/player) SSGs based on the area per player ratio. Locomotor activity and mechanical load performed were likely-to-most likely lower (moderate to large magnitude) in floaters compared with regular players, while differences in HR responses were unclear to possibly higher (small) in floaters. The magnitude of the difference in locomotor activity and MechL between floaters and regular players was substantially greater during GS compared with PO. Compared with regular players, floaters present decreased external load (both locomotor and MechL) despite unclear to possibly slightly higher HR responses during SSGs. Moreover, the responses of floaters compared with regular players are not consistent across different sizes of SSGs, with greater differences during GS than PO.

  6. Enhancing technological innovation in small firms: Role of collaboration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Singh, D; Khamba, J S; Nanda, T

    2014-01-01

    Contribution of Micro-Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) is highly remarkable in the overall industrial economy of the country. In recent years, the MSME sector has consistently registered higher growth rate compared to the overall industrial sector. With its agility and dynamism, the sector has shown admirable innovativeness and adaptability to survive the recent economic downturn and recession. However, MSMEs growth rate is still at low level. Therefore, it becomes essential for organizations to adopt new technologies or upgrade existing setup to meet continuously changing global market and fulfill customer needs. This paper explores the relationships between different collaboration networks and technological innovation of small firms through an extensive review of literature. The study finds that collaboration with larger enterprises, R and D institutions, universities and government agencies play a significant role in enhancing technological innovation in small firms

  7. Firms Started As Franchises Have Lower Survival Rates Than Independent Small Business Startups

    OpenAIRE

    Timothy Bates

    1994-01-01

    Aspiring entrepreneurs choosing to become franchisees certainly expect to improve their chances of survival during the turbulent early years of business startup and operation. Alignment with a franchiser parent company offers the franchisee managerial assistance, access to financial capital, and access to markets via the right to utilize the parent company trademark. This study examines survival patterns among franchise and nonfranchise small firms started between 1984 and 1987: survival thro...

  8. Effects of growth rate, size, and light availability on tree survival across life stages: a demographic analysis accounting for missing values and small sample sizes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moustakas, Aristides; Evans, Matthew R

    2015-02-28

    Plant survival is a key factor in forest dynamics and survival probabilities often vary across life stages. Studies specifically aimed at assessing tree survival are unusual and so data initially designed for other purposes often need to be used; such data are more likely to contain errors than data collected for this specific purpose. We investigate the survival rates of ten tree species in a dataset designed to monitor growth rates. As some individuals were not included in the census at some time points we use capture-mark-recapture methods both to allow us to account for missing individuals, and to estimate relocation probabilities. Growth rates, size, and light availability were included as covariates in the model predicting survival rates. The study demonstrates that tree mortality is best described as constant between years and size-dependent at early life stages and size independent at later life stages for most species of UK hardwood. We have demonstrated that even with a twenty-year dataset it is possible to discern variability both between individuals and between species. Our work illustrates the potential utility of the method applied here for calculating plant population dynamics parameters in time replicated datasets with small sample sizes and missing individuals without any loss of sample size, and including explanatory covariates.

  9. Optimisation of Investment Resources at Small Enterprises

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shvets Iryna B.

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available The goal of the article lies in the study of the process of optimisation of the structure of investment resources, development of criteria and stages of optimisation of volumes of investment resources for small enterprises by types of economic activity. The article characterises the process of transformation of investment resources into assets and liabilities of the balances of small enterprises and conducts calculation of the structure of sources of formation of investment resources in Ukraine at small enterprises by types of economic activity in 2011. On the basis of the conducted analysis of the structure of investment resources of small enterprises the article forms main groups of criteria of optimisation in the context of individual small enterprises by types of economic activity. The article offers an algorithm and step-by-step scheme of optimisation of investment resources at small enterprises in the form of a multi-stage process of management of investment resources in the context of increase of their mobility and rate of transformation of existing resources into investments. The prospect of further studies in this direction is development of a structural and logic scheme of optimisation of volumes of investment resources at small enterprises.

  10. Size and support ratings of US banks

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Poghosyan, Tigran; Werger, Charlotte; de Haan, Jakob

    We examine whether Fitch support ratings of US banks depend on bank size. Using quarterly data for the period 2004:Q4 to 2012:Q4 and controlling for several factors that make large and small banks different, we find that bank size is positively related to support ratings. However, the effect is

  11. Rising Long-term Interest Rates

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hallett, Andrew Hughes

    Rather than chronicle recent developments in European long-term interest rates as such, this paper assesses the impact of increases in those interest rates on economic performance and inflation. That puts us in a position to evaluate the economic pressures for further rises in those rates......, the first question posed in this assignment, and the scope for overshooting (the second question), and then make some illustrative predictions of future interest rates in the euro area. We find a wide range of effects from rising interest rates, mostly small and mostly negative, focused on investment...... till the emerging European recovery is on a firmer basis and capable of overcoming increases in the cost of borrowing and shrinking fiscal space. There is also an implication that worries about rising/overshooting interest rates often reflect the fact that inflation risks are unequally distributed...

  12. Influence of an oscillator bath on the nucleation rate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Amritkar, R.E.

    1984-09-01

    The nucleation rate of a system in a metastable state coupled to an oscillator bath is considered. It is shown that for a weak coupling and small oscillator frequencies the nucleation rate increases. (author)

  13. An energy-independent dose rate meter for beta and gamma radiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Heinzelmann, M.; Keller, M.

    1986-01-01

    An easy to handle dose rate meter has been developed at the Juelich Nuclear Research Centre with a small probe for the energy-independent determination of the dose rate in mixed radiation fields. The dose rate meter contains a small ionisation chamber with a volume of 15.5 cm 3 . The window of the ionisation chamber consists of an aluminised plastic foil of 7 mg.cm -2 . The dose rate meter is suitable for determining the dose rate in skin. With a supplementary depth dose cap, the dose rate can be determined in tissue at a depth of 1 cm. The dose rate meter is energy-independent within +-20% for 147 Pm, 204 Tl and 90 Sr/ 90 Y beta radiation and for gamma radiation in the energy range above 35 keV. (author)

  14. One feature of the activated southern Ordos block: the Ziwuling small earthquake cluster

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Li Yuhang

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available Small earthquakes (Ms > 2.0 have been recorded from 1970 to the present day and reveal a significant difference in seismicity between the stable Ordos block and its active surrounding area. The southern Ordos block is a conspicuous small earthquake belt clustered and isolated along the NNW direction and extends to the inner stable Ordos block; no active fault can match this small earthquake cluster. In this paper, we analyze the dynamic mechanism of this small earthquake cluster based on the GPS velocity field (from 1999 to 2007, which are mainly from Crustal Movement Observation Network of China (CMONOC with respect to the north and south China blocks. The principal direction of strain rate field, the expansion ratefield, the maximum shear strain rate, and the rotation rate were constrained using the GPS velocity field. The results show that the velocity field, which is bounded by the small earthquake cluster from Tongchuan to Weinan, differs from the strain rate field, and the crustal deformation is left-lateral shear. This left-lateral shear belt not only spatially coincides with the Neo-tectonic belt in the Weihe Basin but also with the NNW small earthquake cluster (the Ziwuling small earthquake cluster. Based on these studies, we speculate that the NNW small earthquake cluster is caused by left-lateral shear slip, which is prone to strain accumulation. When the strain releases along the weak zone of structure, small earthquakes diffuse within its upper crust. The maximum principal compression strees direction changed from NE-SW to NEE-SWW, and the former reverse faults in the southwestern margin of the Ordos block became a left-lateral strike slip due to readjustment of the tectonic strees field after the middle Pleistocene. The NNW Neo-tectonic belt in the Weihe Basin, the different movement character of the inner Weihe Basin (which was demonstrated through GPS measurements and the small earthquake cluster belt reflect the activated

  15. An evaluation of small businesses in Iran

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Seyed Mohammad karimi

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available As one of the most important and fundamental issues, employment is an indicator of development and welfare in any country. Due to the rapid growth of population over the past decades in Iran, investigating unemployment and the obstacles hindering employment is of paramount importance. In this study, a questionnaire was used and a group of experts were interviewed in order to identify four groups of legal, economic, social as well as individual factors, which could improve or hinder the growth of small businesses and self-employment. In this paper, having determined the factors influencing the expansion or downsizing the small businesses, the entrepreneurs, agents supporting small businesses, and the members of employment groups in Mazandaran Province, Iran rated the four categories. Finally, the most important growth factors or challenges faced by small businesses from the three aforementioned perspectives were compared.

  16. Rate-all-that-apply (RATA) with semi-trained assessors

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Giacalone, Davide; Ingholt Hedelund, Pia

    2016-01-01

    Rate-all-that-apply (RATA) is a variant of check-all-that-apply (CATA) questions that allows assessor to rate the intensity of selected attributes. Compared to CATA, RATA has the potential to improve sample description and discrimination, and might be more useful when only a small number of asses......Rate-all-that-apply (RATA) is a variant of check-all-that-apply (CATA) questions that allows assessor to rate the intensity of selected attributes. Compared to CATA, RATA has the potential to improve sample description and discrimination, and might be more useful when only a small number...... involving sensory assessment of common defects in chocolate production. Criteria considered were within-assessors reproducibility, attribute stability, and configurational agreement between samples spaces obtained across replicated evaluations. The results showed that although within...

  17. Small mammal populations in a restored stream corridor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wike, L.D.

    2000-01-01

    An opportunity to study the response of a small mammal community to restoration of a riparian wetland was provided by the Pen Branch project at the Savannah River Site (SRS). Live trapping of small mammals was conducted on six transects at Pen Branch in 1996 and 1998 and at three transects at Meyer's Branch, an unimpacted stream at SRS, in 1997 and 1998. Distributions of rates of capture of the four most common species were both spatially and temporally uneven. Kruskal-Wallis one-way analysis of variance found no significant differences in the relationship of capture rates between species and between treatment and both the within-stream control and Meyers Branch. Habitat use and movement within stream corridors appears to be dependent primarily on species, with age and sex perhaps contributing to preference and distance moved. The lack of differences in capture rates related to transect or treatment may be due to the close proximity of sample transects relative to the movement potential of the species sampled

  18. Thermodynamics and analysis of rate-independent adhesive contact at small strains

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Rossi, R.; Roubíček, Tomáš

    2011-01-01

    Roč. 74, č. 10 (2011), s. 3159-3190 ISSN 0362-546X R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP201/10/0357 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z20760514 Keywords : adhesive contact * nonlinear heat equation * rate-independence Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 1.536, year: 2011 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0362546X11000496

  19. Angiographic Evaluation of Carotid Artery Grafting with Prefabricated Small-Diameter, Small-Intestinal Submucosa Grafts in Sheep

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pavcnik, Dusan; Obermiller, Josef; Uchida, Barry T.; Van Alstine, William; Edwards, James M.; Landry, Gregory J.; Kaufman, John A.; Keller, Frederick S.; Roesch, Josef

    2009-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to report the longitudinal angiographic evaluation of prefabricated lyophilized small-intestinal submucosa (SIS) grafts placed in ovine carotid arteries and to demonstrate a variety of complications that developed. A total of 24 grafts, 10 cm long and 6 mm in diameter, were placed surgically as interposition grafts. Graft patency at 1 week was evaluated by Doppler ultrasound, and angiography was used for follow-up at 1 month and at 3 to 4 months. A 90% patency rate was found at 1 week, 65% at 1 month, and 30% at 3 to 4 months. On the patent grafts, angiography demonstrated a variety of changes, such as anastomotic stenoses, graft diffuse dilations and dissections, and aneurysm formation. These findings have not been previously demonstrated angiographically by other investigators reporting results with small-diameter vessel grafts made from fresh small-intestinal submucosa (SIS). The complications found were partially related to the graft construction from four SIS layers. Detailed longitudinal angiographic study should become an essential part of any future evaluation of small-vessel SIS grafting.

  20. Financial Fragility, Exchange-Rate Regimes, and Sudden Stops in a Small Open Economy

    OpenAIRE

    Wen-Yao Grace Wang; Paula Hernandez-Verme; Raymond A. K. Cox Author E-mail:

    2012-01-01

    We model a typical Asian economy in crisis using a dynamic general equilibrium technique and establishing exchange rates from nontrivial fiatcurrency demands. Sudden stops/bank panics are possible and are essential for evaluating the merits of alternative exchange-rate regimes. Strategic complementarities contribute to the severe indeterminacy of a continuum of equilibria. Social welfare and the scope of equilibria are also associated with the underlying policy regime and the built-in Sequent...

  1. Rotational rates of very small asteroids - 123 Brunhild, 376 Geometria, 437 Rhodia and 1224 Fantasia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barucci, M. A.; di Martino, M.

    1984-07-01

    This paper presents observations of four small main belt asteroids (D Geometria, an accurate rotational period was determined. For the other two asteroids, 437 Rhodia and 1224 Fantasia, only tentative periods are suggested.

  2. Chaos regularization of quantum tunneling rates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pecora, Louis M.; Wu Dongho; Lee, Hoshik; Antonsen, Thomas; Lee, Ming-Jer; Ott, Edward

    2011-01-01

    Quantum tunneling rates through a barrier separating two-dimensional, symmetric, double-well potentials are shown to depend on the classical dynamics of the billiard trajectories in each well and, hence, on the shape of the wells. For shapes that lead to regular (integrable) classical dynamics the tunneling rates fluctuate greatly with eigenenergies of the states sometimes by over two orders of magnitude. Contrarily, shapes that lead to completely chaotic trajectories lead to tunneling rates whose fluctuations are greatly reduced, a phenomenon we call regularization of tunneling rates. We show that a random-plane-wave theory of tunneling accounts for the mean tunneling rates and the small fluctuation variances for the chaotic systems.

  3. The Vietnamese lending rate, policy-related rate, and monetary policy post-1997 Asian financial crisis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chu V. Nguyen

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Asymmetries in the Vietnamese lending central bank’s policy-related rate spread were documented. Empirical results revealed that the spread adjusts to the threshold faster when the central bank’s policy-related rates decrease relative to the lending rates than when the central bank’s policy-related rates move in the opposite direction. Additionally, the empirical findings indicate that Vietnamese commercial banks exhibit competitive rate setting behavior which may be attributable to graft maximization by bank’s management. The results also show bidirectional Granger causality between the Vietnamese lending rate and the central bank’s policy-related rate, indicating that the lending rate and the central bank’s policy-related rate affect each other’s movements. These results suggest that monetary authority can use its countercyclical monetary policy instruments to achieve its macroeconomics objectives. However, the estimation results of the GARCH (2, 3-in-Mean model suggest that they should intervene more frequently and by small policy measures to minimize the conditional variance of the spread to minimize the magnitude of the cycle of the lending rate.

  4. A comparison of surveillance methods for small incidence rates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sego, Landon H.; Woodall, William H.; Reynolds, Marion R.

    2008-05-15

    A number of methods have been proposed to detect an increasing shift in the incidence rate of a rare health event, such as a congenital malformation. Among these are the Sets method, two modifcations of the Sets method, and the CUSUM method based on the Poisson distribution. We consider the situation where data are observed as a sequence of Bernoulli trials and propose the Bernoulli CUSUM chart as a desirable method for the surveillance of rare health events. We compare the performance of the Sets method and its modifcations to the Bernoulli CUSUM chart under a wide variety of circumstances. Chart design parameters were chosen to satisfy a minimax criteria.We used the steady- state average run length to measure chart performance instead of the average run length which was used in nearly all previous comparisons involving the Sets method or its modifcations. Except in a very few instances, we found that the Bernoulli CUSUM chart has better steady-state average run length performance than the Sets method and its modifcations for the extensive number of cases considered.

  5. River rating complexity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holmes, Robert R.

    2016-01-01

    Accuracy of streamflow data depends on the veracity of the rating model used to derive a continuous time series of discharge from the surrogate variables that can readily be collected autonomously at a streamgage. Ratings are typically represented as a simple monotonic increasing function (simple rating), meaning the discharge is a function of stage alone, however this is never truly the case unless the flow is completely uniform at all stages and in transitions from one stage to the next. For example, at some streamflow-monitoring sites the discharge on the rising limb of the hydrograph is discernably larger than the discharge at the same stage on the falling limb of the hydrograph. This is the so-called “loop rating curve” (loop rating). In many cases, these loops are quite small and variation between rising- and falling-limb discharge measurements made at the same stage are well within the accuracy of the measurements. However, certain hydraulic conditions can produce a loop that is large enough to preclude use of a monotonic rating. A detailed data campaign for the Mississippi River at St. Louis, Missouri during a multi-peaked flood over a 56-day period in 2015 demonstrates the rating complexity at this location. The shifting-control method used to deal with complexity at this site matched all measurements within 8%.

  6. Tumor Delineation and Quantitative Assessment of Glucose Metabolic Rate within Histologic Subtypes of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer by Using Dynamic 18F Fluorodeoxyglucose PET.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meijer, Tineke W H; de Geus-Oei, Lioe-Fee; Visser, Eric P; Oyen, Wim J G; Looijen-Salamon, Monika G; Visvikis, Dimitris; Verhagen, Ad F T M; Bussink, Johan; Vriens, Dennis

    2017-05-01

    Purpose To assess whether dynamic fluorine 18 ( 18 F) fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) has added value over static 18 F-FDG PET for tumor delineation in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) radiation therapy planning by using pathology volumes as the reference standard and to compare pharmacokinetic rate constants of 18 F-FDG metabolism, including regional variation, between NSCLC histologic subtypes. Materials and Methods The study was approved by the institutional review board. Patients gave written informed consent. In this prospective observational study, 1-hour dynamic 18 F-FDG PET/computed tomographic examinations were performed in 35 patients (36 resectable NSCLCs) between 2009 and 2014. Static and parametric images of glucose metabolic rate were obtained to determine lesion volumes by using three delineation strategies. Pathology volume was calculated from three orthogonal dimensions (n = 32). Whole tumor and regional rate constants and blood volume fraction (V B ) were computed by using compartment modeling. Results Pathology volumes were larger than PET volumes (median difference, 8.7-25.2 cm 3 ; Wilcoxon signed rank test, P PET images is in best agreement with pathology volume and could be useful for NSCLC autocontouring. Differences in glycolytic rate and V B between SCC and AC are relevant for research in targeting agents and radiation therapy dose escalation. © RSNA, 2016 Online supplemental material is available for this article.

  7. Ge(Li) data reduction using small computers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mcdermott, W. E.

    1972-01-01

    The advantages and limitations of using a small computer to analyze Ge(Li) radiation spectra are studied. The computer has to: (1) find the spectrum peaks, (2) determine the count rate in the photopeaks, and (3) relate the count rate to known gamma transitions to find the amount of each radionuclide present. Results show that tasks one and two may be done by the computer but task three must be done by an experimenter or a larger computer.

  8. Empyema and Effusion: Outcome of Image-Guided Small-Bore Catheter Drainage

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Keeling, A. N.; Leong, S.; Logan, P. M.; Lee, M. J.

    2008-01-01

    Empyema and complicated pleural effusion represent common medical problems. Current treatment options are multiple. The purpose of this study was to access the outcome of image-guided, small-bore catheter drainage of empyema and effusion. We evaluated 93 small-bore catheters in 82 patients with pleural effusion (n = 30) or empyema (n = 52), over a 2-year period. Image guidance was with ultrasound (US; n = 56) and CT (n = 37). All patients were followed clinically, with catheter dwell times, catheter outcome, pleural fluid outcome, reinsertion rates, and need for urokinase or surgery recorded. Ninety-three small-bore chest drains (mean=10.2 Fr; range, 8.2-12.2 Fr) were inserted, with an average dwell time of 7.81 days for empyemas and 7.14 days for effusions (p > 0.05). Elective removal rates (73% empyema vs 86% effusions) and dislodgement rates (12% empyema vs 13% effusions) were similar for both groups. Eight percent of catheters became blocked and 17% necessitated reinsertion in empyemas, with no catheters blocked or requiring reinsertion in effusions (p < 0.05). Thirty-two patients (51%) required urokinase in the empyema group, versus 2 patients (6%) in the effusion group (p < 0.05). All treatment failures, requiring surgery, occurred in the empyema group (19%; n = 12; p < 0.05). In conclusion, noninfected pleural collections are adequately treated with small-bore catheters, however, empyemas have a failure rate of 19%. The threshold for using urokinase and larger-bore catheters should be low in empyema

  9. International Competition and Small-Firm Exit in US Manufacturing

    OpenAIRE

    Robert M Feinberg

    2013-01-01

    This study analyzes both the determinants of small firm exit rates in US manufacturing over the 1989–2004 period, especially the reaction of domestic firms to the nature of foreign competition as measured by industry-specific real exchange rate movements (interacted with import penetration by industry). These international pressures seem to lead to increased rates of smallest-firm exit in manufacturing, though the magnitudes of these effects are smaller than sometimes discussed. However, high...

  10. Coriolis mass flow rate meters for low flows

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Mehendale, A.

    2008-01-01

    The accurate and quick measurement of small mass flow rates (~10 mg/s) of fluids is considered an “enabling technology��? in semiconductor, fine-chemical, and food & drugs industries. Flowmeters based on the Coriolis effect offer the most direct sensing of the mass flow rate, and for this reason do

  11. Optimising technical skills and physical loading in small-sided basketball games.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klusemann, Markus J; Pyne, David B; Foster, Carl; Drinkwater, Eric J

    2012-01-01

    Differences in physiological, physical, and technical demands of small-sided basketball games related to the number of players, court size, and work-to-rest ratios are not well characterised. A controlled trial was conducted to compare the influence of number of players (2v2/4v4), court size (half/full court) and work-to-rest ratios (4x2.5 min/2x5 min) on the demands of small-sided games. Sixteen elite male and female junior players (aged 15-19 years) completed eight variations of a small-sided game in randomised order over a six-week period. Heart rate responses and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) were measured to assess the physiological load. Movement patterns and technical elements were assessed by video analysis. There were ∼60% more technical elements in 2v2 and ∼20% more in half court games. Heart rate (86 ± 4% & 83 ± 5% of maximum; mean ± SD) and RPE (8 ± 2 & 6 ± 2; scale 1-10) were moderately higher in 2v2 than 4v4 small-sided games, respectively. The 2v2 format elicited substantially more sprints (36 ±12%; mean ±90% confidence limits) and high intensity shuffling (75 ±17%) than 4v4. Full court games required substantially more jogging (9 ±6%) compared to half court games. Fewer players in small-sided basketball games substantially increases the technical, physiological and physical demands.

  12. On the growth rate of gallstones in the human gallbladder

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nudelman, I.

    1993-05-01

    The growth rate of a single symmetrically oval shaped gallbladder stone weighing 10.8 g was recorded over a period of six years before surgery and removal. The length of the stone was measured by ultrasonography and the growth rate was found to be linear with time, with a value of 0.4 mm/year. A smaller stone growing in the wall of the gallbladder was detected only three years before removal and grew at a rate of ˜ 1.33 mm/year. The morphology and metallic ion chemical composition of the large stone and of a randomly selected small stone weighing about 1.1 g, extracted from another patient, were analyzed and compared. It was found that the large stone contained besides calcium also lead, whereas the small stone contained mainly calcium. It is possible that the lead causes a difference in mechanism between the growth of a single large and growth of multiple small gallstones.

  13. Variation in angler distribution and catch rates of stocked rainbow trout in a small reservoir

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harmon, Brian S.; Martin, Dustin R.; Chizinski, Christopher J.; Pope, Kevin L.

    2018-01-01

    We investigated the spatial and temporal relationship of catch rates and angler party location for two days following a publicly announced put-and-take stocking of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Catch rates declined with time since stocking and distance from stocking. We hypothesized that opportunity for high catch rates would cause anglers to fish near the stocking location and disperse with time, however distance between angler parties and stocking was highly variable at any given time. Spatially explicit differences in catch rates can affect fishing quality. Further research could investigate the variation between angler distribution and fish distribution within a waterbody.

  14. 13 CFR 120.214 - What conditions apply for variable interest rates?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... interest rates? 120.214 Section 120.214 Business Credit and Assistance SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION BUSINESS LOANS Policies Specific to 7(a) Loans Maturities; Interest Rates; Loan and Guarantee Amounts § 120.214 What conditions apply for variable interest rates? A Lender may use a variable rate of interest...

  15. Effects of small, intense laser spots on thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Estabrook, K.

    1986-01-01

    Two-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations show that small diameter laser spots burn through flat foils considerably faster than larger spots. The physical mechanisms are (1) more nearly spherical divergence from the smaller spots which allows the debris to rapidly convect radially away from the small volume of laser heated plasma and (2) a variation on thermal self-focusing in which light is refracted into this volume, increasing the local heating rate

  16. Sodium flow rate measurement method of annular linear induction pump

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Araseki, Hideo

    2011-01-01

    This report describes a method for measuring sodium flow rate of annular linear induction pumps arranged in parallel and its verification result obtained through an experiment and a numerical analysis. In the method, the leaked magnetic field is measured with measuring coils at the stator end on the outlet side and is correlated with the sodium flow rate. The experimental data and the numerical result indicate that the leaked magnetic field at the stator edge keeps almost constant when the sodium flow rate changes and that the leaked magnetic field change arising from the flow rate change is small compared with the overall leaked magnetic field. It is shown that the correlation between the leaked magnetic field and the sodium flow rate is almost linear due to this feature of the leaked magnetic field, which indicates the applicability of the method to small-scale annular linear induction pumps. (author)

  17. Concomitant chemoradiotherapy with high dose rate brachytherapy ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Concomitant chemoradiotherapy with high dose rate brachytherapy as a definitive treatment modality for locally advanced cervical cancer. T Refaat, A Elsaid, N Lotfy, K Kiel, W Small Jr, P Nickers, E Lartigau ...

  18. Late small bowel toxicity after aggressive abdominopelvic intensity modulated radiation therapy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrew Ling, BA

    2017-10-01

    Conclusion: It may be possible with IMRT to deliver high doses to small volumes of small bowel with low rates of significant long-term complications. Further studies should explore tolerable dose-volume relationships in cases in which aggressive abdominal or pelvic treatment may be warranted to treat the underlying malignancy.

  19. Optimum solar collector fluid flow rates

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Furbo, Simon; Shah, Louise Jivan

    1996-01-01

    Experiments showed that by means of a standard electronically controlled pump, type UPE 2000 from Grundfos it is possible to control the flow rate in a solar collector loop in such a way that the flow rate is strongly influenced by the temperature of the solar collector fluid passing the pump....... The flow rate is increasing for increasing temperature.The flow rate at the high temperature level is typically 70 % greater than the flow rate at the low temperature level.Further, the energy consumption for the electronically controlled pump in a solar heating system will be somewhat smaller than...... the energy consumption of a normal ciculation pump in the solar heating system.Calculations showed that the highest thermal performances for small SDHW systems based on mantle tanks with constant volume flow rates in the solar collector loops are achieved if the flow rate is situated in the interval from 0...

  20. The Growth of Small Corrosion Fatigue Cracks in Alloy 7075

    Science.gov (United States)

    Piascik, Robert S.

    2015-01-01

    The corrosion fatigue crack growth characteristics of small (greater than 35 micrometers) surface and corner cracks in aluminum alloy 7075 is established. The early stage of crack growth is studied by performing in situ long focal length microscope (500×) crack length measurements in laboratory air and 1% sodium chloride (NaCl) environments. To quantify the "small crack effect" in the corrosive environment, the corrosion fatigue crack propagation behavior of small cracks is compared to long through-the-thickness cracks grown under identical experimental conditions. In salt water, long crack constant K(sub max) growth rates are similar to small crack da/dN.

  1. Foreign exchange rate entropy evolution during financial crises

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stosic, Darko; Stosic, Dusan; Ludermir, Teresa; de Oliveira, Wilson; Stosic, Tatijana

    2016-05-01

    This paper examines the effects of financial crises on foreign exchange (FX) markets, where entropy evolution is measured for different exchange rates, using the time-dependent block entropy method. Empirical results suggest that financial crises are associated with significant increase of exchange rate entropy, reflecting instability in FX market dynamics. In accordance with phenomenological expectations, it is found that FX markets with large liquidity and large trading volume are more inert - they recover quicker from a crisis than markets with small liquidity and small trading volume. Moreover, our numerical analysis shows that periods of economic uncertainty are preceded by periods of low entropy values, which may serve as a tool for anticipating the onset of financial crises.

  2. Multicentric evaluation of the impact of central tumour location when comparing rates of N1 upstaging in patients undergoing video-assisted and open surgery for clinical Stage I non-small-cell lung cancer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Decaluwé, Herbert; Petersen, René Horsleben; Brunelli, Alex

    2018-01-01

    OBJECTIVES: Large retrospective series have indicated lower rates of cN0 to pN1 nodal upstaging after video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) compared with open resections for Stage I non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The objective of our multicentre study was to investigate whether the presumed...

  3. Small Intracranial Aneurysm Treatment Using Target (®) Ultrasoft (™) Coils.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jindal, Gaurav; Miller, Timothy; Iyohe, Moronke; Shivashankar, Ravi; Prasad, Vikram; Gandhi, Dheeraj

    2016-06-01

    The introduction of small, soft, complex-shaped microcoils has helped facilitate the endovascular treatment of small intracranial aneurysms (IAs) over the last several years. Here, we evaluate the initial safety and efficacy of treating small IAs using only Target(®) Ultrasoft(™) coils. A retrospective review of a prospectively maintained clinical database at a single, high volume, teaching hospital was performed from September 2011 to May 2015. IAs smaller than or equal to 5.0 mm in maximal dimension treated with only Target(®) Ultrasoft(™) coils were included. A total of 50 patients with 50 intracranial aneurysms were included. Subarachnoid hemorrhage from index aneurysm rupture was the indication for treatment in 23 of 50 (46%) cases, and prior subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) from another aneurysm was the indication for treatment in eight of 50 (16%) cases. The complete aneurysm occlusion rate was 70% (35/50), the minimal residual aneurysm rate was 14% (7/50), and residual aneurysm rate was 16% (8/50). One intraoperative aneurysm rupture occurred. Three patients died during hospitalization from clinical sequelae of subarachnoid hemorrhage. Follow-up at a mean of 13.6 months demonstrated complete aneurysm occlusion in 75% (30/40) of cases, near complete occlusion in 15% (6/40) of cases, and residual aneurysm in 10% (4/40) of cases, all four of which were retreated. Our initial results using only Target(®) Ultrasoft(™) coils for the endovascular treatment of small intracranial aneurysms demonstrate initial excellent safety and efficacy profiles.

  4. Investigating Factors Related to Virtual Private Network Adoption in Small Businesses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lederer, Karen

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate six factors that may influence adoption of virtual private network (VPN) technologies in small businesses with fewer than 100 employees. Prior research indicated small businesses employing fewer than 100 workers do not adopt VPN technology at the same rate as larger competitors, and the…

  5. Spin State Estimation of Tumbling Small Bodies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olson, Corwin; Russell, Ryan P.; Bhaskaran, Shyam

    2016-06-01

    It is expected that a non-trivial percentage of small bodies that future missions may visit are in non-principal axis rotation (i.e. "tumbling"). The primary contribution of this paper is the application of the Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) method to estimate the small body spin state, mass, and moments of inertia; the spacecraft position and velocity; and the surface landmark locations. The method uses optical landmark measurements, and an example scenario based on the Rosetta mission is used. The SLAM method proves effective, with order of magnitude decreases in the spacecraft and small body spin state errors after less than a quarter of the comet characterization phase. The SLAM method converges nicely for initial small body angular velocity errors several times larger than the true rates (effectively having no a priori knowledge of the angular velocity). Surface landmark generation and identification are not treated in this work, but significant errors in the initial body-fixed landmark positions are effectively estimated. The algorithm remains effective for a range of different truth spin states, masses, and center of mass offsets that correspond to expected tumbling small bodies throughout the solar system.

  6. 13 CFR 120.213 - What fixed interest rates may a Lender charge?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... Lender charge? 120.213 Section 120.213 Business Credit and Assistance SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION... have a reasonable fixed interest rate. SBA periodically publishes the maximum allowable rate in the... government determines the interest rate on direct loans. SBA publishes the rate periodically in the Federal...

  7. Oral contrast agents for small bowel distension in MRI: influence of the osmolarity for small bowel distention

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ajaj, Waleed; Kuehle, Christiane; Nuefer, Michael; Goehde, Susanne C.; Lauenstein, Thomas C.; Goyen, Mathias; Schneemann, Hubert; Ruehm, Stefan G.

    2005-01-01

    To assess the effect of the osmolarity for small bowel distension in MRI, ten volunteers ingested at two separate occasions negative oral contrast agents with different quantity and osmolarity: (1) a water solution combined with 2.0% sorbitol and 0.2% locus bean gum (LBG) with a quantity of 1500 ml and an osmolarity of 148 mOsmol/l, (2) a water solution combined with 2.0% sorbitol and 2.0% barium sulphate with a quantity of 1000 ml and an osmolarity of 194 mOsmol/l. Small bowel distension was quantified on coronal 2D-TrueFISP images by measuring the small bowel diameters. There were no statistically significant differences in mean small bowel diameter between both contrast agents. The mean small bowel distension was 19.2 mm after ingestion of 1500 ml of sorbitol-LBG solution and 19.0 mm after ingestion of 1000-ml sorbitol-barium sulphate solution. Furthermore, all volunteers found the ingestion of 1000-ml solution more pleasant than the 1500-ml solution. The ingestion of 1000 ml of sorbitol-barium sulphate solution led to a sufficient small bowel distension compared to 1500 ml of sorbitol-LBG solution. The side effect rate of both solutions was low. Based on these data, we recommend a quantity of 1000 ml of sorbitol-barium sulphate solution as an alternative for 1500-ml sorbitol-LBG solution for optimal bowel distension. (orig.)

  8. 48 CFR 970.1907 - Subcontracting with Small Business, Small Disadvantaged Business and Woman-Owned Small Business...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... MANAGEMENT AND OPERATING CONTRACTS Small, Small Disadvantaged and Women-Owned Small Business Concerns 970.1907 Subcontracting with Small Business, Small Disadvantaged Business and Woman-Owned Small Business... Business, Small Disadvantaged Business and Woman-Owned Small Business Concerns. 970.1907 Section 970.1907...

  9. 77 FR 28520 - Small Business Size Regulations, Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program and Small...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-05-15

    ... SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION 13 CFR Part 121 RIN 3245-AG46 Small Business Size Regulations, Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program AGENCY: Small Business Administration. ACTION: Proposed rule. SUMMARY: The U.S. Small Business Administration...

  10. Lymphovascular invasion in more than one-quarter of small rectal neuroendocrine tumors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kwon, Mi Jung; Kang, Ho Suk; Soh, Jae Seung; Lim, Hyun; Kim, Jong Hyeok; Park, Choong Kee; Park, Hye-Rim; Nam, Eun Sook

    2016-01-01

    AIM To identify the frequency, clinicopathological risk factors, and prognostic significance of lymphovascular invasion (LVI) in endoscopically resected small rectal neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). METHODS Between June 2005 and December 2015, 104 cases of endoscopically resected small (≤ 1 cm) rectal NET specimens at Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital in Korea were retrospectively evaluated. We compared the detected rate of LVI in small rectal NET specimens by two methods: hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and ancillary immunohistochemical staining (D2-40 and Elastica van Gieson); in addition, LVI detection rate difference between endoscopic procedures were also evaluated. Patient characteristics, prognosis and endoscopic resection results were reviewed by medical charts. RESULTS We observed LVI rates of 25.0% and 27.9% through H&E and ancillary immunohistochemical staining. The concordance rate between H&E and ancillary studies was 81.7% for detection of LVI, which showed statistically strong agreement between two methods (κ = 0.531, P 5 mm, P = 0.007), tumor grade 2 (P = 0.006). Among those factors, tumor grade 2 was the only independent predictive factor for the presence of LVI (HR = 4.195, 95%CI: 1.321-12.692, P = 0.015). No recurrence was observed over 28.8 mo regardless of the presence of LVI. CONCLUSION LVI may be present in a high percentage of small rectal NETs, which may not be associated with short-term prognosis. PMID:27895428

  11. Experimental study on fundamental phenomena in HTGR small break air-ingress accident

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Jae Soon; Hwang, Jin-Seok; Kim, Eung Soo; Kim, Byung Jun; Oh, Chang Ho

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • Air-ingress phenomena on the small break in a HTGR are experimentally investigated. • Experiment is investigated for various break sizes, angles, and density ratios. • Maximum air-ingress rate is observed at 120° in break angle. • This study reveals that air-ingress in the small break is governed by; buoyancy and flow inertia. • A non-dimensional parameter is newly proposed to determine the air-ingress flow regimes. • Newly proposed parameter is based on buoyancy versus inertia force. - Abstract: This study experimentally investigates fundamental phenomena in the HTGR small break air-ingress accident. Several important parameters including density ratio, break angle, break size, and main flow velocity are considered in the measurement and the analysis. The test-section is made of a circular pipe with small holes drilled around the surface and it is installed in the helium/air flow circulation loop. Oxygen concentrations and flow rates are recorded during the tests with fixed break angles, break sizes, and flow velocities for measurement of the air-ingress rates. According to the experimental results, the higher density difference leads to the higher rates of air-ingress with large sensitivity of the break angles. It is also found that the break angle significantly affects the air-ingress rates, which is gradually increased from 0° to 120° and suddenly decreased to 180°. The minimum air ingress rate is found at 0° and the maximum, at 110°. The air-ingress rate increases with the break size due to the increased flow-exchange area. However, it is not directly proportional to the break area due to the complexity of the phenomena. The increased flow velocity in the channel inside enhances the air-ingress process. However, among all the parameters, the main flow velocity exhibits the lowest effect on this process. In this study, the Froude Number relevant to the small break air-ingress conditions are newly defined considering both heavy

  12. Accounting for rate variation among lineages in comparative demographic analyses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hope, Andrew G.; Ho, Simon Y. W.; Malaney, Jason L.; Cook, Joseph A.; Talbot, Sandra L.

