On possible contribution of standing wave like spacer dynamics in polymer liquid crystals to quasi-elastic cold neutron scattering spectra

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jecl, R.; Cvikl, B.

1998-01-01

The quasi-elastic cold neutron incoherent scattering law, QNS, for the assumed case of transversal standing wave type of motion of the linear chain a spacer-of the polyacrylate polymer liquid crystal, based upon the random walk of the particle between two perfectly potential barriers, is derived. The spacer protons are taken to vibrate (within the stationary plane) transversely to the line joining the oxygen atoms in a way where they are all simultaneously displaced in the same direction with amplitudes of the standing wave fundamental mode of the vibration excited. The calculated relevant incoherent scattering law is found to be a non-distinct function of the scattering vector Q, in the sense that the postulated dynamical effect of the spacer protons causes the peak value of the calculated incoherent scattering law, S(Q,ω), to remain constant throughout the experimentally accessible range of the scattering vector Q. It appears that, when the experimental resolution broadening effects is taken into account, the contribution of the postulated dynamical behavior to the measured QNS spectra might be small, particularly so, if dome additional motion of the scatters is present, and consequently the standing wave like spacer dynamics in polymer liquid crystals will be very difficult to be identified uniquely in the quasielastic neutron scattering experiments.(author)

Basic Stand Alone Medicare Inpatient Claims PUF

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — This release contains the Basic Stand Alone (BSA) Inpatient Public Use Files (PUF) named CMS 2008 BSA Inpatient Claims PUF with information from 2008 Medicare...

Basic Stand Alone Carrier Line Items PUF

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — This release contains the Basic Stand Alone (BSA) Carrier Line Items Public Use Files (PUF) with information from Medicare Carrier claims. The CMS BSA Carrier Line...

Stand-alone wind system with Vanadium Redox Battery energy storage

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Teodorescu, Remus; Barote, L.; Weissbach, R.

2008-01-01

Energy storage devices are required for power balance and power quality in stand alone wind energy systems. A Vanadium Redox Flow Battery (VRB) system has many features which make its integration with a stand-alone wind energy system attractive. This paper proposes the integration of a VRB system...... with a typical stand-alone wind energy system during wind speed variation as well as transient performance under variable load. The investigated system consists of a variable speed wind turbine with permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG), diode rectifier bridge, buck-boost converter, bidirectional charge...... controller, transformer, inverter, ac loads and VRB (to store a surplus of wind energy and to supply power during a wind power shortage). The main purpose is to supply domestic appliances through a single phase 230V, 50Hz inverter. Simulations are accomplished in order to validate the stability of the supply....

Basic Stand Alone Skilled Nursing Facility Beneficiary PUF

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — This release contains the Basic Stand Alone (BSA) Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Beneficiary Public Use Files (PUF) with information from Medicare SNF claims. The...

Models for a stand-alone PV system

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, A.D.; Sørensen, Poul Ejnar; Hansen, L.H.

2001-01-01

are based on the model descriptions found in the literature. The battery model is developed at UMASS and is known as the Kinetic Battery Model(KiBaM). The other component models in the PV system are based on simple electrical knowledge. The implementation is done using Matlab/Simulink, a simulation program......This report presents a number of models for modelling and simulation of a stand-alone photovoltaic (PV) system with a battery bank verified against a system installed at Risø National Laboratory. The work has been supported by the Danish Ministry ofEnergy, as a part of the activities in the Solar...... Energy Centre Denmark. The study is carried out at Risø National Laboratory with the main purpose to establish a library of simple mathematical models for each individual element of a stand-alone PVsystem, namely solar cells, battery, controller, inverter and load. The models for PV module and battery...

Basic Stand Alone Medicare DME Line Items PUF

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — This release contains the Basic Stand Alone (BSA) Durable Medical Equipment (DME) Line Items Public Use Files (PUF) with information from Medicare DME claims. The...

PEEK Cages versus PMMA Spacers in Anterior Cervical Discectomy: Comparison of Fusion, Subsidence, Sagittal Alignment, and Clinical Outcome with a Minimum 1-Year Follow-Up

Science.gov (United States)

Krüger, Marie T.; Sircar, Ronen; Kogias, Evangelos; Scholz, Christoph; Volz, Florian; Scheiwe, Christian; Hubbe, Ulrich

2014-01-01

Purpose. To compare radiographic and clinical outcomes after anterior cervical discectomy in patients with cervical degenerative disc disease using PEEK cages or PMMA spacers with a minimum 1-year follow-up. Methods. Anterior cervical discectomy was performed in 107 patients in one or two levels using empty PEEK cages (51 levels), Sulcem PMMA spacers (49 levels) or Palacos PMMA spacers (41 levels) between January, 2005 and February, 2009. Bony fusion, subsidence, and sagittal alignment were retrospectively assessed in CT scans and radiographs at follow-up. Clinical outcome was measured using the VAS, NDI, and SF-36. Results. Bony fusion was assessed in 65% (PEEK cage), 57% (Sulcem), and 46% (Palacos) after a mean follow-up of 2.5 years. Mean subsidence was 2.3–2.6 mm without significant differences between the groups. The most pronounced loss of lordosis was found in PEEK cages (−4.1°). VAS was 3.1 (PEEK cage), 3.6 (Sulcem), and 2.7 (Palacos) without significant differences. Functional outcome in the PEEK cage and Palacos group was superior to the Sulcem group. Conclusions. The substitute groups showed differing fusion rates. Clinical outcome, however, appears to be generally not correlated with fusion status or subsidence. We could not specify a superior disc substitute for anterior cervical discectomy. This trial is registered with DRKS00003591. PMID:25110734

The relationship between cervical lordosis and Nurick scores in patients undergoing circumferential vs. posterior alone cervical decompression, instrumentation and fusion for treatment of cervical spondylotic myelopathy.

Science.gov (United States)

Patel, Shalin; Glivar, Phillip; Asgarzadie, Farbod; Cheng, David Juma Wayne; Danisa, Olumide

2017-11-01

The loss of regional cervical sagittal alignment and the progressive development of cervical kyphosis is a factor in the advancement of myelopathy. Adequate decompression of the spinal canal along with reestablishment of cervical lordosis are desired objective with regard to the surgical treatment of patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy. A retrospective chart review was conducted in which patients who underwent either a combined anterior/posterior instrumentation and decompression or a posterior alone instrumentation and decompression for the treatment of CSM at our institution were identified. Any patient undergoing operative intervention for trauma, infection or tumors were excluded. Similarly, patients undergoing posterior instrumentation with constructs extending beyond the level of C2-C7 were similarly excluded from this study. A total of 67 patients met the inclusion criteria for this study. A total of 32 patients underwent posterior alone surgery and the remaining 35 underwent combined anterior/posterior procedure. Radiographic evaluation of patient's preoperative and postoperative cervical lordosis as measured by the C2-C7 Cobb angle was performed. Each patient's preoperative and postoperative functional disability as enumerated by the Nurick score was also recorded. Statistical analysis was conducted to determine if there was a significant relationship between improvement in cervical lordosis and improvement in patient's clinical outcomes as enumerated by the Nurick Score in patients undergoing posterior alone versus combined anterior/posterior decompression, instrumentation and fusion of the cervical spine. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Application of a stand-alone interbody fusion cage based on a novel porous TiO2/glass composite. I. Implantation in the sheep cervical spine and radiological evaluation].

Science.gov (United States)

Korinth, M C; Hero, T; Mahnken, A H; Ragoss, C; Scherer, K

2004-12-01

Animals are becoming more and more common as in vitro and in vivo models for the human spine. Especially the sheep cervical spine is stated to be of good comparability and usefulness in the evaluation of in vivo radiological, biomechanical and histological behaviour of new bone replacement materials, implants and cages for cervical spine interbody fusion. In preceding biomechanical in vitro examination human cervical spine specimens were tested after fusion with either a cubical stand-alone interbody fusion cage manufactured from a new porous TiO/glass composite (Ecopore) or polymethyl-methacrylate (PMMA) after discectomy. First experience with the use of the new material and its influence on the primary stability after in vitro application were gained. After fusion of 10 sheep cervical spines in the levels C2/3 and C4/5 in each case with PMMA and with an Ecopore-cage, radiologic as well as computertomographic examinations were performed postoperatively and every 4 weeks during the following 2 and 4 months, respectively. Apart from establishing our animal model, we analysed the radiological changes and the degree of bony fusion of the operated segments during the course. In addition we performed measurements of the corresponding disc space heights (DSH) and intervertebral angles (IVA) for comparison among each other, during the course and with the initial values. Immediately after placement of both implants in the disc spaces the mean DSH and IVA increased (34.8% and 53.9%, respectively). During the following months DSH decreased to a greater extent in the Ecopore-segments than in the PMMA-segments, even to a value below the initial value (p>0.05). Similarly, the IVA decreased in both groups in the postoperative time lapse, but more distinct in the Ecopore-segments (pmodel of the sheep cervical spine. Distinct radiological changes regarding evident subsidence and detectable fusion of the segments, operated on with the new biomaterial, were seen. We demonstrated the

Models for a stand-alone PV system[Photovoltaic

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hansen, A.D.; Soerensen, P.; Hansen, L.H.; Bindner, H.