    2014-01-01

    Genetic analyses of contemporary populations can be used to estimate the demographic histories of species within an ecological community. Comparison of these demographic histories can shed light on community responses to past climatic events. However, species experience different rates of molecular evolution, and this presents a major obstacle to comparative demographic analyses. We address this problem by using a Bayesian relaxed-clock method to estimate the relative evolutionary rates of 22 small mammal taxa distributed across northwestern North America. We found that estimates of the relative molecular substitution rate for each taxon were consistent across the range of sampling schemes that we compared. Using three different reference rates, we rescaled the relative rates so that they could be used to estimate absolute evolutionary timescales. Accounting for rate variation among taxa led to temporal shifts in our skyline-plot estimates of demographic history, highlighting both uniform and idiosyncratic evolutionary responses to directional climate trends for distinct ecological subsets of the small mammal community. Our approach can be used in evolutionary analyses of populations from multiple species, including comparative demographic studies.

  13. Disproportion in the falling birth rate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gordon, R R

    1977-10-08

    Since 1962 there has been a disproportionately greater fall in the number of small (less than 1000 g) live births than total live births: this has applied to Sheffield and to England and Wales but more to the former. This may have affected falling neonatal mortality rates.

  14. A numerical basis for strain-gradient plasticity theory: Rate-independent and rate-dependent formulations

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Kim Lau; Niordson, Christian Frithiof

    2014-01-01

    of a single plastic zone is analyzed to illustrate the agreement with earlier published results, whereafter examples of (ii) multiple plastic zone interaction, and (iii) elastic–plastic loading/unloading are presented. Here, the simple shear problem of an infinite slab constrained between rigid plates......A numerical model formulation of the higher order flow theory (rate-independent) by Fleck and Willis [2009. A mathematical basis for strain-gradient plasticity theory – part II: tensorial plastic multiplier. Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids 57, 1045-1057.], that allows for elastic–plastic...... loading/unloading and the interaction of multiple plastic zones, is proposed. The predicted model response is compared to the corresponding rate-dependent version of visco-plastic origin, and coinciding results are obtained in the limit of small strain-rate sensitivity. First, (i) the evolution...

  15. New spectroscopic tool for cluster science: Nonexponential laser fluence dependence of photofragmentation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Haberland, H.; Issendorff, B.v.

    1996-01-01

    The photodestruction of Hg 7 ++ and Hg 9 ++ has been measured as a function of photon flux. A polarization dependent deviation from a purely exponential intensity decrease was observed in both cases. This effect, which in essence is an alignment phenomenon, can be used to characterize dissociating electronic transitions of molecules and clusters. For the clusters studied it is due to a one-dimensional transition dipole moment having a fixed direction within the cluster. The effect is expected to play a role in many photoabsorption experiments where molecule/cluster ionization or fragmentation is studied under high photon fluxes. copyright 1996 The American Physical Society

  16. Small animal PET: aspects of performance assessment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weber, Simone; Bauer, Andreas

    2004-01-01

    Dedicated small animal positron emission tomography (PET) systems are increasingly prevalent in industry (e.g. for preclinical drug development) and biological research. Such systems permit researchers to perform animal studies of a longitudinal design characterised by repeated measurements in single animals. With the advent of commercial systems, scanners have become readily available and increasingly popular. As a consequence, technical specifications are becoming more diverse, making scanner systems less broadly applicable. The investigator has, therefore, to make a decision regarding which type of scanner is most suitable for the intended experiments. This decision should be based on gantry characteristics and the physical performance. The first few steps have been taken towards standardisation of the assessment of performance characteristics of dedicated animal PET systems, though such assessment is not yet routinely implemented. In this review, we describe current methods of evaluation of physical performance parameters of small animal PET scanners. Effects of methodologically different approaches on the results are assessed. It is underscored that particular attention has to be paid to spatial resolution, sensitivity, scatter fraction and count rate performance. Differences in performance measurement methods are described with regard to commercially available systems, namely the Concorde MicroPET systems P4 and R4 and the quad-HIDAC. Lastly, consequences of differences in scanner performance parameters are rated with respect to applications of small animal PET. (orig.)

  17. Thermal destratification in small standard solar tanks due to mixing during tapping

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, Elsa; Furbo, Simon

    1999-01-01

    performance caused by mixing during draw-offs can be as high as 23% if a marketed cold-water inlet design is used. Other tested inlet designs result in a decrease of 2-3% of the yearly thermal performance caused by mixing. Based on the investigations recommendations on the design of the cold-water inlet......-off is relatively long. In order to reduce this waiting time to an acceptable level, the flow rate during draw-off is often very large – typically about 20 l/min. – at least at the start of the draw-off. As long as the flow rate during draw-off is small, the mixing rate inside the tank is small. However......, if the flow rate is large, as mentioned above, the mixing rate can be relatively large if the cold-water inlet design is poor. Mixing results in destratification in the solar tank and with that reduced thermal performance of the SDHW system. Investigations indicate that the decrease of the yearly thermal...

  18. Thermal destratification in small standard solar tanks due to mixing during tapping

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, Elsa; Furbo, Simon

    1999-01-01

    performance caused by mixing during draw-offs can be as high as 23 % if a marketed cold water inlet design is used. Other tested inlet designs result in a decrease of 2-3 % of the yearly thermal performance caused by mixing. Based on the investigations recommendations on the design of the cold water inlet......-off is relatively long. In order to reduce this waiting time to an acceptable level, the flow rate during draw-off is often very large - typically about 20 l/min - at least at the start of the draw-off. As long as the flow rate during draw-off is small, the mixing rate inside the tank is small. However, if the flow...... rate is large, as mentioned above, the mixing rate can be relatively large if the cold water inlet design is poor. Mixing results in destratification in the solar tank and with that reduced thermal performance of the SDHW system. Investigations indicate that the decrease of the yearly thermal...

  19. Exchange rate policy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Plačkov Slađana

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Small oscillations of exchange rate certainly affect the loss of confidence in the currency (Serbian dinar, CSD and because of the shallow market even the smallest change in the supply and demand leads to a shift in exchange rate and brings uncertainty. Some economists suggest that the course should be linked to inflation and thus ensure predictable and stable exchange rates. Real exchange rate or slightly depressed exchange rate will encourage the competitiveness of exporters and perhaps ensure the development of new production lines which, in terms of overvalued exchange rate, had no economic justification. Fixed exchange rate will bring lower interest rates, lower risk and lower business uncertainty (uncertainty avoidance, but Serbia will also reduce foreign exchange reserves by following this trend. On the other hand, a completely free exchange rate, would lead to a (real fall of Serbian currency, which in a certain period would lead to a significant increase in exports, but the consequences for businessmen and citizens with loans pegged to the euro exchange rate, would be disastrous. We will pay special attention to the depreciation of the exchange rate, as it is generally favorable to the export competitiveness of Serbia and, on the other hand, it leads to an increase in debt servicing costs of the government as well as of the private sector. Oscillations of the dinar exchange rate, appreciation and depreciation, sometimes have disastrous consequences on the economy, investors, imports and exports. In subsequent work, we will observe the movement of the dinar exchange rate in Serbia, in the time interval 2009-2012, in order to strike a balance and maintain economic equilibrium. A movement of foreign currencies against the local currency is controlled in the foreign exchange market, so in case economic interests require, The National Bank of Serbia (NBS, on the basis of arbitrary criteria, can intervene in the market.

  20. ANL small-sample calorimeter system design and operation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roche, C.T.; Perry, R.B.; Lewis, R.N.; Jung, E.A.; Haumann, J.R.

    1978-07-01

    The Small-Sample Calorimetric System is a portable instrument designed to measure the thermal power produced by radioactive decay of plutonium-containing fuels. The small-sample calorimeter is capable of measuring samples producing power up to 32 milliwatts at a rate of one sample every 20 min. The instrument is contained in two packages: a data-acquisition module consisting of a microprocessor with an 8K-byte nonvolatile memory, and a measurement module consisting of the calorimeter and a sample preheater. The total weight of the system is 18 kg

  1. Safety and efficiency of flow diverters for treating small intracranial aneurysms: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yao, Xiyang; Ma, Junwei; Li, Haiying; Shen, Haitao; Lu, Xiaojun; Chen, Gang

    2017-02-01

    Background We evaluated the safety and efficiency of flow diverters (FDs) in treating small intracranial aneurysms (IAs). Materials and Methods We reviewed the literature published in PubMed and EMBASE. R for Project software was used to calculate the complete aneurysm occlusion rates, procedure-related neurologic mortality, procedure-related neurologic morbidity and procedure-related permanent morbidity. Results Ten observational studies were included in this analysis. The complete aneurysm occlusion rate was 84.23% (80.34%-87.76%), the procedure-related neurologic mortality was 0.87% (0.29%-1.74%), the procedure-related neurologic morbidity rate was 5.22% (3.62%-7.1%), the intracerebral haemorrhage rate was 1.42% (0.64%-2.49%), the ischemic rate was 2.35% (1.31%-3.68%), the subarachnoid haemorrhage rate was 0.03% (0%-0.32%) and the procedure-related permanent morbidity was 2.41% (0.81%-4.83%). Conclusions Treatment of small IAs with FDs may be correlated with high complete occlusion rates and low complication rates. Future long-term follow-up randomized trials will determine the optimal treatment for small IAs.

  2. Pharmaceutical R&D performance by firm size: approval success rates and economic returns.

    Science.gov (United States)

    DiMasi, Joseph A

    2014-01-01

    The R&D productivity of pharmaceutical firms has become an increasingly significant concern of industry, regulators, and policymakers. To address an important aspect of R&D performance, public and private data sources were used to estimate clinical phase transition and clinical approval probabilities for the pipelines of the 50 largest pharmaceutical firms (by sales) by 3 firms size groups (top 10 firms, top 11-20 firms, and top 21-50 firms). For self-originated compounds, the clinical approval success rates were 14.3%, 16.4%, and 18.4% for top 10 firms, top 11-20 firms, and top 21-50 firms, respectively. The results showing higher success rates for smaller firms were largely driven by outcomes for the small-molecule drugs. Adjustments for the relatively small differences in therapeutic class distributions across the firm size groups showed that the success rate for small-molecule self-originated drugs was 6% below average for top 10 firms and 17% above average for top 21-50 firms. Although success rates for small firms were higher, this advantage was offset to some degree by lower returns on approved drugs, suggesting different strategic objectives with regard to risk and reward by firm size.

  3. Familial versus mass selection in small populations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Couvet Denis

    2003-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract We used diffusion approximations and a Markov-chain approach to investigate the consequences of familial selection on the viability of small populations both in the short and in the long term. The outcome of familial selection was compared to the case of a random mating population under mass selection. In small populations, the higher effective size, associated with familial selection, resulted in higher fitness for slightly deleterious and/or highly recessive alleles. Conversely, because familial selection leads to a lower rate of directional selection, a lower fitness was observed for more detrimental genes that are not highly recessive, and with high population sizes. However, in the long term, genetic load was almost identical for both mass and familial selection for populations of up to 200 individuals. In terms of mean time to extinction, familial selection did not have any negative effect at least for small populations (N ≤ 50. Overall, familial selection could be proposed for use in management programs of small populations since it increases genetic variability and short-term viability without impairing the overall persistence times.

  4. Small-area variation in screening for cancer, glucose and cholesterol in Ontario: a cross-sectional study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fernandes, Kimberly A; Sutradhar, Rinku; Borkhoff, Cornelia M; Baxter, Nancy; Lofters, Aisha; Rabeneck, Linda; Tinmouth, Jill; Paszat, Lawrence

    2015-01-01

    Screening for cervical, breast and colon cancers, and elevations of cholesterol and glucose, reduces premature cause-specific mortality from these cancers and circulatory diseases. Despite primary care reforms and incentives, and promotion of cancer-screening programs among individuals, participation is suboptimal. We aimed to examine participation as of Dec. 31, 2011, by factors of deprivation, demographics and primary care at the small-area level. From health care administrative databases, we identified people eligible for each screening test, and their participation, in each dissemination area (referred to as small areas, n = 18 950) in Ontario. We calculated rates for each test among small areas (overall and stratified by demographic, socioeconomic and primary care descriptors) and stratified by sex for all tests combined. We loaded all data into a geographic information system. Funnel plots were generated showing the percentage of eligible people who completed screening for all tests by small area, stratified by sex. Overall and stratified screening prevalence ratios were calculated among small areas. Among small areas, the mean and SD for participation in all tests combined was 31.6% (SD 11.0%) for women and 41.2% (SD 12.0%) for men. Screening prevalence among small areas, for each test and for all tests combined, overall and stratified by sex, declined with decreasing percentage with high school completion, decreasing socioeconomic quintile, and decreasing percentage with an identifiable primary care physician. Our results show that the rate of participation in all eligible screening tests among small areas is much lower than the rate of participation in any one particular test. This finding has implications for the design and implementation of strategies to improve rates of screening.

  5. Identifying New Small Proteins in Escherichia coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    VanOrsdel, Caitlin E; Kelly, John P; Burke, Brittany N; Lein, Christina D; Oufiero, Christopher E; Sanchez, Joseph F; Wimmers, Larry E; Hearn, David J; Abuikhdair, Fatimeh J; Barnhart, Kathryn R; Duley, Michelle L; Ernst, Sarah E G; Kenerson, Briana A; Serafin, Aubrey J; Hemm, Matthew R

    2018-04-12

    The number of small proteins (SPs) encoded in the Escherichia coli genome is unknown, as current bioinformatics and biochemical techniques make short gene and small protein identification challenging. One method of small protein identification involves adding an epitope tag to the 3' end of a short open reading frame (sORF) on the chromosome, with synthesis confirmed by immunoblot assays. In this study, this strategy was used to identify new E. coli small proteins, tagging 80 sORFs in the E. coli genome, and assayed for protein synthesis. The selected sORFs represent diverse sequence characteristics, including degrees of sORF conservation, predicted transmembrane domains, sORF direction with respect to flanking genes, ribosome binding site (RBS) prediction, and ribosome profiling results. Of 80 sORFs, 36 resulted in encoded synthesized proteins-a 45% success rate. Modeling of detected versus non-detected small proteins analysis showed predictions based on RBS prediction, transcription data, and ribosome profiling had statistically-significant correlation with protein synthesis; however, there was no correlation between current sORF annotation and protein synthesis. These results suggest substantial numbers of small proteins remain undiscovered in E. coli, and existing bioinformatics techniques must continue to improve to facilitate identification. © 2018 The Authors. Proteomics Published by WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim, Towson University.

  6. 13 CFR 107.845 - Maximum rate of amortization on Loans and Debt Securities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... ADMINISTRATION SMALL BUSINESS INVESTMENT COMPANIES Financing of Small Businesses by Licensees Structuring Licensee's Financing of An Eligible Small Business: Terms and Conditions of Financing § 107.845 Maximum... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Maximum rate of amortization on...

  7. The value of digital subtraction angiography in diagnosing small intestinal hemorrhage with unknown reasons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Luo Guanghua; Xiao Wenlian; Tang Deqiu; Chan Hong

    2006-01-01

    Objective: To discuss the diagnostic value of DSA for unknown reason hemorrhage of small intestine. Methods: 25 patients with hemorrhage of small intestine were performed angiography with Seldinger's technique through superior mesenteric artery. Results: Eleven cases demonstrated direct signs of hemorrhage, 12 cases of indirect signs of hemorrhage and 5 with both of the signs. The positive rate of hemorrhage was 72% including 10 cases of tumor (6 leiomyomas, 2 leiomyosarcomas, 1 interstitial tumor, 1 small intestinal cancer), 4 cases of Meckel's diverticulum, 3 cases of vascular malformation and 1 case of inflammation. The coincidence rate of positive cases with pathology was 75% and the diagnostic accuracy of localization was 100%. Conclusions: DSA angiography is very helpful for determining the location and character of unknown reason hemorrhage of small intestine. (authors)

  8. Computed tomography features of small bowel volvulus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Loh, Y.H.; Dunn, G.D.

    2000-01-01

    Small bowel volvulus is a cause of acute abdomen and commonly occurs in neonates and young infants. Although it is rare in adults in the Western world,' it is a relatively common surgical emergency in the Middle East, India and Central Africa. It is associated with a mortality rate of 10-67% and, hence, it is important to make an early diagnosis to expedite surgical intervention. Computed tomography has become an important imaging modality in diagnosis and a number of signs have been recognized in a handful of documented case reports. We describe a case of small bowel volvulus that illustrates these important CT signs. Copyright (1999) Blackwell Science Pty Ltd

  9. Calculation of wastage by small water leaks in sodium heated steam generators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tregonning, K.

    1976-01-01

    On the basis of mechanistic arguments it is suggested that the temperature of the wasting surface would provide a single physically meaningful parameter with which to correlate wastage data. A lumped parameter model is developed which predicts reaction temperature as a function of the major variables in the small water leak situation (Leak rate, tube spacing, sodium temperature). The calculated temperatures explain much of the observed behaviour of wastage rate with these variables and compare well with the limited temperature data available. Wastage rates are correlated with predicted temperature on a total activation energy basis. The results are encouraging and a first conservative method for the calculation of wastage by small water leaks in sodium-heated steam generators is produced

  10. Drug development for breast, colorectal, and non-small cell lung cancers from 1979 to 2014.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nixon, Nancy A; Khan, Omar F; Imam, Hasiba; Tang, Patricia A; Monzon, Jose; Li, Haocheng; Sun, Gavin; Ezeife, Doreen; Parimi, Sunil; Dowden, Scot; Tam, Vincent C

    2017-12-01

    Understanding the drug development pathway is critical for streamlining the development of effective cancer treatments. The objective of the current study was to delineate the drug development timeline and attrition rate of different drug classes for common cancer disease sites. Drugs entering clinical trials for breast, colorectal, and non-small cell lung cancer were identified using a pharmaceutical business intelligence database. Data regarding drug characteristics, clinical trials, and approval dates were obtained from the database, clinical trial registries, PubMed, and regulatory Web sites. A total of 411 drugs met the inclusion criteria for breast cancer, 246 drugs met the inclusion criteria for colorectal cancer, and 315 drugs met the inclusion criteria for non-small cell lung cancer. Attrition rates were 83.9% for breast cancer, 87.0% for colorectal cancer, and 92.0% for non-small cell lung cancer drugs. In the case of non-small cell lung cancer, there was a trend toward higher attrition rates for targeted monoclonal antibodies compared with other agents. No tumor site-specific differences were noted with regard to cytotoxic chemotherapy, immunomodulatory, or small molecule kinase inhibitor drugs. Drugs classified as "others" in breast cancer had lower attrition rates, primarily due to the higher success of hormonal medications. Mean drug development times were 8.9 years for breast cancer, 6.7 years for colorectal cancer, and 6.6 years for non-small cell lung cancer. Overall oncologic drug attrition rates remain high, and drugs are more likely to fail in later-stage clinical trials. The refinement of early-phase trial design may permit the selection of drugs that are more likely to succeed in the phase 3 setting. Cancer 2017;123:4672-4679. © 2017 American Cancer Society. © 2017 American Cancer Society.

  11. Mathematical modelling of the death rate dynamics in mammals with intestinal form of radiation sicleness

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Smirnova, O.A.

    1990-01-01

    A mathematical models has been developed to describe the death rate dynamics in irradiated mammals. The model links statistical biometric functions with statistical and dynamic characteristics of the organism's 'critical' system. There is an agreement between the results of modelling and experiments with respect to death rate dynamics of small laboratory animals subjected to acute and chronic irradiation with doses and dose-rates at which small intestine epithelium is 'ctitical'

  12. Differential expression of CART in ewes with differing ovulation rates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Juengel, Jennifer L; French, Michelle C; Quirke, Laurel D; Kauff, Alexia; Smith, George W; Johnstone, Peter D

    2017-04-01

    We hypothesised that cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript ( CARTPT ) would be differentially expressed in ewes with differing ovulation rates. Expression of mRNA for CARTPT , as well as LHCGR , FSHR , CYP19A1 and CYP17A1 was determined in antral follicles ≥1 mm in diameter collected during the follicular phase in ewes heterozygous for the Booroola and Inverdale genes (I+B+; average ovulation rate 4) and ++ contemporaries (++; average ovulation rate 1.8). In ++ ewes ( n  = 6), CARTPT was expressed in small follicles (1 to ewes. In I+B+ ewes, 5/6 ewes did not have any follicles that expressed CARTPT , and no CART peptide was detected in any follicle examined. Expression pattern of CYP19A1 differed between I+B+ and ++ ewes with an increased percentage of small and medium follicles (3 to ewes. Many of the large follicles from the I+B+ ewes appeared non-functional and expression of LHCGR , FSHR , CYP17A1 and CYP19A1 was less than that observed in ++ ewes. Expression of FSHR and CYP17A1 was not different between groups in small and medium follicles, but LHCGR expression was approximately double in I+B+ ewes compared to that in ++ ewes. Thus, ewes with high ovulation rates had a distinct pattern of expression of CARTPT mRNA and protein compared to ewes with normal ovulation rates, providing evidence for CART being important in the regulation of ovulation rate. © 2017 Society for Reproduction and Fertility.

  13. Individual laboratory-measured discount rates predict field behavior.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chabris, Christopher F; Laibson, David; Morris, Carrie L; Schuldt, Jonathon P; Taubinsky, Dmitry

    2008-12-01

    We estimate discount rates of 555 subjects using a laboratory task and find that these individual discount rates predict inter-individual variation in field behaviors (e.g., exercise, BMI, smoking). The correlation between the discount rate and each field behavior is small: none exceeds 0.28 and many are near 0. However, the discount rate has at least as much predictive power as any variable in our dataset (e.g., sex, age, education). The correlation between the discount rate and field behavior rises when field behaviors are aggregated: these correlations range from 0.09-0.38. We present a model that explains why specific intertemporal choice behaviors are only weakly correlated with discount rates, even though discount rates robustly predict aggregates of intertemporal decisions.

  14. A comprehensive analysis of small-passerine fatalities from collision with turbines at wind energy facilities.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wallace P Erickson

    Full Text Available Small passerines, sometimes referred to as perching birds or songbirds, are the most abundant bird group in the United States (US and Canada, and the most common among bird fatalities caused by collision with turbines at wind energy facilities. We used data compiled from 116 studies conducted in the US and Canada to estimate the annual rate of small-bird fatalities. It was necessary for us to calculate estimates of small-bird fatality rates from reported all-bird rates for 30% of studies. The remaining 70% of studies provided data on small-bird fatalities. We then adjusted estimates to account for detection bias and loss of carcasses from scavenging. These studies represented about 15% of current operating capacity (megawatts [MW] for all wind energy facilities in the US and Canada and provided information on 4,975 bird fatalities, of which we estimated 62.5% were small passerines comprising 156 species. For all wind energy facilities currently in operation, we estimated that about 134,000 to 230,000 small-passerine fatalities from collision with wind turbines occur annually, or 2.10 to 3.35 small birds/MW of installed capacity. When adjusted for species composition, this indicates that about 368,000 fatalities for all bird species are caused annually by collisions with wind turbines. Other human-related sources of bird deaths, (e.g., communication towers, buildings [including windows], and domestic cats have been estimated to kill millions to billions of birds each year. Compared to continent-wide population estimates, the cumulative mortality rate per year by species was highest for black-throated blue warbler and tree swallow; 0.043% of the entire population of each species was estimated to annually suffer mortality from collisions with turbines. For the eighteen species with the next highest values, this estimate ranged from 0.008% to 0.038%, much lower than rates attributed to collisions with communication towers (1.2% to 9.0% for top

  15. A comprehensive analysis of small-passerine fatalities from collision with turbines at wind energy facilities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Erickson, Wallace P; Wolfe, Melissa M; Bay, Kimberly J; Johnson, Douglas H; Gehring, Joelle L

    2014-01-01

    Small passerines, sometimes referred to as perching birds or songbirds, are the most abundant bird group in the United States (US) and Canada, and the most common among bird fatalities caused by collision with turbines at wind energy facilities. We used data compiled from 116 studies conducted in the US and Canada to estimate the annual rate of small-bird fatalities. It was necessary for us to calculate estimates of small-bird fatality rates from reported all-bird rates for 30% of studies. The remaining 70% of studies provided data on small-bird fatalities. We then adjusted estimates to account for detection bias and loss of carcasses from scavenging. These studies represented about 15% of current operating capacity (megawatts [MW]) for all wind energy facilities in the US and Canada and provided information on 4,975 bird fatalities, of which we estimated 62.5% were small passerines comprising 156 species. For all wind energy facilities currently in operation, we estimated that about 134,000 to 230,000 small-passerine fatalities from collision with wind turbines occur annually, or 2.10 to 3.35 small birds/MW of installed capacity. When adjusted for species composition, this indicates that about 368,000 fatalities for all bird species are caused annually by collisions with wind turbines. Other human-related sources of bird deaths, (e.g., communication towers, buildings [including windows]), and domestic cats) have been estimated to kill millions to billions of birds each year. Compared to continent-wide population estimates, the cumulative mortality rate per year by species was highest for black-throated blue warbler and tree swallow; 0.043% of the entire population of each species was estimated to annually suffer mortality from collisions with turbines. For the eighteen species with the next highest values, this estimate ranged from 0.008% to 0.038%, much lower than rates attributed to collisions with communication towers (1.2% to 9.0% for top twenty species).

  16. A comprehensive analysis of small-passerine fatalities from collisions with turbines at wind energy facilities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Erickson, Wallace P.; Wolfe, Melissa M.; Bay, Kimberly J.; Johnson, Douglas H.; Gehring, Joelle L.

    2014-01-01

    Small passerines, sometimes referred to as perching birds or songbirds, are the most abundant bird group in the United States (US) and Canada, and the most common among bird fatalities caused by collision with turbines at wind energy facilities. We used data compiled from 39 studies conducted in the US and Canada to estimate the annual rate of small-bird fatalities. It was necessary for us to calculate estimates of small-bird fatality rates from reported all-bird rates for 30% of studies. The remaining 70% of studies provided data on small-bird fatalities. We then adjusted estimates to account for detection bias and loss of carcasses from scavenging. These studies represented about 15% of current operating capacity (megawatts [MW]) for all wind energy facilities in the US and Canada and provided information on 4,975 bird fatalities, of which we estimated 62.5% were small passerines comprising 156 species. For all wind energy facilities currently in operation, we estimated that about 134,000 to 230,000 small-passerine fatalities from collision with wind turbines occur annually, or 2.10 to 3.35 small birds/MW of installed capacity. When adjusted for species composition, this indicates that about 368,000 fatalities for all bird species are caused annually by collisions with wind turbines. Other human-related sources of bird deaths, (e.g., communication towers, buildings [including windows]), and domestic cats) have been estimated to kill millions to billions of birds each year. Compared to continent-wide population estimates, the cumulative mortality rate per year by species was highest for black-throated blue warbler and tree swallow; 0.043% of the entire population of each species was estimated to annually suffer mortality from collisions with turbines. For the eighteen species with the next highest values, this estimate ranged from 0.008% to 0.038%, much lower than rates attributed to collisions with communication towers (1.2% to 9.0% for top twenty species).

  17. Fixed-Rate Compressed Floating-Point Arrays.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lindstrom, Peter

    2014-12-01

    Current compression schemes for floating-point data commonly take fixed-precision values and compress them to a variable-length bit stream, complicating memory management and random access. We present a fixed-rate, near-lossless compression scheme that maps small blocks of 4(d) values in d dimensions to a fixed, user-specified number of bits per block, thereby allowing read and write random access to compressed floating-point data at block granularity. Our approach is inspired by fixed-rate texture compression methods widely adopted in graphics hardware, but has been tailored to the high dynamic range and precision demands of scientific applications. Our compressor is based on a new, lifted, orthogonal block transform and embedded coding, allowing each per-block bit stream to be truncated at any point if desired, thus facilitating bit rate selection using a single compression scheme. To avoid compression or decompression upon every data access, we employ a software write-back cache of uncompressed blocks. Our compressor has been designed with computational simplicity and speed in mind to allow for the possibility of a hardware implementation, and uses only a small number of fixed-point arithmetic operations per compressed value. We demonstrate the viability and benefits of lossy compression in several applications, including visualization, quantitative data analysis, and numerical simulation.

  18. Simulation of time curves in small animal PET using GATE

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Simon, Luc; Strul, Daniel; Santin, Giovanni; Krieguer, Magalie; Morel, Christian

    2004-01-01

    The ClearPET project of the Crystal Clear Collaboration (CCC) is building spin-off technology for high resolution small animal Positron Emission Tomography (PET). Monte Carlo simulation is essential for optimizing the specifications of these systems with regards to their most important characteristics, such as spatial resolution, sensitivity, or count rate performance. GATE, the Geant4 Application for Tomographic Emission simulates the passing of time during real acquisitions, allowing to handle dynamic systems such as decaying source distributions or moving detectors. GATE output is analyzed on an event-by-event basis. The time associated with each single event allows to sort coincidences and to model dead-time. This leads to the study of time curves for a prospective small animal PET scanner design. The count rates of true, and random coincidences are discussed together with the corresponding Noise Equivalent Count (NEC) rates as a function of some PET scanner specifications such as detector dead time, or coincidence time window

  19. Measurement of the electron quenching rate in an electron beam pumped KrF* laser

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nishioka, Hajime; Kurashima, Toshio; Kuranishi, Hideaki; Ueda, Kenichi; Takuma, Hiroshi; Sasaki, Akira; Kasuya, Koichi.

    1988-01-01

    The electron quenching rate of KrF * in an electron beam pumped laser has been studied by accurately measuring the saturation intensity in a mixture of Ar/Kr/F 2 = 94/6/0.284. The input intensity of the measurements was widely varied from 100 W cm -2 (small signal region) to 100 MW cm -2 (absorption dominant region) in order to separate laser parameters which are small signal gain coefficient, absorption coefficient, and saturation intensity from the measured net gain coefficients. The gas pressure and the pump rate were varied in the range of 0.5 to 2.5 atm and 0.3 to 1.4 MW cm -3 , respectively. The electron quenching rate constant of 4.5 x 10 -7 cm 3 s -1 was obtained from the pressure and the pump rate dependence of the KrF * saturation intensity with the temperature dependence of the rate gas 3-body quenching rate as a function of gas temperature to the -3rd power. The small signal gain coefficients calculated with the determined quenching rate constants shows excellent agreement with the measurements. (author)

  20. High Strain Rate Tensile Testing of Silver Nanowires: Rate-Dependent Brittle-to-Ductile Transition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramachandramoorthy, Rajaprakash; Gao, Wei; Bernal, Rodrigo; Espinosa, Horacio

    2016-01-13

    The characterization of nanomaterials under high strain rates is critical to understand their suitability for dynamic applications such as nanoresonators and nanoswitches. It is also of great theoretical importance to explore nanomechanics with dynamic and rate effects. Here, we report in situ scanning electron microscope (SEM) tensile testing of bicrystalline silver nanowires at strain rates up to 2/s, which is 2 orders of magnitude higher than previously reported in the literature. The experiments are enabled by a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) with fast response time. It was identified that the nanowire plastic deformation has a small activation volume (ductile failure mode transition was observed at a threshold strain rate of 0.2/s. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed that along the nanowire, dislocation density and spatial distribution of plastic regions increase with increasing strain rate. Furthermore, molecular dynamic (MD) simulations show that deformation mechanisms such as grain boundary migration and dislocation interactions are responsible for such ductility. Finally, the MD and experimental results were interpreted using dislocation nucleation theory. The predicted yield stress values are in agreement with the experimental results for strain rates above 0.2/s when ductility is pronounced. At low strain rates, random imperfections on the nanowire surface trigger localized plasticity, leading to a brittle-like failure.

  1. Acoustic detection for small-leak sodium-water reaction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nei, Hiromichi; Ohshima, Iwao; Ujihara, Kozaburo; Hori, Masao

    1977-01-01

    Characteristics of acoustic signal produced by sodium-water reaction due to steam injection and by Ar gas injection into sodium were experimentally investigated. Acoustic signal was measured by using Kistler 808A and 815A5 accelerometers. Root mean square (RMS) measurements and frequency analysis of the signal were conducted. The RMS measurements could detect a small water leakage into sodium, as small as 0.07g/sec, in the present loop. The peaks in a frequency spectrum were caused by the natural vibration of a rod on which the acoustic transducer was mounted. The RMS was approximately proportional to the one-third power of the steam leak rate and increased to some extent with the ambient sodium temperature. RMS values, both for sodium-water reaction and Ar gas injection, were about the same order of magnitude, when the data were plotted against the volumetric flow rates of steam and Argas. (auth.)

  2. Leak rate models and leak detection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1992-01-01

    Leak detection may be carried out by a number of detection systems, but selection of the systems must be carefully adapted to the fluid state and the location of the leak in the reactor coolant system. Computer programs for the calculation of leak rates contain different models to take into account the fluid state before its entrance into the crack, and they have to be verified by experiments; agreement between experiments and calculations is generally not satisfactory for very small leak rates resulting from narrow cracks or from a closing bending moment

  3. Adoption Of Small Family Norms In A Rural Community Of West Bengal

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Biswas A.K

    1994-01-01

    Full Text Available Research Questions: 1. To what extent do rural eligible couples accept the small family norm? 2. What are the factors which influence the adoption of small family norm by these couples? Objectives: 1. To determine the extent of adoption of small norm among family planning service acceptors (2 To identify factors influencing adoption of small family norm. Study Design: Cross sectional Study Setting: 2 villages- a PHC village and one 5 kms away of Block Sonarpur. Participants: 312 eligible couples of these villages. Study Variables: Socio â€" economics status, literacy of the wives, type of family, religion, number of children, type of family planning method. Outcome Variables: Prevalence of contraceptive method use, reasons for not using family planning methods. Statistical Analysis: Proportions Results : The prevalence of contraceptive use was 44.9% but the Effective Couple Protection Rate was only 20.5% and the Crude Birth Rate was still high (35/1000. This was because 40% of the couples had more then 2 children and of them 38% were still exposed to the risk of conception. Muslim couples had a lower contraceptive acceptance rate than Hindu couples. The more literate the wife, the greater the acceptance of the small family norm. Male preference pressure from elders and fear about contraception were the main reasons for non acceptance of family planning methods: The health teams were the main source of information to these couples. Recommendations: There is an urgent need to increase the emphasis on the 2 child family norm. The IEC activities of the health team should be strengthened.

  4. Elective brain irradiation in patients with small-cell carcinoma of the lung: preliminary report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Katsenis, A.T.; Karpasitis, N.; Giannakakis, D.; Maragoudakis, N.; Kiparissiadis, P.

    1982-01-01

    The brain is a common site of metastases in small-cell carcinoma of the lung. Prophylactic brain irradiation with doses of 4000-4500 rads in 3-4 weeks appears to decrease the occurrence of brain metastases although it does not prevent this completely. In a group of patients with small-cell carcinoma of the lung and without evidence of brain metastases, the authors review the site and extent of the primary, the methods of treatment, the techniques of brain irradiation, and the relapses rate in relation to the status of the primary and the rate of brain metastases in another group without prophylactic brain irradiation. They further attempt to investigate combined modalities of treatment which would prolong life and prevent neurological complications in the small number of long survivors with small-cell carcinoma of the lung. (Auth.)

  5. Financing options for small hydro projects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shepherd, J.C.

    1993-01-01

    Examples and techniques used to enhance the ability to finance small hydro projects, or to finance them in non-standard ways, were discussed. It was suggested that factors that motivate investors, namely the maximization of the rate of return on capital, and minimization of risk, should be the primary concern for any would-be developer. A responsible, conservative approach to financial projections was recommended as the best to impress potential investors

  6. Small Hydropower - The comeback of small hydropower stations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Niederhaeusern, A.