2000-12-01

This report presents a number of models for modelling and simulation of a stand-alone photovoltaic (PV) system with a battery bank verified against a system installed at Risoe National Laboratory. The work has been supported by the Danish Ministry of Energy, as a part of the activities in the Solar Energy Centre Denmark. The study is carried out at Risoe National Laboratory with the main purpose to establish a library of simple mathematical models for each individual element of a stand-alone PV system, namely solar cells, battery, controller, inverter and load. The models for PV module and battery are based on the model descriptions found in the literature. The battery model is developed at UMASS and is known as the Kinetic Battery Model (KiBaM). The other component models in the PV system are based on simple electrical knowledge. The implementation is done using Matlab/Simulink, a simulation program that provides a graphical interface for building models as modular block diagrams. The non-linear behaviour of the battery, observed in the measurements, is investigated and compared to the KiBaM model's performance. A set of linear Black box models are estimated based on the battery measurements. The performance of the best linear Black box model is compared to the KiBaM model. A validation of each of the implemented mathematical model is performed by an interactive analysis and comparison between simulation results and measurements, acquired from the stand-alone PV system at Risoe. (au)

Procedures for Determining the Performance of Stand-Alone Photovoltaic Systems; TOPICAL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

DeBlasio, R.; Durand, S.; Hansen, R.; Hutchinson, P.; Kroposki, B.; McNutt, P.; Rosenthal, A.; Thomas, M.

1999-01-01

This document provides the procedures for determining the performance of stand-alone PV systems. The procedures in this document provide a common approach for evaluating whether a given PV system is suitable to perform the function for which it was designed and manufactured to accomplish, and whether it will provide adequate power to run the load. These procedures cover small stand-alone PV systems. They cover complete outdoor system testing. Test results are valid only for the system that is tested

Stand-alone photovoltaic systems in the Netherlands. Evaluation of the market introduction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cloin, J.; Van Dijk, A.L.; Westra, C.A.

1999-08-01

The policy followed for stand-alone PV systems in the Netherlands is evaluated for the period 1997-1998. The world-wide powerful growth of the PV industry is not being followed by the increase in volume of implemented stand-alone PV systems in the Netherlands. This leads to the question whether the Dutch policy to stimulate stand-alone PV systems is effective. Recommendations on the use of communication as a strategic instrument are given, including the drawing up of a marketing plan. Other recommendations include increased transparency in the application for subsidies and a pro-active role of the Netherlands Agency for Energy and the Environment (Novem) in the contact with relevant market parties. The increased focus on product development aimed at the environmental benefits and general reliability of PV systems is recommended. 38 refs

Stand-alone induction generators for small water power schemes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Harvey, Adam [Intermediate Technology Development Group, Rugby (United Kingdom); Smith, Nigel [Smith Associates, Nottingham (United Kingdom)

1996-04-01

Conventional technology for isolated power generation is the synchronous generator. Using stand-alone induction generators has proved to have tremendous advantages in remote regions of developing countries, where electricity has significant social benefits. (author)

Clinical outcome of stand-alone ALIF compared to posterior instrumentation for degenerative disc disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Udby, Peter M.; Bech-Azeddine, Rachid

2015-01-01

The objective of the article was to: a) present results from a case cohort pilot study comparing stand-alone ALIF and TLIF and, b) review the literature on studies comparing the clinical outcome of stand-alone ALIF with posterior instrumentation including TLIF or PLIF, in patients with disabling...... low back pain resulting from degenerative disc disease. ALIF surgery has previously been linked with certain high risk complications and unfavorable long term fusion results. Newer studies suggest that stand-alone ALIF can possibly be advantageous compared to other types of posterior instrumented...

Biomechanical Analysis of an Expandable Lumbar Interbody Spacer.

Science.gov (United States)

Soriano-Baron, Hector; Newcomb, Anna G U S; Malhotra, Devika; Palma, Atilio E; Martinez-Del-Campo, Eduardo; Crawford, Neil R; Theodore, Nicholas; Kelly, Brian P; Kaibara, Taro

2018-06-01

Recently developed expandable interbody spacers are widely accepted in spinal surgery; however, the resulting biomechanical effects of their use have not yet been fully studied. We analyzed the biomechanical effects of an expandable polyetheretherketone interbody spacer inserted through a bilateral posterior approach with and without different modalities of posterior augmentation. Biomechanical nondestructive flexibility testing was performed in 7 human cadaveric lumbar (L2-L5) specimens followed by axial compressive loading. Each specimen was tested under 6 conditions: 1) intact, 2) bilateral L3-L4 cortical screw/rod (CSR) alone, 3) WaveD alone, 4) WaveD + CSR, 5) WaveD + bilateral L3-L4 pedicle screw/rod (PSR), and 6) WaveD + CSR/PSR, where CSR/PSR was a hybrid construct comprising bilateral cortical-level L3 and pedicle-level L4 screws interconnected by rods. The range of motion (ROM) with the interbody spacer alone decreased significantly compared with the intact condition during flexion-extension (P = 0.02) but not during lateral bending or axial rotation (P ≥ 0.19). The addition of CSR or PSR to the interbody spacer alone condition significantly decreased the ROM compared with the interbody spacer alone (P ≤ 0.002); and WaveD + CSR, WaveD + PSR, and WaveD + CSR/PSR (hybrid) (P ≥ 0.29) did not differ. The axial compressive stiffness (resistance to change in foraminal height during compressive loading) with the interbody spacer alone did not differ from the intact condition (P = 0.96), whereas WaveD + posterior instrumentation significantly increased compressive stiffness compared with the intact condition and the interbody spacer alone (P ≤ 0.001). The WaveD alone significantly reduced ROM during flexion-extension while maintaining the axial compressive stiffness. CSR, PSR, and CSR/PSR hybrid constructs were all effective in augmenting the expandable interbody spacer system and improving its stability. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All

Stand-alone solutions, computer networks and extern communications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tarschisch, H.

1988-01-01

The advantages of local networks over stand-alone solutions are presented. Of the local networks (LAN), two are presently at the center of attention: the bus and the ring. ETHERNET and the IBM-Token-Ring are described as typical examples. Access to public networks, especially TELEPAC and ISDN, is discussed. 12 figs

Connecting embedded and stand-alone peer mentoring models to enhance student engagement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rhys Cooper

2018-03-01

Full Text Available This paper outlines the Trident Student Mentoring Program that runs in the College of Engineering at Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia. The program offers both embedded and stand-alone models of peer mentoring services to the same cohort of first-year students. It shows that by forming strong links between these two types of peer mentoring models, the inherent challenges of both, such as low attendance rates in stand-alone models and short periods of peer to peer time in embedded models, are mitigated.

Sensorless direct voltage control of the stand-alone brushless doubly-fed generator

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Liu, Yi; Xu, Wei; Xiong, Fei

2017-01-01

The conventional stand-alone brushless doubly-fed generator (BDFG) control strategies need the feedback from the rotor position or speed sensors, which can reduce system reliability and increase the cost and axial volume of the machine. In this paper, a sensorless direct voltage control (DVC) str......) strategy is presented for the stand-alone BDFG. The satisfactory dynamic performance is verified by experimental results under four kinds of typical operation conditions. Besides, the proposed control strategy is robust due to no generator parameters being required....

Unilateral cervical plexus block for prosthetic laryngoplasty in the standing horse.

Science.gov (United States)

Campoy, L; Morris, T B; Ducharme, N G; Gleed, R D; Martin-Flores, M

2018-04-20

Locoregional anaesthetic techniques can facilitate certain surgeries being performed under standing procedural sedation. The second and third spinal cervical nerves (C2, C3) are part of the cervical plexus and provide sensory innervation to the peri-laryngeal structures in people; block of these nerves might permit laryngeal lateralisation surgery in horses. To describe the anatomical basis for an ultrasound-guided cervical plexus block in horses. To compare this block with conventional local anaesthetic tissue infiltration in horses undergoing standing prosthetic laryngoplasty. Cadaveric study followed by a double-blinded prospective clinical trial. A fresh equine cadaver was dissected to characterise the distribution of C2 and C3 to the perilaryngeal structures on the left side. A second cadaver was utilised to correlate ultrasound images with the previously identified structures; a tissue marker was injected to confirm the feasibility of an ultrasound-guided approach to the cervical plexus. In the clinical study, horses were assigned to two groups, CP (n = 17; cervical plexus block) and INF (n = 17; conventional tissue infiltration). Data collection and analyses included time to completion of surgical procedure, sedation time, surgical field conditions and surgeon's perception of block quality. We confirmed that C2 and C3 provided innervation to the perilaryngeal structures. The nerve root of C2 was identified ultrasonographically located between the longus capitis and the cleidomastoideus muscles, caudal to the parotid gland. The CP group was deemed to provide better (Pblock is a viable alternative to tissue infiltration and it improves the surgical field conditions. © 2018 EVJ Ltd.

The stand-alone test and decreasing serial cost sharing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hougaard, Jens Leth; Thorlund-Petersen, Lars

2000-01-01

The rule of decreasing serial cost sharing defined in de Frutos [1] over the class of concave cost functions may violate the important stand-alone test. Sufficient conditions for the test to be satisfied are given, in terms of individual rationality as well as coalitional stability...

Availability model of stand-alone photovoltaic system

Science.gov (United States)

Mazurek, G.

2017-08-01

In this paper we present a simple, empirical model of stand-alone photovoltaic power system availability. The model is a final result of five-year long studies and ground measurements of solar irradiation carried out in Central Europe. The obtained results facilitate sizing of PV modules that have to be installed with taking into account system's availability level in each month of a year. The model can be extended to different geographical locations, with help of local meteorological data or solar irradiation datasets derived from satellite measurements.

Input of biomass in stand-alone small-scale installations for power generation. Calculation of the financial gap

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Tilburg, X.; De Vries, H.J.; Pfeiffer, A.E.; Beekes, M.; Cleijne, J.W.

2005-09-01

A number of new initiatives in which bio-oil is used in stand-alone plants for power generation has been reviewed. The question to be answered is whether the reference case for stand alone biomass projects based on burning of wood chips can still be considered representative for the costs and benefits in this category. ECN, in cooperation with KEMA, have determined the financial gap between the costs and benefits of projects in which bio-oil is used in stand alone plants for power generation. The ranges and reference case for bio-oil in stand alone applications show that these projects have a substantially lower financial gap than the current reference case based on wood chips [nl

Environmental/Climatic Effect on Stand-Alone Solar Energy Supply ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This paper investigates the climatic eects and environmental variations on the performance of a stand-alone photovoltaic system. The eects of partial shading with dierent climate conditions and load resistance variations were examined. A survey of some of the work done in this eld of environmental eect on solar panel was ...