    2008-01-01

    This issue of the 'Erneuerbare Energien' (renewable energies) magazine published by the Swiss Solar Energy Society takes a look at small hydropower projects in Switzerland. In a number of interviews and articles, various topics concerning small hydropower are dealt with. First of all, an interview with Bruno Guggisberg, previously responsible for small hydro at the Swiss Federal Office of Energy, examines the potential of small hydro and the various political, technical and economic influences on such projects. Further articles provide an overview of the various types of small hydro schemes, including power generation using height differences in drinking-water and wastewater installations. As far as the components of small hydro schemes are concerned, various types of turbines and further system components that are needed are examined. A further article takes a look at the small hydro market and the market players involved. Ecological aspects and research activities are discussed in further articles. In a second interview with Martin Boelli, presently responsible for small hydropower at the Swiss Federal Office of Energy, the unused potential for the use of hydropower in Switzerland is discussed. Examples of small-scale hydro schemes are examined and the support offered by the Small Hydropower Program is discussed. Finally the question is asked, if the small hydro market in Switzerland is overheated as a result of promotion schemes such as cost-covering remuneration for electricity from renewable energy sources.

  7. Investigation of the Relationship Between Gross Tumor Volume Location and Pneumonitis Rates Using a Large Clinical Database of Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vinogradskiy, Yevgeniy; Tucker, Susan L.; Liao Zhongxing; Martel, Mary K.

    2012-01-01

    Purpose: Studies have suggested that function may vary throughout the lung, and that patients who have tumors located in the base of the lung are more susceptible to radiation pneumonitis. The purpose of our study was to investigate the relationship between gross tumor volume (GTV) location and pneumonitis rates using a large clinical database of 547 patients with non–small-cell lung cancer. Methods and Materials: The GTV centroids of all patients were mapped onto one common coordinate system, in which the boundaries of the coordinate system were defined by the extreme points of each individual patient lung. The data were qualitatively analyzed by graphing all centroids and displaying the data according to the presence of severe pneumonitis, tumor stage, and smoking status. The centroids were grouped according to superior–inferior segments, and the pneumonitis rates were analyzed. In addition, we incorporated the GTV centroid information into a Lyman–Kutcher–Burman normal tissue complication probability model and tested whether adding spatial information significantly improved the fit of the model. Results: Of the 547 patients analyzed, 111 (20.3%) experienced severe radiation pneumonitis. The pneumonitis incidence rates were 16%, 23%, and 21% for the superior, middle, and inferior thirds of the lung, respectively. Qualitatively, the GTV centroids of nonsmokers were notably absent from the superior portion of the lung. In addition, the GTV centroids of patients who had Stage III and IV clinical staging were concentrated toward the medial edge of the lung. The comparison between the GTV centroid model and the conventional dose–volume model did not yield a statistically significant difference in model fit. Conclusions: Lower pneumonitis rates were noted for the superior portion of the lung; however the differences were not statistically significant. For our patient cohort, incorporating GTV centroid information did not lead to a statistically significant

  8. Investigation of the relationship between gross tumor volume location and pneumonitis rates using a large clinical database of non-small-cell lung cancer patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vinogradskiy, Yevgeniy; Tucker, Susan L; Liao, Zhongxing; Martel, Mary K

    2012-04-01

    Studies have suggested that function may vary throughout the lung, and that patients who have tumors located in the base of the lung are more susceptible to radiation pneumonitis. The purpose of our study was to investigate the relationship between gross tumor volume (GTV) location and pneumonitis rates using a large clinical database of 547 patients with non-small-cell lung cancer. The GTV centroids of all patients were mapped onto one common coordinate system, in which the boundaries of the coordinate system were defined by the extreme points of each individual patient lung. The data were qualitatively analyzed by graphing all centroids and displaying the data according to the presence of severe pneumonitis, tumor stage, and smoking status. The centroids were grouped according to superior-inferior segments, and the pneumonitis rates were analyzed. In addition, we incorporated the GTV centroid information into a Lyman-Kutcher-Burman normal tissue complication probability model and tested whether adding spatial information significantly improved the fit of the model. Of the 547 patients analyzed, 111 (20.3%) experienced severe radiation pneumonitis. The pneumonitis incidence rates were 16%, 23%, and 21% for the superior, middle, and inferior thirds of the lung, respectively. Qualitatively, the GTV centroids of nonsmokers were notably absent from the superior portion of the lung. In addition, the GTV centroids of patients who had Stage III and IV clinical staging were concentrated toward the medial edge of the lung. The comparison between the GTV centroid model and the conventional dose-volume model did not yield a statistically significant difference in model fit. Lower pneumonitis rates were noted for the superior portion of the lung; however the differences were not statistically significant. For our patient cohort, incorporating GTV centroid information did not lead to a statistically significant improvement in the fit of the pneumonitis model. Copyright

  9. Kinematic rate control of simulated robot hand at or near wrist singularity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barker, K.; Houck, J. A.; Carzoo, S. W.

    1985-01-01

    A robot hand should obey movement commands from an operator on a computer program as closely as possible. However, when two of the three rotational axes of the robot wrist are colinear, the wrist loses a degree of freedom, and the usual resolved rate equations (used to move the hand in response to an operator's inputs) are indeterminant. Furthermore, rate limiting occurs in close vicinity to this singularity. An analysis shows that rate limiting occurs not only in the vicinity of this singularity but also substantially away from it, even when the operator commands rotational rates of the robot hand that are only a small percentage of the operational joint rate limits. Therefore, joint angle rates are scaled when they exceed operational limits in a real time simulation of a robot arm. Simulation results show that a small dead band avoids the wrist singularity in the resolved rate equations but can introduce a high frequency oscillation close to the singularity. However, when a coordinated wrist movement is used in conjunction with the resolved rate equations, the high frequency oscillation disappears.

  10. Rapid area change in pitch-up manoeuvres of small perching birds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Polet, D T; Rival, D E

    2015-10-26

    Rapid pitch-up has been highlighted as a mechanism to generate large lift and drag during landing manoeuvres. However, pitching rates had not been measured previously in perching birds, and so the direct applicability of computations and experiments to observed behaviour was not known. We measure pitch rates in a small, wild bird (the black-capped chickadee; Poecile atricapillus), and show that these rates are within the parameter range used in experiments. Pitching rates were characterized by the shape change number, a metric comparing the rate of frontal area increase to acceleration. Black-capped chickadees increase the shape change number during perching in direct proportion to their total kinetic and potential energy at the start of the manoeuvre. The linear relationship between dissipated energy and shape change number is in accordance with a simple analytical model developed for two-dimensional pitching and decelerating airfoils. Black-capped chickadees use a wing pitch-up manoeuvre during perching to dissipate energy quickly while maintaining lift and drag through rapid area change. It is suggested that similar pitch-and-decelerate manoeuvres could be used to aid in the controlled, precise landings of small manoeuvrable air vehicles.

  11. Fitting outbreak models to data from many small norovirus outbreaks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eamon B. O’Dea

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Infectious disease often occurs in small, independent outbreaks in populations with varying characteristics. Each outbreak by itself may provide too little information for accurate estimation of epidemic model parameters. Here we show that using standard stochastic epidemic models for each outbreak and allowing parameters to vary between outbreaks according to a linear predictor leads to a generalized linear model that accurately estimates parameters from many small and diverse outbreaks. By estimating initial growth rates in addition to transmission rates, we are able to characterize variation in numbers of initially susceptible individuals or contact patterns between outbreaks. With simulation, we find that the estimates are fairly robust to the data being collected at discrete intervals and imputation of about half of all infectious periods. We apply the method by fitting data from 75 norovirus outbreaks in health-care settings. Our baseline regression estimates are 0.0037 transmissions per infective-susceptible day, an initial growth rate of 0.27 transmissions per infective day, and a symptomatic period of 3.35 days. Outbreaks in long-term-care facilities had significantly higher transmission and initial growth rates than outbreaks in hospitals.

  12. Collimator optimization for small animal radiation therapy at a micro-CT

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Felix, Manuela C. [Heidelberg Univ., Mannheim (Germany). Medical Radiation Physics/Radiation Protection; Heidelberg Univ., Mannheim (Germany). Dept. of Radiation Oncology; Glatting, Gerhard [Heidelberg Univ., Mannheim (Germany). Medical Radiation Physics/Radiation Protection; Giordano, Frank A.; Wenz, Frederik; Fleckenstein, Jens [Heidelberg Univ., Mannheim (Germany). Dept. of Radiation Oncology; Brockmann, Marc A. [Heidelberg Univ., Mannheim (Germany). Dept. of Neuroradiology; University Medical Center Mainz (Germany). Dept. of Neuroradiology

    2017-05-01

    In radiation therapy of small animals treatment depths range from a few millimetres to several centimetres. In order to spare surrounding organs at risk steep dose gradients are necessary. To minimize the treatment time, and therefore the strain to the animals, a high dose rate is required. A description how these parameters can be optimized through an appropriate choice of collimators with different source surface distances (SSD) as well as different materials and geometries is presented. An industrial micro-CT unit (Y.Fox, YXLON GmbH, Hamburg, Germany) was converted into a precision irradiator for small animals. Different collimators of either stainless steel (Fe) with cylindrical bores (SSD = 42 mm) or tungsten (W) with conical bores (SSD = 14 mm) were evaluated. The dosimetry of very small radiation fields presents a challenge and was performed with GafChromic EBT3 films (Ashland, Vayne, KY, USA) in a water phantom. The films were calibrated with an ionization chamber in the uncollimated field. Treatments were performed via a rotation of the objects with a fixed radiation source. As expected, the shorter SSD of the W-collimators resulted in a (4.5 ± 1.6)-fold increase of the dose rates compared to the corresponding Fe-collimators. The ratios of the dose rates at 1 mm and 10 mm depth in the water phantom was (2.6 ± 0.2) for the Fe- and (4.5 ± 0.1) for the W-collimators. For rotational treatments in a cylindrical plastic phantom maximum dose rates of up to 1.2 Gy/min for Fe- and 5.1 Gy/min for W-collimators were measured. Choosing the smallest possible SSD leads to a high dose rate and a high surface dose, which is of advantage for the treatment of superficial target volumes. For larger SSD the dose rate is lower and the depth dose curve is shallower. This leads to a reduction of the surface dose and is best suited for treatments of deeper seated target volumes. Divergent collimator bores have, due to the reduced scatter within the collimators, a steeper

  13. Modeling of the Nano- and Picoseismicity Rate Changes Resulting from Static Stress Triggering due to Small (MW2.2) Event Recorded at Mponeng Deep Gold Mine, South Africa

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kozlowska, M.; Orlecka-Sikora, B.; Kwiatek, G.; Boettcher, M. S.; Dresen, G. H.

    2014-12-01

    Static stress changes following large earthquakes are known to affect the rate and spatio-temporal distribution of the aftershocks. Here we utilize a unique dataset of M ≥ -3.4 earthquakes following a MW 2.2 earthquake in Mponeng gold mine, South Africa, to investigate this process for nano- and pico- scale seismicity at centimeter length scales in shallow, mining conditions. The aftershock sequence was recorded during a quiet interval in the mine and thus enabled us to perform the analysis using Dietrich's (1994) rate and state dependent friction law. The formulation for earthquake productivity requires estimation of Coulomb stress changes due to the mainshock, the reference seismicity rate, frictional resistance parameter, and the duration of aftershock relaxation time. We divided the area into six depth intervals and for each we estimated the parameters and modeled the spatio-temporal patterns of seismicity rates after the stress perturbation. Comparing the modeled patterns of seismicity with the observed distribution we found that while the spatial patterns match well, the rate of modeled aftershocks is lower than the observed rate. To test our model, we used four metrics of the goodness-of-fit evaluation. Testing procedure allowed rejecting the null hypothesis of no significant difference between seismicity rates only for one depth interval containing the mainshock, for the other, no significant differences have been found. Results show that mining-induced earthquakes may be followed by a stress relaxation expressed through aftershocks located on the rupture plane and in regions of positive Coulomb stress change. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the main features of the temporal and spatial distribution of very small, mining-induced earthquakes at shallow depths can be successfully determined using rate- and state-based stress modeling.

  14. Small break loss of coolant accidents: Bottom and side break

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hardy, P.G.; Richter, H.J.

    1987-01-01

    A LOCA can be caused, e.g. by a small break in the primary cooling system. The rate of fluid escaping through such a break will define the time until the core will be uncovered. Therefore the prediction of fluid loss and pressure transient is of major importance to plan for timely action in response to such an event. Stratification of the two phases might be present upstream of the break, thus, the location of the break relative to the vapor-liquid interface and the overall upstream fluid conditions are relevant for the calculation of fluid loss. Experimental results and analyses are presented here for small breaks at the bottom or at the side of a small pressure vessel. It was found that in such a case the onset of the so-called ''vapor pull through'' is important but swelling at sufficient depressurization rates of the liquid due to flashing is also of significance. It was also discovered that in the bottom break the flow rate is strongly dependent on the break entrance quality of the vapour-liquid mixture. The side break can be treated similarly to the bottom break if the interface level is above the break. The analyses developed on the basis of experimental observations showed reasonable agreement of predicted and measured pressure transients. It was possible to calculate the changing interface level and mixture void fraction history in a way compatible with the behavior observed during the experiments. Even though the experiments were performed at low pressures, this work should help to get a better understanding of physical phenomena occurring in a full scale small break LOCA. (orig./HP)

  15. Sphalerons, small fluctuations, and baryon-number violation in electroweak theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arnold, P.; McLerran, L.

    1987-01-01

    We study the formalism of the sphaleron approximation to baryon-number violation in the standard model at temperatures near 1 TeV. We investigate small fluctuations of the sphaleron, the competition of large-scale sphalerons with thermal fluctuations, and the damping of the transition rate in the plasma. We find a suppression of the rate due to Landau damping and due to factors arising from zero modes. Our approximations are valid in the regime 2M/sub W/(T) 2 . We find that the rate of baryon-number violation is still significantly larger than the expansion rate of the Universe

  16. ‘The more the merrier’ : What drives (small) shareholder attendance at annual general meetings

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lafarre, Anne

    2017-01-01

    This study investigates an important but under-researched topic in Europe, the small shareholder turnout decision. We assess which factors contribute to (small) shareholder participation using a hand-collected panel dataset with information about turnout rates, voting behaviour, and ownership

  17. Evaluation of an Empirical Reservoir Shape Function to Define Sediment Distributions in Small Reservoirs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bogusław Michalec

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available Understanding and defining the spatial distribution of sediment deposited in reservoirs is essential not only at the design stage but also during the operation. The majority of research concerns the distribution of sediment deposition in medium and large water reservoirs. Most empirical methods do not provide satisfactory results when applied to the determination of sediment deposition in small reservoirs. Small reservoir’s volumes do not exceed 5 × 106 m3 and their capacity-inflow ratio is less than 10%. Long-term silting measurements of three small reservoirs were used to evaluate the method described by Rahmanian and Banihashemi for predicting sediment distributions in small reservoirs. Rahmanian and Banihashemi stated that their model of distribution of sediment deposition in water reservoir works well for a long duration operation. In the presented study, the silting rate was used in order to determine the long duration operation. Silting rate is a quotient of volume of the sediment deposited in the reservoir and its original volume. It was stated that when the silting rate had reached 50%, the sediment deposition in the reservoir may be described by an empirical reservoir depth shape function (RDSF.

  18. Perinatal market penetration rate. A tool to evaluate regional perinatal programs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Powers, W F; McGill, L

    1987-01-01

    Very small babies born in tertiary centers fare better than outborn babies referred for tertiary care after birth. Viewing the 1001-1500 gm regional cohort of fetuses as a potential "market" for center delivery, and measuring a center's penetration into this market, quantitates how well a center draws to itself these small, high-risk fetuses for delivery. An Illinois center's annual penetration rate into its regional market for the years 1973-1983 is presented and significant increases are found. The penetration rates of nine Illinois perinatal centers are calculated and wide discrepancies are found. Defining a high-risk regional cohort as a market stresses a perinatal center's obligation to its region. The penetration rate into a defined market measures how well a center fulfills this obligation.

  19. Small phytoplankton contribution to the standing stocks and the total primary production in the Amundsen Sea

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. H. Lee

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Small phytoplankton are anticipated to be more important in a recently warming and freshening ocean condition. However, little information on the contribution of small phytoplankton to overall phytoplankton production is currently available in the Amundsen Sea. To determine the contributions of small phytoplankton to total biomass and primary production, carbon and nitrogen uptake rates of total and small phytoplankton were obtained from 12 productivity stations in the Amundsen Sea. The daily carbon uptake rates of total phytoplankton averaged in this study were 0.42 g C m−2 d−1 (SD  =  ± 0.30 g C m−2 d−1 and 0.84 g C m−2 d−1 (SD  =  ± 0.18 g C m−2 d−1 for non-polynya and polynya regions, respectively, whereas the daily total nitrogen (nitrate and ammonium uptake rates were 0.12 g N m−2 d−1 (SD  =  ± 0.09 g N m−2 d−1 and 0.21 g N m−2 d−1 (SD  =  ± 0.11 g N m−2 d−1, respectively, for non-polynya and polynya regions, all of which were within the ranges reported previously. Small phytoplankton contributed 26.9 and 27.7 % to the total carbon and nitrogen uptake rates of phytoplankton in this study, respectively, which were relatively higher than the chlorophyll a contribution (19.4 % of small phytoplankton. For a comparison of different regions, the contributions for chlorophyll a concentration and primary production of small phytoplankton averaged from all the non-polynya stations were 42.4 and 50.8 %, which were significantly higher than those (7.9 and 14.9 %, respectively in the polynya region. A strong negative correlation (r2 = 0. 790, p<0. 05 was found between the contributions of small phytoplankton and the total daily primary production of phytoplankton in this study. This finding implies that daily primary production decreases as small phytoplankton contribution increases, which is

  20. 77 FR 30227 - Small Business Size Regulations, Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program and Small...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-05-22

    ... Business Size Regulations, Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program and Small Business Technology... public Webinar and Roundtable Meetings regarding its proposal to amend its regulations governing size and eligibility for the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR...

  1. Deviation from Covered Interest Rate Parity in Korea

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Seungho Lee

    2003-06-01

    Full Text Available This paper tested the factors which cause deviation from covered interest rate parity (CIRP in Korea, using regression and VAR models. The empirical evidence indicates that the difference between the swap rate and interest rate differential exists and is greatly affected by variables which represent the currency liquidity situation of foreign exchange banks. In other words, the deviation from CIRP can easily occur due to the lack of foreign exchange liquidity of banks in a thin market, despite few capital constraints, small transaction costs, and trivial default risk in Korea.

  2. Portrait of a small population of boreal toads (Anaxyrus boreas)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muths, Erin; Scherer, Rick D.

    2011-01-01

    Much attention has been given to the conservation of small populations, those that are small because of decline, and those that are naturally small. Small populations are of particular interest because ecological theory suggests that they are vulnerable to the deleterious effects of environmental, demographic, and genetic stochasticity as well as natural and human-induced catastrophes. However, testing theory and developing applicable conservation measures for small populations is hampered by sparse data. This lack of information is frequently driven by computational issues with small data sets that can be confounded by the impacts of stressors. We present estimates of demographic parameters from a small population of Boreal Toads (Anaxyrus boreas) that has been surveyed since 2001 by using capture-recapture methods. Estimates of annual adult survival probability are high relative to other Boreal Toad populations, whereas estimates of recruitment rate are low. Despite using simple models, clear patterns emerged from the analyses, suggesting that population size is constrained by low recruitment of adults and is declining slowly. These patterns provide insights that are useful in developing management directions for this small population, and this study serves as an example of the potential for small populations to yield robust and useful information despite sample size constraints.

  3. "Lines of Credit and Relationship Lending in Small Firm Finance"

    OpenAIRE

    Allen N. Berger; Gregory E. Udell

    1994-01-01

    This paper examines the role of relationship lending using a data set on small firm finance. The abilities to acquire private information over time about borrower quality and to use this information in designing debt contracts largely define the unique nature of commercial banking. Recently, a theoretical literature on relationship lending has appeared which provides predictions about how loan interest rates evolve over the course of a bank-borrower relationship. The study focuses on small, m...

  4. Optimal mutation rates for the (1+λ) EA on OneMax

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gießen, Christian; Witt, Carsten

    2016-01-01

    We study the (1 + λ) EA with mutation probability c/n, where c > 0 is a constant, on the ONEMAX problem. Using an improved variable drift theorem, we show that upper and lower bounds on the expected runtime of the (1+λ) EA obtained from variable drift theorems are at most apart by a small lower...... mutation rates for the (1+λ) EA for various parameter settings of c and λ and also for moderate sizes of n. This makes the need for potentially lengthy and costly experiments in order to optimize the parameters unnecessary. Interestingly, even for moderate n and not too small λ it turns out that mutation...... rates up to 10% larger than the asymptotically optimal rate 1/n minimize the expected runtime. However, in absolute terms the expected runtime does not change by much when replacing 1/n with the optimal mutation rate....

  5. JIT Manufacturing: A Survey of Implementations in Small and Large U.S. Manufacturers

    OpenAIRE

    Richard E. White; John N. Pearson; Jeffrey R. Wilson

    1999-01-01

    Since the early 1980s, the diffusion of Just-In-Time (JIT) manufacturing from Japanese manufacturers to U.S. manufacturers has progressed at an accelerated rate. At this stage of the diffusion process, JIT implementations are more common and more advanced in large U.S. manufacturers than in small; consequently, U.S. businessmen's understanding of issues associated with JIT implementations in large manufacturers is more developed than that of small manufacturers. When small manufacturers repre...

  6. Factors Impacting Online Ratings for Otolaryngologists.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Calixto, Nathaniel E; Chiao, Whitney; Durr, Megan L; Jiang, Nancy

    2018-06-01

    To identify factors associated with online patient ratings and comments for a nationwide sample of otolaryngologists. Ratings, demographic information, and written comments were obtained for a random sample of otolaryngologists from HealthGrades.com and Vitals.com . Online Presence Score (OPS) was based on 10 criteria, including professional website and social media profiles. Regression analyses identified factors associated with increased rating. We evaluated for correlations between OPS and other attributes with star rating and used chi-square tests to evaluate content differences between positive and negative comments. On linear regression, increased OPS was associated with higher ratings on HealthGrades and Vitals; higher ratings were also associated with younger age on Vitals and less experience on HealthGrades. However, detailed correlation studies showed weak correlation between OPS and rating; age and graduation year also showed low correlation with ratings. Negative comments more likely focused on surgeon-independent factors or poor bedside manner. Though younger otolaryngologists with greater online presence tend to have higher ratings, weak correlations suggest that age and online presence have only a small impact on the content found on ratings websites. While most written comments are positive, deficiencies in bedside manner or other physician-independent factors tend to elicit negative comments.

  7. Measurement of the electron quenching rate in an electron beam pumped KrF/sup */ laser

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nishioka, Hajime; Kurashima, Toshio; Kuranishi, Hideaki; Ueda, Kenichi; Takuma, Hiroshi; Sasaki, Akira; Kasuya, Koichi.

    1988-09-01

    The electron quenching rate of KrF/sup */ in an electron beam pumped laser has been studied by accurately measuring the saturation intensity in a mixture of Ar/Kr/F/sub 2/ = 94/6/0.284. The input intensity of the measurements was widely varied from 100 W cm/sup -2/ (small signal region) to 100 MW cm/sup -2/ (absorption dominant region) in order to separate laser parameters which are small signal gain coefficient, absorption coefficient, and saturation intensity from the measured net gain coefficients. The gas pressure and the pump rate were varied in the range of 0.5 to 2.5 atm and 0.3 to 1.4 MW cm/sup -3/, respectively. The electron quenching rate constant of 4.5 x 10/sup -7/ cm/sup 3/s/sup -1/ was obtained from the pressure and the pump rate dependence of the KrF/sup */ saturation intensity with the temperature dependence of the rate gas 3-body quenching rate as a function of gas temperature to the -3rd power. The small signal gain coefficients calculated with the determined quenching rate constants shows excellent agreement with the measurements.

  8. Beta particle dose rates to micro-organisms in soil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kabir, M.; Spiers, F.W.; Iinuma, Takeshi.

    1977-01-01

    Studies were made to estimate the beta-particle dose rates to micro-organisms of various sizes in soil. The small insects and organisms living in soil are constantly exposed to beta-radiation arising from naturally occuring radionuclides in soil as in this case no overlying tissue shields them. The technique of measuring beta-particle dose rate consisted of using of a thin plastic scintillator to measure the pulse height distribution as the beta particle traverses the scintillator. The integrated response was determined by the number and size of the photomultiplier pulses. From the data of soil analyses it was estimated that typically about 29% of the beta particles emitted per gm. of soil were contributed by the U/Ra series, 21% by the Th series and about 50% by potassium. By combining the individual spectra of these three radionuclides in the proportion found in a typical soil, a resultant spectrum was computed representing the energy distribution of the beta particles. The dose rate received by micro-organisms of different shape and size in soil was derived from the equilibrium dose rates combined with a 'Geometrical Factor' of the organisms. For small organisms, the dose rates did not vary between the spherical and cylindrical types, but in the case of larger organisms, the dose rates were found to be greater for the spherical types of the same diameter. (auth.)

  9. International seminar on status and prospects for small and medium sized reactors. Book of extended synopses

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2001-05-01

    Small and medium sized reactors have been defined by IAEA in accordance with their net electrical power rating, or thermal equivalent power rating for reactors producing process heat. Within the global energy supply and demand the role of nuclear power, and specifically the role of small and medium sizes reactors, is reviewed. Some new design prospects of dual purpose power plants, namely for heat production and desalination, are presented. Some proposal for new concepts of small size power reactors are described. A special concern is devoted to economic and energy policy issues as well as to safety and non-proliferation matters

  10. Postoperative Radiation Therapy in Resected N2 Stage Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Chang Geol

    1993-01-01

    A total of forty patients with resected N2 stage non-small cell lung cancer treated with postoperative adjuvant radiation therapy between Jan. 1975 and Dec. 1990 at the Department of Radiation Oncology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Yonsei Cancer Center were retrospectively analysed to evaluate whether postoperative radiation therapy improves survival. Patterns of failure and prognostic factors affecting survival were also analysed. The 5 year overall and disease free survival rate were 26.3%, 27.3% and median survival 23.5 months. The 5 year survival rates by T-stage were T1 66.7%, T2 25.6% and T3 12.5%. Loco-regional failure rate was 14.3% and distant metastasis rate was 42.9% and both 2.9%. Statistically significant factor affecting distant failure rate was number of positive lymph nodes(>= 4). This retrospective study suggests that postoperative radiation therapy in resected N2 stage non-small cell lung cancer can reduce loco-regional recurrence and may improve survival rate as compared with other studies which were treated by surgery alone. Further study of systemic control is also needed due to high rate of distant metastasis

  11. Subureteral Injection with Small-Size Dextranomer/Hyaluronic Acid Copolymer: Is It Really Efficient?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Iyimser Üre

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical results of patients with vesicoureteral reflux, which were treated with subureteral injection of small-size (80–120 μm dextranomer/hyaluronic acid copolymer (Dx/HA. Data of 75 children (105 renal units who underwent STING procedure with small-size Dx/HA for the treatment of vesicoureteral reflux (VUR in our clinic between 2008 and 2012 were retrospectively analyzed. Preoperative reflux grade and side, injection indication, postoperative urinary infections and urinary symptoms, voiding cystourethrogram, and renal scintigraphy results were evaluated. The success rate of the procedure was 100% in patients with grades 1 and 2 reflux, 91% in patients with grade 3 reflux, and 82.6% in patients with grade 4. Overall success rate of the treated patients was 97%. Endoscopic subureteric injection with Dx/HA procedure has become a reasonable minimally invasive alternative technique to open surgery, long-term antibiotic prophylaxis, and surveillance modalities in treatment of VUR in terms of easy application, low costs and complication rates, and high success rates. Injection material composed of small-size dextranomer microspheres seems superior to normal size Dx/HA, together with offering similar success with low cost.

  12. Renewable electricity generation in India—A learning rate analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Partridge, Ian

    2013-01-01

    The cost of electricity generation using renewable technologies is widely assumed to be higher than the cost for conventional generation technologies, but likely to fall with growing experience of the technologies concerned. This paper tests the second part of that statement using learning rate analysis, based on large samples of wind and small hydro projects in India, and projects likely changes in these costs through 2020. It is the first study of learning rates for renewable generation technologies in India, and only the second in any developing country—it provides valuable input to the development of Indian energy policy and will be relevant to policy makers in other developing countries. The paper considers some potential problems with learning rate analysis raised by Nordhaus (2009. The Perils of the Learning Model for Modeling Endogenous Technological Change. National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper Series No. 14638). By taking account of these issues, it is possible both to improve the models used for making cost projections and to examine the potential impact of remaining forecasting problems. - Highlights: • The first learning rate analysis of wind generation costs in India. • Only the second learning rate analysis for wind in any developing country. • Reviews missing variable and related issues in learning rate analysis. • Finds a 17.7% learning rate for wind generation costs in India. • Finds no significant learning effect for small hydro

  13. Effect of small glass composition changes on flue gas emissions of glass furnaces

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Limpt, J.A.C. van; Beerkens, R.G.C.; Kersbergen, M.J. van

    2008-01-01

    Relatively small changes in glass composition might have drastic consequences on the evaporation rates of volatile glass components in glass melting furnaces. Transpiration evaporation tests have been applied to measure the impact of minor glass composition changes on the evaporation rates of

  14. Multiple Reserve Requirements, Exchange Rates, Sudden Stops and Equilibrium Dynamics in a Small Open Economy

    OpenAIRE

    Paula Hernandez-Verme; Wen-Yao Wang

    2009-01-01

    We model a typical Asian-crisis-economy using dynamic general equilibrium tech-niques. Exchange rates obtain from nontrivial fiat-currencies demands. Sudden stops/bank-panics are possible, and key for evaluating the merits of alternative ex-change rate regimes. Strategic complementarities contribute to the severe indetermi-nacy of the continuum of equilibria. The scope for existence and indeterminacy of equilibria and dynamic properties are associated with the underlying policy regime. Bindin...

  15. Exploration of small RNA-seq data for small non-coding RNAs in Human Colorectal Cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koduru, Srinivas V; Tiwari, Amit K; Hazard, Sprague W; Mahajan, Milind; Ravnic, Dino J

    2017-01-01

    Background: Improved healthcare and recent breakthroughs in technology have substantially reduced cancer mortality rates worldwide. Recent advancements in next-generation sequencing (NGS) have allowed genomic analysis of the human transcriptome. Now, using NGS we can further look into small non-coding regions of RNAs (sncRNAs) such as microRNAs (miRNAs), Piwi-interacting-RNAs (piRNAs), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), and small nuclear/nucleolar RNAs (sn/snoRNAs) among others. Recent studies looking at sncRNAs indicate their role in important biological processes such as cancer progression and predict their role as biomarkers for disease diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy. Results: In the present study, we data mined publically available small RNA sequencing data from colorectal tissue samples of eight matched patients (benign, tumor, and metastasis) and remapped the data for various small RNA annotations. We identified aberrant expression of 13 miRNAs in tumor and metastasis specimens [tumor vs benign group (19 miRNAs) and metastasis vs benign group (38 miRNAs)] of which five were upregulated, and eight were downregulated, during disease progression. Pathway analysis of aberrantly expressed miRNAs showed that the majority of miRNAs involved in colon cancer were also involved in other cancers. Analysis of piRNAs revealed six to be over-expressed in the tumor vs benign cohort and 24 in the metastasis vs benign group. Only two piRNAs were shared between the two cohorts. Examining other types of small RNAs [sn/snoRNAs, mt_rRNA, miscRNA, nonsense mediated decay (NMD), and rRNAs] identified 15 sncRNAs in the tumor vs benign group and 104 in the metastasis vs benign group, with only four others being commonly expressed. Conclusion: In summary, our comprehensive analysis on publicly available small RNA-seq data identified multiple differentially expressed sncRNAs during colorectal cancer progression at different stages compared to normal colon tissue. We speculate that

  16. Small gauge vitrectomy: Recent update

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sumeet Khanduja

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Small gauge vitrectomy, also known as minimally invasive vitreous surgery (MIVS, is a classic example of progress in biomedical engineering. Disparity in conjunctival and scleral wound location and reduction in wound diameter are its core principles. Fluidic changes include increased pressure head loss with consequent reduction in infusional flow rate and use of higher aspiration vacuum at the cutter port. Increase An increase in port open/port closed time maintains an adequate rate of vitreous removal. High Intensity Discharge (HID lamps maintain adequate illumination in spite of a decrease in the number of fiberoptic fibers. The advantages of MIVS are, a shorter surgical time, minimal conjunctival damage, and early postoperative recovery. Most complications are centered on wound stability and risk of postoperative hypotony, endophthalmitis, and port site retinal break formation. MIVS is suited in most cases, however, it can cause dehiscence of recent cataract wounds. Retraction of the infusion cannula in the suprachoroidal space may occur in eyes with scleral thinning. As a lot has been published and discussed about sutureless vitrectomy a review of this subject is necessary. A PubMed search was performed in December 2011 with terms small gauge vitrectomy, 23-gauge vitrectomy, 25-gauge vitrectomy, and 27 gauge vitrectomy, which were revised in August 2012. There were no restrictions on the date of publication but it was restricted to articles in English or other languages, if there abstracts were available in English.

  17. Project Finance Model for Small Contractors in USA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jawahar Nesan

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available Construction projects do not require a large capital outlay but a large working capital to start up the project. Unfortunately, for small contractors there are very limited options available from the banks or other lending institutions to cover this large working capital requirement in the absence of sufficient collateral. The “Project Finance” method presented in this paper is recommended as the most effective method for small contractors in the United States. The problems of small and start up contractors in funding their projects have been little addressed in the literature. The current financing practices were observed through both the literature review and interviews with contractors and bankers in the western Michigan area and subsequently a system has been proposed which could help a small start-up company seeking higher growth. The growth rates that can be achieved using the project finance system in contrast to the traditional “line of credit” arrangements as illustrated in this paper show that the project finance model is beneficial.

  18. Small hepatocellular carcinomas in chronic liver disease: Detection with SPECT

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kudo, M.; Hirasa, M.; Takakuwa, H.; Ibuki, Y.; Fujimi, K.; Miyamura, M.; Tomita, S.; Komori, H.; Todo, A.; Kitaura, Y.

    1986-06-01

    Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) performed using a rotating gamma camera was compared with ..cap alpha../sub 1/-fetoprotein (AFP) assay, conventional liver scintigraphy, ultrasound (US) imaging, computed tomography (CT), and selective celiac angiography in 40 patients with a total of 50 small hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs;<5 cm). The detection rates of US and CT were determined on an initial screening study and on a second, more precisely focused study. The detection rate of small HCCs by the various modalities was as follows: AFP, 13%; liver scintigraphy, 36%; SPECT, 72%; initial screening US, 80%; second, more precise US studies, 94%; initial screening CT, 64%; second, more precise CT study, 82%; angiography, 88%. Although SPECT was inferior to the initial screening US examination in detecting HCCs less than 2 cm in size, its sensitivity was identical to that of the initial screening US study for detecting HCCs of 2-5 cm. The combination of SPECT and US was an excellent method for the early detection of HCCs, yielding a detection rate of 94%.

  19. An Analysis of New Small High Schools' On-Time Graduation Rates in New York City

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dudley, Nathan

    2017-01-01

    Beginning in 2002, with the election of Mayor Michael Bloomberg, New York City's Department of Education undertook an unprecedented overhaul of the largest school district in the United States. Over the next 10 years the Department of Education closed more than 25 large, underperforming high schools, and created almost 200 new, small high schools,…

  20. Conversion rate optimization in Finnish online businesses

    OpenAIRE

    Ratia, Miramaria; Ruoho, Vilma

    2016-01-01

    Conversion rate optimization (CRO) is an unfamiliar term to many online business owners even though it has become almost as important as search engine optimization is in e-commerce today. It is a method that is used to turn passive visitors into active users in order to improve a website’s performance. The main objective of this thesis was to find out what kinds of conversion rate optimization methods do Finnish small and medium-sized online businesses use. The thesis also studies what ar...