Modelling of fluid-solid interaction using two stand-alone codes

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Grobler, Jan H

2010-01-01

Full Text Available A method is proposed for the modelling of fluid-solid interaction in applications where fluid forces dominate. Data are transferred between two stand-alone codes: a dedicated computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code capable of free surface modelling...

Analysis and controller design for stand-alone VSIs in synchronous reference frame

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ramezani, Malek; Li, Shuhui; Golestan, Saeed

2017-01-01

-by-step graphical analysis and design approach for a three-phase stand-alone VSI system in the dq reference frame, which provides a clear systematic decoupling process to design the inner- and outer-loop current and voltage controllers, respectively. The closed-loop d- and q-axis output impedances of the stand......-alone VSI system by considering the coupling effects between axes are also formulated, modelled, and evaluated. The study investigates how the decoupling and compensating terms added in the current and voltage controllers affect the dynamic performance and output dq impedances of the VSI system. Simulation...... and hardware results verify the effectiveness of the graphic design and analysis strategy....

Ampere hour method of sizing a stand alone photovoltaic system ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Stand-alone photovoltaic power systems are natural options for application in electrification of remote areas which are not served by the grid electricity supply system. An ampere-hour ... Sizing of the balance-of-system were carefully handled to avoid undersizing or oversizing and subsequent variation in supply reliability.

Hybrid Configuration of Darrieus and Savonius Rotors for Stand-alone Power Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Wakui, Tetsuya; Tanzawa, Yoshiaki; Hashizume, Takumi; Nagao, Toshio

The suitable hybrid configuration of Darrieus lift-type and Savonius drag-type rotors for stand-alone wind turbine-generator systems is discussed using our dynamic simulation model. Two types of hybrid configurations are taken up: Type-A installs the Savonius rotor inside the Darrieus rotor and Type-B installs the Savonius rotor outside the Darrieus rotor. The computed results of the output characteristics and the dynamic behaviors of the system operated at the maximum power coefficient points show that Type-A, which has fine operating behavior to wind speed changes and can be compactly designed because of a shorter rotational shaft, is an effective way for self-controlled stand-alone small-scale systems.

The Stand-alone Heliostat

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garcia Navajas, G. I.; Egea Gea, A.

2000-01-01

The first Autonomous Heliostat has been developed by CIEMAT at PSA facilities in Almeria. This heliostat is an innovative approach to reducing the civil engineering work costs in heliostat fields of central tower plants. Channels, cables and other electric elements have been eliminated in the new heliostat. Thus, one 70-nr, classical T glass/metal heliostat has been adapted to include all the new stand-alone concept components. A PV system is able to drive two sun-tracking DC motors between 5 and 24Vdc, 0 and 15A. The heliostat communicates with the control room 400-m away by using a radio-modem working at 9600 baud. An anemometer, a wind switcher, light and ambient temperature sensors have been installed on the heliostat for self-protection decision-making. A PV panel integrated into the heliostat reflecting surface, eliminates cabling and other elements required for a conventional power supply. Communication lines between master control and local control have been replaced by radio-modem. Testing has validated the technical feasibility of the prototype and quantified the real consumption and efficiencies of new elements. The extra costs produced.by the autonomous concepts are compared with the cost of civil work in conventional heliostat field. (Author) 8 refs

Size-Prediction Analysis for Stand-Alone Photovoltaic System

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Erusiafe, N. E.; Chendo, M. A. C.

2002-01-01

The cost - effectiveness of photovoltaic (PV) generator depends, among others, on its ability to satisfy energy demand and the cost of achieving this. In this work a step - by - step procedure for predicting the size of the main components of a stand - alone PV system (array and storage) is presented. The results yield an expression which can he used lo determine the size of both components at optimum cost and desired reliability. The result from this work compare favourably with some earlier works in that, the system sizes shows some degree of agreement

Optimal sizing method for stand-alone photovoltaic power systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Groumpos, P P; Papageorgiou, G

1987-01-01

The total life-cycle cost of stand-alone photovoltaic (SAPV) power systems is mathematically formulated. A new optimal sizing algorithm for the solar array and battery capacity is developed. The optimum value of a balancing parameter, M, for the optimal sizing of SAPV system components is derived. The proposed optimal sizing algorithm is used in an illustrative example, where a more economical life-cycle cost has bene obtained. The question of cost versus reliability is briefly discussed.

Integral type small PWR with stand-alone safety

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Makihara, Yoshiaki

2001-01-01

A feasibility study is achieved on an integral type small PWR with stand-alone safety. It is designed to have the following features. (1) The coolant does not leak out at any accidental condition. (2) The fuel failure does never occur while it is supposed on the large scale PWR at the design base accident. (3) At any accidental condition the safety is secured without any support from the outside (stand-alone safety secure). (4) It has self-regulating characteristics and easy controllability. The above features can be satisfied by integrate the steam generator and CRDM in the reactor vessel while the pipe line break has to be considered on the conventional PWR. Several counter measures are planned to satisfy the above features. The economy feature is also attained by several simplifications such as (1) elimination of main coolant piping and pressurizer by the integration of primary cooling system and self-pressurizing, (2) elimination of RCP by application of natural circulating system, (3) elimination of ECCS and accumulator by application of static safety system, (4) large scale volume reduction of the container vessel by application of integrated primary cooling system, (5) elimination of boric acid treatment by deletion of chemical shim. The long operation period such as 10 years can be attained by the application of Gd fuel in one batch refueling. The construction period can be shortened by the standardizing the design and the introduction of modular component system. Furthermore the applicability of the reduced modulation core is also considered. (K. Tsuchihashi)

A maximum power point tracking scheme for a 1kw stand-alone ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A maximum power point tracking scheme for a 1kw stand-alone solar energy based power supply. ... Nigerian Journal of Technology ... A method for efficiently maximizing the output power of a solar panel supplying a load or battery bus under ...

Minimum cost solution of wind–photovoltaic based stand-alone power systems for remote consumers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaldellis, J.K.; Zafirakis, D.; Kavadias, K.

2012-01-01

Renewable energy sources (RES) based stand-alone systems employing either wind or solar power and energy storage comprise a reliable energy alternative, on top of conventional diesel-electric generator sets, commonly used by remote consumers. However, such systems usually imply the need for oversizing and considerable energy storage requirements leading to relatively high costs. On the other hand, hybrid configurations that may exploit both wind and solar potential of a given area may considerably reduce energy storage capacity and improve the economic performance of the system. In this context, an integrated techno-economic methodology for the evaluation of hybrid wind–photovoltaic stand-alone power systems is currently developed, aiming at the designation of optimum configurations for a typical remote consumer, using economic performance criteria. For the problem investigation, the developed evaluation model is applied to four representative areas of the Greek territory with different wind potential characteristics in order to obtain optimum configurations on the basis of minimum initial investment, 10-year and 20-year total cost. According to the results obtained, the proposed solution is favorably compared with all other stand-alone energy alternatives, reflecting the ability of hybrid systems to adjust even in areas where the local RES potential is not necessarily of high quality. - Highlights: ► Wind- and PV-stand alone systems often imply use of extreme battery capacity. ► Hybrid wind–PV systems may reduce energy storage requirements and associated costs. ► An optimization methodology is developed, based on economic performance criteria. ► Methodology is applied to four Greek regions of different wind potential. ► Results obtained reflect the hybrid solution's advantages over other alternatives.

A Three-Port Topology Comparison for a Low Power Stand-Alone Photovoltaic System

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mira Albert, Maria del Carmen; Knott, Arnold; Andersen, Michael A. E.

2014-01-01

Three-port converter (TPC) topologies for renewable energy systems aim to provide higher efficiency and power density than conventional cascaded structures. This work proposes an analytical comparison of different TPC topologies for a photovoltaic LED lamp stand-alone system. A comparison using c...... component stress factor (CSF) is performed, which gives a quantitative measure of the performance of the converter. The candidate topologies are compared to each other according to a defined LED lighting strategy and a solar irradiation profile.......Three-port converter (TPC) topologies for renewable energy systems aim to provide higher efficiency and power density than conventional cascaded structures. This work proposes an analytical comparison of different TPC topologies for a photovoltaic LED lamp stand-alone system. A comparison using...

Modeling, Design and Simulation of Stand-Alone Photovoltaic Power Systems with Battery Storage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abd Essalam BADOUD

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Stand alone renewable energy based on photovoltaic systems accompanied with battery storage system are beginning to play an important role over the world to supply power to remote areas. The objective of the study reported in this paper is to elaborate and design a bond graphs model for sizing stand-alone domestic solar photovoltaic electricity systems and simulating the performance of the systems in a tropical climate. The systems modelled consist of an array of PV modules, a lead-acid battery, and a number of direct current appliances. This paper proposes the combination of lead acid battery system with a typical stand alone photovoltaic energy system under variable loads. The main activities of this work purpose to establish library graphical models for each individual component of standalone photovoltaic system. Control strategy has been considered to achieve permanent power supply to the load via photovoltaic/battery based on the power available from the sun. The complete model was simulated under two testing including sunny and cloudy conditions. Simulation of the system using Symbols software was performed and the results of simulation show the superior stable control system and high efficiency. These results have been contrasted with real measured data from a measurement campaign plant carried on electrical engineering laboratory of Grenoble using various interconnection schemes are presented.

Magnetic field measurements near stand-alone transformer stations.

Science.gov (United States)

Kandel, Shaiela; Hareuveny, Ronen; Yitzhak, Nir-Mordechay; Ruppin, Raphael

2013-12-01

Extremely low-frequency (ELF) magnetic field (MF) measurements around and above three stand-alone 22/0.4-kV transformer stations have been performed. The low-voltage (LV) cables between the transformer and the LV switchgear were found to be the major source of strong ELF MFs of limited spatial extent. The strong fields measured above the transformer stations support the assessment method, to be used in future epidemiological studies, of classifying apartments located right above the transformer stations as highly exposed to MFs. The results of the MF measurements above the ground around the transformer stations provide a basis for the assessment of the option of implementing precautionary procedures.

Stand-Alone Microgrid Inverter Controller Design for Nonlinear, Unbalanced Load with Output Transformer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jae-Uk Lim

2018-04-01

Full Text Available This paper proposes a technique that compensates for unbalance and nonlinearity in microgrid inverters with power transformers operating in stand-alone mode. When a microgrid inverter is operating in stand-alone mode, providing high-quality power is very important. When an unbalanced, nonlinear load is connected, zero sequence current and negative sequence current occur, which leads to an unbalanced output voltage. This paper examines why the zero sequence component occurs differently depending on the structure of a three-phase transformer connected to the inverter output terminal, and it proposes a method for controlling the zero sequence component. It also uses a resonant controller to remove the harmonics that correspond to the negative sequence component and the nonlinear component. The proposed elements were verified by a Powersim (PSIM simulation.

Enhanced current and voltage regulators for stand-alone applications

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Federico, de Bosio; Pastorelli, Michele; Antonio DeSouza Ribeiro, Luiz

2016-01-01

State feedback decoupling permits to achieve a better dynamic response for Voltage Source in stand-alone applications. The design of current and voltage regulators is performed in the discrete-time domain since it provides better accuracy and allows direct pole placement. As the attainable...... bandwidth of the current loop is mainly limited by computational and PWM delays, a lead compensator structure is proposed to overcome this limitation. The design of the voltage regulator is based on the Nyquist criterion, verifying to guarantee a high sensitivity peak. Discrete-time domain implementation...

Secure stand alone positive personnel identity verification system (SSA-PPIV)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Merillat, P.D.

1979-03-01

The properties of a secure stand-alone positive personnel identity verification system are detailed. The system is designed to operate without the aid of a central computing facility and the verification function is performed in the absence of security personnel. Security is primarily achieved by means of data encryption on a magnetic stripe badge. Several operational configurations are discussed. Advantages and disadvantages of this system compared to a central computer driven system are detailed

Study on Soft Phase Locked Method to Solving the Synchronization Problem of Active Power Filter in Stand-alone Power Grid

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhuo, Fang; Wu, Longhui; Chen, Zhe

2009-01-01

on zero-cross detection can't work effectively in small rating stand-alone power grid. Then a soft phase locked loop with additional filter is proposed. It can lock the phase angle on to the positive sequence of fundamental voltage accurately and rapidly. It ensures the performance of APF applied...... in the small rating stand-alone power grid. Moreover, the soft phase locked loop is easy to be implemented in a Digital Signal Processor (DSP). Simulation and experimental results validate that the soft phase locked loop has satisfactory performance.......Traditional LC filters can't work stably in small rating stand-alone power grid. So active power filter (APF) is becoming an important tool to solve the power quality problem in small rating stand-alone power grid. In most current detection algorithm of APF, it needs a synchronizing signal. Firstly...

Stand-alone version of the 11kW Gaia wind turbine

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bindner, H.; Rosas, P.A.C.; Teodorescu, R.

2004-01-01

This report describes the development of a stand-alone version of the 11kW Gaia wind turbine. Various possible configurations are investigated and a configuration using a back-to-back converter is chosen. A model is developed for controller design of thefast controllers of the unit. Controllers...... assessment and controller design a dynamic performance assessment model has been developed....

Structure Optimization of Stand-Alone Renewable Power Systems Based on Multi Object Function

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jae-Hoon Cho

2016-08-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a methodology for the size optimization of a stand-alone hybrid PV/wind/diesel/battery system while considering the following factors: total annual cost (TAC, loss of power supply probability (LPSP, and the fuel cost of the diesel generator required by the user. A new optimization algorithm and an object function (including a penalty method are also proposed; these assist with designing the best structure for a hybrid system satisfying the constraints. In hybrid energy system sources such as photovoltaic (PV, wind, diesel, and energy storage devices are connected as an electrical load supply. Because the power produced by PV and wind turbine sources is dependent on the variation of the resources (sun and wind and the load demand fluctuates, such a hybrid system must be able to satisfy the load requirements at any time and store the excess energy for use in deficit conditions. Therefore, reliability and cost are the two main criteria when designing a stand-alone hybrid system. Moreover, the operation of a diesel generator is important to achieve greater reliability. In this paper, TAC, LPSP, and the fuel cost of the diesel generator are considered as the objective variables and a hybrid teaching–learning-based optimization algorithm is proposed and used to choose the best structure of a stand-alone hybrid PV/wind/diesel/battery system. Simulation results from MATLAB support the effectiveness of the proposed method and confirm that it is more efficient than conventional methods.

Stand-Alone Personalized Normative Feedback for College Student Drinkers: A Meta-Analytic Review, 2004 to 2014.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Keri B Dotson

Full Text Available Norms clarification has been identified as an effective component of college student drinking interventions, prompting research on norms clarification as a single-component intervention known as Personalized Normative Feedback (PNF. Previous reviews have examined PNF in combination with other components but not as a stand-alone intervention.To investigate the degree to which computer-delivered stand-alone personalized normative feedback interventions reduce alcohol consumption and alcohol-related harms among college students and to compare gender-neutral and gender-specific PNF.Electronic databases were searched systematically through November 2014. Reference lists were reviewed manually and forward and backward searches were conducted.Outcome studies that compared computer-delivered, stand-alone PNF intervention with an assessment only, attention-matched, or active treatment control and reported alcohol use and harms among college students.Between-group effect sizes were calculated as the standardized mean difference in change scores between treatment and control groups divided by pooled standard deviation. Within-group effect sizes were calculated as the raw mean difference between baseline and follow-up divided by pooled within-groups standard deviation.Eight studies (13 interventions with a total of 2,050 participants were included. Compared to control participants, students who received gender-neutral (dbetween = 0.291, 95% CI [0.159, 0.423] and gender-specific PNF (dbetween = 0.284, 95% CI [0.117, 0.451] reported greater reductions in drinking from baseline to follow-up. Students who received gender-neutral PNF reported 3.027 (95% CI [2.171, 3.882] fewer drinks per week at first follow-up and gender-specific PNF reported 3.089 (95% CI [0.992, 5.186] fewer drinks. Intervention effects were small for harms (dbetween = 0.157, 95% CI [0.037, 0.278].Computer-delivered PNF is an effective stand-alone approach for reducing college student

Stand-Alone Personalized Normative Feedback for College Student Drinkers: A Meta-Analytic Review, 2004 to 2014.

Science.gov (United States)

Dotson, Keri B; Dunn, Michael E; Bowers, Clint A

2015-01-01

Norms clarification has been identified as an effective component of college student drinking interventions, prompting research on norms clarification as a single-component intervention known as Personalized Normative Feedback (PNF). Previous reviews have examined PNF in combination with other components but not as a stand-alone intervention. To investigate the degree to which computer-delivered stand-alone personalized normative feedback interventions reduce alcohol consumption and alcohol-related harms among college students and to compare gender-neutral and gender-specific PNF. Electronic databases were searched systematically through November 2014. Reference lists were reviewed manually and forward and backward searches were conducted. Outcome studies that compared computer-delivered, stand-alone PNF intervention with an assessment only, attention-matched, or active treatment control and reported alcohol use and harms among college students. Between-group effect sizes were calculated as the standardized mean difference in change scores between treatment and control groups divided by pooled standard deviation. Within-group effect sizes were calculated as the raw mean difference between baseline and follow-up divided by pooled within-groups standard deviation. Eight studies (13 interventions) with a total of 2,050 participants were included. Compared to control participants, students who received gender-neutral (dbetween = 0.291, 95% CI [0.159, 0.423]) and gender-specific PNF (dbetween = 0.284, 95% CI [0.117, 0.451]) reported greater reductions in drinking from baseline to follow-up. Students who received gender-neutral PNF reported 3.027 (95% CI [2.171, 3.882]) fewer drinks per week at first follow-up and gender-specific PNF reported 3.089 (95% CI [0.992, 5.186]) fewer drinks. Intervention effects were small for harms (dbetween = 0.157, 95% CI [0.037, 0.278]). Computer-delivered PNF is an effective stand-alone approach for reducing college student drinking and

11kW stand alone wind turbine based on proven wind turbine

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bindner, H.; Wodstrup, J.; Andersen, J.

2004-01-01

and enable control of frequency and voltage independently on both the grid side and the generator side. The prototype has been installed at Risø. The paper will present results from test runs of the system both operating stand-alone supplying a single load and in parallel operation with a diesel genset....

Benchmarking the Collocation Stand-Alone Library and Toolkit (CSALT)

Science.gov (United States)

Hughes, Steven; Knittel, Jeremy; Shoan, Wendy; Kim, Youngkwang; Conway, Claire; Conway, Darrel J.

2017-01-01

This paper describes the processes and results of Verification and Validation (VV) efforts for the Collocation Stand Alone Library and Toolkit (CSALT). We describe the test program and environments, the tools used for independent test data, and comparison results. The VV effort employs classical problems with known analytic solutions, solutions from other available software tools, and comparisons to benchmarking data available in the public literature. Presenting all test results are beyond the scope of a single paper. Here we present high-level test results for a broad range of problems, and detailed comparisons for selected problems.