  1. Role of the Rubisco Small Subunit

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Spreitzer, Robert Joseph [Univ. of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE (United States)

    2016-11-05

    Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) catalyzes the rate-limiting step of CO2 fixation in photosynthesis. However, it is a slow enzyme, and O2 competes with CO2 at the active site. Oxygenation initiates the photorespiratory pathway, which also results in the loss of CO2. If carboxylation could be increased or oxygenation decreased, an increase in net CO2 fixation would be realized. Because Rubisco provides the primary means by which carbon enters all life on earth, there is much interest in engineering Rubisco to increase the production of food and renewable energy. Rubisco is located in the chloroplasts of plants, and it is comprised of two subunits. Much is known about the chloroplast-gene-encoded large subunit (rbcL gene), which contains the active site, but much less is known about the role of the nuclear-gene-encoded small subunit in Rubisco function (rbcS gene). Both subunits are coded by multiple genes in plants, which makes genetic engineering difficult. In the eukaryotic, green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, it has been possible to eliminate all the Rubisco genes. These Rubisco-less mutants can be maintained by providing acetate as an alternative carbon source. In this project, focus has been placed on determining whether the small subunit might be a better genetic-engineering target for improving Rubisco. Analysis of a variable-loop structure (βA-βB loop) of the small subunit by genetic selection, directed mutagenesis, and construction of chimeras has shown that the small subunit can influence CO2/O2 specificity. X-ray crystal structures of engineered chimeric-loop enzymes have indicated that additional residues and regions of the small subunit may also contribute to Rubisco function. Structural dynamics of the small-subunit carboxyl terminus was also investigated. Alanine-scanning mutagenesis of the most-conserved small-subunit residues has identified a

  2. Stream recession curves and storage variability in small watersheds

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    N. Y. Krakauer

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available The pattern of streamflow recession after rain events offers clues about the relationship between watershed runoff (observable as river discharge and water storage (not directly observable and can help in water resource assessment and prediction. However, there have been few systematic assessments of how streamflow recession varies across flow rates and how it relates to independent assessments of terrestrial water storage. We characterized the streamflow recession pattern in 61 relatively undisturbed small watersheds (1–100 km2 across the coterminous United States with multiyear records of hourly streamflow from automated gauges. We used the North American Regional Reanalysis to help identify periods where precipitation, snowmelt, and evaporation were small compared to streamflow. The order of magnitude of the recession timescale increases from 1 day at high flow rates (~1 mm h−1 to 10 days at low flow rates (~0.01 mm h−1, leveling off at low flow rates. There is significant variability in the recession timescale at a given flow rate between basins, which correlates with climate and geomorphic variables such as the ratio of mean streamflow to precipitation and soil water infiltration capacity. Stepwise multiple regression was used to construct a six-variable predictive model that explained some 80 % of the variance in recession timescale at high flow rates and 30–50 % at low flow rates. Seasonal and interannual variability in inferred storage shows similar time evolution to regional-scale water storage variability estimated from GRACE satellite gravity data and from land surface modeling forced by observed meteorology, but is up to a factor of 10 smaller. Study of this discrepancy in the inferred storage amplitude may provide clues to the range of validity of the recession curve approach to relating runoff and storage.

  3. Food consumption and growth rates of juvenile black carp fed natural and prepared feeds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hodgins, Nathaniel C.; Schramm, Harold L.; Gerard, Patrick D.

    2014-01-01

    The introduced mollusciphagic black carp Mylopharyngodon piceus poses a significant threat to native mollusks in temperate waters throughout the northern hemisphere, but consumption rates necessary to estimate the magnitude of impact on mollusks have not been established. We measured food consumption and growth rates for small (77–245 g) and large (466–1,071 g) triploid black carp held individually under laboratory conditions at 20, 25, and 30°C. Daily consumption rates (g food · g wet weight fish−1·d−1·100) of black carp that received prepared feed increased with temperature (small black carp 1.39–1.71; large black carp 1.28–2.10), but temperature-related increases in specific growth rate (100[ln(final weight) - ln(initial weight)]/number of days) only occurred for the large black carp (small black carp −0.02 to 0.19; large black carp 0.16–0.65). Neither daily consumption rates (5.90–6.28) nor specific growth rates (0.05–0.24) differed among temperatures for small black carp fed live snails. The results of these laboratory feeding trials indicate food consumption rates can vary from 289.9 to 349.5 J·g−1·d−1 for 150 g black carp receiving prepared feed, from 268.8 to 441.0 J·g−1·d−1for 800 g black carp receiving prepared feed, and from 84.8 to 90.2 J·g−1·d−1 for 150 g black carp that feed on snails. Applying estimated daily consumption rates to estimated biomass of native mollusks indicates that a relatively low biomass of bla

  4. The small-molecule TNF-α inhibitor, UTL-5g, delays deaths and increases survival rates for mice treated with high doses of cisplatin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shaw, Jiajiu; Media, Joseph; Chen, Ben; Valeriote, Fredrick

    2013-09-01

    UTL-5g is a novel small-molecule chemoprotector that lowers hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, and myelotoxicity induced by cisplatin through TNF-α inhibition among other factors. The objective of this study was to investigate whether UTL-5g can reduce the overall acute toxicity of cisplatin and increase cisplatin tolerability in mice. BDF1 female mice were treated individually with UTL-5g (suspended in Ora-Plus) by oral gavage at 60 mg/kg, 30 min before i.p. injection of cisplatin at 10, 15, and 20 mg/kg, respectively, on Day 0. Starting from Day 1, individual mice were again treated daily by the same dose of UTL-5g for 4 consecutive days. Survivals and body weights were monitored. UTL-5g treatment increased the survival rate and delayed the time to death for mice treated with 150 % of the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of cisplatin (15 mg/kg). Likewise, at 200 % of the MTD of cisplatin (20 mg/kg), treatment of UTL-5g increased the survival rate and delayed the time to death. Treatment of UTL-5g did not have a significant effect on weight loss induced by cisplatin, indicating that body weight may not be a sensitive-enough measure for chemoprotection of UTL-5g against cisplatin. In summary, UTL-5g delayed deaths and increased survival rates of mice treated by high doses of cisplatin, indicating that UTL-5g is capable of reducing the overall acute toxicity of cisplatin and increased cisplatin tolerability in mice; this is in line with the specific chemoprotective effects of UTL-5g previously reported. Further investigation of UTL-5g in combination with cisplatin is warranted.

  5. Small cell lung cancer: chemo- and radiotherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Drings, P.

    1992-01-01

    Small-Cell Lung Cancer - Chemo- and Radiotherapy: Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) should be regarded as a systematic disease for which systematic therapy, i.e. chemotherapy, is considered as the cornerstone of treatment. Combination chemotherapy consisting of 2 or mostly 3 active drugs, given at an adequate dose, should be used. Thoracic radiation therapy promises both survival and local-regional control benefits to patients though its optimal role remains to be definitively established. The results of treatment have reached a plateau with a remission rate of up to 90% in stage 'limited disease' and 60% in stage 'extensive disease'. But considering long-term results diseasefree survival and cure only seem possible in 5-10% of patients with limited disease. (orig.) [de

  6. Effects of icotinib on advanced non-small cell lung cancer with different EGFR phenotypes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pan, Huiyun; Liu, Rong; Li, Shengjie; Fang, Hui; Wang, Ziwei; Huang, Sheng; Zhou, Jianying

    2014-09-01

    Icotinib is the first oral epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase receptor inhibitor, which has been proven to exert significant inhibitory effects on non-small cell lung cancer in vitro. Clinical evidence has showed that the efficacy of Icotinib on retreating advanced non-small cell lung cancer is comparable to Gefitinib. However, different phenotypes of EGFR can affect the therapeutic outcomes of EGFR tyrosine kinase receptor inhibitor. Therefore, our study focused on efficacy and safety of Icotinib in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer of different EGPR phenotypes. Clinical data of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer who received Icotinib treatment from August, 2011 to May, 2013 were retrospectively analyzed. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used for survival analysis and comparison. 18 wild-type EGFR and 51 mutant type were found in a total of 69 patients. Objective response rate of patients with mutant type EGFR was 54.9 % and disease control rate was 86.3 %. Objective response rate of wild-type patients was 11.1 % (P = 0.0013 vs mutant type), disease control rate was 50.0 % (P = 0.0017). Median progression-free survival (PFS) of mutant type and wild-type patients were 9.7 and 2.6 months, respectively (P Icotinib included rash, diarrhea, itching skin with occurrence rates of 24.6 % (17/69), 13.0 % (9/69), and 11.6 % (8/69), respectively. Most adverse reactions were grade I-II. Icotinib has great efficacy in EGFR mutated patients, making it an optimal regimen to treat EGFR mutated patients. Furthermore, most of adverse reactions associated with Icotinib treatment were tolerable.

  7. Mental Fatigue: Impairment of Technical Performance in Small-Sided Soccer Games.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Badin, Oliver O; Smith, Mitchell R; Conte, Daniele; Coutts, Aaron J

    2016-11-01

    To assess the effects of mental fatigue on physical and technical performance in small-sided soccer games. Twenty soccer players (age 17.8 ± 1.0 y, height 179 ± 5 cm, body mass 72.4 ± 6.8 kg, playing experience 8.3 ± 1.4 y) from an Australian National Premier League soccer club volunteered to participate in this randomized crossover investigation. Participants played 15-min 5-vs-5 small-sided games (SSGs) without goalkeepers on 2 occasions separated by 1 wk. Before the SSG, 1 team watched a 30-min emotionally neutral documentary (control), while the other performed 30 min of a computer-based Stroop task (mental fatigue). Subjective ratings of mental and physical fatigue were recorded before and after treatment and after the SSG. Motivation was assessed before treatment and SSG; mental effort was assessed after treatment and SSG. Player activity profiles and heart rate (HR) were measured throughout the SSG, whereas ratings of perceived exertion (RPEs) were recorded before the SSG and immediately after each half. Video recordings of the SSG allowed for notational analysis of technical variables. Subjective ratings of mental fatigue and effort were higher after the Stroop task, whereas motivation for the upcoming SSG was similar between conditions. HR during the SSG was possibly higher in the control condition, whereas RPE was likely higher in the mental-fatigue condition. Mental fatigue had an unclear effect on most physical-performance variables but impaired most technical-performance variables. Mental fatigue impairs technical but not physical performance in small-sided soccer games.

  8. Thermonuclear reaction rates in a deuterium-tritium plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Beckman, L.

    1978-12-01

    In a deuterium-tritium plasma six thermonuclear reactions take place between the deuterons, tritons and the 3 He-particles formed in about half of the d-d-reactions. The rate constants for these six reactions have been calculated from the latest evaluations of the reaction cross sections which were available. In some cases, notably the reactions t+t, t+ 3 He and 3 He+ 3 He, the number of published cross section measurements is small, and the uncertainty in the calculated rate constants consequently large. Analytical expressions for the rate constants as functions of the plasma temperature have been set up. (author)

  9. Rising longitudinal trajectories in suicide rates: The role of firearm suicide rates and firearm legislation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anestis, Michael D; Selby, Edward A; Butterworth, Sarah E

    2017-07-01

    Firearms account for approximately half of all US suicide deaths each year despite being utilized in only a small minority of suicide attempts. We examined the extent to which overall suicide rates fluctuated relative to firearm and non-firearm suicide rates across a period of 16years (1999-2015). We further tested the notion of means substitution by examining the association between firearm suicide rates and non-firearm suicide rates. Lastly, we examined the extent to which the presence of specific laws related to handgun ownership previously shown cross-sectionally to be associated with lower suicide rates (universal background checks, mandatory waiting periods) were associated with an attenuated trajectory in suicide rates across the study period. As anticipated, whereas decreases in firearm suicide rates were associated with decreases in overall suicide rates (b=0.46, SE=0.07, psuicides were not associated with off-setting increases in suicides by other methods (b=-0.04, SE=0.05, p=0.36). Furthermore, the absence of universal background check (b=0.12, SE=0.05, p=0.028) and mandatory waiting period (b=0.16, SE=0.06, p=0.008) laws was associated with a more steeply rising trajectory of statewide suicide rates. These results mitigate concerns regarding means substitution and speak to the potential high yield impact of systematically implemented means safety prevention efforts focused on firearms. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Assessment of myocardial metabolic rate of glucose by means of Bayesian ICA and Markov Chain Monte Carlo methods in small animal PET imaging

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berradja, Khadidja; Boughanmi, Nabil

    2016-09-01

    In dynamic cardiac PET FDG studies the assessment of myocardial metabolic rate of glucose (MMRG) requires the knowledge of the blood input function (IF). IF can be obtained by manual or automatic blood sampling and cross calibrated with PET. These procedures are cumbersome, invasive and generate uncertainties. The IF is contaminated by spillover of radioactivity from the adjacent myocardium and this could cause important error in the estimated MMRG. In this study, we show that the IF can be extracted from the images in a rat heart study with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) by means of Independent Component Analysis (ICA) based on Bayesian theory and Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) sampling method (BICA). Images of the heart from rats were acquired with the Sherbrooke small animal PET scanner. A region of interest (ROI) was drawn around the rat image and decomposed into blood and tissue using BICA. The Statistical study showed that there is a significant difference (p corrupted with spillover.

  11. Effect of selection for relative growth rate and bodyweight of mice on rate, composition and efficiency of growth

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bakker, H.

    1974-01-01

    To evaluate the effect of selection for parameters of a growth curve, four selection lines and a control line were started from one base population. In the selection lines is selected for a large and a small relative growth rate between 21 and 29 days (RGH and RGL) and for a large and

  12. Small hepatocellular carcinoma versus small cavernous hemangioma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Choi, B.I.; Park, H.W.; Kim, S.H.; Han, M.C.; Kim, C.W.

    1989-01-01

    To determine the optimal pulse sequence for detection and differential diagnosis of small hepatocellular carcinomas and cavernous hemangiomas less than 5 cm in diameter, the authors have analyzed spin-echo (SE) images of 15 small hepatocellular carcinomas and 31 small cavernous hemangiomas obtained at 2.0 T. Pulse sequences used included repetition times (TRs) of 500 and 2,000 msec and echo times (TEs) of 30,60,90,120,150, and 180 msec. Mean tumor-liver contrast-to-noise ratios on the SE 2,000/60 (TR msec/TE msec) sequence were 23.90 ± 16.33 and 62.10 ± 25.94 for small hepatocellular carcinomas and hemangiomas, respectively, and were significantly greater than for all other pulse sequences. Mean tumor-liver signal intensity ratios on the SE 2,000/150 sequence were 2.34 ± 1.72 and 6.04 ± 2.72 for small hepatocellular carcinomas and hemangiomas, respectively, and were significantly greater than for all other pulse sequences in hemangiomas

  13. Growth rates, grazing, sinking, and iron limitation of equatorial Pacific phytoplankton

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chavez, F.P.; Buck, K.R.; Coale, K.H.; Martin, J.H.; DiTullio, G.R.; Welschmeyer, N.A.; Barber, R.T.; Jacobson, A.C.

    1991-01-01

    Concentrations of phytoplankton and NO 3 are consistently low and high in surface waters of the oceanic eastern and central equatorial Pacific, and phytoplankton populations are dominated by small solitary phytoplankton. Growth rates of natural phytoplankton populations, needed to assess the relative importance of many of the processes considered in the equatorial Pacific, were estimated by several methods. The growth rates of natural phytoplankton populations were found to be ∼0.7 d -1 or 1 biomass doubling d -1 and were similar for all methods. To keep this system in its observed balance requires that loss rates approximate observed growth rates. Grazing rates, measured with a dilution grazing experiment, were high, accounting for a large fraction of the daily production. Additions of various forms of Fe to 5-7-d incubations utilizing ultraclean techniques resulted in significant shifts in autotrophic and heterotrophic assemblages between initial samples, controls, and Fe enrichments, which were presumably due to Fe, grazing by both protistan and metazoan components, and incubation artifacts. Estimated growth rates of small pennate diatoms showed increases in Fe enrichments with respect to controls. The growth rates of the pennate diatoms were similar to those estimated for the larger size fraction of the natural populations

  14. High Performance Activity Practices in Small Firms in Romania

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gabriela ŢUŢUEANU

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available High Performance Activity Practices in Small Firms in Romania Abstract: High performance activity practices (HPAPs are human resource management activities aimed at stimulating employee and organisational performance. The application of HPAPs is not widespread in small organisations. We examine whether the implementation of coherent bundles of HPAPs (aimed at employee ability, employee motivation or at the opportunity to perform depends on the scarcity of resources, as reflected in the size of the company, and on strategic decision-making in small firms related to the owner’s expertise and attitudes. In our research, a total of 224 employees from 50 small organisations were asked to rate the presence of HPAPs in their organisation. These averaged perceptions were linked to information provided by the owner–managers on the size of their firm and their own expertise and attitudes. The findings support that smaller but coherent bundles of HPAPs can be found in small organisations and that the implementation of these bundles depends on available resources, strategic decision-making and the combination of the two. These findings highlight the need to integrate the notions of resource poverty and strategic decision-making to understand the uptake of bundles of HPAPs within small firms.

  15. Advances in Ka-Band Communication System for CubeSats and SmallSats

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kegege, Obadiah; Wong, Yen F.; Altunc, Serhat

    2016-01-01

    A study was performed that evaluated the feasibility of Ka-band communication system to provide CubeSat/SmallSat high rate science data downlink with ground antennas ranging from the small portable 1.2m/2.4m to apertures 5.4M, 7.3M, 11M, and 18M, for Low Earth Orbit (LEO) to Lunar CubeSat missions. This study included link analysis to determine the data rate requirement, based on the current TRL of Ka-band flight hardware and ground support infrastructure. Recent advances in Ka-band transceivers and antennas, options of portable ground stations, and various coverage distances were included in the analysis. The link/coverage analysis results show that Cubesat/Smallsat missions communication requirements including frequencies and data rates can be met by utilizing Near Earth Network (NEN) Ka-band support with 2 W and high gain (>6 dBi) antennas.

  16. Rate-induced solubility and suppression of the first-order phase transition in olivine LiFePO4.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Xiaoyu; van Hulzen, Martijn; Singh, Deepak P; Brownrigg, Alex; Wright, Jonathan P; van Dijk, Niels H; Wagemaker, Marnix

    2014-05-14

    The impact of ultrahigh (dis)charge rates on the phase transition mechanism in LiFePO4 Li-ion electrodes is revealed by in situ synchrotron diffraction. At high rates the solubility limits in both phases increase dramatically, causing a fraction of the electrode to bypass the first-order phase transition. The small transforming fraction demonstrates that nucleation rates are consequently not limiting the transformation rate. In combination with the small fraction of the electrode that transforms at high rates, this indicates that higher performances may be achieved by further optimizing the ionic/electronic transport in LiFePO4 electrodes.

  17. Absorption of l-methionine from the human small intestine

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schedl, Harold P.; Pierce, Charles E.; Rider, Alan; Clifton, James A.

    1968-01-01

    Absorption of L-methionine was measured in all parts of the human small intestine using transintestinal intubation and perfusion. In four normal subjects, adsorption was higher in the proximal than in the distal intestine. In two patients with nontropical sprue in relapse, there was a proximal zone of low absorption with higher absorption distally. In all parts of the small intestine, absorption showed rate-limiting kinetics as methionine concentration was increased. In normal subjects, the proximal Km (Michaelis constant) was more than 3 times higher than the distal, which suggests a difference in transport mechanisms between the two segments. PMID:12066784

  18. A small-angle large-acceptance detection system for hadrons

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kalantar-Nayestanaki, N.; Bacelar, J. C. S.; Brandenburg, S.; Huisman, H.; Messchendorp, J. G.; Mul, F. A.; Schadmand, S.; van der Schaaf, K.; Schippers, J. M.; Volkerts, M.

    2000-04-01

    The performance of a segmented large-acceptance detector, capable of measuring particles at small forward angles, is presented. The Small-Angle Large-Acceptance Detector (SALAD), was built to handle very high rates of particles impinging on the detector. Particles down to a few MeV can be detected with it. The position of charged particles is measured by two Multi-Wire Proportional Chambers while scintillator blocks are used to measure the energy of the detected particle. A stack of thin scintillators placed behind the energy detectors allows for a hardware rejection (veto) of high-energy particles going through the scintillator blocks.

  19. A small-angle large-acceptance detection system for hadrons

    CERN Document Server

    Kalantar-Nayestanaki, N; Brandenburg, S; Huisman, H; Messchendorp, J G; Mul, F A; Schadmand, S; Schaaf, K V D; Schippers, J M; Volkerts, M

    2000-01-01

    The performance of a segmented large-acceptance detector, capable of measuring particles at small forward angles, is presented. The Small-Angle Large-Acceptance Detector (SALAD), was built to handle very high rates of particles impinging on the detector. Particles down to a few MeV can be detected with it. The position of charged particles is measured by two Multi-Wire Proportional Chambers while scintillator blocks are used to measure the energy of the detected particle. A stack of thin scintillators placed behind the energy detectors allows for a hardware rejection (veto) of high-energy particles going through the scintillator blocks.

  20. A small-angle large-acceptance detection system for hadrons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kalantar-Nayestanaki, N.; Bacelar, J.C.S.; Brandenburg, S.; Huisman, H.; Messchendorp, J.G.; Mul, F.A.; Schadmand, S.; Schaaf, K. van der; Schippers, J.M.; Volkerts, M.

    2000-01-01

    The performance of a segmented large-acceptance detector, capable of measuring particles at small forward angles, is presented. The Small-Angle Large-Acceptance Detector (SALAD), was built to handle very high rates of particles impinging on the detector. Particles down to a few MeV can be detected with it. The position of charged particles is measured by two Multi-Wire Proportional Chambers while scintillator blocks are used to measure the energy of the detected particle. A stack of thin scintillators placed behind the energy detectors allows for a hardware rejection (veto) of high-energy particles going through the scintillator blocks

  1. Heat Release Rate of an Open Kitchen Fire of Small Residential Units in Tall Buildings

    OpenAIRE

    Chow, W.K.

    2014-01-01

    Many small units of area less than 30 m2 in residential buildings over 200 m tall are equipped with open kitchens in Asia, including Hong Kong. Fire safety provisions of these kitchens are determined by performance-based design (PBD). In most PBD projects, only the spread of smoke from the kitchen on fire to the outside was commonly studied. However, a fire load survey in Hong Kong indicated large quantities of combustibles are stored in residential units. Cooking oil was found to be ignited ...

  2. Absolute in vivo translation rates of individual codons in Escherichia coli: The two glutamic acid codons GAA and GAG are translated with a threefold difference in rate

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sørensen, M.A.; Pedersen, Steen

    1991-01-01

    We have determined the absolute translation rates for four individual codons in Escherichia coli. We used our previously described system for direct measurements of in vivo translation rates using small, in-frame inserts in the lacZ gene. The inserts consisted of multiple synthetic 30 base-pair D...

  3. Effect of humidity on radon exhalation rate from concrete

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yamanishi, Hirokuni; Obayashi, Haruo; Tsuji, Naruhito; Nakayoshi, Hisao

    1998-01-01

    The objective of the present study is evaluation of seasonal humidity effect on radon exhalation rate from concrete. Three concrete pieces have been placed in three different fixed humidity circumstances for about a year. The three fixed humidities are selected 3, 10, 25 g m -3 in absolute humidity, those correspond to dry condition as control, winter and summer, respectively. Radon exhalation rate from each concrete piece is measured every one month during humidity exposure. Under the lower humidity, radon exhalation rate from concrete is small. On the contrary, radon exhalation rate is large in the higher humidity circumstance. This trend is consistent with the seasonal variation of indoor air radon concentration in low air-exchange-rate room. (author)

  4. Optimising camera traps for monitoring small mammals.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alistair S Glen

    Full Text Available Practical techniques are required to monitor invasive animals, which are often cryptic and occur at low density. Camera traps have potential for this purpose, but may have problems detecting and identifying small species. A further challenge is how to standardise the size of each camera's field of view so capture rates are comparable between different places and times. We investigated the optimal specifications for a low-cost camera trap for small mammals. The factors tested were 1 trigger speed, 2 passive infrared vs. microwave sensor, 3 white vs. infrared flash, and 4 still photographs vs. video. We also tested a new approach to standardise each camera's field of view. We compared the success rates of four camera trap designs in detecting and taking recognisable photographs of captive stoats (Mustelaerminea, feral cats (Felis catus and hedgehogs (Erinaceuseuropaeus. Trigger speeds of 0.2-2.1 s captured photographs of all three target species unless the animal was running at high speed. The camera with a microwave sensor was prone to false triggers, and often failed to trigger when an animal moved in front of it. A white flash produced photographs that were more readily identified to species than those obtained under infrared light. However, a white flash may be more likely to frighten target animals, potentially affecting detection probabilities. Video footage achieved similar success rates to still cameras but required more processing time and computer memory. Placing two camera traps side by side achieved a higher success rate than using a single camera. Camera traps show considerable promise for monitoring invasive mammal control operations. Further research should address how best to standardise the size of each camera's field of view, maximise the probability that an animal encountering a camera trap will be detected, and eliminate visible or audible cues emitted by camera traps.

  5. Small business support of youth physical activity opportunities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suminski, Richard R; Ding, Ding

    2012-01-01

    Describe small business support for youth physical activity opportunities (YPAO) and identify factors associated with this support. Cross-sectional analysis of quantitative data relating business characteristics and support for YPAO. Eight demographically heterogeneous, urban neighborhoods in a Midwest metropolitan area. Adult small business owners (n = 90; 65% response rate; mean age 48.4 years; 73.3% male; 45.2% minority). Neighborhood demographics from the 2000 U.S. Census and self-reported business and owner characteristics. Multivariate analysis of variance was used to contrast business and owner characteristics between businesses that did and did not support YPAO. Businesses supporting YPAO had larger annual operating (F = 7.6; p = .018) and advertising budgets (F = 8.5; p = .009) and had younger owners (F = 6.1; p = .034), with sports backgrounds (χ(2) = 5.6; p = .018) and who felt businesses should support YPAO (χ(2) = 3.8; p = .048). Of the 46 businesses not supporting YPAO, 82.6% felt small businesses should support YPAO. The major reasons for nonsupport were difficulty identifying YPAO to support and not being asked for support. Business (e.g., budgets) and business owner characteristics (e.g., age), owner connectedness with YPAO, and the approach used for garnering support (active solicitation, clearly defined support mechanism) were associated with supporting YPAO. Additional business (e.g., annual revenues), owner (e.g., perceptions of YPAO), and environmental (e.g., crime rate, land use) factors should be examined as potential correlates.

  6. Small area estimation for estimating the number of infant mortality in West Java, Indonesia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anggreyani, Arie; Indahwati, Kurnia, Anang

    2016-02-01

    Demographic and Health Survey Indonesia (DHSI) is a national designed survey to provide information regarding birth rate, mortality rate, family planning and health. DHSI was conducted by BPS in cooperation with National Population and Family Planning Institution (BKKBN), Indonesia Ministry of Health (KEMENKES) and USAID. Based on the publication of DHSI 2012, the infant mortality rate for a period of five years before survey conducted is 32 for 1000 birth lives. In this paper, Small Area Estimation (SAE) is used to estimate the number of infant mortality in districts of West Java. SAE is a special model of Generalized Linear Mixed Models (GLMM). In this case, the incidence of infant mortality is a Poisson distribution which has equdispersion assumption. The methods to handle overdispersion are binomial negative and quasi-likelihood model. Based on the results of analysis, quasi-likelihood model is the best model to overcome overdispersion problem. The basic model of the small area estimation used basic area level model. Mean square error (MSE) which based on resampling method is used to measure the accuracy of small area estimates.

  7. Design flow factors for sewerage systems in small arid communities

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Emad H. Imam

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Reliable estimation of sewage flow rates is essential for the proper design of sewers, pumping stations, and treatment plants. The design of the various components of the sewerage system should be based on the most critical flow rates with a focus on extremely low and peak flow rates that would be sustained for a duration related to the acceptable limits of behavior of the components under consideration. The extreme flow conditions and to what extent they differ from the average values are closely related to the size of the community or network, and the socioeconomic conditions. A single pumping station is usually sufficient to pump flow from small community in either flat or non-undulating topography. Therefore, the hydraulic loading on the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP results from the pumped flow from the pumping station rather than the trunk sewer flow. The intermittent operation of the pumping units further accentuates the sewage hydrograph in the final trunk sewer. Accordingly, the design flow for the various components of the WWTP should be determined based on their relevant flow factors. In this study, analysis of one representative small community out of five monitored small communities in Egypt and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is presented. Pumped sewage flow rates were measured and the sewer incoming flows were hydraulically derived. The hourly and daily sewer and pumped flow records were analyzed to derive the relationship between the flow factors that would be sustained for various durations (instantaneously, 1 h, 2 h, etc. and their probability of non-exceedance. The resulting peaking factors with a consideration for their sustained flow duration and specified probability would permit the design of the various components of the treatment plant using more accurate critical flows.

  8. Design flow factors for sewerage systems in small arid communities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Imam, Emad H; Elnakar, Haitham Y

    2014-09-01

    Reliable estimation of sewage flow rates is essential for the proper design of sewers, pumping stations, and treatment plants. The design of the various components of the sewerage system should be based on the most critical flow rates with a focus on extremely low and peak flow rates that would be sustained for a duration related to the acceptable limits of behavior of the components under consideration. The extreme flow conditions and to what extent they differ from the average values are closely related to the size of the community or network, and the socioeconomic conditions. A single pumping station is usually sufficient to pump flow from small community in either flat or non-undulating topography. Therefore, the hydraulic loading on the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) results from the pumped flow from the pumping station rather than the trunk sewer flow. The intermittent operation of the pumping units further accentuates the sewage hydrograph in the final trunk sewer. Accordingly, the design flow for the various components of the WWTP should be determined based on their relevant flow factors. In this study, analysis of one representative small community out of five monitored small communities in Egypt and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is presented. Pumped sewage flow rates were measured and the sewer incoming flows were hydraulically derived. The hourly and daily sewer and pumped flow records were analyzed to derive the relationship between the flow factors that would be sustained for various durations (instantaneously, 1 h, 2 h, etc.) and their probability of non-exceedance. The resulting peaking factors with a consideration for their sustained flow duration and specified probability would permit the design of the various components of the treatment plant using more accurate critical flows.

  9. On the relationship between tumour growth rate and survival in non-small cell lung cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hitesh B. Mistry

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available A recurrent question within oncology drug development is predicting phase III outcome for a new treatment using early clinical data. One approach to tackle this problem has been to derive metrics from mathematical models that describe tumour size dynamics termed re-growth rate and time to tumour re-growth. They have shown to be strong predictors of overall survival in numerous studies but there is debate about how these metrics are derived and if they are more predictive than empirical end-points. This work explores the issues raised in using model-derived metric as predictors for survival analyses. Re-growth rate and time to tumour re-growth were calculated for three large clinical studies by forward and reverse alignment. The latter involves re-aligning patients to their time of progression. Hence, it accounts for the time taken to estimate re-growth rate and time to tumour re-growth but also assesses if these predictors correlate to survival from the time of progression. I found that neither re-growth rate nor time to tumour re-growth correlated to survival using reverse alignment. This suggests that the dynamics of tumours up until disease progression has no relationship to survival post progression. For prediction of a phase III trial I found the metrics performed no better than empirical end-points. These results highlight that care must be taken when relating dynamics of tumour imaging to survival and that bench-marking new approaches to existing ones is essential.

  10. Design, development and testing of small downdraft gasifiers for domestic cookstoves

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sutar, Kailasnath B.; Kohli, Sangeeta; Ravi, M.R.

    2017-01-01

    The design methodology available in the literature for downdraft gasifiers of large capacity (∼40–600 kW_t_h) is not directly applicable to very small sized gasifiers. In the present work, design and development of small downdraft gasifiers of 4 kW_t_h and 2.5 kW_t_h nominal capacities, for domestic cookstove application, have been carried out by non-linear extrapolation of data in literature for large gasifiers. The prototypes thus developed were found to give maximum gasification efficiency close to 80%. Extensive experimentation was conducted in the laboratory to study the effect of two operating parameters, viz., gasification air flow rate and the fuel particle size, on the performance of these gasifiers. The performance parameters studied included calorific value of the gas, gasification efficiency, air-biomass ratio and the hearth load. Through detailed analysis of the results, it has been shown that the two operating parameters affect the gasifier performance primarily through their impact on reactor temperature and the total particle surface area available for the reactions. This explains the observation of an optimal gasification air flow rate for best gasification efficiency. It is also shown that the producer gas flow rate varies linearly with gasification air flow rate for a wide range of operating conditions on different sizes of gasifiers. It is also seen that different sizes of the gasifiers can have a different hearth load corresponding to best efficiency. - Highlights: • Developed a design methodology for small downdraft gasifiers by adapting guidelines meant for larger gasifiers. • Developed two prototypes of gasifiers: 4 kW_t_h and 2.5 kW_t_h with gasification efficiency ∼80%. • Reactor temperature and total particle surface area available for reactions affect the gasifier performance. • The optimal gasification air flow rate and particle size for best gasification efficiency are explained using the above. • Producer gas versus

  11. Radiobiological responses for two cell lines following continuous low dose-rate (CLDR) and pulsed dose rate (PDR) brachytherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hanisch, Per Henrik; Furre, Torbjoern; Olsen, Dag Rune; Pettersen, Erik O.

    2007-01-01

    The iso-effective irradiation of continuous low-dose-rate (CLDR) irradiation was compared with that of various schedules of pulsed dose rate (PDR) irradiation for cells of two established human lines, T-47D and NHIK 3025. Complete single-dose response curves were obtained for determination of parameters α and β by fitting of the linear quadratic formula. Sublethal damage repair constants μ and T 1/2 were determined by split-dose recovery experiments. On basis of the acquired parameters of each cell type the relative effectiveness of the two regimens of irradiation (CLDR and PDR) was calculated by use of Fowler's radiobiological model for iso-effect irradiation for repeated fractions of dose delivered at medium dose rates. For both cell types the predicted and observed relative effectiveness was compared at low and high iso-effect levels. The results indicate that the effect of PDR irradiation predicted by Fowler's model is equal to that of CLDR irradiation for both small and large doses with T-47D cells. With NHIK 3025 cells PDR irradiation induces a larger effect than predicted by the model for small doses, while it induces the predicted effect for high doses. The underlying cause of this difference is unclear, but cell-cycle parameters, like G2-accumulation is tested and found to be the same for the two cell lines

  12. High sensitivity of quick view capsule endoscopy for detection of small bowel Crohn's disease

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Halling, Morten Lee; Nathan, Torben; Kjeldsen, Jens

    2014-01-01

    Capsule endoscopy (CE) has a high sensitivity for diagnosing small bowel Crohn's disease, but video analysis is time consuming. The quick view (qv) function is an effective tool to reduce time consumption. The aim of this study was to determine the rate of missed small bowel ulcerations with qv-C...

  13. Oral contrast agents for small bowel MRI: comparison of different additives to optimize bowel distension

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ajaj, Waleed; Goehde, Susanne C.; Ruehm, Stefan G.; Debatin, Joerg F.; Lauenstein, Thomas C. [Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Essen, Hufelandstrasse 55, 45122, Essen (Germany); Schneemann, Hubert [Institute of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University Hospital Essen, Essen (Germany)

    2004-03-01

    The purpose of this study was to compare two osmotic carbohydrate sugar alcohols (mannitol 2.5% and sorbitol 2.5%, 2.0%, and 1.5% watery solutions) in combination with 0.2% locust bean gum (LBG) for small bowel distension for MR imaging. Small bowel distension was quantified on coronal 2D TrueFISP images by measuring the diameters of 16 small bowel loops in each of 12 healthy subjects (age range 31-55 years). Additionally, the grade of small bowel distension was rated qualitatively. Patient acceptance concerning nausea, vomiting, flatulence, and diarrhea was noted for each solution, and all results were compared by a Wilcoxon test or t test, respectively. The ingestion of water combined with LBG and either 2.5% mannitol or 2.0% sorbitol showed the best distension of the small bowel. The lowest side effect rate was observed following ingestion of sorbitol in a concentration of 2.0 and 1.5%. Based on these data, we recommend a combination of LBG and 2% sorbitol use for optimal bowel distension and minimal side effects resulting in enhanced patient acceptance. (orig.)

  14. Oral contrast agents for small bowel MRI: comparison of different additives to optimize bowel distension

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ajaj, Waleed; Goehde, Susanne C.; Ruehm, Stefan G.; Debatin, Joerg F.; Lauenstein, Thomas C.; Schneemann, Hubert

    2004-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to compare two osmotic carbohydrate sugar alcohols (mannitol 2.5% and sorbitol 2.5%, 2.0%, and 1.5% watery solutions) in combination with 0.2% locust bean gum (LBG) for small bowel distension for MR imaging. Small bowel distension was quantified on coronal 2D TrueFISP images by measuring the diameters of 16 small bowel loops in each of 12 healthy subjects (age range 31-55 years). Additionally, the grade of small bowel distension was rated qualitatively. Patient acceptance concerning nausea, vomiting, flatulence, and diarrhea was noted for each solution, and all results were compared by a Wilcoxon test or t test, respectively. The ingestion of water combined with LBG and either 2.5% mannitol or 2.0% sorbitol showed the best distension of the small bowel. The lowest side effect rate was observed following ingestion of sorbitol in a concentration of 2.0 and 1.5%. Based on these data, we recommend a combination of LBG and 2% sorbitol use for optimal bowel distension and minimal side effects resulting in enhanced patient acceptance. (orig.)

  15. Foreign Currency Borrowing by Small Firms

    OpenAIRE

    Martin Brown; Steven Ongena; Pinar Yesin

    2009-01-01

    We examine the firm- and country-level determinants of the currency denomination of small business loans. We first model the choice of loan currency in a framework which features a trade-off between lower cost of debt and the risk of firm-level distress costs, and also incorporates the impact of information asymmetry between banks and firms. When foreign currency funds come at a lower interest rate, all foreign currency earners as well as those local currency earners with high revenues and lo...

  16. Chaotic Zones around Rotating Small Bodies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lages, José; Shevchenko, Ivan I. [Institut UTINAM, Observatoire des Sciences de l’Univers THETA, CNRS, Université de Franche-Comté, Besançon F-25030 (France); Shepelyansky, Dima L., E-mail: jose.lages@utinam.cnrs.fr [Laboratoire de Physique Théorique du CNRS, IRSAMC, Université de Toulouse, UPS, Toulouse F-31062 (France)

    2017-06-01

    Small bodies of the solar system, like asteroids, trans-Neptunian objects, cometary nuclei, and planetary satellites, with diameters smaller than 1000 km usually have irregular shapes, often resembling dumb-bells or contact binaries. The spinning of such a gravitating dumb-bell creates around it a zone of chaotic orbits. We determine its extent analytically and numerically. We find that the chaotic zone swells significantly if the rotation rate is decreased; in particular, the zone swells more than twice if the rotation rate is decreased 10 times with respect to the “centrifugal breakup” threshold. We illustrate the properties of the chaotic orbital zones in examples of the global orbital dynamics about asteroid 243 Ida (which has a moon, Dactyl, orbiting near the edge of the chaotic zone) and asteroid 25143 Itokawa.

  17. inverse gaussian model for small area estimation via gibbs sampling

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    ADMIN

    For example, MacGibbon and Tomberlin. (1989) have considered estimating small area rates and binomial parameters using empirical Bayes methods. Stroud (1991) used hierarchical Bayes approach for univariate natural exponential families with quadratic variance functions in sample survey applications, while Chaubey ...

  18. Issues in contracting with small minority businesses

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wood, M.T.; Radford, M.L.; Saari, L.M.; Wright, J.

    1986-04-01

    The focus of this investigation was to identify issues central to increasing the involvement of small minority businesses (MBs) in federal or prime contracts with the Department of Energy (DOE), as a foundation for designing a program to assist buyers of contracted goods and services. The approach to determining issues involved interviewing the owners of 15 MBs, representing a range of businesses, and buyers and purchasing officers from three large DOE prime contractors. The interviewees identified issues related to positive working relationships and rated a predetermined set of 27 potential MB-DOE problems regarding their existence and criticalness. The issues identified by MBs were of two broad types. The predominant issues and barriers were associated with their being small businesses. Secondary issues reflected the disadvantaged status of the business (woman and/or minority-owned).

  19. The fusion rate in the transmission resonance model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jaendel, M.

    1992-01-01

    Resonant transmission of deuterons through a chain of target deuterons in a metal matrix has been suggested as an explanation for the cold fusion phenomena. In this paper the fusion rate in such transmission resonance models is estimated, and the basic physical constraints are discussed. The dominating contribution to the fusion yield is found to come from metastable states. The fusion rate is well described by the Wentzel-Kramer-Brillouin approximation and appears to be much too small to explain the experimental anomalies

  20. Effects of the charge-transfer reorganization energy on the open-circuit voltage in small-molecular bilayer organic photovoltaic devices: comparison of the influence of deposition rates of the donor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Chih-Chien; Su, Wei-Cheng; Chang, Wen-Chang

    2016-05-14

    The theoretical maximum of open-circuit voltage (VOC) of organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices has yet to be determined, and its origin remains debated. Here, we demonstrate that VOC of small-molecule OPV devices can be improved by controlling the deposition rate of a donor without changing the interfacial energy gap at the donor/acceptor interface. The measurement of external quantum efficiency and electroluminescence spectra facilitates the observation of the existence of charge transfer (CT) states. A simplified approach by reusing the reciprocity relationship for obtaining the properties of the CT states is proposed without introducing complex techniques. We compare experimental and fitting results and propose that reorganization energy is the primary factor in determining VOC instead of either the CT energy or electronic coupling term in bilayer OPV devices. Atomic force microscopy images indicate a weak molecular aggregation when a higher deposition rate is used. The results of temperature-dependent measurements suggest the importance of molecular stacking for the CT properties.

  1. Do resident's leadership skills relate to ratings of technical skill?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gannon, Samantha J; Law, Katherine E; Ray, Rebecca D; Nathwani, Jay N; DiMarco, Shannon M; D'Angelo, Anne-Lise D; Pugh, Carla M

    2016-12-01

    This study sought to compare general surgery research residents' survey information regarding self-efficacy ratings to their observed performance during a simulated small bowel repair. Their observed performance ratings were based on their leadership skills in directing their assistant. Participants were given 15 min to perform a bowel repair using bovine intestines with standardized injuries. Operative assistants were assigned to help assist with the repair. Before the procedure, participants were asked to rate their expected skills decay, task difficulty, and confidence in addressing the small bowel injury. Interactions were coded to identify the number of instructions given by the participants to the assistant during the repair. Statistical analyses assessed the relationship between the number of directional instructions and participants' perceptions self-efficacy measures. Directional instructions were defined as any dialog by the participant who guided the assistant to perform an action. Thirty-six residents (58.3% female) participated in the study. Participants who rated lower levels of decay in their intraoperative decision-making and small bowel repair skills were noted to use their assistant more by giving more instructions. Similarly, a higher number of instructions correlated with lower perceived difficulty in selecting the correct suture, suture pattern, and completing the entire surgical task. General surgery research residents' intraoperative leadership skills showed significant correlations to their perceptions of skill decay and task difficulty during a bowel repair. Evaluating resident's directional instructions may provide an additional individualized intraoperative assessment metric. Further evaluation relating to operative performance outcomes is warranted. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Studies on Rate Enhancement of Polymerization in NMRP

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    HUANG Jian-ying; XU Miao-qing; YAN Ming-fa; CHEN Yi-hong; CHU Jia-yan; ZHUANG Jia-ming; DAI Li-zong; ZOU You-si

    2005-01-01

    In NMRP, the polymerization of MMA, the polymerization of St and the copolymerization of MMA with St were distinctly accelerated by the addition of a small amount of MN. The polymerization proceeds in a living fashion as indicated by the increase in molecular weight with the increase of time and conversion and a relatively low polydispersity. It has been found that the addition of MN results in a nearly one hundred times higher rate of the polymerization of MMA, a nearly twenty times higher rate of the polymerization of St and a nearly fifteen times higher rate of the copolymerization of St and MMA.

  3. Small sodium-to-gas leak behavior in relation to LMFBR leak detection system design

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hopenfeld, J.; Taylor, G.R.; James, L.A.

    1976-01-01

    Various aspects of sodium-to-gas leaks which must be considered in the design of leak detection systems for LMFBR's are discussed. Attention is focused primarily on small, weeping type leaks. Corrosion rates of steels in fused sodium hydroxide and corrosion damage observed at the site of small leaks lead to the conclusion that the sodium-gas reaction products could attack the primary hot leg piping at rates up to 0.08 mils per hour. Based on theoretical considerations of the corrosion mechanism and on visual observations of pipe topography following small sodium leak tests, it is concluded that pipe damage will be manifested by the formation of small detectable leaks prior to the appearance of larger leaks. The case for uniform pipe corrosion along the pipe circumference or along a vertical section of the pipe is also examined. Using a theoretical model for the gravity flow of sodium and reaction products along the pipe surface and a mass transport controlled corrosion process, it is shown that below sodium leak rates of about 30 g/hr for the primary piping corrosion damage will not extend beyond one radius distance from the leak site. A method of estimating the time delay between the initiation of such leaks and the development of a larger leak due to increased pipe stresses resulting from corrosion is presented

  4. Small satellite attitude determination based on GPS/IMU data fusion

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Golovan, Andrey [Navigation and Control Laboratory, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, GSP-1, Leninskie Gory, Moscow (Russian Federation); Cepe, Ali [Department of Applied Mechanics and Control, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow (Russian Federation)

    2014-12-10

    In this paper, we present the mathematical models and algorithms that describe the problem of attitude determination for a small satellite using measurements from three angular rate sensors (ARS) and aiding measurements from multiple GPS receivers/antennas rigidly attached to the platform of the satellite.

  5. Safety activities in small businesses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sinclair, Raymond C.; Cunningham, Thomas R.

    2015-01-01

    Background Workplace injuries occur at higher rates in smaller firms than in larger firms, and the number of workplace safety activities appear to be inversely associated with those rates. Predictors of safety activities are rarely studied. Methods This study uses data from a national random survey of firms (n = 722) with less than 250 employees conducted in 2002. Results We found that, regardless of firm size or industry, safety activities were more common in 2002 than they were in a similar 1983 study. Having had an OSHA inspection in the last five years and firm size were stronger predictors of safety activities than industry hazardousness and manager’s perceptions of hazardousness. All four variables were significant predictors (β range .19 to .28; R2 = .27). Conclusions Further progress in the prevention of injuries in small firms will require attention to factors likely subsumed within the firm size variable, especially the relative lack of slack resources that might be devoted to safety activities. PMID:26339124

  6. Managing health care costs: strategies available to small businesses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Higgins, C W; Finley, L; Kinard, J

    1990-07-01

    Although health care costs continue to rise at an alarming rate, small businesses can take steps to help moderate these costs. First, business firms must restructure benefits so that needless surgery is eliminated and inpatient hospital care is minimized. Next, small firms should investigate the feasibility of partial self-insurance options such as risk pooling and purchasing preferred premium plans. Finally, small firms should investigate the cost savings that can be realized through the use of alternative health care delivery systems such as HMOs and PPOs. Today, competition is reshaping the health care industry by creating more options and rewarding efficiency. The prospect of steadily rising prices and more choices makes it essential that small employers become prudent purchasers of employee health benefits. For American businesses, the issue is crucial. Unless firms can control health care costs, they will have to keep boosting the prices of their goods and services and thus become less competitive in the global marketplace. In that event, many workers will face a prospect even more grim than rising medical premiums: losing their jobs.

  7. Inference of financial networks using the normalised mutual information rate

    Science.gov (United States)

    2018-01-01

    In this paper, we study data from financial markets, using the normalised Mutual Information Rate. We show how to use it to infer the underlying network structure of interrelations in the foreign currency exchange rates and stock indices of 15 currency areas. We first present the mathematical method and discuss its computational aspects, and apply it to artificial data from chaotic dynamics and to correlated normal-variates data. We then apply the method to infer the structure of the financial system from the time-series of currency exchange rates and stock indices. In particular, we study and reveal the interrelations among the various foreign currency exchange rates and stock indices in two separate networks, of which we also study their structural properties. Our results show that both inferred networks are small-world networks, sharing similar properties and having differences in terms of assortativity. Importantly, our work shows that global economies tend to connect with other economies world-wide, rather than creating small groups of local economies. Finally, the consistent interrelations depicted among the 15 currency areas are further supported by a discussion from the viewpoint of economics. PMID:29420644

  8. Inference of financial networks using the normalised mutual information rate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goh, Yong Kheng; Hasim, Haslifah M; Antonopoulos, Chris G

    2018-01-01

    In this paper, we study data from financial markets, using the normalised Mutual Information Rate. We show how to use it to infer the underlying network structure of interrelations in the foreign currency exchange rates and stock indices of 15 currency areas. We first present the mathematical method and discuss its computational aspects, and apply it to artificial data from chaotic dynamics and to correlated normal-variates data. We then apply the method to infer the structure of the financial system from the time-series of currency exchange rates and stock indices. In particular, we study and reveal the interrelations among the various foreign currency exchange rates and stock indices in two separate networks, of which we also study their structural properties. Our results show that both inferred networks are small-world networks, sharing similar properties and having differences in terms of assortativity. Importantly, our work shows that global economies tend to connect with other economies world-wide, rather than creating small groups of local economies. Finally, the consistent interrelations depicted among the 15 currency areas are further supported by a discussion from the viewpoint of economics.

  9. Effect of Number of Touches and Exercise Duration on the Kinematic Profile and Heart Rate Response During Small-Sided Games in Soccer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Casamichana David

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available This study aimed to examine the effect of exercise duration and the number of touches allowed during possession on time-motion characteristics and the physiological responses of soccer players in 6 vs. 6 small-sided games (SSGs lasting 12 minutes. The analysis divided each game into two 6-min periods and we compared two formats: free play (SSGfp vs. a maximum of two touches per individual possession (SSG 2T. Participants were 12 semi-professional players (age: 22.7±4.3 years; body height: 177.5+4.9 cm; body mass: 74.9±6.3 kg and the following variables were measured by means of heart rate monitors and GPS devices: mean heart rate (HRmean, time spent in each exercise intensity zone, total distance covered, total distance covered in different speed zones, number of accelerations at different intensities, maximum speed reached, player load, and the work-to-rest ratio. The results showed that in SSGFP there was a decrease in the intensity of physical parameters during the second 6-min period (6-12 min, whereas this decrease was not observed when a maximum of two touches per individual possession was allowed. During the second period (6-12 min of SSG2T there was an increase in HRmean and in the time spent in high exercise intensity zones, but these differences were not observed in SSGFP. The value of these findings for soccer coaches is that they illustrate how different technical, tactical or conditioning objectives could be addressed by altering the length and format of the SSG used in training.

  10. Cleaning of small components of complex geometry by means of the sodium-alcohol reaction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    De Luca, B.; Grasso, C.; Spadoni, M.

    1978-01-01

    The results of some experiments on the vacuum reaction between butylcellosolve and sodium, contained in small diameter capillaries, are reported. The effects on the cleaning rate of the temperature, amount of solvent, diameter and position of the capillaries are analyzed. The facility, used for the cleaning of small components of complex geometry, is described. (author)

  11. Unions in small and medium-sized enterprises

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Holten, Ann-Louise; Crouch, Colin

    2014-01-01

    Trade unions are commonly weak in small- and medium-sized enterprises, which constitute a majority of European firms and are often family-owned. We investigate the influence of family ownership on employee membership, perceptions and experience with unions in Danish and Italian firms in the textile...... and clothing sector. Family ownership reduces union membership; and within family firms, the number of family members employed is negatively associated with unionization rates and employee perceptions of unions....

  12. 76 FR 26549 - Removal of Certain References to Credit Ratings Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-05-06

    ... related security'' and ``small business related security,'' respectively, as the Commission considers how... terms ``mortgage related security'' and ``small business related security,'' respectively, as the...),\\9\\ which defines the term ``small business related security.'' In place of the credit rating...

  13. Conservative management of small renal tumors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matsuzaki, Masato; Kawano, Yoshiyuki; Morikawa, Hirofumi; Shiga, Yoshiyuki; Murata, Hirokatsu; Komatsu, Hideki

    2007-01-01

    With the widespread use of imaging modalities, incidentally discovered small renal cell carcinomas have increased. Some patients, however, are too old or weak due to various diseases to undergo surgery and other patients occasionally refuse surgery. To investigate the natural history of small renal cell carcinoma, we retrospectively reviewed patients with small renal tumors suggestive of carcinoma. We retrospectively reviewed 15 patients with contrast-enhancing renal masses less than 4.0 cm in diameter who were observed without treatment. The mean follow-up period was 38 months (range, 8-91). The average patient age was 67 years (range, 44-87). The initial average tumor diameter was 2.2 cm (range, 1.0-3.9). The average growth rate was 0.06 cm per year (range, -0.09-0.28). Only 4 tumors grew obviously during the follow-up period. Three tumors were removed surgically by radical nephrectomy, and all tumors were pathologically diagnosed as renal cell carcinoma. None of the patients developed metastases during the follow-up period or after surgery. Two patients died of other causes. Nonsurgical watchful waiting may be an acceptable treatment option for elderly or severely comorbid patients; however, it is not known whether this conservative management can he applied to young or otherwise healthy patients. (author)

  14. Small Displacement Detection of Biological Signals Using the Cyclic Frequency Method

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dan Zhang

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available A new signal processing method called the Cyclic Frequency method is proposed for small displacement detection of vital signals such as heart rate and respiration using the CW radar method. We have presented experimental results of small displacement detection to confirm the validity of the method. The displacement amplitude 2.5 mm can be detected with a propagation frequency of 24.15 GHz. We may increase the propagation frequency for smaller displacement amplitude or target velocity.

  15. Liquid assets: factors contributing to the development of small hydro in China

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pan, D.

    2006-01-01

    The rapid growth of small hydro capacity in China is reviewed. At present, the annual generation from rural small hydropower in China equates with the saving of 44 million tonnes of coal, or the emission of 110 million tonnes of carbon dioxide. Other environmental advantages such as a reduction in wood burning, reduced logging and therefore reduced soil erosion, are mentioned. Energy-starved China stood to gain much from the development of small hydro systems and government policy has been supportive in terms of relatively low tax rates and low interest loans. It is expected that due to the rapid economic growth in China, small-scale hydro will maintain its present level of development and continue to be promoted in a sound and rational manner. (author)

  16. Impact of Partial Time Delay on Temporal Dynamics of Watts-Strogatz Small-World Neuronal Networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yan, Hao; Sun, Xiaojuan

    2017-06-01

    In this paper, we mainly discuss effects of partial time delay on temporal dynamics of Watts-Strogatz (WS) small-world neuronal networks by controlling two parameters. One is the time delay τ and the other is the probability of partial time delay pdelay. Temporal dynamics of WS small-world neuronal networks are discussed with the aid of temporal coherence and mean firing rate. With the obtained simulation results, it is revealed that for small time delay τ, the probability pdelay could weaken temporal coherence and increase mean firing rate of neuronal networks, which indicates that it could improve neuronal firings of the neuronal networks while destroying firing regularity. For large time delay τ, temporal coherence and mean firing rate do not have great changes with respect to pdelay. Time delay τ always has great influence on both temporal coherence and mean firing rate no matter what is the value of pdelay. Moreover, with the analysis of spike trains and histograms of interspike intervals of neurons inside neuronal networks, it is found that the effects of partial time delays on temporal coherence and mean firing rate could be the result of locking between the period of neuronal firing activities and the value of time delay τ. In brief, partial time delay could have great influence on temporal dynamics of the neuronal networks.

  17. A combinatorial approximation algorithm for CDMA downlink rate allocation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Boucherie, Richardus J.; Bumb, A.F.; Endrayanto, A.I.; Woeginger, Gerhard; Raghavan, S.; Anandalingam, G.

    2006-01-01

    This paper presents a combinatorial algorithm for downlink rate allocation in Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) mobile networks. By discretizing the coverage area into small segments, the transmit power requirements are characterized via a matrix representation that separates user and system

  18. A combinatorial approximation algorithm for CDMA downlink rate allocation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Boucherie, Richardus J.; Bumb, A.F.; Endrayanto, A.I.; Woeginger, Gerhard

    2004-01-01

    This paper presents a combinatorial algorithm for downlink rate allocation in Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) mobile networks. By discretizing the coverage area into small segments, the transmit power requirements are characterized via a matrix representation that separates user and system

  19. Formation and fate of marine snow: small-scale processes with large- scale implications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thomas Kiørboe

    2001-12-01

    Full Text Available Marine snow aggregates are believed to be the main vehicles for vertical material transport in the ocean. However, aggregates are also sites of elevated heterotrophic activity, which may rather cause enhanced retention of aggregated material in the upper ocean. Small-scale biological-physical interactions govern the formation and fate of marine snow. Aggregates may form by physical coagulation: fluid motion causes collisions between small primary particles (e.g. phytoplankton that may then stick together to form aggregates with enhanced sinking velocities. Bacteria may subsequently solubilise and remineralise aggregated particles. Because the solubilization rate exceeds the remineralization rate, organic solutes leak out of sinking aggregates. The leaking solutes spread by diffusion and advection and form a chemical trail in the wake of the sinking aggregate that may guide small zooplankters to the aggregate. Also, suspended bacteria may enjoy the elevated concentration of organic solutes in the plume. I explore these small-scale formation and degradation processes by means of models, experiments and field observations. The larger scale implications for the structure and functioning of pelagic food chains of export vs. retention of material will be discussed.

  20. Reliability of Direct Behavior Ratings - Social Competence (DBR-SC) data: How many ratings are necessary?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kilgus, Stephen P; Riley-Tillman, T Chris; Stichter, Janine P; Schoemann, Alexander M; Bellesheim, Katie

    2016-09-01

    The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the reliability of Direct Behavior Ratings-Social Competence (DBR-SC) ratings. Participants included 60 students identified as possessing deficits in social competence, as well as their 23 classroom teachers. Teachers used DBR-SC to complete ratings of 5 student behaviors within the general education setting on a daily basis across approximately 5 months. During this time, each student was assigned to 1 of 2 intervention conditions, including the Social Competence Intervention-Adolescent (SCI-A) and a business-as-usual (BAU) intervention. Ratings were collected across 3 intervention phases, including pre-, mid-, and postintervention. Results suggested DBR-SC ratings were highly consistent across time within each student, with reliability coefficients predominantly falling in the .80 and .90 ranges. Findings further indicated such levels of reliability could be achieved with only a small number of ratings, with estimates varying between 2 and 10 data points. Group comparison analyses further suggested the reliability of DBR-SC ratings increased over time, such that student behavior became more consistent throughout the intervention period. Furthermore, analyses revealed that for 2 of the 5 DBR-SC behavior targets, the increase in reliability over time was moderated by intervention grouping, with students receiving SCI-A demonstrating greater increases in reliability relative to those in the BAU group. Limitations of the investigation as well as directions for future research are discussed herein. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

  1. Diffusion escape through a cluster of small absorbing windows

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Holcman, D [Department of Mathematics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100 (Israel); Schuss, Z [Department of Mathematics, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 69978 (Israel)

    2008-04-18

    We study the first eigenvalue of the Laplace equation in a bounded domain in R{sup d} (d=2,3) with mixed Neumann-Dirichlet (Zaremba) boundary conditions. The Neumann condition is imposed on most of the boundary and the Dirichlet boundary consists of a cluster of small windows. When the windows are well separated the first eigenvalue is asymptotically the sum of eigenvalues of mixed problems with a single Dirichlet window. However, when two or more Dirichlet windows cluster tightly together they interact nonlinearly. We compare our asymptotic approximation of the eigenvalue to the escape rate of simulated Brownian particles through the small windows.

  2. Relationship between strain and central deflection in small punch creep specimens

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang Zhen; Wang Zhiwen

    2003-01-01

    Acquiring information about creep strain directly from small punch creep tests is difficult because the deformation behaviour of the small punch specimen is complicated. A routine is suggested in the present paper to treat this problem indirectly. Based on a finite element analysis, it is proposed that the relationship of central deflection δ to central creep strain ε c of a specimen subjected to creep can be represented approximately by the relationship of central deflection δ to central (elastic-plastic) strain ε of a specimen not subjected to creep. With this hypothesis, the δ∼ε c relation of the small punch creep specimen is obtained by resorting to a rigid-plastic membrane stretch forming model. Finally, small punch creep test results are used to evaluate creep strain and creep strain rate by taking advantage of this δ∼ε c relation

  3. Economic Conditions and the Divorce Rate: A Time-Series Analysis of the Postwar United States.

    Science.gov (United States)

    South, Scott J.

    1985-01-01

    Challenges the belief that the divorce rate rises during prosperity and falls during economic recessions. Time-series regression analysis of postwar United States reveals small but positive effects of unemployment on divorce rate. Stronger influences on divorce rates are changes in age structure and labor-force participation rate of women.…

  4. Successful customer intercept interview recruitment outside small and midsize urban food retailers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jennifer E. Pelletier

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Customer intercept interviews are increasingly used to characterize food purchases at retail food outlets and restaurants; however, methodological procedures, logistical issues and response rates using intercept methods are not well described in the food environment literature. The aims of this manuscript were to 1 describe the development and implementation of a customer intercept interview protocol in a large, NIH-funded study assessing food purchases in small and midsize food retailers in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, 2 describe intercept interview response rates by store type and environmental factors (e.g., neighborhood socioeconomic status, day/time, weather, and 3 compare demographic characteristics (e.g., gender, race/ethnicity of participants versus non-participants. Methods After a pilot phase involving 28 stores, a total of 616 interviews were collected from customers exiting 128 stores in fall 2014. The number of eligible customers encountered per hour (a measure of store traffic, participants successfully recruited per hour, and response rates were calculated overall and by store type, neighborhood socio-economic status, day and time of data collection, and weather. Response rates by store type, neighborhood socio-economic status, time and day of data collection, and weather, and characteristics of participants and non-participants were compared using chi-square tests. Results The overall response rate was 35 %, with significantly higher response rates at corner/small grocery stores (47 % and dollar stores (46 % compared to food-gas marts (32 % and pharmacies (26 %, and for data collection between 4:00–6:00 pm on weekdays (40 % compared to weekends (32 %. The distribution of race/ethnicity, but not gender, differed between participants and non-participants (p < 0.01, with greater participation rates among those identified as Black versus White. Conclusions Customer intercept interviews can be

  5. Financing Of Small And Medium-Size Enterprises In Cameroon ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Financing Of Small And Medium-Size Enterprises In Cameroon. ... Available data from the banking sector shows that as much as 78.7% of all ... SMEs and large companies pay back their loans better than the other ... Even the SME loan repayment rate of 62.9% is still low by World Bank ... AJOL African Journals Online.

  6. Biomechanics and load resistance of small-diameter and mini dental implants: a review of literature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hasan, Istabrak; Bourauel, Christoph; Mundt, Torsten; Stark, Helmut; Heinemann, Friedhelm

    2014-02-01

    In recent years, the application of small-diameter and mini dental implants to support removable and fixed prosthesis has dramatically increased. However, the success of these implants under functional biting forces and the reaction of the bone around them need to be analyzed. This review was aimed to present studies that deal with the fatigue life of small-diameter and mini dental implants under normal biting force, and their survival rate. The numerical and experimental studies concluded that an increase in the risk of bone damage or implant failure may be assumed in critical clinical situations and implants with <3 mm diameter have a risk of fracture in clinical practice. The survival rate of the small-diameter and mini dental implants over 5 years was 98.3-99.4%.

  7. A high resolution position sensitive X-ray MWPC for small angle X-ray diffraction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bateman, J.E.; Connolly, J.F.; Stephenson, R.; Tappern, G.J.

    1981-02-01

    A small sealed-off delay line readout MWPC X-ray detector has been designed and built for small angle X-ray diffraction applications. Featuring a sensitive area of 100 mm x 25 mm it yields a spatial resolution of 0.13 mm (standard deviation) with a high rate capability and good quantum efficiency for copper K radiation. (author)

  8. Simulation of the ATLAS New Small Wheel (NSW) System

    CERN Document Server

    Maekawa, Koki; The ATLAS collaboration

    2017-01-01

    The instantaneous luminosity of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN will be increased up to a factor of five with respect to the present design value by undergoing an extensive upgrade program over the coming decade. In order to benefit from the expected high luminosity performance, the first station of the ATLAS muon end-cap Small Wheel system will need to be replaced by a New Small Wheel (NSW) detector during the second long LHC shutdown. The NSW will have to operate in a high background radiation region, while reconstructing muon tracks with high precision as well as furnishing information for the Level-1 trigger. The NSW simulation has been developed to model the actual response of the detector and its fast electronics. The simulation has been used to get a deep understanding of the trigger logic timing, the tracking-segment finding efficiency, track rate and track-pointing resolutions at the high background hit rate expected during the next phases of ATLAS at LHC. The results of these performance stu...

  9. Radiofrequency ablation of small hepatocellular carcinoma : early experience of efficacy and safety

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Choi, Dongil; Lim, Hyo Keun; Kim, Seung Hoon; And Others

    2000-01-01

    To evaluate the efficacy and safety of radiofrequency (RF) ablation for the treatment of small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Forty-four patients with 51 HCCs underwent ultrasound guided RF ablation using expandable needle electrodes and monopolar RF generator. The patients were not considered suitable candidates for surgery or declined this option, and had no history of previous treatment. Mean tumor diameter was 2.5 cm (range, 1.0-4.0 cm). Therapeutic efficacy was evaluated by means of three-phase helical computed tomography (CT) performed at least one month after the completion of ablation. The recurrence rate was also evaluated by follow-up CT at least four months after treatment. Using RF ablation, complete necrosis was achieved in 48 of 51 tumors (94%). Among 20 patients in whom follow-up CT was performed at least four months after ablation, one (5%) showed marginal recurrence and in another (5%) there was recurrence in remote liver parenchyma. We experienced neither procedure-related mortality nor major complications which required specific treatment. Three minor complications (one small pneumothorax and two cases of intraperitoneal bleeding) occurred, but these disappeared without specific treatment. RF ablation using an expandable needle electrode showed a high rate of complete necrosis and a low rate of complications. The technique is therefore considered effective and safe for the local control of small HCCs. (author)

  10. Hydrogen Peroxide Storage in Small Sealed Tanks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Whitehead, J.

    1999-01-01

    Unstabilized hydrogen peroxide of 85% concentration has been prepared in laboratory quantities for testing material compatibility and long term storage on a small scale. Vessels made of candidate tank and liner materials ranged in volume from 1 cc to 2540 cc. Numerous metals and plastics were tried at the smallest scales, while promising ones were used to fabricate larger vessels and liners. An aluminum alloy (6061-T6) performed poorly, including increasing homogeneous decay due to alloying elements entering solution. The decay rate in this high strength aluminum was greatly reduced by anodizing. Better results were obtained with polymers, particularly polyvinylidene fluoride. Data reported herein include ullage pressures as a function of time with changing decay rates, and contamination analysis results

  11. SMALL BUSINESS: Status of Small Disadvantaged Business Certifications

    Science.gov (United States)

    2001-01-01

    agencies’ Offices of Small Disadvantaged Business Utilization, as well as officials from the U. S. Chamber of Commerce , and other small business...being lower than anticipated by SBA. Officials from SBA, the U. S. Chamber of Commerce , the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council, the...certified as SDBs. Officials from SBA, two federal agencies’ Offices of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization, the U. S. Chamber of Commerce , the

  12. Simulation of the ATLAS New Small Wheel trigger

    CERN Document Server

    AUTHOR|(INSPIRE)INSPIRE-00399900; The ATLAS collaboration

    2018-01-01

    The instantaneous luminosity of the LHC will increase up to a factor of seven with respect to the original design value to explore physics at higher energy scale. The inner station of the ATLAS muon end-cap system (Small Wheel) will be replaced by the New Small Wheel (NSW) to benefit from the high luminosity. The NSW will provide precise track-segment information to the Level-1 trigger system in order to suppress the trigger rate from fake muon tracks. This article summarizes the NSW trigger decision system and track-segment finding algorithm implemented in the trigger processor, and discusses results of performance studies on the trigger system. The results demonstrate that the NSW trigger system is capable of working with good performance satisfying the requirements.

  13. Transport in a small aspect ratio torus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    White, R.B.; Gates, D.A.; Mynick, H.E.

    2005-01-01

    Transport theory in toroidal devices often assumes large aspect ratio and also assumes the poloidal field is small compared to the toroidal field. These assumptions result in transport which in the low collision rate limit is dominated by banana orbits, giving the largest collisionless excursion of a particle from an initial flux surface. However in a small aspect ratio device the gyro radius may be larger than the banana excursion, resulting in significant deviations from the standard neoclassical predictions. In this paper we report numerical simulation of diffusion in low and high beta low aspect ratio equilibria. We also sketch an analytic theory. The diffusion, which we refer to as omniclassical, is a combination of neoclassical and properly averaged classical effects, and can be two or three times the neoclassical value. Good agreement of the analytic theory with numerical simulations is obtained. (author)

  14. Improved decay rates for solutions for a multidimensional generalized Benjamin-Bona-Mahony equation

    KAUST Repository

    Said-Houari, Belkacem

    2014-01-01

    the Fourier transform and the energy method, we show the global existence and the convergence rates of the solutions under the smallness assumption on the initial data and we give better decay rates of the solutions. This result improves early works in J

  15. Autonomous search and surveillance with small fixed wing aircraft

    Science.gov (United States)

    McGee, Timothy Garland

    Small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have the potential to act as low cost tools in a variety of both civilian and military applications including traffic monitoring, border patrol, and search and rescue. While most current operational UAV systems require human operators, advances in autonomy will allow these systems to reach their full potential as sensor platforms. This dissertation specifically focuses on developing advanced control, path planning, search, and image processing techniques that allow small fixed wing aircraft to autonomously collect data. The problems explored were motivated by experience with the development and experimental flight testing of a fleet of small autonomous fixed wing aircraft. These issues, which have not been fully addressed in past work done on ground vehicles or autonomous helicopters, include the influence of wind and turning rate constraints, the non-negligible velocity of ground targets relative to the aircraft velocity, and limitations on sensor size and processing power on small vehicles. Several contributions for the autonomous operation of small fixed wing aircraft are presented. Several sliding surface controllers are designed which extend previous techniques to include variable sliding surface coefficients and the use of spatial vehicle dynamics. These advances eliminate potential singularities in the control laws to follow spatially defined paths and allow smooth transition between controllers. The optimal solution for the problem of path planning through an ordered set of points for an aircraft with a bounded turning rate in the presence of a constant wind is then discussed. Path planning strategies are also explored to guarantee that a searcher will travel within sensing distance of a mobile ground target. This work assumes only a maximum velocity of the target and is designed to succeed for any possible path of the target. Closed-loop approximations of both the path planning and search techniques, using the sliding

  16. Codon usage determines translation rate in Escherichia coli

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sørensen, Michael Askvad; Kurland, C G; Pedersen, Steen

    1989-01-01

    We wish to determine whether differences in translation rate are correlated with differences in codon usage or with differences in mRNA secondary structure. We therefore inserted a small DNA fragment in the lacZ gene either directly or flanked by a few frame-shifting bases, leaving the reading fr...

  17. Evaluating gaze-based interface tools to facilitate point-and-select tasks with small targets

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Skovsgaard, Henrik; Mateo, Julio C.; Hansen, John Paulin

    2011-01-01

    -and-select tasks. We conducted two experiments comparing the performance of dwell, magnification and zoom methods in point-and-select tasks with small targets in single- and multiple-target layouts. Both magnification and zoom showed higher hit rates than dwell. Hit rates were higher when using magnification than...

  18. Why diamond dimensions and electrode geometry are crucial for small photon beam dosimetry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marsolat, F.; Tromson, D.; Tranchant, N.; Pomorski, M.; Bergonzo, P.; Bassinet, C.; Huet, C.; Derreumaux, S.; Chea, M.; Cristina, K.; Boisserie, G.; Buchheit, I.; Marchesi, V.; Gaudaire-Josset, S.; Lisbona, A.; Lazaro, D.; Hugon, R.