Leadership in Dental Hygiene Degree Completion Programs: A Pilot Study Comparing Stand-Alone Leadership Courses and Leadership-Infused Curricula.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Michelle L; Gurenlian, JoAnn R; Freudenthal, Jacqueline J; Farnsworth, Tracy J

2016-05-01

The aim of this study was to define the extent to which leadership and leadership skills are taught in dental hygiene degree completion programs by comparing stand-alone leadership courses/hybrid programs with programs that infuse leadership skills throughout the curricula. The study involved a mixed-methods approach using qualitative and quantitative data. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with program directors and faculty members who teach a stand-alone leadership course, a hybrid program, or leadership-infused courses in these programs. A quantitative comparison of course syllabi determined differences in the extent of leadership content and experiences between stand-alone leadership courses and leadership-infused curricula. Of the 53 U.S. dental hygiene programs that offer degree completion programs, 49 met the inclusion criteria, and 19 programs provided course syllabi. Of the program directors and faculty members who teach a stand-alone leadership course or leadership-infused curriculum, 16 participated in the interview portion of the study. The results suggested that competencies related to leadership were not clearly defined or measurable in current teaching. Reported barriers to incorporating a stand-alone leadership course included overcrowded curricula, limited qualified faculty, and lack of resources. The findings of this study provide a synopsis of leadership content and gaps in leadership education for degree completion programs. Suggested changes included defining a need for leadership competencies and providing additional resources to educators such as courses provided by the American Dental Education Association and the American Dental Hygienists' Association.

Optimum autonomous stand-alone photovoltaic system design on the basis of energy pay-back analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaldellis, J.K.; Zafirakis, D.; Kondili, E.

2009-01-01

Stand-alone photovoltaic (PV) systems comprise one of the most promising electrification solutions for covering the demand of remote consumers. However, such systems are strongly questioned due to extreme life-cycle (LC) energy requirements. For similar installations to be considered as environmentally sustainable, their LC energy content must be compensated by the respective useful energy production, i.e. their energy pay-back period (EPBP) should be found less than their service period. In this context, an optimum sizing methodology is currently developed, based on the criterion of minimum embodied energy. Various energy autonomous stand-alone PV-lead-acid battery systems are examined and two different cases are investigated; a high solar potential area and a medium solar potential area. By considering that the PV-battery (PV-Bat) system's useful energy production is equal to the remote consumer's electricity consumption, optimum cadmium telluride (CdTe) based systems yield the minimum EPBP (15 years). If achieving to exploit the net PV energy production however, the EPBP is found less than 20 years for all PV types. Finally, the most interesting finding concerns the fact that in all cases examined the contribution of the battery component exceeds 27% of the system LC energy requirements, reflecting the difference between grid-connected and stand-alone configurations.

A new approach for sizing stand alone photovoltaic systems based in neural networks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hontoria, L.; Aguilera, J. [Universidad de Jaen, Dept. de Electronica, Jaen (Spain); Zufiria, P. [UPM Ciudad Universitaria, Dept. de Matematica Aplicada a las Tecnologias de la Informacion, Madrid (Spain)

2005-02-01

Several methods for sizing stand alone photovoltaic (pv) systems has been developed. The more simplistic are called intuitive methods. They are a useful tool for a first approach in sizing stand alone photovoltaic systems. Nevertheless they are very inaccurate. Analytical methods use equations to describe the pv system size as a function of reliability. These ones are more accurate than the previous ones but they are also not accurate enough for sizing of high reliability. In a third group there are methods which use system simulations. These ones are called numerical methods. Many of the analytical methods employ the concept of reliability of the system or the complementary term: loss of load probability (LOLP). In this paper an improvement for obtaining LOLP curves based on the neural network called Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) is presented. A unique MLP for many locations of Spain has been trained and after the training, the MLP is able to generate LOLP curves for any value and location. (Author)

Fuzzy logic control of stand-alone photovoltaic system with battery storage

Science.gov (United States)

Lalouni, S.; Rekioua, D.; Rekioua, T.; Matagne, E.

Photovoltaic energy has nowadays an increased importance in electrical power applications, since it is considered as an essentially inexhaustible and broadly available energy resource. However, the output power provided via the photovoltaic conversion process depends on solar irradiation and temperature. Therefore, to maximize the efficiency of the photovoltaic energy system, it is necessary to track the maximum power point of the PV array. The present paper proposes a maximum power point tracker (MPPT) method, based on fuzzy logic controller (FLC), applied to a stand-alone photovoltaic system. It uses a sampling measure of the PV array power and voltage then determines an optimal increment required to have the optimal operating voltage which permits maximum power tracking. This method carries high accuracy around the optimum point when compared to the conventional one. The stand-alone photovoltaic system used in this paper includes two bi-directional DC/DC converters and a lead-acid battery bank to overcome the scare periods. One converter works as an MPP tracker, while the other regulates the batteries state of charge and compensates the power deficit to provide a continuous delivery of energy to the load. The Obtained simulation results show the effectiveness of the proposed fuzzy logic controller.

Future UK markets for stand-alone renewable energy systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paish, O.

1999-01-01

A study to identify and quantify the market for stand-alone renewable energy supplies of power (photovoltaics, wind and micro-hydro electricity systems) was described. The study focused on small systems, generally less than a few kW installed capacity. It was suggested that in the UK, the emphasis on grid-connected renewable energy technologies (RETs) has blurred the fact that it is 'off-grid' renewable systems that can offer more immediate real commercial markets for the renewables business. With the likelihood of a significant increase in demand for renewables world wide over the next ten years, the UK needs to make a special effort to become involved

New control strategy of stand-alone brushless doubly-fed induction generator for supplying unbalanced loads in ship shaft power generation system

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Liu, Yi; Xu, Wei; Xiong, Fei

2017-01-01

The ship shaft power generation system based on a stand-alone brushless doubly-fed induction generator (BDFIG) have demonstrated excellent saving-energy performance. This paper presents a new control scheme of the stand-alone BDFIG for supplying unbalanced loads in the ship shaft power generation...

A New Vector Control of Brushless Doubly-Fed Inductor Generator With Transient Current Compensation for Stand-Alone Power Generation Applications

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Liu, Yi; Xu, Wei; Yu, Kailiang

2018-01-01

The stand-alone brushless doubly-fed induction generator (BDFIG) with the conventional control strategies suffers heavily from poor dynamic performance especially under heavy load disturbance. This paper presents a new vector control strategy of BDFIG for stand-alone power generation applications...... control strategies, and the results verify the satisfactory dynamic performance of the proposed strategy....

Maintenance of Segmental Lordosis and Disk Height in Stand-alone and Instrumented Extreme Lateral Interbody Fusion (XLIF).

Science.gov (United States)

Malham, Gregory M; Ellis, Ngaire J; Parker, Rhiannon M; Blecher, Carl M; White, Rohan; Goss, Ben; Seex, Kevin A

2017-03-01

A prospective single-surgeon nonrandomized clinical study. To evaluate the radiographic and clinical outcomes, by fixation type, in extreme lateral interbody fusion (XLIF) patients and provide an algorithm for determining patients suitable for stand-alone XLIF. XLIF may be supplemented with pedicle screw fixation, however, since stabilizing structures remain intact, it is suggested that stand-alone XLIF can be used for certain indications. This eliminates the associated morbidity, though subsidence rates may be elevated, potentially minimizing the clinical benefits. A fixation algorithm was developed after evaluation of patient outcomes from the surgeon's first 30 cases. This algorithm was used prospectively for 40 subsequent patients to determine the requirement for supplemental fixation. Preoperative, postoperative, and 12-month follow-up computed tomography scans were measured for segmental and global lumbar lordosis and posterior disk height. Clinical outcome measures included back and leg pain (visual analogue scale), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and SF-36 physical and mental component scores (PCS and MCS). Preoperatively to 12-month follow-up there were increases in segmental lordosis (7.9-9.4 degrees, P=0.0497), lumbar lordosis (48.8-55.2 degrees, P=0.0328), and disk height (3.7-5.5 mm, P=0.0018); there were also improvements in back (58.6%) and leg pain (60.0%), ODI (44.4%), PCS (56.7%), and MCS (16.1%) for stand-alone XLIF. For instrumented XLIF, segmental lordosis (7.6-10.5 degrees, P=0.0120) and disk height (3.5-5.6 mm, Plordosis decreased (51.1-45.8 degrees, P=0.2560). Back (49.8%) and leg pain (30.8%), ODI (32.3%), PCS (37.4%), and MCS (2.0%) were all improved. Subsidence occurred in 3 (7.5%) stand-alone patients. The XLIF treatment fixation algorithm provided a clinical pathway to select suitable patients for stand-alone XLIF. These patients achieved positive clinical outcomes, satisfactory fusion rates, with sustained correction of lordosis and

Developing a mobile stand alone photovoltaic generator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soler-Bientz, R.; Ricalde-Cab, L.O.; Solis-Rodriguez, L.E.

2006-01-01

This paper describes a recent work developed to create a mobile stand alone photovoltaic generator that can be easily relocated in remote areas to evaluate the feasibility of photovoltaic energy applications. A set of sensors were installed to monitor the electric current and voltage of the energy generated, the energy stored and the energy used by the loads that may be connected to the system. Other parameters like solar radiations (both on the horizontal and on the photovoltaic generation planes) and temperatures (of both the environment and the photovoltaic module) were monitored. This was done while considering the important role of temperature in the photovoltaic module performance. Finally, a measurement and communication hardware was installed to interface the system developed with a conventional computer. In this way, the performance of the overall system in real rural conditions could be evaluated efficiently. Visual software that reads, visualizes and saves the data generated by the system was also developed by means of the LabVIEW programming environment

A Novel Method for Fast Configuration of Energy Storage Capacity in Stand-Alone and Grid-Connected Wind Energy Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Haixiang Zang

2016-12-01

Full Text Available In this paper, a novel method is proposed and applied to quickly calculate the capacity of energy storage for stand-alone and grid-connected wind energy systems, according to the discrete Fourier transform theory. Based on practical wind resource data and power data, which are derived from the American Wind Energy Technology Center and HOMER software separately, the energy storage capacity of a stand-alone wind energy system is investigated and calculated. Moreover, by applying the practical wind power data from a wind farm in Fujian Province, the energy storage capacity for a grid-connected wind system is discussed in this paper. This method can also be applied to determine the storage capacity of a stand-alone solar energy system with practical photovoltaic power data.