    2015-01-01

    Recent use of very small photon beams (down to 4 mm) in stereotactic radiotherapy requires new detectors to accurately determine the delivered dose. Diamond detectors have been presented in the literature as an attractive candidate for this application, due to their small detection volume and the diamond atomic number (Z = 6) which is close to water effective atomic number (Zeff ∼ 7.42). However, diamond exhibits a density 3.51 times greater than that of water and recent studies using Monte Carlo simulations have demonstrated the drawback of a high-density detector on small beam output factors. The current study focuses on geometrical parameters of diamond detector, namely, the diamond dimensions and the electrode geometry, in order to solve the dosimetric issues still observed in small photon beams with diamond detectors. To give better insights to these open questions, we have used both computational method and experimental analysis. This study highlighted that reducing diamond dimensions is crucial for small beam output factor measurements and to limit the influence of its high density. Furthermore, electrodes covering the whole diamond surface were essential for a dose rate independence of the diamond detector. The optimal dosimeter derived from this work presented small diamond dimensions of approximately 1 × 1 × 0.15 mm 3 , with diamond-like-carbon electrodes covering the whole diamond surface. A dose rate independence of this diamond detector (better than 0.5% over a wide range of dose rates available on a stereotactic dedicated facility) was obtained due to the electrode geometry. Concerning the output factor measurements, a good agreement (better than 1.1%) was observed between this carbon material detector and two types of passive dosimeters (LiF microcubes and EBT2 radiochromic films) for all beam sizes except the smallest field of 0.6 × 0.6 cm 2 with a deviation of 2.6%. This new study showed the high performance of this

  19. Why diamond dimensions and electrode geometry are crucial for small photon beam dosimetry

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Marsolat, F.; Tromson, D.; Tranchant, N.; Pomorski, M.; Bergonzo, P. [CEA, LIST, Diamond Sensors Laboratory, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Bassinet, C.; Huet, C. [IRSN, PRP-HOM/SDE/LDRI, 31 Av. de la Division Leclerc, 92260 Fontenay-aux-Roses (France); Derreumaux, S. [IRSN, PRP-HOM/SER/UEM, 31 Av. de la Division Leclerc, 92260 Fontenay-aux-Roses (France); Chea, M.; Cristina, K.; Boisserie, G. [Pitié Salpêtrière Hospital, 47-83 Blvd de l' Hôpital, 75013 Paris (France); Buchheit, I.; Marchesi, V. [Institut de Cancérologie de Lorraine, 6 Av. de Bourgogne, 54500 Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy (France); Gaudaire-Josset, S.; Lisbona, A. [Institut de Cancérologie de l' Ouest, Blvd Prof. Jacques Monod, 44805 Saint-Herblain (France); Lazaro, D.; Hugon, R. [CEA, LIST, LM2S, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette (France)

    2015-12-21

    Recent use of very small photon beams (down to 4 mm) in stereotactic radiotherapy requires new detectors to accurately determine the delivered dose. Diamond detectors have been presented in the literature as an attractive candidate for this application, due to their small detection volume and the diamond atomic number (Z = 6) which is close to water effective atomic number (Zeff ∼ 7.42). However, diamond exhibits a density 3.51 times greater than that of water and recent studies using Monte Carlo simulations have demonstrated the drawback of a high-density detector on small beam output factors. The current study focuses on geometrical parameters of diamond detector, namely, the diamond dimensions and the electrode geometry, in order to solve the dosimetric issues still observed in small photon beams with diamond detectors. To give better insights to these open questions, we have used both computational method and experimental analysis. This study highlighted that reducing diamond dimensions is crucial for small beam output factor measurements and to limit the influence of its high density. Furthermore, electrodes covering the whole diamond surface were essential for a dose rate independence of the diamond detector. The optimal dosimeter derived from this work presented small diamond dimensions of approximately 1 × 1 × 0.15 mm{sup 3}, with diamond-like-carbon electrodes covering the whole diamond surface. A dose rate independence of this diamond detector (better than 0.5% over a wide range of dose rates available on a stereotactic dedicated facility) was obtained due to the electrode geometry. Concerning the output factor measurements, a good agreement (better than 1.1%) was observed between this carbon material detector and two types of passive dosimeters (LiF microcubes and EBT2 radiochromic films) for all beam sizes except the smallest field of 0.6 × 0.6 cm{sup 2} with a deviation of 2.6%. This new study showed the high performance

  20. Few data but many fish: marine small-scale fisheries catches for ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    ... substantially under-reported national data puts authorities under serious risk of over-licensing fishing access and mismanaging marine ecosystems and national food security. Keywords: catch rates, catch reconstructions, food security, Malthusian overfishing, small-scale fisheries, sub-Saharan Africa, subsistence fisheries

  1. Diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of small bowel volvulus in adults: A monocentric summary of a rare small intestinal obstruction.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaohang Li

    Full Text Available Small bowel volvulus is a rare disease, which is also challenging to diagnose. The aims of this study were to characterize the clinical and radiological features associated with small bowel volvulus and treatment and to identify risk factors for associated small bowel necrosis.Patients with small bowel volvulus who underwent operations from January 2001 to December 2015 at the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University (Shenyang, China were reviewed. Clinical, surgical and postsurgical data were registered and analyzed.Thirty-one patients were included for analysis. Fifteen patients were female (48.4%, with an average age of 47.7 years (18-79 years. The clinical signs and symptoms were unspecific and resembled intestinal obstruction. Clinical examination revealed abdominal distension and/or diffuse tenderness with or without signs of peritonitis. The use of CT scans, X-rays or ultrasound did not differ significantly between patients. In 9 of 20 patients that received abdominal CT scans, "whirlpool sign" on the CT scan was present. Secondary small bowel volvulus was present in 58.1% of patients, and causes included bands (3, adhesion (7, congenital anomalies (7 and stromal tumor (1. Out of the 31 patients, 15 with gangrenous small bowel had to undergo intestinal resection. Intestinal gangrene was present with higher neutrophils count (p<0.0001 and the presence of bloody ascites (p = 0.004. Three patients died of septic shock (9.68%, and the recurrence rate was 3.23%.To complete an early and accurate diagnosis, a CT scan plus physical exam seems to be the best plan. After diagnosis, an urgent laparotomy must be performed to avoid intestinal necrosis and perforation. After surgery, more than 90% of the patients can expect to have a favorable prognosis.

  2. Diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of small bowel volvulus in adults: A monocentric summary of a rare small intestinal obstruction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Xiaohang; Zhang, Jialin; Li, Baifeng; Yi, Dehui; Zhang, Chengshuo; Sun, Ning; Lv, Wu; Jiao, Ao

    2017-01-01

    Small bowel volvulus is a rare disease, which is also challenging to diagnose. The aims of this study were to characterize the clinical and radiological features associated with small bowel volvulus and treatment and to identify risk factors for associated small bowel necrosis. Patients with small bowel volvulus who underwent operations from January 2001 to December 2015 at the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University (Shenyang, China) were reviewed. Clinical, surgical and postsurgical data were registered and analyzed. Thirty-one patients were included for analysis. Fifteen patients were female (48.4%), with an average age of 47.7 years (18-79 years). The clinical signs and symptoms were unspecific and resembled intestinal obstruction. Clinical examination revealed abdominal distension and/or diffuse tenderness with or without signs of peritonitis. The use of CT scans, X-rays or ultrasound did not differ significantly between patients. In 9 of 20 patients that received abdominal CT scans, "whirlpool sign" on the CT scan was present. Secondary small bowel volvulus was present in 58.1% of patients, and causes included bands (3), adhesion (7), congenital anomalies (7) and stromal tumor (1). Out of the 31 patients, 15 with gangrenous small bowel had to undergo intestinal resection. Intestinal gangrene was present with higher neutrophils count (p<0.0001) and the presence of bloody ascites (p = 0.004). Three patients died of septic shock (9.68%), and the recurrence rate was 3.23%. To complete an early and accurate diagnosis, a CT scan plus physical exam seems to be the best plan. After diagnosis, an urgent laparotomy must be performed to avoid intestinal necrosis and perforation. After surgery, more than 90% of the patients can expect to have a favorable prognosis.

  3. Small Data

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    S. Pemberton (Steven)

    2014-01-01

    htmlabstractThe term “Open Data” often goes hand in hand with the term “Big Data”, where large data sets get released allowing for analysis, but the Cinderella of the Open Data ball is Small Data, small amounts of data, nonetheless possibly essential, that are too small to be put in some database or

  4. Maybe Small Is Too Small a Term: Introduction to Advancing Small Sample Prevention Science.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fok, Carlotta Ching Ting; Henry, David; Allen, James

    2015-10-01

    Prevention research addressing health disparities often involves work with small population groups experiencing such disparities. The goals of this special section are to (1) address the question of what constitutes a small sample; (2) identify some of the key research design and analytic issues that arise in prevention research with small samples; (3) develop applied, problem-oriented, and methodologically innovative solutions to these design and analytic issues; and (4) evaluate the potential role of these innovative solutions in describing phenomena, testing theory, and evaluating interventions in prevention research. Through these efforts, we hope to promote broader application of these methodological innovations. We also seek whenever possible, to explore their implications in more general problems that appear in research with small samples but concern all areas of prevention research. This special section includes two sections. The first section aims to provide input for researchers at the design phase, while the second focuses on analysis. Each article describes an innovative solution to one or more challenges posed by the analysis of small samples, with special emphasis on testing for intervention effects in prevention research. A concluding article summarizes some of their broader implications, along with conclusions regarding future directions in research with small samples in prevention science. Finally, a commentary provides the perspective of the federal agencies that sponsored the conference that gave rise to this special section.

  5. Development of small punch tests for ductile-brittle transition temperature measurement of temper embrittled Ni-Cr steels

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baik, J.M.; Kameda, J.; Buck, O.

    1983-01-01

    Small punch tests were developed to determine the ductile-brittle transition temperature of nickel-chromium (Ni-Cr) steels having various degrees of temper embrittlement and various microstructures. It was found that the small punch test clearly shows the ductile-brittle transition behavior of the temper-embrittled steels. The measured values were compared with those obtained from Charpy impact and uniaxial tensile tests. The effects of punch tip shape, a notch, and the strain rate on the ductile-brittle transition behavior were examined. It was found that the combined use of a notch, high strain rates, and a small punch tip strongly affects the ductile-brittle transition behavior. Considerable variations in the data were observed when the small punch tests were performed on coarse-grained steels. Several factors controlling embrittlement measurements of steels are discussed in terms of brittle fracture mechanisms

  6. APUAMA: a software tool for reaction rate calculations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Euclides, Henrique O; P Barreto, Patricia R

    2017-06-01

    APUAMA is a free software designed to determine the reaction rate and thermodynamic properties of chemical species of a reagent system. With data from electronic structure calculations, the APUAMA determine the rate constant with tunneling correction, such as Wigner, Eckart and small curvature, and also, include the rovibrational level of diatomic molecules. The results are presented in the form of Arrhenius-Kooij form, for the reaction rate, and the thermodynamic properties are written down in the polynomial form. The word APUAMA means "fast" in Tupi-Guarani Brazilian language, then the code calculates the reaction rate on a simple and intuitive graphic interface, the form fast and practical. As program output, there are several ASCII files with tabulated information for rate constant, rovibrational levels, energy barriers and enthalpy of reaction, Arrhenius-Kooij coefficient, and also, the option to the User save all graphics in BMP format.

  7. A new approach to estimate the in situ fractional degradation rate of organic matter and nitrogen in wheat yeast concentrates

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    De Jonge, L. H.; Van Laar, H.; Hendriks, W. H.; Dijkstra, J.

    2015-01-01

    In the classic in situ method, small particles are removed during rinsing and hence their fractional degradation rate cannot be determined. A new approach was developed to estimate the fractional degradation rate of nutrients in small particles. This approach was based on an alternative rinsing

  8. Atomic rate coefficients in a degenerate plasma

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aslanyan, Valentin; Tallents, Greg

    2015-11-01

    The electrons in a dense, degenerate plasma follow Fermi-Dirac statistics, which deviate significantly in this regime from the usual Maxwell-Boltzmann approach used by many models. We present methods to calculate the atomic rate coefficients for the Fermi-Dirac distribution and present a comparison of the ionization fraction of carbon calculated using both models. We have found that for densities close to solid, although the discrepancy is small for LTE conditions, there is a large divergence from the ionization fraction by using classical rate coefficients in the presence of strong photoionizing radiation. We have found that using these modified rates and the degenerate heat capacity may affect the time evolution of a plasma subject to extreme ultraviolet and x-ray radiation such as produced in free electron laser irradiation of solid targets.

  9. A study of the complications of small bore 'Seldinger' intercostal chest drains.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davies, Helen E; Merchant, Shairoz; McGown, Anne

    2008-06-01

    Use of small bore chest drains (drainage over a 12-month period. One hundred consecutive small bore Seldinger (12F) chest drain insertions were evaluated. Few serious complications occurred. However, 21% of the chest drains were displaced ('fell out') and 9% of the drains became blocked. This contributed to high morbidity rates, with 13% of patients requiring repeat pleural procedures. The frequency of drain blockage in pleural effusion was reduced by administration of regular normal saline drain flushes (odds ratio for blockage in flushed drains compared with non-flushed drains 0.04, 95% CI: 0.01-0.37, P < 0.001). Regular chest drain flushes are advocated in order to reduce rates of drain blockage, and further studies are needed to determine optimal fixation strategies that may reduce associated patient morbidity.

  10. Stability Analysis of Hypersonic Boundary Layer over a Cone at Small Angle of Attack

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Feng Ji

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available An investigation on the stability of hypersonic boundary layer over a cone at small angle of attack has been performed. After obtaining the steady base flow, linear stability theory (LST analysis has been made with local parallel assumption. The growth rates of the first mode and second mode waves at different streamwise locations and different azimuthal angles are obtained. The results show that the boundary layer stability was greatly influenced by small angles of attack. The maximum growth rate of the most unstable wave on the leeward is larger than that on the windward. Moreover, dominating second mode wave starts earlier on the leeward than that on the windward. The LST result also shows that there is a “valley” region around 120°~150° meridian in the maximum growth rates curve.

  11. Radiotherapy for stage I-II non-small cell lung cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Okamoto, Yoshiaki; Murakami, Masao; Mizowaki, Takashi; Nakajima, Toshifumi; Kuroda, Yasumasa

    1999-01-01

    Surgery has been regarded as the standard treatment for patients with non-small cell lung cancer in the early stage, while radiotherapy has become an effective alternative for medically inoperable patients and those who refuse surgery. We reviewed the records of 31 patients with stage I-II non-small cell lung cancer treated by radiotherapy between 1980 and 1997. There were 15 patients in stage I and 16 in stage II. The variables analyzed for influence on cause-specific survival and loco-regional control were: age, performance status, clinical stage, tumor size, tumor site, radiation field, radiation dose, and combination with chemotherapy. The overall and cause-specific 1-, 2-, 3-, and 5-years survival rates were 71% and 77%; 63% and 73%; 34% and 48%; and 17% and 32%, respectively. Five-year survival rate for patients with peripheral tumor in the lung was 72%, with 70% loco-regional control, while the 5-year survival rate of patients whose tumor originated in the central region was 20%, with 25% loco-regional control. These differences had marginal significance on univariate analysis (P=0.07), but only tumor site (central vs peripheral) showed marginal significant influence on cause-specific survival (P=0.08) and loco-regional control (P=0.07) on multivariate analysis. There were no fatal complications, including radiation-induced myelopathy. The present series showed satisfactory results with definitive radiotherapy for patients with medically inoperable stage I-II non-small cell lung cancer, with results similar to those in recent reports of radiotherapy. The only significant variable was that patients with peripheral tumors had a better prognosis than patients with central tumors. (author)

  12. Charge balancing fill rate monitor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rothman, J.L.; Blum, E.B.

    1995-01-01

    A fill rate monitor has been developed for the NSLS storage rings to allow machine tuning over a very large dynamic range of beam current. Synchrotron light, focused on a photodiode, produces a signal proportional to the beam current. A charge balancing circuit processes the diode current, creating an output signal proportional to the current injected into the ring. The unit operates linearly over a dynamic range of 120 dB and can resolve pulses of injected beam as small as 1 μA

  13. Temperature effects on lithium-nitrogen reaction rates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ijams, W.J.; Kazimi, M.S.

    1985-08-01

    A series of experiments have been run with the aim of measuring the reaction rate of lithium and nitrogen over a wide spectrum of lithium pool temperatures. In these experiments, pure nitrogen was blown at a controlled flow rate over a preheated lithium pool. The pool had a surface area of approximately 4 cm 2 and a total volume of approximately 6 cm 3 . The system pressure varied from 0 to 4 psig. The reaction rate was very small - approximately 0.002 to 0.003 g Li min cm 2 for lithium temperatures below 500 0 C. Above 500 0 C the reaction rate began to increase sharply, and reached a maximum of approximately 0.80 g Li min cm 2 above 700 0 C. It dropped off beyond 1000 0 C and seemed to approach zero at 1150 0 C. The maximum reaction rate observed in these forced convection experiments was higher by 60% than those previously observed in experiments where the nitrogen flowed to the reaction site by means of natural convection. During a reaction, a hard nitride layer built up on the surface of the lithium pool - its effect on the reaction rate was observed. The effect of the nitrogen flow rate on the reaction rate was also observed

  14. Logging production rates in young-growth, mixed-conifer stands in north central California

    Science.gov (United States)

    Philip M. McDonald

    1972-01-01

    To quantify production rates for small trees, this study examined the components of log-making and tractor yarding at the Challenge Experimental Forest, Yuba County, California. Rates were calculated over a range of 12 to 40 inches d.b.h. The rate for incense-cedar was lowest; for ponderosa pine it was intermediate; and for Douglas-fir, white fir, and sugar pine...

  15. Physiology of inactivation of microbial cells by near-ultraviolet light: mode of action and application for the enrichment of mutants of Escherichia coli and saccharomyces cerevisiae

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Peters, J.

    1976-01-01

    The mode of action of near-ultraviolet (NUV) light was studied in Escherichia coli. NUV light (maximum emission at 365 nm) caused the photodestruction of ribonucleoside diphosphate (RDP) reductase activity in vivo. Evidence was presented for a model suggesting that the loss of RDP-reductase resulted in a metabolic state analogous to that produced during starvation for thymine. Some important properties of cells irradiated by NUV light, cell death, loss of the ability to support the replication of DNA phages and a delay in the onset of cell division in sublethally irradiated cells, were accounted for in terms of photoinactivation of RDP-reductase. Conditions were described under which NUV light was an effective counterselective agent for the enrichment of mutants of Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae

  16. 78 FR 11745 - Small Business Size Regulations, Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program and Small...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-02-20

    .... As published, the final regulations contain two points where the word ``small'' was inadvertently... and procedure, Government procurement, Government property, Loan programs-business, Small businesses...

  17. Enhancing consumers' voluntary use of small-scale wind turbines to generate own electricity in South Africa

    OpenAIRE

    Brendan Whelan; Edwin Muchapondwa

    2009-01-01

    This paper investigates whether South African households and small businesses can take advantage of the country’s substantial wind resources to produce their own power from small-scale wind turbines in a viable way. The viability of small-scale wind turbines is assessed by means of a financial analysis based on the internal rate of return method. The recently announced wind feed-in tariff will not affect the viability of consumer-based small-scale wind turbines considered in this paper sinc...

  18. Error-Transparent Quantum Gates for Small Logical Qubit Architectures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kapit, Eliot

    2018-02-01

    One of the largest obstacles to building a quantum computer is gate error, where the physical evolution of the state of a qubit or group of qubits during a gate operation does not match the intended unitary transformation. Gate error stems from a combination of control errors and random single qubit errors from interaction with the environment. While great strides have been made in mitigating control errors, intrinsic qubit error remains a serious problem that limits gate fidelity in modern qubit architectures. Simultaneously, recent developments of small error-corrected logical qubit devices promise significant increases in logical state lifetime, but translating those improvements into increases in gate fidelity is a complex challenge. In this Letter, we construct protocols for gates on and between small logical qubit devices which inherit the parent device's tolerance to single qubit errors which occur at any time before or during the gate. We consider two such devices, a passive implementation of the three-qubit bit flip code, and the author's own [E. Kapit, Phys. Rev. Lett. 116, 150501 (2016), 10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.150501] very small logical qubit (VSLQ) design, and propose error-tolerant gate sets for both. The effective logical gate error rate in these models displays superlinear error reduction with linear increases in single qubit lifetime, proving that passive error correction is capable of increasing gate fidelity. Using a standard phenomenological noise model for superconducting qubits, we demonstrate a realistic, universal one- and two-qubit gate set for the VSLQ, with error rates an order of magnitude lower than those for same-duration operations on single qubits or pairs of qubits. These developments further suggest that incorporating small logical qubits into a measurement based code could substantially improve code performance.

  19. Asymptotics of steady states of a selection–mutation equation for small mutation rate

    KAUST Repository

    Calsina, Àngel

    2013-12-01

    We consider a selection-mutation equation for the density of individuals with respect to a continuous phenotypic evolutionary trait. We assume that the competition term for an individual with a given trait depends on the traits of all the other individuals, therefore giving an infinite-dimensional nonlinearity. Mutations are modelled by means of an integral operator. We prove existence of steady states and show that, when the mutation rate goes to zero, the asymptotic profile of the population is a Cauchy distribution. © Royal Society of Edinburgh 2013.

  20. Asymptotics of steady states of a selection–mutation equation for small mutation rate

    KAUST Repository

    Calsina, À ngel; Cuadrado, Sí lvia; Desvillettes, Laurent; Raoul, Gaë l

    2013-01-01

    We consider a selection-mutation equation for the density of individuals with respect to a continuous phenotypic evolutionary trait. We assume that the competition term for an individual with a given trait depends on the traits of all the other individuals, therefore giving an infinite-dimensional nonlinearity. Mutations are modelled by means of an integral operator. We prove existence of steady states and show that, when the mutation rate goes to zero, the asymptotic profile of the population is a Cauchy distribution. © Royal Society of Edinburgh 2013.

  1. Likelihood inference of non-constant diversification rates with incomplete taxon sampling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Höhna, Sebastian

    2014-01-01

    Large-scale phylogenies provide a valuable source to study background diversification rates and investigate if the rates have changed over time. Unfortunately most large-scale, dated phylogenies are sparsely sampled (fewer than 5% of the described species) and taxon sampling is not uniform. Instead, taxa are frequently sampled to obtain at least one representative per subgroup (e.g. family) and thus to maximize diversity (diversified sampling). So far, such complications have been ignored, potentially biasing the conclusions that have been reached. In this study I derive the likelihood of a birth-death process with non-constant (time-dependent) diversification rates and diversified taxon sampling. Using simulations I test if the true parameters and the sampling method can be recovered when the trees are small or medium sized (fewer than 200 taxa). The results show that the diversification rates can be inferred and the estimates are unbiased for large trees but are biased for small trees (fewer than 50 taxa). Furthermore, model selection by means of Akaike's Information Criterion favors the true model if the true rates differ sufficiently from alternative models (e.g. the birth-death model is recovered if the extinction rate is large and compared to a pure-birth model). Finally, I applied six different diversification rate models--ranging from a constant-rate pure birth process to a decreasing speciation rate birth-death process but excluding any rate shift models--on three large-scale empirical phylogenies (ants, mammals and snakes with respectively 149, 164 and 41 sampled species). All three phylogenies were constructed by diversified taxon sampling, as stated by the authors. However only the snake phylogeny supported diversified taxon sampling. Moreover, a parametric bootstrap test revealed that none of the tested models provided a good fit to the observed data. The model assumptions, such as homogeneous rates across species or no rate shifts, appear to be

  2. Slowly switching between environments facilitates reverse evolution in small populations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tan, Longzhi; Gore, Jeff

    2011-03-01

    The rate at which a physical process occurs usually changes the behavior of a system. In thermodynamics, the reversibility of a process generally increases when it occurs at an infinitely slow rate. In biological evolution, adaptations to a new environment may be reversed by evolution in the ancestral environment. Such fluctuating environments are ubiquitous in nature, although how the rate of switching affects reverse evolution is unknown. Here we use a computational approach to quantify evolutionary reversibility as a function of the rate of switching between two environments. For small population sizes, which travel on landscapes as random walkers, we find that both genotypic and phenotypic reverse evolution increase at slow switching rates. However, slow switching of environments decreases evolutionary reversibility for a greedy walker, corresponding to large populations (extensive clonal interference). We conclude that the impact of the switching rate for biological evolution is more complicated than other common physical processes, and that a quantitative approach may yield significant insight into reverse evolution.

  3. World trend - a 10% growth per year for small wind turbines

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kane, M.

    2016-01-01

    A decline was expected for small wind turbine business with the advent of bigger wind turbines but it is really not the case. In 2014 the growth rate was about 10 % with a cumulated power installed that year of 830 MW for small wind turbines. China (41% of the installed capacity), United-States (30%) and Great-Britain (15%) are the 3 main players. About 1 million wind turbines are operating in the world - it means 8.3% (∼ 70.000 units) more than a year before. (A.C.)

  4. Rate coefficient for the reaction N + NO

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fox, J. L.

    1994-01-01

    Evidence has been advanced that the rate coefficient for the reaction N + NO right arrow N2 + O has a small positive temperature dependence at the high temperatures (900 to 1500 K) that prevail in the terrestrial middle and upper thermosphere by Siskind and Rusch (1992), and at the low temperatures (100 to 200 K) of the Martian lower thermosphere by Fox (1993). Assuming that the rate coefficient recommended by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory evaluation (DeMore et al., 1992) is accurate at 300 K, we derive here the low temperature value of the activation energy for this reaction and thus the rate coefficient that best fits the Viking 1 measured NO densities. We find that the fit is acceptable for a rate coefficient of about 1.3 x 10(exp -10)(T/300)(exp 0.5)exp(-400/T) and better for a value of about 2.5 x 10(exp -10)(T/300)(exp 0.5)exp(-600/T)cu cm/s.

  5. Life cycle costing with a discount rate

    Science.gov (United States)

    Posner, E. C.

    1978-01-01

    This article studies life cycle costing for a capability needed for the indefinite future, and specifically investigates the dependence of optimal policies on the discount rate chosen. The two costs considered are reprocurement cost and maintenance and operations (M and O) cost. The procurement price is assumed known, and the M and O costs are assumed to be a known function, in fact, a non-decreasing function, of the time since last reprocurement. The problem is to choose the optimum reprocurement time so as to minimize the quotient of the total cost over a reprocurement period divided by the period. Or one could assume a discount rate and try to minimize the total discounted costs into the indefinite future. It is shown that the optimum policy in the presence of a small discount rate hardly depends on the discount rate at all, and leads to essentially the same policy as in the case in which discounting is not considered.

  6. Are US utility standby rates inhibiting diffusion of customer-owned generating systems?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jackson, Jerry

    2007-01-01

    New, small-scale electric generation technologies permit utility customers to generate some of their own electric power and to utilize waste heat for space heating and other applications at the building site. This combined heat and power (CHP) characteristic can provide significant energy-cost savings. However, most current US utility regulations leave CHP standby rate specification largely to utility discretion resulting in claims by CHP advocates that excessive standby rates are significantly reducing CHP-related savings and inhibiting CHP diffusion. The impacts of standby rates on the adoption of CHP are difficult to determine; however, because of the characteristically slow nature of new technology diffusion. This study develops an agent-based microsimulation model of CHP technology choice using cellular automata to represent new technology information dispersion and knowledge acquisition. Applying the model as an n-factorial experiment quantifies the impacts of standby rates on CHP technologies under alternative diffusion paths. Analysis of a sample utility indicates that, regardless of the likely diffusion process, reducing standby rates to reflect the cost of serving a large number of small, spatially clustered CHP systems significantly increases the adoption of these technologies

  7. Level-1 trigger rate from beam halo muons in the end-cap

    CERN Document Server

    Robins, S

    1998-01-01

    Previous detectors at $p$-$\\bar{p}$ machines have experienced problems with high muon trigger rates in the forward region due to muons produced in interactions between the beam and the machine. The se `beam halo' muons typically have a very small angle to the beam direction, and are dominated by muons of several GeV energy and at low radius relative to the beam line. The response of the ATLA S end-cap muon trigger to them has been investigated using a complete simulation of both the LHC machine components and the ATLAS detector and trigger. It is seen that the total flux of such muon s in the end-cap trigger counters is $\\sim$ 60 kHz, in high luminosity LHC running, and the acceptance of the Level-1 end-cap muon trigger to these particles is $\\sim$1\\%. The overall Level-1 trig ger rate from such muons will be small compared to rates from the products of the $p$-$p$ collision. The total rates from low- and high-\\pt triggers at 6 and 20 GeV are 250 and 16 Hz respectively. Whilst these rates are negligible in co...

  8. Q fever in small ruminants in Mali. Results of a serological survey

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. S. Sidibé

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available In Mali, the loss of reproduction is a major constraint to improving the productivity of small ruminants. The causes of these losses are still poorly known and include infertility, abortions, orchitis and stunting. The purpose of this study was to assess the seroprevalence of Q fever in small ruminant farms where cases of loss of reproduction had been observed, as well as financial losses linked to the recorded abortions. The survey was carried out during the period 2006–2009 in the agropastoral areas of Bougouni (Sikasso Region, Nioro (Kayes Region, Keniebougouwere (Segou Region and Koro (Mopti Region. Out of 718 sera analyzed by indirect ELISA, 155 (21.5 ± 3% tested positive for Coxiella burnetii. The prevalence rate varied according to the site and the birth rank. The highest prevalence rate was observed in Keniebougouwere (35 ± 6%, followed by Nioro (28.5 ± 7.5% and Bougouni (10.8 ± 4.6%, and the lowest in Koro (5.8 ± 3.7%. This study revealed the presence of Q fever in small ruminants in Mali. Complementary investigations that include molecular diagnosis (PCR technique might help understand the etiology of the disease involved in cases of loss of reproduction in small ruminants in Mali. The technical and economical analysis helped to assess the financial value of losses.

  9. Winter reduction in body mass in a very small, nonhibernating mammal: consequences for heat loss and metabolic rates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taylor, Jan R E; Rychlik, Leszek; Churchfield, Sara

    2013-01-01

    Low temperatures in northern winters are energetically challenging for mammals, and a special energetic burden is expected for diminutive species like shrews, which are among the smallest of mammals. Surprisingly, shrews shrink their body size in winter and reduce body and brain mass, an effect known as Dehnel's phenomenon, which is suggested to lower absolute energy intake requirements and thereby enhance survival when food availability is low. Yet reduced body size coupled with higher body-surface-to-mass ratio in these tiny mammals may result in thermoregulatory heat production at a given temperature constituting a larger proportion of the total energy expenditure. To evaluate energetic consequences of reduced body size in winter, we investigated common shrews Sorex araneus in northeastern Poland. Average body mass decreased by 19.0% from summer to winter, and mean skull depth decreased by 13.1%. There was no difference in Dehnel's phenomenon between years despite different weather conditions. The whole-animal thermal conductance (proportional to absolute heat loss) in shrews was 19% lower in winter than in summer; the difference between the two seasons remained significant after correcting for body mass and was caused by improved fur insulation in winter. Thermogenic capacity of shrews, although much enhanced in winter, did not reach its full potential of increase, and this corresponded with relatively mild subnivean temperatures. These findings indicate that, despite their small body size, shrews effectively decrease their costs of thermoregulation. The recorded decrease in body mass from summer to winter resulted in a reduction of overall resting metabolic rate (in thermoneutrality) by 18%. This, combined with the reduced heat loss, should translate to food requirements that are substantially lower than would be the case if shrews did not undergo seasonal decrease in body mass.

  10. Injury-induced inhibition of small intestinal protein and nucleic acid synthesis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carter, E.A.; Hatz, R.A.; Yarmush, M.L.; Tompkins, R.G.

    1990-01-01

    Small intestinal mucosal weight and nutrient absorption are significantly diminished early after cutaneous thermal injuries. Because these intestinal properties are highly dependent on rates of nucleic acid and protein synthesis, in vivo incorporation of thymidine, uridine, and leucine into small intestinal deoxyribonucleic acid, ribonucleic acid, and proteins were measured. Deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis was markedly decreased with the lowest thymidine incorporation in the jejunum (p less than 0.01); these findings were confirmed by autoradiographic identification of radiolabeled nuclei in the intestinal crypts. Protein synthesis was decreased by 6 h postinjury (p less than 0.01) but had returned to normal by 48 h. Consistent with a decreased rate of protein synthesis, ribonucleic acid synthesis was also decreased 18 h postinjury (p less than 0.01). These decreased deoxyribonucleic acid, ribonucleic acid, and protein synthesis rates are not likely a result of ischemia because in other studies of this injury model, intestinal blood flow was not significantly changed by the burn injury. Potentially, factors initiating the acute inflammatory reaction may directly inhibit nucleic acid and protein synthesis and lead to alterations in nutrient absorption and intestinal barrier function after injury

  11. Surgical management of radiation injury to the small intestine

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Swan, R.W.; Fowler, W.C. Jr., Boronow, R.C.

    1976-01-01

    Severe injury of the small intestine represents one of the most tragic complications of radiation of the pelvis and abdomen. Not uncommonly, patients die from the radiation or the treatment of its intestinal complications. More commonly, patients become intestinal cripples, secondary to chronic partial obstruction of the small intestine and malnutrition associated with the stagnant loop syndrome, as previously reported by one of us. Management results have been discouraging, usually because of a general lack of clinical recognition and understanding of radiation injury to the intestine. Medical management has not been satisfactory. It may provide temporary relief from symptoms, but not long-lasting. Surgical management, although frequently curative, has been associated with high death and morbidity rates. Many surgical procedures have been used in treating radiation injury to the small intestine. Generally, these fall into two categories: first, intestinal resection with primary anastomosis; and second, enteroenteric or enterocolic bypass. In the literature are reflected advocates for each method of surgical management.

  12. Radiological imagings of small hepatocellular carcinomas

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Miyake, Hidetoshi; Hayashi, Kuniaki; Futagawa, Sakae; Matsunaga, Naofumi; Maeda, Tohru [Nagasaki Univ. (Japan). School of Medicine

    1984-08-01

    Forty three cases of small hepatocellular carcinoma (measuring less than 3 cm in diameter on imaging modalities) were detected during a period of four years and two months. There were two cases in which hepatoma measured 1 cm in diameter, twenty four cases between 1 and 2 cm, and seventeen cases between 2 and 3 cm. The relative role of each modality and AFP value in the detection of these tumors was evaluated. The detection rate of small hepatocellular carcinoma by liver scintigraphy, ultrasonography (US), computed tomography (CT) and angiography was 8%, 74%, 70% and 95%, respectively. The sensitivity of serum AFP value was 67% (either measuring more than 200ng/ml or showing a tendency of steady rising even if below the level of 200ng/ml). Most hepatomas less than 2 cm in size were hypoechoic on US, and those above 2 cm in size were hyperechoic with peripheral sonolucency (halo). Almost all cases were described as low density area on both plain and enhancement CT. Angiography was the best method for detecting small hepatomas. It may be recommended to perform angiography on every patient with liver cirrhosis at the time of diagnosis of this disease. Periodic examinations by AFP, US and CT should be done if the angiography was negative. Evaluation by US in every three months and by CT in every twelve months may be appropriate.

  13. Feeding ecology informs parasite epidemiology: prey selection modulates encounter rate with Echinococcus multilocularis in urban coyotes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liccioli, Stefano; Bialowas, Carly; Ruckstuhl, Kathreen E; Massolo, Alessandro

    2015-01-01

    We investigated the role of urban coyote feeding ecology in the transmission of Echinococcus multilocularis, the causative agent of Alveolar Echinococcosis in humans. As coyotes can play a main role in the maintenance of this zoonotic parasite within North American urban settings, such study can ultimately aid disease risk management. Between June 2012 and June 2013, we collected 251 coyote feces and conducted trapping of small mammals (n = 971) in five parks in the city of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. We investigated E. multilocularis epidemiology by assessing seasonal variations of coyote diet and the selective consumption of different rodent intermediate host species. Furthermore, accounting for small mammal digestibility and coyote defecation rates we estimated the number of small mammal preys ingested by coyote and consequently, coyote encounter rates with the parasite. Dominant food items included small mammals, fruit and vegetation, although hare and deer were seasonally relevant. The lowest frequency of occurrence per scat of small mammals was recorded in winter (39.4%), when consumption of deer was highest (36.4%). However, highest encounter rates (number of infected hosts predated/season) with E. multilocularis (95% CI: 1.0-22.4), combined with the lack of predation on non-competent small mammal species, suggest that winter is the critical season for transmission and control of this parasite. Within the small mammal assemblage, voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus and Myodes gapperi) were the selected preys of urban coyotes and likely played a key role for the maintenance of the urban sylvatic life-cycle of E. multilocularis in Calgary.

  14. Feeding ecology informs parasite epidemiology: prey selection modulates encounter rate with Echinococcus multilocularis in urban coyotes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stefano Liccioli

    Full Text Available We investigated the role of urban coyote feeding ecology in the transmission of Echinococcus multilocularis, the causative agent of Alveolar Echinococcosis in humans. As coyotes can play a main role in the maintenance of this zoonotic parasite within North American urban settings, such study can ultimately aid disease risk management. Between June 2012 and June 2013, we collected 251 coyote feces and conducted trapping of small mammals (n = 971 in five parks in the city of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. We investigated E. multilocularis epidemiology by assessing seasonal variations of coyote diet and the selective consumption of different rodent intermediate host species. Furthermore, accounting for small mammal digestibility and coyote defecation rates we estimated the number of small mammal preys ingested by coyote and consequently, coyote encounter rates with the parasite. Dominant food items included small mammals, fruit and vegetation, although hare and deer were seasonally relevant. The lowest frequency of occurrence per scat of small mammals was recorded in winter (39.4%, when consumption of deer was highest (36.4%. However, highest encounter rates (number of infected hosts predated/season with E. multilocularis (95% CI: 1.0-22.4, combined with the lack of predation on non-competent small mammal species, suggest that winter is the critical season for transmission and control of this parasite. Within the small mammal assemblage, voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus and Myodes gapperi were the selected preys of urban coyotes and likely played a key role for the maintenance of the urban sylvatic life-cycle of E. multilocularis in Calgary.

  15. 75 FR 66411 - Small Entity Compliance Guide: Women-Owned Small Business Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-28

    ... SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION Small Entity Compliance Guide: Women-Owned Small Business Program AGENCY: Small Business Administration. ACTION: Notice: Availability of Compliance Guide. SUMMARY: The Small Business Administration (SBA) is announcing the availability of a compliance guide for the Women...

  16. Reaction rate of a composite core-shell nanoreactor with multiple nanocatalysts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Galanti, Marta; Fanelli, Duccio; Angioletti-Uberti, Stefano; Ballauff, Matthias; Dzubiella, Joachim; Piazza, Francesco

    2016-07-27

    We present a detailed theory for the total reaction rate constant of a composite core-shell nanoreactor, consisting of a central solid core surrounded by a hydrogel layer of variable thickness, where a given number of small catalytic nanoparticles are embedded at prescribed positions and are endowed with a prescribed surface reaction rate constant. Besides the precise geometry of the assembly, our theory accounts explicitly for the diffusion coefficients of the reactants in the hydrogel and in the bulk as well as for their transfer free energy jump upon entering the hydrogel shell. Moreover, we work out an approximate analytical formula for the overall rate constant, which is valid in the physically relevant range of geometrical and chemical parameters. We discuss in depth how the diffusion-controlled part of the rate depends on the essential variables, including the size of the central core. In particular, we derive some simple rules for estimating the number of nanocatalysts per nanoreactor for an efficient catalytic performance in the case of small to intermediate core sizes. Our theoretical treatment promises to provide a very useful and flexible tool for the design of superior performing nanoreactor geometries with optimized nanoparticle load.

  17. Small-angle scattering at a pulsed neutron source: comparison with a steady-state reactor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Borso, C S; Carpenter, J M; Williamson, F S; Holmblad, G L; Mueller, M H; Faber, J Jr; Epperson, J E; Danyluk, S S [Argonne National Lab., IL (USA)

    1982-08-01

    A time-of-flight small-angle diffractometer employing seven tapered collimator elements and a two-dimensional gas proportional counter was successfully utilized to collect small-angle scattering data from a solution sample of the lipid salt cetylpyridinium chloride, C/sub 21/H/sub 38/N/sup +/.Cl/sup -/, at the Argonne National Laboratory prototype pulsed spallation neutron source, ZING-P'. Comparison of the small-angle scattering observed from the same compound at the University of Missouri Research Reactor corroborated the ZING-P' results. The results are used to compare the neutron flux available from the ZING-P' source relative to the well characterized University of Missouri source. Calculations based on experimentally determined parameters indicated the time-averaged rate of detected neutrons at the ZING-P' pulsed spallation source to have been at least 33% higher than the steady-state count rate from the same sample. Differences between time-of-flight techniques and conventional steady-state techniques are discussed.

  18. Small-field fractionated radiotherapy with or without stereotactic boost for vestibular schwannoma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kagei, K.; Shirato, H.; Suzuki, K.; Isu, T.; Sawamura, Y.; Sakamoto, T.; Fukuda, S.; Nishioka, T.; Hashimoto, S.; Miyasaka, K.

    1999-01-01

    Purpose: To assess the efficacy and toxicity of small-field fractionated radiotherapy with or without stereotactic boost (SB) for vestibular schwannomas.Methods and materials: Thirty-nine patients with vestibular schwannoma were treated with irradiation between March 1991 and February 1996. Extra-meatal tumor diameters were under 30 mm. Thirty-three patients received small-field fractionated radiotherapy followed by SB. Basic dose schedule was 44 Gy in 22 fractions over 5 1/2 weeks plus 4 Gy in one session. Six patients received small-field fractionated radiotherapy only (40-44 Gy in 20-22 fractions over 5-5 1/2 weeks or 36 Gy in 20 fractions over 5 weeks).< Results: Follow-up ranged from 6 to 69 months (median, 24 months). Tumors decreased in size in 13 cases (33%), were unchanged in 25 (64%), and increased in one (3%). The actuarial 2-year tumor control rate was 97%. Fifteen patients had useful hearing (Gardner-Robertson class 1-2) and 25 patients had testable hearing (class 1-4) before irradiation. The 2-year actuarial rates of useful hearing preservation (free of deterioration from class 1-2 to class 3-5) were 78%. The 2-year actuarial rates of any testable hearing preservation (free of deterioration from class 1-4 to class 5) were 96%. No permanent facial and trigeminal neuropathy developed after irradiation. The 2-year actuarial incidences of facial and trigeminal neuropathies were 8% and 16%, respectively.Conclusions: Small-field fractionated radiotherapy with or without SB provides excellent short-term local control and a relatively low incidence of complications for vestibular schwannoma, although further follow-up is necessary to evaluate the long-term results. (Copyright (c) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam. All rights reserved.)

  19. Simulations of small solid accretion on to planetesimals in the presence of gas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hughes, A. G.; Boley, A. C.

    2017-12-01

    The growth and migration of planetesimals in a young protoplanetary disc are fundamental to planet formation. In all models of early growth, there are several processes that can inhibit grains from reaching larger sizes. Nevertheless, observations suggest that growth of planetesimals must be rapid. If a small number of 100 km sized planetesimals do manage to form in the disc, then gas drag effects could enable them to efficiently accrete small solids from beyond their gravitationally focused cross-section. This gas-drag-enhanced accretion can allow planetesimals to grow at rapid rates, in principle. We present self-consistent hydrodynamics simulations with direct particle integration and gas-drag coupling to estimate the rate of planetesimal growth due to pebble accretion. Wind tunnel simulations are used to explore a range of particle sizes and disc conditions. We also explore analytic estimates of planetesimal growth and numerically integrate planetesimal drift due to the accretion of small solids. Our results show that, for almost every case that we consider, there is a clearly preferred particle size for accretion that depends on the properties of the accreting planetesimal and the local disc conditions. For solids much smaller than the preferred particle size, accretion rates are significantly reduced as the particles are entrained in the gas and flow around the planetesimal. Solids much larger than the preferred size accrete at rates consistent with gravitational focusing. Our analytic estimates for pebble accretion highlight the time-scales that are needed for the growth of large objects under different disc conditions and initial planetesimal sizes.

  20. Foreshock occurrence rates before large earthquakes worldwide

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reasenberg, P.A.

    1999-01-01

    Global rates of foreshock occurrence involving shallow M ??? 6 and M ??? 7 mainshocks and M ??? 5 foreshocks were measured, using earthquakes listed in the Harvard CMT catalog for the period 1978-1996. These rates are similar to rates ones measured in previous worldwide and regional studies when they are normalized for the ranges of magnitude difference they each span. The observed worldwide rates were compared to a generic model of earthquake clustering, which is based on patterns of small and moderate aftershocks in California, and were found to exceed the California model by a factor of approximately 2. Significant differences in foreshock rate were found among subsets of earthquakes defined by their focal mechanism and tectonic region, with the rate before thrust events higher and the rate before strike-slip events lower than the worldwide average. Among the thrust events a large majority, composed of events located in shallow subduction zones, registered a high foreshock rate, while a minority, located in continental thrust belts, measured a low rate. These differences may explain why previous surveys have revealed low foreshock rates among thrust events in California (especially southern California), while the worldwide observations suggest the opposite: California, lacking an active subduction zone in most of its territory, and including a region of mountain-building thrusts in the south, reflects the low rate apparently typical for continental thrusts, while the worldwide observations, dominated by shallow subduction zone events, are foreshock-rich.

  1. Small group effectiveness during pharmacology learning sessions in a Nepalese medical school.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shankar, Pr; Gurung, Sb; Jha, N; Bajracharya, O; Karki, Bms; Thapa, Tp

    2011-01-01

    Small group learning sessions are used in pharmacology at the KIST Medical College, Lalitpur, Nepal. Feedback about student behaviours that enhance and hinder small group effectiveness was obtained. This will help us improve the small group sessions and will also be useful to educators using small groups in other medical schools. The small groups were self-managing with a group leader, time-keeper, recorder and presenter. Small group effectiveness was measured using the Tutorial Group Effectiveness Instrument (TGEI) developed by Singaram and co-authors. The instrument was administered in June 2010 and key findings obtained were shared with students and facilitators. The instrument was administered again in August. The mean cognitive, motivational, demotivational and overall scores were compared among different categories of respondents in June and August. Scores were also compared between June and August 2010. A total of 89 students participated in the study in June and 88 in August 2010. In June, females rated overall group productivity higher compared to males. The cognitive and motivational scores were higher in August 2010 while the demotivational score was lower. The small group effectiveness was higher in August after the educational intervention which utilised feedback about problems observed, theoretical considerations of effective small groups and how this information can be applied in practice.

  2. Cost-benefit analysis of decreased ventilation rates and radon exhalation from building materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ericson, S.O.

    1984-01-01

    Decreased ventilation, achieved by weather stripping and other tightening measures, is the most cost effective way to energy conservation. A very low investment can result in a considerable decrease in ventilation rate. For a typical detached house in Sweden this can be equivalent to a decrease in oil consumption of 0.5 m 3 . At present price this corresponds to a saving of SEK 1200, 150 US dollars per annum. The contribution of the building materials to the concentration of radon in indoor air is approximately the inverse to air exchange rate. For a small change in ventilation rate and cost, in SEK/man Sv or US dollar/man Sv, is a function of ventilation rate, exhalation from building materials, the ratio between surface of walls, floor and ceiling to the volume of air. Thus, it is possible to find the specific ventilation rate where the marginal cost for a small increase in ventilation rate and the marginal reduction in radon concentration will give a specific amount of money for each man Sv. Examples are given. Conclusions are that for most building materials in a climate like the Swedish, there are other factors than exhalation of radon from building materials that sets the lower limit of recommendable ventilation rate. (Author)

  3. Relationships between heart rate and age, bodyweight and breed in 10,849 dogs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hezzell, M J; Dennis, S G; Humm, K; Agee, L; Boswood, A

    2013-06-01

    To evaluate relationships between heart rate and clinical variables in healthy dogs and dogs examined at a referral hospital. Clinical data were extracted from the electronic patient records of a first opinion group (5000 healthy dogs) and a referral hospital (5849 dogs). Univariable and multi-variable general linear models were used to assess associations between heart rate and clinical characteristics. Separate multi-variable models were constructed for first opinion and referral populations. In healthy dogs, heart rate was negatively associated with bodyweight (PChihuahuas. The mean difference in heart rate between a 5 and 55 kg dog was 10.5 beats per minute. In dogs presenting to a referral hospital, heart rate was negatively associated with bodyweight (P<0.001) and the following breeds; border collie, golden retriever, Labrador retriever, springer spaniel and West Highland white terrier and positively associated with age, admitting service (emergency and critical care, emergency first opinion and cardiology) and the following breeds; Cavalier King Charles spaniel, Staffordshire bull terrier and Yorkshire terrier. Bodyweight, age, breed and disease status all influence heart rate in dogs, although these factors account for a relatively small proportion of the overall variability in heart rate. © 2013 British Small Animal Veterinary Association.

  4. High Prevalence of Rickettsia spp. Infections in Small Mammals in Taiwan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuo, Chi-Chien; Shu, Pei-Yun; Mu, Jung-Jung

    2015-01-01

    Abstract Surveillance for Rickettsia spp. is urgently needed due to the recent emergence of many novel rickettsioses around the globe, but previous studies in Taiwan have been limited to small areas and no investigation of infections in vertebrate hosts has ever been attempted. We surveyed rickettsial infections systematically in small-mammal hosts trapped between 2006 and 2010 throughout Taiwan. Fragments of ompB and gltA genes in the liver, spleen, and kidney of mammals were targeted by nested polymerase chain reaction. We trapped 1375 individuals of 10 species, among which Rattus losea was the most common (54.6%), followed by Suncus murinus (20.6%) and Mus caroli (10.6%). The overall rate of Rickettsia infections in the liver, spleen, or kidney of 309 assayed small mammals was 60.5%, with a rate of infection ≥50% for each mammal species. DNA nucleotide sequences of 184 successfully sequenced genes were most similar to nine Rickettsia species: Rickettsia conorii, R. felis, R. japonica, R. raoultii, R. rickettsii, Rickettsia sp. IG-1, Rickettsia sp. TwKM01, Rickettsia sp. TwKM02, and R. typhi. Our results suggest that several novel Rickettsia spp. are common and widespread across various habitats throughout Taiwan and suggest the need for further study of emerging rickettsioses in Taiwan. PMID:25629776

  5. Supporting information for the estimation of plutonium oxide leak rates through very small apertures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schwendiman, L.C.

    1977-01-01

    Information is presented from which an estimate can be made of the release of plutonium oxide from shipping containers. The leak diameter is estimated from gas leak tests of the container and an estimate is made of gas leak rate as a function of pressure over the time of interest in the accident. These calculations are limited in accuracy because of assumptions regarding leak geometry and the basic formulations of hydrodynamic flow for the assumed conditions. Sonic flow is assumed to be the limiting gas flow rate. Particles leaking from the air space above the powder will be limited by the low availability of particles due to rapid settling, the very limited driving force (pressure buildup) during the first minute, and the deposition in the leak channel. Equations are given to estimate deposition losses. Leaks of particles occurring below the level of the bulk powder will be limited by mechanical interference when leaks are of dimension smaller than particle sizes present. Some limiting cases can be calculated. When the leak dimension is large compared to the particle sizes present, maximum particle releases can be estimated, but will be very conservative

  6. Trigger algorithms and electronics for the ATLAS muon new small wheel upgrade

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guan, L.

    2016-01-01

    The New Small Wheel Upgrade for the ATLAS experiment will replace the innermost station of the Muon Spectrometer in the forward region in order to maintain its current performance during high luminosity data-taking after the LHC Phase-I upgrade. The New Small Wheel, comprising Micromegas and small Thin Gap Chambers, will reduce the rate of fake triggers coming from backgrounds in the forward region and significantly improve the Level-1 muon trigger selectivity by providing precise on-line segment measurements with ∼ 1 mrad angular resolution. Such demanding precision, together with the short time (∼ 1 μs) to prepare trigger data and perform on-line reconstruction, implies very stringent requirements on the design of trigger system and trigger electronics. This paper presents an overview of the design of the New Small Wheel trigger system, trigger algorithms and processor hardware

  7. Non-small-bowel abnormalities identified during small bowel capsule endoscopy

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hoedemakers, Reinier; Westerhof, Jessie; Weersma, Rinse K.; Koornstra, Jan J.

    2014-01-01

    AIM: To investigate the incidence of non-small-bowel abnormalities in patients referred for small bowel capsule endoscopy, this single center study was performed. METHODS: Small bowel capsule endoscopy is an accepted technique to investigate obscure gastrointestinal bleeding. This is defined as

  8. Microbial degradation rates of small peptides and amino acids in the oxygen minimum zone of Chilean coastal waters

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pantoja, Silvio; Rossel, Pamela; Castro, Rodrigo; Cuevas, L. Antonio; Daneri, Giovanni; Córdova, Candy

    2009-07-01

    We found similar microbial degradation rates of labile dissolved organic matter in oxic and suboxic waters off northern Chile. Rates of peptide hydrolysis and amino acid uptake in unconcentrated water samples were not low in the water column where oxygen concentration was depleted. Hydrolysis rates ranged from 65 to 160 nmol peptide L -1 h -1 in the top 20 m, 8-28 nmol peptide L -1 h -1 between 100 and 300 m (O 2-depleted zone), and 14-19 nmol peptide L -1 h -1 between 600 and 800 m. Dissolved free amino acid uptake rates were 9-26, 3-17, and 6 nmol L -1 h -1 at similar depth intervals. Since these findings are consistent with a model of comparable potential activity of microbes in degrading labile substrates of planktonic origin, we suggest, as do other authors, that differences in decomposition rates with high and low oxygen concentrations may be a matter of substrate lability. The comparison between hydrolysis and uptake rates indicates that microbial peptide hydrolysis occurs at similar or faster rates than amino acid uptake in the water column, and that the hydrolysis of peptides is not a rate-limiting step for the complete remineralization of labile macromolecules. Low O 2 waters process about 10 tons of peptide carbon per h, double the amount processed in surface-oxygenated water. In the oxygen minimum zone, we suggest that the C balance may be affected by the low lability of the dissolved organic matter when this is upwelled to the surface. An important fraction of dissolved organic matter is processed in the oxygen minimum layer, a prominent feature of the coastal ocean in the highly productive Humboldt Current System.

  9. Molecular model for annihilation rates in positron complexes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Assafrao, Denise [Laboratorio de Atomos e Moleculas Especiais, Departamento de Fisica, ICEx, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, P.O. Box 702, 30123-970 Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil); Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, Queen' s University of Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN, Northern Ireland (United Kingdom); Walters, H.R. James [Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, Queen' s University of Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN, Northern Ireland (United Kingdom); Mohallem, Jose R. [Laboratorio de Atomos e Moleculas Especiais, Departamento de Fisica, ICEx, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, P.O. Box 702, 30123-970 Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil); Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, Queen' s University of Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN, Northern Ireland (United Kingdom)], E-mail: rachid@fisica.ufmg.br

    2008-02-15

    The molecular approach for positron interaction with atoms is developed further. Potential energy curves for positron motion are obtained. Two procedures accounting for the nonadiabatic effective positron mass are introduced for calculating annihilation rate constants. The first one takes the bound-state energy eigenvalue as an input parameter. The second is a self-contained and self-consistent procedure. The methods are tested with quite different states of the small complexes HPs, e{sup +}He (electronic triplet) and e{sup +}Be (electronic singlet and triplet). For states yielding the positronium cluster, the annihilation rates are quite stable, irrespective of the accuracy in binding energies. For the e{sup +}Be states, annihilation rates are larger and more consistent with qualitative predictions than previously reported ones.

  10. Molecular model for annihilation rates in positron complexes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Assafrao, Denise; Walters, H.R. James; Mohallem, Jose R.

    2008-01-01

    The molecular approach for positron interaction with atoms is developed further. Potential energy curves for positron motion are obtained. Two procedures accounting for the nonadiabatic effective positron mass are introduced for calculating annihilation rate constants. The first one takes the bound-state energy eigenvalue as an input parameter. The second is a self-contained and self-consistent procedure. The methods are tested with quite different states of the small complexes HPs, e + He (electronic triplet) and e + Be (electronic singlet and triplet). For states yielding the positronium cluster, the annihilation rates are quite stable, irrespective of the accuracy in binding energies. For the e + Be states, annihilation rates are larger and more consistent with qualitative predictions than previously reported ones

  11. Glass dissolution rate measurement and calculation revisited

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fournier, Maxime, E-mail: maxime.fournier@cea.fr [CEA, DEN, DTCD, SECM, F-30207, Bagnols sur Cèze (France); Ull, Aurélien; Nicoleau, Elodie [CEA, DEN, DTCD, SECM, F-30207, Bagnols sur Cèze (France); Inagaki, Yaohiro [Department of Applied Quantum Physics & Nuclear Engineering, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, 819-0395 (Japan); Odorico, Michaël [ICSM-UMR5257 CEA/CNRS/UM2/ENSCM, Site de Marcoule, BP17171, F-30207, Bagnols sur Cèze (France); Frugier, Pierre; Gin, Stéphane [CEA, DEN, DTCD, SECM, F-30207, Bagnols sur Cèze (France)

    2016-08-01

    Aqueous dissolution rate measurements of nuclear glasses are a key step in the long-term behavior study of such waste forms. These rates are routinely normalized to the glass surface area in contact with solution, and experiments are very often carried out using crushed materials. Various methods have been implemented to determine the surface area of such glass powders, leading to differing values, with the notion of the reactive surface area of crushed glass remaining vague. In this study, around forty initial dissolution rate measurements were conducted following static and flow rate (SPFT, MCFT) measurement protocols at 90 °C, pH 10. The international reference glass (ISG), in the forms of powders with different particle sizes and polished monoliths, and soda-lime glass beads were examined. Although crushed glass grains clearly cannot be assimilated with spheres, it is when using the samples geometric surface (S{sub geo}) that the rates measured on powders are closest to those found for monoliths. Overestimation of the reactive surface when using the BET model (S{sub BET}) may be due to small physical features at the atomic scale—contributing to BET surface area but not to AFM surface area. Such features are very small compared with the thickness of water ingress in glass (a few hundred nanometers) and should not be considered in rate calculations. With a S{sub BET}/S{sub geo} ratio of 2.5 ± 0.2 for ISG powders, it is shown here that rates measured on powders and normalized to S{sub geo} should be divided by 1.3 and rates normalized to S{sub BET} should be multiplied by 1.9 in order to be compared with rates measured on a monolith. The use of glass beads indicates that the geometric surface gives a good estimation of glass reactive surface if sample geometry can be precisely described. Although data clearly shows the repeatability of measurements, results must be given with a high uncertainty of approximately ±25%. - Highlights: • Initial dissolution

  12. 78 FR 48537 - Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer Programs...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-08-08

    ... SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION [Docket Number: 2013-0008] Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer Programs Commercialization Benchmark AGENCY: Small Business Administration. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The Small Business Administration (SBA) is publishing the Small Business...

  13. Digitizing specimens in a small herbarium: A viable workflow for collections working with limited resources.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harris, Kari M; Marsico, Travis D

    2017-04-01

    Small herbaria represent a significant portion of herbaria in the United States, but many are not digitizing their collections. At the Arkansas State University Herbarium (STAR), we have created a viable workflow to help small herbaria begin the digitization process, including suggestions for publishing data on the Internet. We calculated hourly rates of each phase of the digitization process. We also mapped accessions at the county level to determine geographic strengths in the collection. All 17,678 accessioned flowering plant specimens at STAR are imaged, databased in Specify, and available electronically on the herbarium's website. Students imaged the specimens at a mean rate of 145/h. We found differences in databasing rates between the graduate student leading the project (47/h) and undergraduate assistants (25/h). The majority of specimens at STAR were collected within the counties neighboring the institution. With this workflow, we estimate that one person can digitize a 20,000-specimen collection in less than 2.5 yr by working only 10 h/wk. Because STAR is a small herbarium with limited resources, the application of the workflow described should assist curators of similar-sized collections as they contemplate and undertake the digitization process.

  14. Small Data

    OpenAIRE

    Pemberton, Steven

    2014-01-01

    htmlabstractThe term “Open Data” often goes hand in hand with the term “Big Data”, where large data sets get released allowing for analysis, but the Cinderella of the Open Data ball is Small Data, small amounts of data, nonetheless possibly essential, that are too small to be put in some database or online dataset to be put to use. RDFa is a technology that allows Cinderella to go to the ball.

  15. Exchange rate policy when the labour market exhibits hysteresis

    OpenAIRE

    Barry, Frank

    1994-01-01

    This paper analyzes the effects of exchange rate shocks in a small open economy whose labor market exhibits hysteresis. The model is used to highlight deficiencies in the response of the Irish authorities to exchange rate crisis of 1992/93. A secondary purpose of the paper, though, is to induce those who accept that the Irish labour market is characterised by hysteresis but who reject the argument made here that a more aggressive devaluation should have been pursued, to spell out the labour-m...

  16. Recent advances in the treatment of non-small cell and small cell lung cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stinchcombe, Thomas E

    2014-01-01

    Recent presentations at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting from 30 May to 3 June, 2014, will impact routine clinical care and the development of clinical trials in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and extensive stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC). Patients with activating epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations, defined as exon 19 and exon 21 L858R point mutations, experience a high objective response rate and prolonged progression-free survival with EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors. However, inevitably, patients experience disease progression and the most common mechanism of acquired resistance is an EGFR exon 20 T790M mutation. Several agents (AZD9291, CO-1686 and HM61713) have demonstrated impressive activity in patients with T790M resistance mutations. Additional data on the efficacy of first-line therapy with afatinib and the combination of erlotinib and bevacizumab for patients with EGFR mutant NSCLC were presented. The results of a phase III trial of crizotinib compared to platinum-pemetrexed in the first-line setting, and a phase I trial and expansion cohort of ceritinib, provided additional efficacy and toxicity data for patients with anaplastic lymphoma kinase rearranged NSCLC. A phase III trial of cisplatin and gemcitabine, with and without necitumumab, revealed an improvement in overall survival with the addition of necitumumab in patients with squamous NSCLC. In the second-line setting, a phase III trial of docetaxel with ramucirumab or placebo revealed an improvement in overall survival with the addition of ramucirumab. In extensive stage small cell lung cancer phase III trials of consolidative thoracic radiation therapy and prophylactic cranial radiation failed to reveal an improvement in overall survival.

  17. Concurrent chemoradiation therapy in stage III non-small cell lung cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, I. A.; Choi, I. B.; Kang, K. M.; Jang, J. Y.; Song, J. S.; Lee, S. H.; Kuak, M. S.; Shinn, K. S.

    1997-01-01

    This study was tried to evaluate the potential benefits of concurrent chemoradiation therapy. Between April 1992 and March 1994, 32 patients who had stage III non-small cell lung cancer were treated with concurrent chemoradiation therapy. Historical control group consisted of 32 patients who had stage III non-small cell lung cancer were received conventionally fractionated radiation therapy alone. Total radiation dose ranged from 5580 cGy to 7000 cGy with median of 5940 cGy. Complete response rate was higher in chemoradiation therapy (CRT) group than radiation therapy (RT) group. In subgroup analyses for patients with good performance status, CRT group showed significantly higher overall survival rate compared with RT group. The prognostic factors affecting survival rate were performance status and pathologic subtype in CRT group. In RT alone group, performance status and stage (IIIa vs IIIb) were identified as a prognostic factors. The incidence of RTOG/EORTC grade 3-4 pulmonary toxicity ahd no significant differences in between CRT group and RT group (16% vs. 6%). The incidence of WHO grade 3-4 pulmonary fibrosis also had no significant differences in both group (38% vs. 25%). In analyses for relationship of field size and pulmonary toxicity, the patients who treated with field size beyond 200 cm 2 had significantly higher rates of pulmonary toxicities. The CRT group showed significantly higher local control rate than RT group. There were no significant differences of survival rate in status showed higher overall survival rate in CRT group than RT group. In spite of higher incidence of acute toxicities with concurrent chemoradiation therapy, the survival gain in subgroup of patients with good performance status were encouraging. CRT group showed higher rate of early death within 1 year, higher 2 year survival rate compared with RT group. Therefore, to evaluate the accurate effect on survival of concurrent chemoradiation therapy, systematic follow-up for long term

  18. Use of a parallel artificial membrane system to evaluate passive absorption and elimination in small fish.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kwon, Jung-Hwan; Katz, Lynn E; Liljestrand, Howard M

    2006-12-01

    A parallel artificial lipid membrane system was developed to mimic passive mass transfer of hydrophobic organic chemicals in fish. In this physical model system, a membrane filter-supported lipid bilayer separates two aqueous phases that represent the external and internal aqueous environments of fish. To predict bioconcentration kinetics in small fish with this system, literature absorption and elimination rates were analyzed with an allometric diffusion model to quantify the mass transfer resistances in the aqueous and lipid phases of fish. The effect of the aqueous phase mass transfer resistance was controlled by adjusting stirring intensity to mimic bioconcentration rates in small fish. Twenty-three simple aromatic hydrocarbons were chosen as model compounds for purposes of evaluation. For most of the selected chemicals, literature absorption/elimination rates fall into the range predicted from measured membrane permeabilities and elimination rates of the selected chemicals determined by the diffusion model system.

  19. Temperature and rainfall are related to fertility rate after spring artificial insemination in small ruminants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abecia, J. A.; Arrébola, F.; Macías, A.; Laviña, A.; González-Casquet, O.; Benítez, F.; Palacios, C.

    2016-10-01

    A total number of 1092 artificial inseminations (AIs) performed from March to May were documented over four consecutive years on 10 Payoya goat farms (36° N) and 19,392 AIs on 102 Rasa Aragonesa sheep farms (41° N) over 10 years. Mean, maximum, and minimum ambient temperatures, mean relative humidity, mean solar radiation, and total rainfall on each insemination day were recorded. Overall, fertility rates were 58 % in goats and 45 % in sheep. The fertility rates of the highest and lowest deciles of each of the meteorological variables indicated that temperature and rainfall had a significant effect on fertility in goats. Specifically, inseminations that were performed when mean (68 %), maximum (68 %), and minimum (66 %) temperatures were in the highest decile, and rainfall was in the lowest decile (59 %), had a significantly ( P goats and sheep.

  20. Plastome-Wide Nucleotide Substitution Rates Reveal Accelerated Rates in Papilionoideae and Correlations with Genome Features Across Legume Subfamilies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schwarz, Erika N; Ruhlman, Tracey A; Weng, Mao-Lun; Khiyami, Mohammad A; Sabir, Jamal S M; Hajarah, Nahid H; Alharbi, Njud S; Rabah, Samar O; Jansen, Robert K

    2017-04-01

    This study represents the most comprehensive plastome-wide comparison of nucleotide substitution rates across the three subfamilies of Fabaceae: Caesalpinioideae, Mimosoideae, and Papilionoideae. Caesalpinioid and mimosoid legumes have large, unrearranged plastomes compared with papilionoids, which exhibit varying levels of rearrangement including the loss of the inverted repeat (IR) in the IR-lacking clade (IRLC). Using 71 genes common to 39 legume taxa representing all the three subfamilies, we show that papilionoids consistently have higher nucleotide substitution rates than caesalpinioids and mimosoids, and rates in the IRLC papilionoids are generally higher than those in the IR-containing papilionoids. Unsurprisingly, this pattern was significantly correlated with growth habit as most papilionoids are herbaceous, whereas caesalpinioids and mimosoids are largely woody. Both nonsynonymous (dN) and synonymous (dS) substitution rates were also correlated with several biological features including plastome size and plastomic rearrangements such as the number of inversions and indels. In agreement with previous reports, we found that genes in the IR exhibit between three and fourfold reductions in the substitution rates relative to genes within the large single-copy or small single-copy regions. Furthermore, former IR genes in IR-lacking taxa exhibit accelerated rates compared with genes contained in the IR.

  1. Small reactor power systems for manned planetary surface bases

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bloomfield, H.S.

    1987-12-01

    A preliminary feasibility study of the potential application of small nuclear reactor space power systems to manned planetary surface base missions was conducted. The purpose of the study was to identify and assess the technology, performance, and safety issues associated with integration of reactor power systems with an evolutionary manned planetary surface exploration scenario. The requirements and characteristics of a variety of human-rated modular reactor power system configurations selected for a range of power levels from 25 kWe to hundreds of kilowatts is described. Trade-off analyses for reactor power systems utilizing both man-made and indigenous shielding materials are provided to examine performance, installation and operational safety feasibility issues. The results of this study have confirmed the preliminary feasibility of a wide variety of small reactor power plant configurations for growth oriented manned planetary surface exploration missions. The capability for power level growth with increasing manned presence, while maintaining safe radiation levels, was favorably assessed for nominal 25 to 100 kWe modular configurations. No feasibility limitations or technical barriers were identified and the use of both distance and indigenous planetary soil material for human rated radiation shielding were shown to be viable and attractive options.

  2. Small reactor power systems for manned planetary surface bases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bloomfield, H.S.

    1987-12-01

    A preliminary feasibility study of the potential application of small nuclear reactor space power systems to manned planetary surface base missions was conducted. The purpose of the study was to identify and assess the technology, performance, and safety issues associated with integration of reactor power systems with an evolutionary manned planetary surface exploration scenario. The requirements and characteristics of a variety of human-rated modular reactor power system configurations selected for a range of power levels from 25 kWe to hundreds of kilowatts is described. Trade-off analyses for reactor power systems utilizing both man-made and indigenous shielding materials are provided to examine performance, installation and operational safety feasibility issues. The results of this study have confirmed the preliminary feasibility of a wide variety of small reactor power plant configurations for growth oriented manned planetary surface exploration missions. The capability for power level growth with increasing manned presence, while maintaining safe radiation levels, was favorably assessed for nominal 25 to 100 kWe modular configurations. No feasibility limitations or technical barriers were identified and the use of both distance and indigenous planetary soil material for human rated radiation shielding were shown to be viable and attractive options

  3. Monetary Policy, Incomplete Asset Markets, and Welfare in a Small Open Economy

    OpenAIRE

    Shigeto Kitano; Kenya Takaku

    2014-01-01

    We develop a small open economy model with capital, sticky prices, and a simple form of financial frictions. We compare welfare levels under three alternative rules: a domestic inflation-based Taylor rule, a CPI inflation-based Taylor rule, and an exchange rate peg. We show that the superiority of an exchange rate peg over a domestic inflation-based Taylor rule becomes more pronounced under incomplete financial asset markets and more severe financial frictions.

  4. Exploring Managerial Commitment towards SPI in Small and Very Small Enterprises

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Connor, Rory V.; Basri, Shuib; Coleman, Gerry

    This paper compares and contrasts the results of two similar studies into the software process practices in Irish Small and Very Small Enterprises. The first study contains rich findings in relation to the role and influence of managerial experience and style, with particular respect to the company founder and software development managers in small to medium seized enterprises (SMEs), whilst the second study contains extensive findings in relation to people and management involvement / commitment and SPI goal planning in very small enterprises (VSEs). By combining these results of these two studies of Irish SMEs/VSEs we can develop a rich picture of managerial commitment towards SPI and in particular explore the similarities between Small and Very Small Enterprises.

  5. Toward topology-based characterization of small-scale mixing in compressible turbulence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suman, Sawan; Girimaji, Sharath

    2011-11-01

    Turbulent mixing rate at small scales of motion (molecular mixing) is governed by the steepness of the scalar-gradient field which in turn is dependent upon the prevailing velocity gradients. Thus motivated, we propose a velocity-gradient topology-based approach for characterizing small-scale mixing in compressible turbulence. We define a mixing efficiency metric that is dependent upon the topology of the solenoidal and dilatational deformation rates of a fluid element. The mixing characteristics of solenoidal and dilatational velocity fluctuations are clearly delineated. We validate this new approach by employing mixing data from direct numerical simulations (DNS) of compressible decaying turbulence with passive scalar. For each velocity-gradient topology, we compare the mixing efficiency predicted by the topology-based model with the corresponding conditional scalar variance obtained from DNS. The new mixing metric accurately distinguishes good and poor mixing topologies and indeed reasonably captures the numerical values. The results clearly demonstrate the viability of the proposed approach for characterizing and predicting mixing in compressible flows.

  6. The demographic dynamics of small island societies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cruz, M; D'ayala, P G; Marcus, E; Mcelroy, J L; Rossi, O

    1987-01-01

    Small islands and microstates have demonstrated a unique demographic pattern, including cycles of swift population increases or decreases well beyond natural birth and death rate balances. These demographic fluctuations have been produced largely by rises or declines in market opportunities. The process of taking advantage of favorable opportunities is always followed by a specialization in the given activity, without regard to environmental protection issues or a longterm strategy for economic development and resource diversification. The population growth phase is associated with increasing fragility of the economic base, whether because of the external dangers of overspecialization or induced internal dysfunctions such as disease and resource depletion. Eventually complete collapse results, causing chronic outmigration or even depopulation. Case histories of maritime basins in the Mediterranean, Caribbean, and Pacific show that the demographic structure of small islands has been particularly sensitive to changing economic opportunities, the vagaries of market forces, and cataclysmic natural events. Experience in these areas suggests that balanced economic development of small islands should be based on diversification of activities, thus ensuring a relatively stable pattern of growth, sound environmental management, and control of dangerous demographic fluctuations. Special attention should be given to the development of broad-based research and cooperation to integrate specific island opportunities within a regional network.

  7. Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer Programs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garrison, Lynn; Jasper, Gwen

    2015-01-01

    The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)/Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs fund the research, development, and demonstration of innovative technologies that fulfill NASA's needs as described in the annual Solicitations and have significant potential for successful commercialization. The only eligible participants are small business concern (SBC) with 500 or fewer employees or a nonprofit research institute such as a university or a research laboratory with ties to an SBC. These programs are potential sources of seed funding for the development of small business innovations.

  8. Small wind in Canada's energy future : fostering domestic manufacturers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rhoads-Weaver, H.; Gluckman, M.; Weis, T.; Moorhouse, J.; Taylor, A.; Maissan, J.; Sherwood, L.; Whittaker, S.

    2008-01-01

    While large-scale wind power projects are sustaining a 30 per cent annual growth rate, residential-scale wind power is increasingly being adopted in Germany, Japan, and the United States. This presentation discussed the benefits associated with fostering strong domestic wind turbine markets in Canada. Small wind turbine markets typically consist of grid-connected, net-metered turbines of less than 1 kW, off-grid micro-turbines used for battery charging, and net-metered, grid-connected, mid-sized turbines larger than 10 kW used in farming and small business applications. Continued energy price hikes are expected to cause the rapid growth of distributed generation, and nearly half of the world's 10 to 300 kW wind turbine generator manufacturers are located in Canada. However, federal support for small-scale distributed wind systems is lacking, and financial incentives are needed to mature the technology in Canada and leverage private investment. The use of decentralized energy will help to prevent line losses and reduce peak demands on the electricity grid. Use of the technology offers farms and small businesses a revenue stream and can reduce energy costs and demands. It is also expected that small wind jobs in Canada will grow from 50 to 640 by 2025. It was concluded that in order to ensure small wind development, capital cost incentive levels must be coupled with good interconnection and permitting policies. In addition, minimum safety and performance standards must be developed, along with rebate policies and siting analysis methods. tabs., figs

  9. Extracting factors for interest rate scenarios

    Science.gov (United States)

    Molgedey, L.; Galic, E.

    2001-04-01

    Factor based interest rate models are widely used for risk managing purposes, for option pricing and for identifying and capturing yield curve anomalies. The movements of a term structure of interest rates are commonly assumed to be driven by a small number of orthogonal factors such as SHIFT, TWIST and BUTTERFLY (BOW). These factors are usually obtained by a Principal Component Analysis (PCA) of historical bond prices (interest rates). Although PCA diagonalizes the covariance matrix of either the interest rates or the interest rate changes, it does not use both covariance matrices simultaneously. Furthermore higher linear and nonlinear correlations are neglected. These correlations as well as the mean reverting properties of the interest rates become crucial, if one is interested in a longer time horizon (infrequent hedging or trading). We will show that Independent Component Analysis (ICA) is a more appropriate tool than PCA, since ICA uses the covariance matrix of the interest rates as well as the covariance matrix of the interest rate changes simultaneously. Additionally higher linear and nonlinear correlations may be easily incorporated. The resulting factors are uncorrelated for various time delays, approximately independent but nonorthogonal. This is in contrast to the factors obtained from the PCA, which are orthogonal and uncorrelated for identical times only. Although factors from the ICA are nonorthogonal, it is sufficient to consider only a few factors in order to explain most of the variation in the original data. Finally we will present examples that ICA based hedges outperforms PCA based hedges specifically if the portfolio is sensitive to structural changes of the yield curve.