The reliability and validity of cervical auscultation in the diagnosis of dysphagia: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Lagarde, Marloes L J; Kamalski, Digna M A; van den Engel-Hoek, Lenie

2016-02-01

To systematically review the available evidence for the reliability and validity of cervical auscultation in diagnosing the several aspects of dysphagia in adults and children suffering from dysphagia. Medline (PubMed), Embase and the Cochrane Library databases. The systematic review was carried out applying the steps of the PRISMA-statement. The methodological quality of the included studies were evaluated using the Dutch 'Cochrane checklist for diagnostic accuracy studies'. A total of 90 articles were identified through the search strategy, and after applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, six articles were included in this review. In the six studies, 197 patients were assessed with cervical auscultation. Two of the six articles were considered to be of 'good' quality and three studies were of 'moderate' quality. One article was excluded because of a 'poor' methodological quality. Sensitivity ranges from 23%-94% and specificity ranges from 50%-74%. Inter-rater reliability was 'poor' or 'fair' in all studies. The intra-rater reliability shows a wide variance among speech language therapists. In this systematic review, conflicting evidence is found for the validity of cervical auscultation. The reliability of cervical auscultation is insufficient when used as a stand-alone tool in the diagnosis of dysphagia in adults. There is no available evidence for the validity and reliability of cervical auscultation in children. Cervical auscultation should not be used as a stand-alone instrument to diagnose dysphagia. © The Author(s) 2015.

Use of Super-Capacitor to Enhance Charging Performance of Stand-Alone Solar PV System

KAUST Repository

Huang, B. J.; Hsu, P. C.; Ho, P. Y

2011-01-01

Introduction: The battery charging performance in a stand-alone solar PV system affects the PV system efficiency and the load operating time. The New Energy Center of National Taiwan University has been devoted to the development of a PWM charging

Sizing, techno-economic and generation management analysis of a stand alone photovoltaic power unit including storage devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jallouli, Rihab; Krichen, Lotfi

2012-01-01

Due to the mismatch between the load demand and the intermittent solar energy, a stand-alone photovoltaic-hydrogen system and an optimal control scheme are designed to maintain the high system efficiency. Based on meteorological and the load demand data, a system sizing technique is proposed to establish the minimum capacity of the system components, which are a photovoltaic (PV) panel, a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC), a battery bank and an alkaline electrolyzer (Elz). An accurate energy management scheme that is utilized during power transfer is proposed to meet the economic requirements. Case studies are used to verify the efficiency of the energy management strategy and system sizing technique. Simulation results illustrate a simple solution to the design and processing of stand-alone PV-hydrogen (PV-H 2 ) systems. -- Highlights: ► We study a stand alone PV-hydrogen system comprising renewable devices. ► A PV generator, a battery bank, a fuel cell and an electrolyzer are modeled. ► Power management taking into account the economic arrangement and the operating conditions to ensure energy availability is proposed.

Simulation of stand alone PV systems; Dokuritsugata taiyoko hatsuden system no simulation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tsuda, I.; Sakuta, K. [Electrotechnical Laboratory, Tsukuba (Japan); Oshiro, T. [Japan Quality Assurance Organization, Tokyo (Japan); Kurokawa, K. [Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo (Japan)

1997-11-25

Studies are performed to develop a simulation program for a stand-alone photovoltaic power generation system equipped with a lead acid battery. In this stand-alone photovoltaic power generation system, the load is connected in shunt with the solar cell array output through the intermediary of a lead acid battery and inverter. The program is a model in which the solar cell model is built taking parallel resistance into account, and the temperature-dependence of the constants is described using approximations experimentally obtained by Solar Techno Center of JQA (Japan Quality Assurance Organization), Hamamatsu. Insolation data for the model is described using METPV compiled by Japan Weather Association, and load data is described using data actually measured at Shizuoka. This program is compared with the data of operation at Hamamatsu, and the result is almost satisfactory. Simulations are conducted at five typical locations in Japan using this program, and it is found that the array load matching correction factor is dependent on seasonal changes rather than locality, that the battery contribution rate does not change much throughout the year, and that it is not dependent on locality. 5 refs., 7 figs., 3 tabs.

Coordination Control Strategy for AC/DC Hybrid Microgrids in Stand-Alone Mode

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dwi Riana Aryani

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Interest in DC microgrids is rapidly increasing along with the improvement of DC power technology because of its advantages. To support the integration process of DC microgrids with the existing AC utility grids, the form of hybrid AC/DC microgrids is considered for higher power conversion efficiency, lower component cost and better power quality. In the system, AC and DC portions are connected through interlink bidirectional AC/DC converters (IC with a proper control system and power management. In the stand-alone operation mode of AC/DC hybrid microgrids, the control of power injection through the IC is crucial in order to maintain the system security. This paper mainly deals with a coordination control strategy of IC and a battery energy storage system (BESS converter under stand-alone operation. A coordinated control strategy for the IC, which considers the state of charge (SOC level of BESS and the load shedding scheme as the last resort, is proposed to obtain better power sharing between AC and DC subgrids. The scheme will be tested with a hybrid AC/DC microgrid, using the tool of the PSCAD/EMTDC software.

Control strategy of wind turbine based on permanent magnet synchronous generator and energy storage for stand-alone systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Deng, Fujin; Liu, Dong; Chen, Zhe

2017-01-01

This paper investigates a variable speed wind turbine based on permanent magnet synchronous generator and a full-scale power converter in a stand-alone system. An energy storage system(ESS) including battery and fuel cell-electrolyzer combination is connected to the DC link of the full-scale power...... converter through the power electronics interface. Wind is the primary power source of the system, the battery and FC-electrolyzer combination is used as a backup and a long-term storage system to provide or absorb power in the stand-alone system, respectively. In this paper, a control strategy is proposed...... for the operation of this variable speed wind turbine in a stand-alone system, where the generator-side converter and the ESS operate together to meet the demand of the loads. This control strategy is competent for supporting the variation of the loads or wind speed and limiting the DC-link voltage of the full...

Loss-of-load probabilities for stand-alone photovoltaic systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klein, S.A.; Beckman, W.A.

1989-01-01

A general method is presented for estimating the loss-of-load probability of stand-alone photovoltaic systems. The method was developed by correlating simulation results. The simulations were driven with synthetic radiation sequences having the same statistical significance as available historical data. The methods assumes a constant nighttime load and accounts for the distribution and persistence in daily solar radiation data. It is shown that the 10 year average performance of systems having loss-of-load probabilities less than about 0.01 can vary greatly from one ten year period to the next and thereby cannot be considered realistic performance estimates of a system during its lifetime. (author). 26 refs, 15 figs, 4 tabs

Robust Power Management Control for Stand-Alone Hybrid Power Generation System

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kamal, Elkhatib; Adouane, Lounis; Aitouche, Abdel; Mohammed, Walaa

2017-01-01

This paper presents a new robust fuzzy control of energy management strategy for the stand-alone hybrid power systems. It consists of two levels named centralized fuzzy supervisory control which generates the power references for each decentralized robust fuzzy control. Hybrid power systems comprises: a photovoltaic panel and wind turbine as renewable sources, a micro turbine generator and a battery storage system. The proposed control strategy is able to satisfy the load requirements based on a fuzzy supervisor controller and manage power flows between the different energy sources and the storage unit by respecting the state of charge and the variation of wind speed and irradiance. Centralized controller is designed based on If-Then fuzzy rules to manage and optimize the hybrid power system production by generating the reference power for photovoltaic panel and wind turbine. Decentralized controller is based on the Takagi-Sugeno fuzzy model and permits us to stabilize each photovoltaic panel and wind turbine in presence of disturbances and parametric uncertainties and to optimize the tracking reference which is given by the centralized controller level. The sufficient conditions stability are formulated in the format of linear matrix inequalities using the Lyapunov stability theory. The effectiveness of the proposed Strategy is finally demonstrated through a SAHPS (stand-alone hybrid power systems) to illustrate the effectiveness of the overall proposed method. (paper)

International market assessment of stand-alone photovoltaic power systems for cottage industry applications

Science.gov (United States)

Philippi, T. M.

1981-01-01

The final result of an international assessment of the market for stand-alone photovoltaic systems in cottage industry applications is reported. Nonindustrialized countries without centrally planned economies were considered. Cottage industries were defined as small rural manufacturers, employing less than 50 people, producing consumer and simple products. The data to support this analysis were obtained from secondary and expert sources in the U.S. and in-country field investigations of the Philippines and Mexico. The near-term market for photovoltaics for rural cottage industry applications appears to be limited to demonstration projects and pilot programs, based on an in-depth study of the nature of cottage industry, its role in the rural economy, the electric energy requirements of cottage industry, and a financial analysis of stand-alone photovoltaic systems as compared to their most viable competitor, diesel driven generators. Photovoltaics are shown to be a better long-term option only for very low power requirements. Some of these uses would include clay mixers, grinders, centrifuges, lathes, power saws and lighting of a workshop.

International market assessment of stand-alone photovoltaic power systems for cottage industry applications

Science.gov (United States)

Philippi, T. M.

1981-11-01

The final result of an international assessment of the market for stand-alone photovoltaic systems in cottage industry applications is reported. Nonindustrialized countries without centrally planned economies were considered. Cottage industries were defined as small rural manufacturers, employing less than 50 people, producing consumer and simple products. The data to support this analysis were obtained from secondary and expert sources in the U.S. and in-country field investigations of the Philippines and Mexico. The near-term market for photovoltaics for rural cottage industry applications appears to be limited to demonstration projects and pilot programs, based on an in-depth study of the nature of cottage industry, its role in the rural economy, the electric energy requirements of cottage industry, and a financial analysis of stand-alone photovoltaic systems as compared to their most viable competitor, diesel driven generators. Photovoltaics are shown to be a better long-term option only for very low power requirements. Some of these uses would include clay mixers, grinders, centrifuges, lathes, power saws and lighting of a workshop.