  10. Biological X-ray irradiator characterization for use with small animals and cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bruno, A Colello; Mazaro, S J; Amaral, L L; Rego, E M; Oliveira, H F; Pavoni, J F

    2017-03-02

    This study presents the characterization of an X-ray irradiator through dosimetric tests, which confirms the actual dose rate that small animals and cells will be exposed to during radiobiological experiments. We evaluated the linearity, consistency, repeatability, and dose distribution in the positions in which the animals or cells are placed during irradiation. In addition, we evaluated the performance of the X-ray tube (voltage and tube operating current), the radiometric survey (leakage radiation) and safety devices. The irradiator default setting was established as 160 kV and 25 mA. Tests showed that the dose rate was linear overtime (R2=1) and remained stable for long (constant) and short (repeatability) intervals between readings. The mean dose rate inside the animal cages was 1.27±0.06 Gy/min with a uniform beam of 95.40% (above the minimum threshold guaranteed by the manufacturer). The mean dose rate inside the cell plates was 0.92±0.19 Gy/min. The dose rate dependence with tube voltage and current presented a quadratic and linear relationship, respectively. There was no observed mechanical failure during evaluation of the irradiator safety devices and the radiometric survey obtained a maximum ambient equivalent dose rate of 0.26 mSv/h, which exempts it from the radiological protection requirements of the International Atomic Energy Agency. The irradiator characterization enables us to perform radiobiological experiments, and assists or even replaces traditional therapy equipment (e.g., linear accelerators) for cells and small animal irradiation, especially in early research stages.

  11. Biological X-ray irradiator characterization for use with small animals and cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Colello Bruno

    Full Text Available This study presents the characterization of an X-ray irradiator through dosimetric tests, which confirms the actual dose rate that small animals and cells will be exposed to during radiobiological experiments. We evaluated the linearity, consistency, repeatability, and dose distribution in the positions in which the animals or cells are placed during irradiation. In addition, we evaluated the performance of the X-ray tube (voltage and tube operating current, the radiometric survey (leakage radiation and safety devices. The irradiator default setting was established as 160 kV and 25 mA. Tests showed that the dose rate was linear overtime (R2=1 and remained stable for long (constant and short (repeatability intervals between readings. The mean dose rate inside the animal cages was 1.27±0.06 Gy/min with a uniform beam of 95.40% (above the minimum threshold guaranteed by the manufacturer. The mean dose rate inside the cell plates was 0.92±0.19 Gy/min. The dose rate dependence with tube voltage and current presented a quadratic and linear relationship, respectively. There was no observed mechanical failure during evaluation of the irradiator safety devices and the radiometric survey obtained a maximum ambient equivalent dose rate of 0.26 mSv/h, which exempts it from the radiological protection requirements of the International Atomic Energy Agency. The irradiator characterization enables us to perform radiobiological experiments, and assists or even replaces traditional therapy equipment (e.g., linear accelerators for cells and small animal irradiation, especially in early research stages.

  12. Flyby Characterization of Lower-Degree Spherical Harmonics Around Small Bodies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takahashi, Yu; Broschart, Stephen; Lantoine, Gregory

    2014-01-01

    Interest in studying small bodies has grown significantly in the last two decades, and there are a number of past, present, and future missions. These small body missions challenge navigators with significantly different kinds of problems than the planets and moons do. The small bodies' shape is often irregular and their gravitational field significantly weak, which make the designing of a stable orbit a complex dynamical problem. In the initial phase of spacecraft rendezvous with a small body, the determination of the gravitational parameter and lower-degree spherical harmonics are of crucial importance for safe navigation purposes. This motivates studying how well one can determine the total mass and lower-degree spherical harmonics in a relatively short time in the initial phase of the spacecraft rendezvous via flybys. A quick turnaround for the gravity data is of high value since it will facilitate the subsequent mission design of the main scientific observation campaign. We will present how one can approach the problem to determine a desirable flyby geometry for a general small body. We will work in the non-dimensional formulation since it will generalize our results across different size/mass bodies and the rotation rate for a specific combination of gravitational coefficients.

  13. Unsedated transnasal small-caliber esophagogastroduodenoscopy in elderly and bedridden patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yuki, Mika; Amano, Yuji; Komazawa, Yoshinori; Fukuhara, Hiroyuki; Shizuku, Toshihiro; Yamamoto, Shun; Kinoshita, Yoshikazu

    2009-11-28

    To evaluate the safety of unsedated transnasal small-caliber esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) for elderly and critically ill bedridden patients. One prospective randomized comparative study and one crossover comparative study between transnasal small-caliber EGD and transoral conventional EGD was done (Study 1). For the comparative study, we enrolled 240 elderly patients aged > 65 years old. For the crossover analysis, we enrolled 30 bedridden patients with percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) (Study 2). We evaluated cardiopulmonary effects by measuring arterial oxygen saturation (SpO(2)) and calculating the rate-pressure product (RPP) (pulse rate x systolic blood pressure/100) at baseline, 2 and 5 min after endoscopic intubation in Study 1. To assess the risk for endoscopy-related aspiration pneumonia during EGD, we also measured blood leukocyte counts and serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels before and 3 d after EGD in Study 2. In Study 1, we observed significant decreases in SpO(2) during conventional transoral EGD, but not during transnasal small-caliber EGD (0.24% vs -0.24% after 2 min, and 0.18% vs -0.29% after 5 min, P = 0.034, P = 0.044). Significant differences of the RPP were not found between conventional transoral and transnasal small-caliber EGD. In Study 2, crossover analysis showed statistically significant increases of the RPP at 2 min after intubation and the end of endoscopy (26.8 and 34.6 vs 3.1 and 15.2, P = 0.044, P = 0.046), and decreases of SpO(2) (-0.8% vs -0.1%, P = 0.042) during EGD with transoral conventional in comparison with transnasal small-caliber endoscopy. Thus, for bedridden patients with PEG feeding, who were examined in the supine position, transoral conventional EGD more severely suppressed cardiopulmonary function than transnasal small-caliber EGD. There were also significant increases in the markers of inflammation, blood leukocyte counts and serum CRP values, in bedridden patients after transoral conventional EGD, but

  14. Transient core characteristics of small molten salt reactor coupling problem between heat transfer/flow and nuclear fission reaction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yamamoto, Takahisa; Mitachi, Koshi

    2004-01-01

    This paper performed the transient core analysis of a small Molten Salt Reactor (MSR). The emphasis is that the numerical model employed in this paper takes into account the interaction among fuel salt flow, nuclear reaction and heat transfer. The model consists of two group diffusion equations for fast and thermal neutron fluexs, balance equations for six-group delayed neutron precursors and energy conservation equations for fuel salt and graphite moderator. The results of transient analysis are that (1) fission reaction (heat generation) rate significantly increases soon after step reactivity insertion, e.g., the peak of fission reaction rate achieves about 2.7 times larger than the rated power 350 MW when the reactivity of 0.15% Δk/k 0 is inserted to the rated state, and (2) the self-control performance of the small MSR effectively works under the step reactivity insertion of 0.56% Δk/k 0 , putting the fission reaction rate back on the rated state. (author)

  15. The experiment and analysis on small leak phenomena

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jeong, Kyung Chai; Hwang, S. T.; Kim, B. H.; Jeong, J. Y.

    2000-07-01

    The liquid sodium which is used as a coolant in LMFBR, may give rise to a serious trouble in the safety aspect of steam generator. The defects in a heat transfer tube, such as pin-hole or tube welding defect, will result in a leakage of high pressure steam into the sodium side and production of hydrogen gas and corrosive sodium compounds which can cause significant damage to the tube wall of steam generator by using exothermic reaction. In significant damage to the tube wall of steam generator by using exothermic reaction. In this case, initial leak size will be enlarged with time and the leak rate developed to large leak through the micro, small, intermediate leaks. Therefore, the analysis of sodium-water reaction phenomena on the micro and small water leaks in the heat transfer tube is very important in the initial leak stage in the aspects of the protection of leak progress and safety evaluation of steam generator. In this study, firstly, the micro and small leaks phenomena, such as reopen size, shape, and time of leak path, self-wastage, corrosion of tube materials, was analyzed from the literature survey and water leakage experiments using the leak specimen. In small water leak experiments, the leak path was plugged by the sodium-water reaction products at the leak path of a specimen, and re-open phenomena were not observed in initial experiments. Other leak experiments, reopen phenomena of self-plugged leak path was observed. Re-open mechanism of sealed path could be explained by the thermal transient and vibration of heat transfer tube. As a result, perfect reopen time of self plugged leak path was observed to be about 130 minutes after water leak initiation. Reopen shape of a specimen was appeared with double layer of circular type, and reopen size of this specimen surface was about 2 mm diameter on sodium side. Also, the corrosion of a specimen initiated from sodium side, the segregation phenomena of Cr in the specimen was found much more than those of

  16. Small white matter lesion detection in cerebral small vessel disease

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghafoorian, Mohsen; Karssemeijer, Nico; van Uden, Inge; de Leeuw, Frank E.; Heskes, Tom; Marchiori, Elena; Platel, Bram

    2015-03-01

    Cerebral small vessel disease (SVD) is a common finding on magnetic resonance images of elderly people. White matter lesions (WML) are important markers for not only the small vessel disease, but also neuro-degenerative diseases including multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia. Volumetric measurements such as the "total lesion load", have been studied and related to these diseases. With respect to SVD we conjecture that small lesions are important, as they have been observed to grow over time and they form the majority of lesions in number. To study these small lesions they need to be annotated, which is a complex and time-consuming task. Existing (semi) automatic methods have been aimed at volumetric measurements and large lesions, and are not suitable for the detection of small lesions. In this research we established a supervised voxel classification CAD system, optimized and trained to exclusively detect small WMLs. To achieve this, several preprocessing steps were taken, which included a robust standardization of subject intensities to reduce inter-subject intensity variability as much as possible. A number of features that were found to be well identifying small lesions were calculated including multimodal intensities, tissue probabilities, several features for accurate location description, a number of second order derivative features as well as multi-scale annular filter for blobness detection. Only small lesions were used to learn the target concept via Adaboost using random forests as its basic classifiers. Finally the results were evaluated using Free-response receiver operating characteristic.

  17. [Fleas on small mammals in the surrounding area of Erhai Lake].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dong, Wen-Ge; Guo, Xian-Guo; Men, Xing-Yuan; Gong, Zheng-Da; Wu, Dian; Zhang, Zheng-Kun; Zhang, Li-Yun

    2009-12-01

    To investigate the distribution pattern, species diversity and community structure of fleas on small mammals in the surrounding area of Erhai Lake, and the relationship between fleas and their hosts. Different geographical areas surrounding the Erhai Lake in Yunnan were selected as investigated spots. Small mammals were captured with baited cages. The cage-traps were examined and re-baited each morning. All fleas on the hosts were collected and identified. The richness (S), evenness (J'), diversity index (H'), dominance index (C'), total ectoparasite infestation rate (Rpt), total ectoparasite infestation index (Ipt), and constituent ratio (Cr) were used to measure the community structure. Altogether, 3,303 small mammals and 3,243 fleas were collected. From the 21 species of small mammal hosts, 13 species of fleas were identified. In southern area of the Lake, the species richness (21 species of small mammals & 12 species of fleas) was highest among the three selected areas. Seventeen species of small mammals and 8 species of fleas were found in eastern area, and only 13 species of small mammals and 7 species of fleas found in the west. This implied the probable influences of ecological environments on the fleas and their corresponding hosts. The community structure of fleas on small mammals was complex. The species diversity, species composition, community structure and distribution pattern of fleas were simultaneously influenced by the hosts' body surface microenvironment and the macroenvironment (habitat). The fleas are commonly distributed in small mammals in the areas and their communities are related to host species and the habitats.

  18. Small-scale dynamo at low magnetic Prandtl numbers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schober, Jennifer; Schleicher, Dominik; Bovino, Stefano; Klessen, Ralf S.

    2012-12-01

    The present-day Universe is highly magnetized, even though the first magnetic seed fields were most probably extremely weak. To explain the growth of the magnetic field strength over many orders of magnitude, fast amplification processes need to operate. The most efficient mechanism known today is the small-scale dynamo, which converts turbulent kinetic energy into magnetic energy leading to an exponential growth of the magnetic field. The efficiency of the dynamo depends on the type of turbulence indicated by the slope of the turbulence spectrum v(ℓ)∝ℓϑ, where v(ℓ) is the eddy velocity at a scale ℓ. We explore turbulent spectra ranging from incompressible Kolmogorov turbulence with ϑ=1/3 to highly compressible Burgers turbulence with ϑ=1/2. In this work, we analyze the properties of the small-scale dynamo for low magnetic Prandtl numbers Pm, which denotes the ratio of the magnetic Reynolds number, Rm, to the hydrodynamical one, Re. We solve the Kazantsev equation, which describes the evolution of the small-scale magnetic field, using the WKB approximation. In the limit of low magnetic Prandtl numbers, the growth rate is proportional to Rm(1-ϑ)/(1+ϑ). We furthermore discuss the critical magnetic Reynolds number Rmcrit, which is required for small-scale dynamo action. The value of Rmcrit is roughly 100 for Kolmogorov turbulence and 2700 for Burgers. Furthermore, we discuss that Rmcrit provides a stronger constraint in the limit of low Pm than it does for large Pm. We conclude that the small-scale dynamo can operate in the regime of low magnetic Prandtl numbers if the magnetic Reynolds number is large enough. Thus, the magnetic field amplification on small scales can take place in a broad range of physical environments and amplify week magnetic seed fields on short time scales.

  19. Small-scale dynamo at low magnetic Prandtl numbers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schober, Jennifer; Schleicher, Dominik; Bovino, Stefano; Klessen, Ralf S

    2012-12-01

    The present-day Universe is highly magnetized, even though the first magnetic seed fields were most probably extremely weak. To explain the growth of the magnetic field strength over many orders of magnitude, fast amplification processes need to operate. The most efficient mechanism known today is the small-scale dynamo, which converts turbulent kinetic energy into magnetic energy leading to an exponential growth of the magnetic field. The efficiency of the dynamo depends on the type of turbulence indicated by the slope of the turbulence spectrum v(ℓ)∝ℓ^{ϑ}, where v(ℓ) is the eddy velocity at a scale ℓ. We explore turbulent spectra ranging from incompressible Kolmogorov turbulence with ϑ=1/3 to highly compressible Burgers turbulence with ϑ=1/2. In this work, we analyze the properties of the small-scale dynamo for low magnetic Prandtl numbers Pm, which denotes the ratio of the magnetic Reynolds number, Rm, to the hydrodynamical one, Re. We solve the Kazantsev equation, which describes the evolution of the small-scale magnetic field, using the WKB approximation. In the limit of low magnetic Prandtl numbers, the growth rate is proportional to Rm^{(1-ϑ)/(1+ϑ)}. We furthermore discuss the critical magnetic Reynolds number Rm_{crit}, which is required for small-scale dynamo action. The value of Rm_{crit} is roughly 100 for Kolmogorov turbulence and 2700 for Burgers. Furthermore, we discuss that Rm_{crit} provides a stronger constraint in the limit of low Pm than it does for large Pm. We conclude that the small-scale dynamo can operate in the regime of low magnetic Prandtl numbers if the magnetic Reynolds number is large enough. Thus, the magnetic field amplification on small scales can take place in a broad range of physical environments and amplify week magnetic seed fields on short time scales.

  20. Long-term complications following tibial plateau levelling osteotomy in small dogs with tibial plateau angles > 30°.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Knight, Rebekah; Danielski, Alan

    2018-04-21

    Tibial plateau levelling osteotomy (TPLO) is commonly performed for surgical management of cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) disease. It has been suggested that small dogs may have steeper tibial plateau angles (TPAs) than large dogs, which has been associated with increased complication rates after TPLO. A retrospective study was performed to assess the rate and nature of long-term complications following TPLO in small dogs with TPAs>30°. Medical records were reviewed for dogs with TPAs>30° treated for CCL rupture by TPLO with a 2.0 mm plate over a five-year period. Radiographs were assessed to determine TPA, postoperative tibial tuberosity width and to identify any complication. Up-to-date medical records were obtained from the referring veterinary surgeon and any complications in the year after surgery were recorded. The effects of different variables on complication rate were assessed using logistic regression analysis. Minor complications were reported in 22.7 per cent of cases. This is similar to or lower than previously reported complication rates for osteotomy techniques in small dogs and dogs with steep TPAs. A smaller postoperative TPA was the only variable significantly associated with an increased complication rate. No major complications were identified. © British Veterinary Association (unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

  1. The performance study of a small hydroelectric power system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Al-Jumaily, Khalil E. J.; Tawfi, Sinan Samir

    2006-01-01

    A small hydroelectric power system of an undershot waterwheel was designed, constructed and experimented in the hydraulic channel which has a sluice gate as a small dam. The constructed waterwheel diameter could be changed from 0.4 m to 0.6 m at interval steps of 0.04 m. The number of blades of the constructed waterwheel could be changed from 9 to 12 to 18 and to 36 blades. By increasing the water mass flow rate from 0.341 to 1.765 kg/s at channel cross sectional area (12.75 cm 2 ), the undershot waterwheel generated power which increased to 0.201 Watt, the mechanical efficiency increased to more than 10.8%, and the electrical efficiency increased to more than 80.6%. But the channel efficiency was decreased to 10.9%. while the volumetric efficiency was fixed at 72.9%. The waterwheel efficiency 17.25 m 2 at fixed water mass flow rate (1.765kg/s), the undershot waterwheel generated power system decreased in the following. The generator output power from 0.201 to 0.067 Watt, the mechanical efficiency reduced to 26.7% and the electrical efficiency reduced 94.4% and increased the channel efficiency from 8.6% to 100%, the volumetric efficiency from 70.9% to 75.5%, and the waterwheel efficiency from 85.7%( to 91.3%. The transitional efficiency was fixed at 97.9%. The maximum overall efficiency of the small generated power system was 6.69% at the water head 15.45 cm. The output power was 0.18 Watt. these values obtained when the number of blades 36, number of revolutions per minute 57 rpm, waterwheel diameter 0.44 m, water mass flow rate 1.765 kg/s, and channel cross sectional area 12.75 cm 2 . The theoretical extrapolation of the waterwheel diameter to 2 m with water head of 5 m gives an output generated power of 675 Watt.(Author)

  2. A novel process for small-scale pipeline natural gas liquefaction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    He, T.B.; Ju, Y.L.

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • A novel process was proposed to liquefy natural gas by utilizing the pressure exergy. • The process is zero energy consumption. • The maximum liquefaction rate of the process is 12.61%. • The maximum exergy utilization rate is 0.1961. • The economic analysis showed that the payback period of the process is quit short. - Abstract: A novel process for small-scale pipeline natural gas liquefaction is designed and presented. The novel process can utilize the pressure exergy of the pipeline to liquefy a part of natural gas without any energy consumption. The thermodynamic analysis including mass, energy balance and exergy analysis are adopted in this paper. The liquefaction rate and exergy utilization rate are chosen as the objective functions. Several key parameters are optimized to approach the maximum liquefaction rate and exergy utilization rate. The optimization results showed that the maximum liquefaction rate is 12.61% and the maximum exergy utilization rate is 0.1961. What is more, the economic performances of the process are also discussed and compared by using the maximum liquefaction rate and exergy utilization rate as indexes. In conclusion, the novel process is suitable for pressure exergy utilization due to its simplicity, zero energy consumption and short payback period

  3. Pervasive Rise of Small-scale Deforestation in Amazonia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kalamandeen, Michelle; Gloor, Emanuel; Mitchard, Edward; Quincey, Duncan; Ziv, Guy; Spracklen, Dominick; Spracklen, Benedict; Adami, Marcos; Aragão, Luiz E O C; Galbraith, David

    2018-01-25

    Understanding forest loss patterns in Amazonia, the Earth's largest rainforest region, is critical for effective forest conservation and management. Following the most detailed analysis to date, spanning the entire Amazon and extending over a 14-year period (2001-2014), we reveal significant shifts in deforestation dynamics of Amazonian forests. Firstly, hotspots of Amazonian forest loss are moving away from the southern Brazilian Amazon to Peru and Bolivia. Secondly, while the number of new large forest clearings (>50 ha) has declined significantly over time (46%), the number of new small clearings (<1 ha) increased by 34% between 2001-2007 and 2008-2014. Thirdly, we find that small-scale low-density forest loss expanded markedly in geographical extent during 2008-2014. This shift presents an important and alarming new challenge for forest conservation, despite reductions in overall deforestation rates.

  4. The effects of maternal depression and use of antidepressants during pregnancy on risk of a child small for gestational age

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Hans Mørch; Grøn, Randi; Lidegaard, Ojvind

    2013-01-01

    Use of antidepressants during pregnancy has been associated with an increased rate of children small for gestational age (SGA), but it is unclear whether this is due to an effect of the underlying depressive disorder.......Use of antidepressants during pregnancy has been associated with an increased rate of children small for gestational age (SGA), but it is unclear whether this is due to an effect of the underlying depressive disorder....

  5. Dose-volume correlation in radiation-related late small-bowel complication

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Letschert, J.G.J.; Lebesque, J.V.; Boer, R.W. de; hart, A.A.M.; Barteling, H.

    1990-01-01

    The effects of the volume of irradiated small bowel on late small-bowel tolerance was studied, taking into account the equivalent total dose ant type of pre-irradiation surgical procedure. A method was developed to estimate small-bowel volumes in the high-bowel volumes were measured for three-field and AP-PA pelvic treatments (165 cm 3 and 400 cm 3 , respectively), extended AP-PA treatment of para-aortic and iliac nodes (1000 cm 3 ). In a retrospective study of 111 patientst irradiated after surgery for rectal or recto-sigmoid cancer to a dose of 45-50 Gy in 5 weeks, extended AP-PA pelvic treatment (n = 27) resulted in a high incidence of severe small-bowel complications (37%), whereas for limited (three-field) pelvic treatment (n = 84) the complication rate was 6%. These complication data together with data from the literature on postoperative radiation-related small-bowel complications were analysed using the maximum likelihood method to fit the data to the logistic form of the dose-response relation, taking the volume effect into account by a power law. The analysis indicated that the incidence of radiation-related small-bowel compllications was higher after rectal surgery than after other types of surgery, which might be explained by the development of more adhesions. For both types of surgery a volume exponent of the power-law of 0.26 ± 0.05 was established. This means that if the small-bowel volume is increased by a factor of 2, the total dose has to be reduced by 17% for the same incidence of small-bowel complications. (author). 45 refs.; 6 figs.; 4 tabs

  6. Entropy Analyses of Droplet Combustion in Convective Environment with Small Reynolds Number

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    ZHANG Xiaobin; ZHANG Wei; ZHANG Xuejun

    2013-01-01

    This paper analyzes the entropy generation rate of simple pure droplet combustion in a temperature-elevated air convective environment based on the solutions of flow,and heat and mass transfer between the two phases.The flow-field calculations are carried out by solving the respective conservation equations for each phase,accounting for the droplet deformation with the axisymmetric model.The effects of the temperature,velocity and oxygen fraction of the free stream air on the total entropy generation rate in the process of the droplet combustion are investigated.Special attention is given to analyze the quantitative effects of droplet deformation.The results reveal that the entropy generation rate due to chemical reaction occupies a large fraction of the total entropy generated,as a result of the large areas covered by the flame.Although,the magnitude of the entropy generation rate per volume due to heat transfer and combined mass and heat transfer has a magnitude of one order greater than that due to chemical reaction,they cover a very limited area,leading to a small fraction of the total entropy generated.The entropy generation rate due to mass transfer is negligible.High temperature and high velocity of the free stream are advantageous to increase the exergy efficiency in the range of small Reynolds number (<1) from the viewpoint of the second-law analysis over the droplet lifetime.The effect of droplet deformation on the total entropy generation is the modest.

  7. Small School Reform

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carroll E. Bronson

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available This qualitative ethnographic case study explored the evolution of a public urban high school in its 3rd year of small school reform. The study focused on how the high school proceeded from its initial concept, moving to a small school program, and emerging as a new small high school. Data collection included interviews, observations, and document review to develop a case study of one small high school sharing a multiplex building. The first key finding, “Too Many Pieces, Not Enough Glue,” revealed that the school had too many new programs starting at once and they lacked a clear understanding of their concept and vision for their new small school, training on the Montessori philosophies, teaching and learning in small schools, and how to operate within a teacher-cooperative model. The second key finding, “A Continuous Struggle,” revealed that the shared building space presented problems for teachers and students. District policies remain unchanged, resulting in staff and students resorting to activist approaches to get things done. These findings offer small school reform leaders suggestions for developing and sustaining a small school culture and cohesion despite the pressures to revert back to top-down, comprehensive high school norms.

  8. On the cooling rate of strip cast ingots for sintered NdFeB magnets

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yu, L.Q. [State Key Lab of Silicon Materials, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027 (China); Yan, M. [State Key Lab of Silicon Materials, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027 (China)]. E-mail: mse_yanmi@dial.zju.edu.cn; Wu, J.M. [State Key Lab of Silicon Materials, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027 (China); Luo, W. [State Key Lab of Silicon Materials, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027 (China); Cui, X.G. [State Key Lab of Silicon Materials, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027 (China); Ying, H.G. [State Key Lab of Silicon Materials, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027 (China)

    2007-04-30

    Effects of the cooling rate of strip cast ingots on magnetic properties of sintered NdFeB magnets were studied. It is found that the magnetic properties greatly depend on wheel speed due to different alloy microstructures, which affect readily the particle size distribution of powders obtained after the subsequent jet milling. At higher cooling rate, interlamellar spacing between Nd-rich platelets of the alloy was small, resulting in a lower saturated magnetization due to increased amounts of small particles after jet milling. With further decreasing cooling rate, the resultant larger interlamellar spacing led to too large particle sizes as well as a more irregular shape; thus deteriorated the magnetic properties of the final magnet. A model was developed to disclose the effects of particle sizes on the magnetic alignment process. In the current investigation, optimum magnetic properties of the final magnets were obtained with a cooling rate of 2.6 m/s for preparing the strip. The magnets made by conventionally cast ingot technique exhibited the lowest magnetic properties because of the slowest cooling rate.

  9. Genetic determination of mortality rate in Danish dairy cows

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Maia, Rafael Pimentel; Ask, Birgitte; Madsen, Per

    2014-01-01

    : a sire random component with pedigree representing the sire genetic effects and a herd-year-season component. Moreover, the level of heterozygosity and the sire breed proportions were included in the models as covariates in order to account for potential non-additive genetic effects due to the massive...... introduction of genetic material from other populations. The correlations between the sire components for death rate and slaughter rate were negative and small for the 3 populations, suggesting the existence of specific genetic mechanisms for each culling reason and common concurrent genetic mechanisms...

  10. 78 FR 59410 - Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer Programs...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-09-26

    ... SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION [Docket Number: 2013-0008] Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer Programs Commercialization Benchmark AGENCY: Small Business... Business Administration (SBA) is reopening the comment period for the Small Business Innovation Research...

  11. Clinical evaluation of radio and chemotherapy for small cell carcinoma of the lung

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hirota, Saeko; Imajo, Yoshinari; Gose, Kyuhei

    1985-01-01

    Sixty-nine patients with small cell carcinoma of the lung were treated at Kobe University Hospital from January 1972 to August 1982. The results of treatment were as follows. i) Five year survival rate was greater for stage III cases than for stage IV cases (p < 0.05). ii) Differences of therapeutic effects between two periods, before and after 1977, were evaluated. Cases with stage III small cell carcinoma showed a tendency forwards improved survival rate after 1977, however, no significant difference was seen with stage IV cases before and after 1977. iii) In terms of what therapy improved the survival rate, among stage III patients, 7 were treated with combination chemotherapy and radiotherapy (group A), 14 were treated with single agent chemotherapy and radiotherapy (group B) and 4 with only radiotherapy. Among stage IV cases, 9 belonged to group A and 20 to group B. Better survival rate was seen in group A compared with group B with regard to stage III, although it did not quite reach statistical significance (0.05 < p < 0.1), whereas no significant survival difference was seen with stage IV disease. iv) Significant differences of survival rate were seen between CR (complete remission) and PR (partial remission) patients (p < 0.05) and between CR and PD (progressive disease) patients (p < 0.01), as classified by preliminary therapeutic effects. v) No significant difference in survival rate was noted among the histologic subtypes. (author)

  12. The determinants of exchange rate in Croatia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Manuel BENAZIC

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available The dilemma for every country with an independent monetary policy is which kind of exchange rate arrangement should be applied. Through the exchange rate policy, countries can influence their economies, i.e. price stability and export competiveness. Croatia is a new EU member state, it has its own monetary policy and currency but it is on the way to euro introduction. Regarding the experiences from the beginning of the 1990s when Croatia was faced with serious monetary instabilities and hyperinflation, the goal of Croatian National Bank (CNB is to ensure price stability and one way to do so is through exchange rate policy. Croatia, as a small and open economy, has applied a managed floating exchange rate regime. The exchange rate is determined primarily by the foreign exchange supply and demand on the foreign exchange market, with occasional market interventions by the CNB. Therefore, in order to maintain exchange rate stability, policymakers must be able to recognize how changes in these factors affect changes in the exchange rate. This research aims to find a relationship among the main sources of foreign currency inflow and outflow and the level of exchange rate in Croatia. The analysis is carried out by using the bounds testing (ARDL approach for co-integration. The results indicate the existence of a stable co-integration relationship between the observed variables, whereby an increase in the majority of variables leads to an exchange rate appreciation.

  13. Performance Studies of Micromegas Chambers for the New Small Wheel Upgrade Project

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leontsinis S.

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The ATLAS collaboration has chosen the Micromegas technology along with the small-strip Thin Gap Chambers for the upgrade of the inner muon station in the high-rapidity region, the so called New Small Wheel upgrade project. It will employ eight layers of Micromegas and eight layers of small-strip Thin Gap Chambers per wheel. The New Small Wheel project requires fully efficient Micromegas chambers, able to cope with the maximum expected rate of 15 kHz/cm2 featuring single plane spatial resolution better than 100 μm. The Micromegas detectors will cover a total active area of ~ 1200 m2 and will be operated in a moderate magnetic field (≤ 0.3 T. Moreover, together with their precise tracking capability the New Small Wheel Micromegas chambers will contribute to the ATLAS Level-1 trigger system. Several studies have been performed on small (10 × 10 cm2 and medium (1 × 0.5 m2 size prototypes using medium (1 − 5 GeV/c and high momentum (120 – 150 GeV/c hadron beams at CERN. A brief overview of the results obtained is presented.

  14. Open heart surgery with deep hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass and more than 90 minutes of aortic cross clamp time in 10 small dogs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kippei Mihara

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available No previous reports have described cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB techniques involving long aortic cross clamp (ACC times in small-breed dogs. We previously described open heart surgery under deep hypothermic CPB in small and toy dogs with an approximate ACC time limit of 1 hour, given the low success rate beyond 90 minutes of ACC time. Herein, we describe improvements in cardiac anesthesia, CPB, and cardioplegia that led to a high success rate of open heart surgery with a long ACC time in small dogs. Ten small-breed dogs with severe mitral regurgitation were subjected to mitral valve plasty that necessitated cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB beyond 90 minutes of ACC time. In the present study, all dogs survived surgery; 7 survived to discharge. In other words, we achieved a high success rate of 70% with mitral valve plasty beyond 90 minutes of ACC time (mean, 105.1 minutes: range, 90-117 minutes. For small dogs, successful open heart surgery with a long ACC time may require cardiac balanced anesthesia, CPB with increased drainage and, importantly, thorough cardioplegia without hemodilution.

  15. A model to predict evaporation rates in habitats used by container-dwelling mosquitoes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bartlett-Healy, Kristen; Healy, Sean P; Hamilton, George C

    2011-05-01

    Container-dwelling mosquitoes use a wide variety of container habitats. The bottle cap is often cited as the smallest container habitat used by container species. When containers are small, the habitat conditions can greatly affect evaporation rates that in turn can affect the species dynamics within the container. An evaporation rate model was adapted to predict evaporation rates in mosquito container habitats. In both the laboratory and field, our model was able to predict actual evaporation rates. Examples of how the model may be applied are provided by examining the likelihood of Aedes albopictus (Skuse), Aedes aegypti (L.), and Culex pipiens pipiens (L.) completing their development within small-volume containers under typical environmental conditions and a range of temperatures. Our model suggests that under minimal direct sunlight exposure, both Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus could develop within a bottle cap before complete evaporation. Our model shows that under the environmental conditions when a plastic field container was sampled, neither Ae. albopictus or Cx. p. pipiens could complete development in that particular container before the water evaporated. Although rainfall could replenish the habitat, the effects of evaporation would increase larval density, which could in turn further decrease developmental rates.

  16. Macroeconomic stabilization and intervention policy under an exchange rate band

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Beetsma, R.M.W.J.; van der Ploeg, F.

    1998-01-01

    Macroeconomic stabilization and foreign exchange market interventions are investigated for a small open economy with a nominal exchange rate band. In a first-best situation, a band is not advisable from a stabilization perspective, even though with money demand shocks no welfare losses are incurred.

  17. Spin rate distribution of small asteroids

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Pravec, Petr; Harris, A. W.; Vokrouhlický, D.; Warner, B. D.; Kušnirák, Peter; Hornoch, Kamil; Pray, D. P.; Higgins, D.; Oey, J.; Galád, Adrián; Gajdoš, Š.; Kornoš, L.; Világi, J.; Husárik, M.; Krugly, Yu. N.; Shevchenko, V. G.; Chiorny, V. G.; Gaftonyuk, N. M.; Cooney jr., W. R.; Gross, J.; Terrell, D.; Stephens, R.; Dyvig, R.; Reddy, V.; Ries, J.G.; Colas, F.; Lecacheux, J.; Durkee, R.; Masi, G.; Koff, R.; Goncalves, R.

    2008-01-01

    Roč. 197, č. 2 (2008), s. 497-504 ISSN 0019-1035 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA205/05/0604 Grant - others: NASA (US) NAG5-13244; NASA (US) NNG06GI32G; VEGA(SK) 1/3074/06; VEGA(SK) 1/3067/06; VEGA(SK) 2/7009/27 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10030501 Keywords : asteroids rotation * photometry * near-Earth objects Subject RIV: BN - Astronomy, Celestial Mechanics, Astrophysics Impact factor: 3.268, year: 2008

  18. Imaging of small amounts of pleural fluid. Part one - small pleural effusions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kocijancic, I.

    2005-01-01

    Background. Small pleural effusions are not readily identified on conventional radiographic views of the chest, but may be an important finding, sometimes leading, via thoracocentesis, to a definitive diagnosis of pleural carcinomatosis, infection or transudate. A small meniscus sign and a medial displacement of the costophrenic angle are the only subtle signs of small accumulations of fluid on posteroanterior chest X-rays. On lateral views the finding of a small meniscus sign in the posterior costophrenic angle is the sign of small pleural effusion. Conclusions. Lateral decubitus chest radiographs were used for many years for the diagnosis of small pleural effusions. In last decades ultrasonography of pleural space becomes a leading real-time method for demonstrating small pleural effusions. (author)

  19. Alternative Monetary Policy Rules in a Small Open Economy with Financial Frictions: The Case of Korea

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yongseung Jung

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available This paper first shows an empirical result of VAR that Korean economy has experienced a severe economic contraction to an exogenous country spread shock. To analyze the effect of alternative monetary policy on the economy, the paper sets up a multi-sector small open economy new Keynesian (NK hereafter model with financial frictions due to asymmetric information between firms and financial intermediaries along the line of Bernanke et al. (1999. It shows that the small economy with financial frictions is more vulnerable to the exogenous shocks such as the foreign exchange rate shock under the fixed exchange rate regime than under the flexible exchange regime. It also shows that the interest rate rule that responds to financial market conditions is better than any other interest rate rules only if it does not react to the exchange rate fluctuations. Moreover, an interest rate rule that responds to the exchange rate fluctuations, i.e. the monetary policy under the managed floating exchange rate regime is inferior to the monetary policy rules that do not respond to the exchange rate fluctuations. Finally, it shows that the monetary authority needs to stabilize a narrow price index such as domestic price index rather than a general price index such as consumer price index under the financial friction circumstances.

  20. A high resolution, high counting rate bidimensional, MWPC imaging detector for small angle X-ray diffraction studies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bateman, J.E.; Connolly, J.F.; Sawyer, E.C.; Stephenson, R.

    1981-07-01

    The performance is reported of a 200 mm x 200 mm X-ray imaging MWPC aimed at applications in small angle X-ray diffraction and scattering. With quantum energies of approximately 8 keV high spatial resolution (+- 0.5 mm x +- 0.14 mm) with a capability for data taking at >approximately 350 kHz is reported. The detection efficiency is approximately 75% and the detector operates as a sealed unit with a long lifetime. (author)