Methodology for the design of a stand-alone photovoltaic power supply

OpenAIRE

López Seguel, Julio; Seleme Junior, Seleme Isaac; Donoso-Garcia, Pedro F; Ferreira Morais, Lenin Martins; Cabaleiro Cortizo, Porfirio; Severo Mendes, Marcos A

2013-01-01

This paper presents a complete methodology for the design of an autonomous photovoltaic system to maximize the use of solar energy. It is a method that prioritizes the best cost-effective choice at every step of the project. In order to ensure the proper use and extended battery life time, a control strategy for charging the batteries is proposed. Experimental results are provided for a stand-alone photovoltaic system with low electrical power, intended primarily for the illumination and basi...

MOSFET Loss Evaluation for a Low-Power Stand-Alone Photovoltaic-LED System

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mira Albert, Maria del Carmen; Knott, Arnold; Andersen, Michael A. E.

2015-01-01

This paper presents a performance evaluation and comparison of state-of-the-art low voltage Si MOSFETs for a stand-alone photovoltaic-LED Light to Light (LtL) system. The complete system is formed by two cascaded converters that will be optimized for a determined solar irradiation and LED...... illumination profiles. The comparison is performed based on dynamic characterization and evaluation of the devices energy loss at different current levels....

Assessment of Stand-Alone Displays for Time Management in a Creativity-Driven Learning Environment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Frimodt-Møller, Søren

2017-01-01

This paper considers the pros and cons of stand-alone displays, analog (e.g. billboards, blackboards, whiteboards, large pieces of paper etc.) as well as digital (e.g. large shared screens, digital whiteboards or similar), as tools for time management processes in a creativity-driven learning...

Methanol production via pressurized entrained flow biomass gasification – Techno-economic comparison of integrated vs. stand-alone production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andersson, Jim; Lundgren, Joakim; Marklund, Magnus

2014-01-01

The main objective with this work was to investigate techno-economically the opportunity for integrated gasification-based biomass-to-methanol production in an existing chemical pulp and paper mill. Three different system configurations using the pressurized entrained flow biomass gasification (PEBG) technology were studied, one stand-alone plant, one where the bark boiler in the mill was replaced by a PEBG unit and one with a co-integration of a black liquor gasifier operated in parallel with a PEBG unit. The cases were analysed in terms of overall energy efficiency (calculated as electricity-equivalents) and process economics. The economics was assessed under the current as well as possible future energy market conditions. An economic policy support was found to be necessary to make the methanol production competitive under all market scenarios. In a future energy market, integrating a PEBG unit to replace the bark boiler was the most beneficial case from an economic point of view. In this case the methanol production cost was reduced in the range of 11–18 Euro per MWh compared to the stand-alone case. The overall plant efficiency increased approximately 7%-units compared to the original operation of the mill and the non-integrated stand-alone case. In the case with co-integration of the two parallel gasifiers, an equal increase of the system efficiency was achieved, but the economic benefit was not as apparent. Under similar conditions as the current market and when methanol was sold to replace fossil gasoline, co-integration of the two parallel gasifiers was the best alternative based on received IRR. - Highlights: • Techno-economic results regarding integration of methanol synthesis processes in a pulp and paper mill are presented. • The overall energy efficiency increases in integrated methanol production systems compared to stand-alone production units. • The economics of the integrated system improves compared to stand-alone alternatives. • Tax

Stand-alone flat-plate photovoltaic power systems: System sizing and life-cycle costing methodology for Federal agencies

Science.gov (United States)

Borden, C. S.; Volkmer, K.; Cochrane, E. H.; Lawson, A. C.

1984-01-01

A simple methodology to estimate photovoltaic system size and life-cycle costs in stand-alone applications is presented. It is designed to assist engineers at Government agencies in determining the feasibility of using small stand-alone photovoltaic systems to supply ac or dc power to the load. Photovoltaic system design considerations are presented as well as the equations for sizing the flat-plate array and the battery storage to meet the required load. Cost effectiveness of a candidate photovoltaic system is based on comparison with the life-cycle cost of alternative systems. Examples of alternative systems addressed are batteries, diesel generators, the utility grid, and other renewable energy systems.

Linguistic and Structural Analyses of Stand-Alone Literature Reviews: Seventy-Five Years of Change

Science.gov (United States)

Wright, Heidi Rachel

2016-01-01

The purpose of this dissertation is to offer a multifaceted overview of stand-alone literature reviews. These texts, literature reviews published unattached to research articles, have existed for centuries but remained largely unstudied by linguists. Thus, the goal of this project is to present these reviews' situational, grammatical, and…

The value of prognostic factors for uterine cervical cancer patients treated with irradiation alone

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grigienė, Rūta; Valuckas, Konstantinas P; Aleknavičius, Eduardas; Kurtinaitis, Juozas; Letautienė, Simona R

2007-01-01

The aim of our study was to investigate and evaluate the prognostic value of and correlations between preclinical and clinical factors such as the stage of the disease, blood Hb level before treatment, size of cervix and lymph nodes evaluated by CT, age, dose of irradiation and duration of radiotherapy related to overall survival, disease-free survival, local control and metastases-free survival in cervical cancer patients receiving radiotherapy alone. 162 patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage IIA-IIIB cervical carcinoma treated with irradiation were analysed. Univariate and multivariate analyses using the Cox regression model were performed to determine statistical significance of some tumor-related factors. The Hb level before treatment showed significant influence on overall survival (p = 0.001), desease free survival (p = 0.040) and local control (p = 0.038). The lymph node status (>10 mm) assessed on CT had impact on overall survival (p = 0,030) and local control (p = 0,036). The dose at point A had impact on disease free survival (p = 0,028) and local control (p = 0,021) and the radiotherapy duration had showed significant influence on overall survival (p = 0,045), disease free survival (p = 0,006) and local control (p = 0,033). Anemia is a significant and independent prognostic factor of overall survival, disease-free survival and local control in cervical cancer patients treated with irradiation. The size of lymph nodes in CT is an independent prognostic factor for overall survival and local control in cervical cancer patients. The size of cervix uteri evaluated by CT has no prognostic significance in cervical cancer patients treated with radiotherapy. The prognostic value of FIGO stage of cervical cancer is influenced by other factors, analyzed in this study and is not an independent prognostic factor

A sizing method for stand-alone PV installations with variable demand

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Posadillo, R. [Grupo de Investigacion en Energias y Recursos Renovables, Dpto. de Fisica Aplicada, E.P.S., Universidad de Cordoba, Avda. Menendez Pidal s/n, 14004 Cordoba (Spain); Lopez Luque, R. [Grupo de Investigacion de Fisica Para las Energias y Recursos Renovables, Dpto. de Fisica Aplicada, Edificio C2 Campus de Rabanales, 14071 Cordoba (Spain)

2008-05-15

The practical applicability of the considerations made in a previous paper to characterize energy balances in stand-alone photovoltaic systems (SAPV) is presented. Given that energy balances were characterized based on monthly estimations, the method is appropriate for sizing installations with variable monthly demands and variable monthly panel tilt (for seasonal estimations). The method presented is original in that it is the only method proposed for this type of demand. The method is based on the rational utilization of daily solar radiation distribution functions. When exact mathematical expressions are not available, approximate empirical expressions can be used. The more precise the statistical characterization of the solar radiation on the receiver module, the more precise the sizing method given that the characterization will solely depend on the distribution function of the daily global irradiation on the tilted surface H{sub g{beta}}{sub i}. This method, like previous ones, uses the concept of loss of load probability (LLP) as a parameter to characterize system design and includes information on the standard deviation of this parameter ({sigma}{sub LLP}) as well as two new parameters: annual number of system failures (f) and the standard deviation of annual number of system failures ({sigma}{sub f}). This paper therefore provides an analytical method for evaluating and sizing stand-alone PV systems with variable monthly demand and panel inclination. The sizing method has also been applied in a practical manner. (author)

Severe Late Toxicities Following Concomitant Chemoradiotherapy Compared to Radiotherapy Alone in Cervical Cancer: An Inter-era Analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gondi, Vinai; Bentzen, Søren M.; Sklenar, Kathryn L.; Dunn, Emily F.; Petereit, Daniel G.; Tannehill, Scott P.; Straub, Margaret; Bradley, Kristin A.

2012-01-01

Purpose: To compare rates of severe late toxicities following concomitant chemoradiotherapy and radiotherapy alone for cervical cancer. Methods and Materials: Patients with cervical cancer were treated at a single institution with radiotherapy alone or concomitant chemoradiotherapy for curative intent. Severe late toxicity was defined as grade ≥3 vaginal, urologic, or gastrointestinal toxicity or any pelvic fracture, using Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 4.0 (CTCAE), occurring ≥6 months from treatment completion and predating any salvage therapy. Severe late toxicity rates were compared after adjusting for pertinent covariates. Results: At 3 years, probability of vaginal severe late toxicity was 20.2% for radiotherapy alone and 35.1% for concomitant chemoradiotherapy (P=.026). At 3 years, probability of skeletal severe late toxicity was 1.6% for radiotherapy alone and 7.5% for concomitant chemoradiotherapy (P=.010). After adjustment for case mix, concomitant chemoradiotherapy was associated with higher vaginal (hazard ratio [HR] 3.0, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.7-5.2, P 50 was associated with higher vaginal (HR 1.8, 95% CI 1.1-3.0, P=.013) and skeletal (HR 5.7, 95% CI 1.2-27.0, P=.028) severe late toxicity. Concomitant chemoradiotherapy was not associated with higher gastrointestinal (P=.886) or urologic (unadjusted, P=.053; adjusted, P=.063) severe late toxicity. Conclusion: Compared to radiotherapy alone, concomitant chemoradiotherapy is associated with higher rates of severe vaginal and skeletal late toxicities. Other predictive factors include dilator compliance for severe vaginal late toxicity and age for severe vaginal and skeletal late toxicities.

Design and Operation Studies of A Stand-Alone PV Generation System

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hu, Yanting; Chen, Zhe; Zhang, Donglai

2013-01-01

This paper discusses the modeling, design and operation of a PV powered stand-alone system, which includes a PV array, a battery bank, power electronic converters and the associated control system. The design considerations are analyzed and a design platform is presented. Furthermore the operation...... modes of the system are described. A power electronic system with the associated control scheme has been proposed and simulation models have been developed. Simulation studies have been conducted on an example system; the results have demonstrated the effectiveness of the presented methods....

Analyzing grid extension and stand-alone photovoltaic systems for the cost-effective electrification of Kenya

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zeyringer, Marianne; Pachauri, Shonali; Schmid, Erwin; Schmidt, Johannes; Worrell, Ernst|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/106856715; Morawetz, Ulrich B.

2015-01-01

The declaration of 2014-2024 as the Decade of Sustainable Energy for All has catalyzed actions towards achieving universal electricity access. The high costs of building electric infrastructure are a major impediment to improved access, making stand-alone photovoltaic (PV) systems an attractive

Design of a Stand-Alone Photovoltaic Model for Home Lightings and Clean Environment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ani, Vincent Anayochukwu, E-mail: vincent_ani@yahoo.com [Department of Electronic Engineering, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (Nigeria)

2016-01-11

This paper gives a well-documented health risk of fuel-based lighting (kerosene lamps and fuel-powered generators) and proposed a design of a stand-alone solar PV system for sustainable home lightings in rural Nigerian area. The design was done in three different patterns of electricity consumptions with energy efficient lightings (EELs) using two different battery types (Rolls Surrette 6CS25PS and Hoppecke 10 OpzS 1000) on; (i) judicious power consumption, (ii) normal power consumption, and (iii) excess power consumption; and compared them with the incandescent light bulb consumption. The stand-alone photovoltaic energy systems were designed to match the rural Nigerian sunlight and weather conditions to meet the required lightings of the household. The objective function and constraints for the design models were formulated and optimization procedures were used to demonstrate the best solution (reliability at the lowest lifecycle cost). Initial capital costs as well as annualized costs over 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 years were quantified and documented. The design identified the most cost-effective and reliable solar and battery array among the patterns of electricity consumption with EEL options (judicious power consumption, normal power consumption, and excess power consumption).

Design of a Stand-Alone Photovoltaic Model for Home Lightings and Clean Environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ani, Vincent Anayochukwu

2016-01-01

This paper gives a well-documented health risk of fuel-based lighting (kerosene lamps and fuel-powered generators) and proposed a design of a stand-alone solar PV system for sustainable home lightings in rural Nigerian area. The design was done in three different patterns of electricity consumptions with energy efficient lightings (EELs) using two different battery types (Rolls Surrette 6CS25PS and Hoppecke 10 OpzS 1000) on; (i) judicious power consumption, (ii) normal power consumption, and (iii) excess power consumption; and compared them with the incandescent light bulb consumption. The stand-alone photovoltaic energy systems were designed to match the rural Nigerian sunlight and weather conditions to meet the required lightings of the household. The objective function and constraints for the design models were formulated and optimization procedures were used to demonstrate the best solution (reliability at the lowest lifecycle cost). Initial capital costs as well as annualized costs over 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 years were quantified and documented. The design identified the most cost-effective and reliable solar and battery array among the patterns of electricity consumption with EEL options (judicious power consumption, normal power consumption, and excess power consumption).

Modeling, design and analysis of a stand-alone hybrid power generation system using solar/urine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, Wei; Zhou, Ya-Yan; Lin, Mu-Hsuan; Hwang, Jenn-Jiang

2013-01-01

Highlights: • The stand-alone hybrid power system is presented. • The urine-to-hydrogen processor is proposed. • Scenario analysis of the hybrid power dispatching and the urine/solar demands is investigated. • The design, modeling and optimization of the hybrid power system is addressed by Aspen Plus and Matlab. - Abstract: The urine turned to hydrogen as an energy conversion process is integrated into a stand-alone hybrid (PV/FC/battery) power generation system. The optimization and simulation of a new urine-to-hydrogen processor is evaluated in Aspen Plus environment. In our approach, the PV generator aims to reduce urine consumption and the lithium-ion battery can compensate the power gap due to the fuel processing delay. Based on prescribed patterns of solar irradiation and the daily load demand of a 30-persons classroom, scenario analyses of the hybrid power dispatching and operational feasibility is addressed

prfectBLAST: a platform-independent portable front end for the command terminal BLAST+ stand-alone suite.

Science.gov (United States)

Santiago-Sotelo, Perfecto; Ramirez-Prado, Jorge Humberto

2012-11-01

prfectBLAST is a multiplatform graphical user interface (GUI) for the stand-alone BLAST+ suite of applications. It allows researchers to do nucleotide or amino acid sequence similarity searches against public (or user-customized) databases that are locally stored. It does not require any dependencies or installation and can be used from a portable flash drive. prfectBLAST is implemented in Java version 6 (SUN) and runs on all platforms that support Java and for which National Center for Biotechnology Information has made available stand-alone BLAST executables, including MS Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux. It is free and open source software, made available under the GNU General Public License version 3 (GPLv3) and can be downloaded at www.cicy.mx/sitios/jramirez or http://code.google.com/p/prfectblast/.

Optimization of the photovoltaic-hydrogen supply system of a stand-alone remote-telecom application

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gomez, Guillermo; Martinez, Graciano; Galvez, Jose L.; Cuevas, Raquel; Maellas, Jesus [National Institute for Aerospace Technology (INTA), Renewable Energy Department, Ctra. Ajalvir km 4, E-28850 Torrejon de Ardoz, Madrid (Spain); Gila, Raul; Bueno, Emilio [Polytechnical School - Alcala de Henares University, Electronics Department, Campus Universitario, Ctra. De Madrid-Barcelona Km 33.600, Alcala de Henares, Madrid (Spain)

2009-07-15

Hydrogen is considered as the optimal carrier for the surplus energy storage from renewable resources. Although hydrogen and its application in fuel cell is considered as a high-cost energy system, some cost-efficient solutions have been found for their use in stand-alone applications, which usually depend on the variability of renewable sources that have to be oversized in order to reduce their dependence on external energy sources. This paper shows the results from the simulation of several alternatives of introducing hydrogen technologies to increase the independence of a remote-telecom application fed by photovoltaic panels. Hydrogen is obtained by electrolysis and it is used in a fuel cell when the renewable energy source is not enough to maintain the stand-alone application. TRNSYS simulation environment has been used for evaluating the proposed alternatives. The results show that the best configuration option is that considering the use of hydrogen as a way to storage the surplus of radiation and the management system can vary the number of photovoltaic panels assigned to feed the hydrogen generation, the batteries or the telecom application. (author)

Optimal expansion planning of stand-alone systems with stochastic simulations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hoese, Alejandro [Instituto de Energia Electrica (IEE), Universidad Nacional de San Juan, (Argentina)

1997-12-31

Stand-alone systems in the range of 1 kW - 10 MW are taking relevance in the new (global) liberal concept of energy market. State and private investors are becoming increasingly attention on the use of renewable for these systems, but it must be shown that these non-conventional solutions are competitive with the established conventional ones. The high investment costs and the technical and economic uncertainties coupled with the use of time-dependent energy sources are the mainly inhibiting factors for the decision agents to choose these systems instead of conventional ones. In the paper a new model for optimal expansion planning of hybrid stand-alone generating systems under consideration of uncertainties is presented. This model is at present in {sup d}evelopment state{sup .} Results already obtained in the first steps of this research are promising and some of them are here presented. [Espanol] Los sistemas autocontenidos en el rango de 1 Kw a 10 MW estan tomando importancia en el nuevo (global) concepto liberal del mercado de la energia. Inversionistas privados y del Estado estan poniendo mayor atencion en el uso de energias renovables para estos sistemas, pero debe mostrarse que estas soluciones no-convencionales son competitivas con las convencionales establecidas. Los altos costos de inversion y las incertidumbres tecnicas y economicas aunadamente con el uso de fuentes de energia dependientes del tiempo son los principales factores inhibidores de los factores de decision para escoger estos sistemas en lugar de los convencionales. En este articulo se presenta un nuevo modelo de planeacion de expansion optima de sistemas hibridos autocontenidos de generacion electrica bajo la consideracion de incertidumbres. Este modelo esta actualmente en {sup e}stado de desarrollo{sup .} Los resultados ya obtenidos en las primeras etapas de esta investigacion son prometedores y se presentan algunos de ellos.

Optimal expansion planning of stand-alone systems with stochastic simulations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hoese, Alejandro [Instituto de Energia Electrica (IEE), Universidad Nacional de San Juan, (Argentina)

1998-12-31

Stand-alone systems in the range of 1 kW - 10 MW are taking relevance in the new (global) liberal concept of energy market. State and private investors are becoming increasingly attention on the use of renewable for these systems, but it must be shown that these non-conventional solutions are competitive with the established conventional ones. The high investment costs and the technical and economic uncertainties coupled with the use of time-dependent energy sources are the mainly inhibiting factors for the decision agents to choose these systems instead of conventional ones. In the paper a new model for optimal expansion planning of hybrid stand-alone generating systems under consideration of uncertainties is presented. This model is at present in {sup d}evelopment state{sup .} Results already obtained in the first steps of this research are promising and some of them are here presented. [Espanol] Los sistemas autocontenidos en el rango de 1 Kw a 10 MW estan tomando importancia en el nuevo (global) concepto liberal del mercado de la energia. Inversionistas privados y del Estado estan poniendo mayor atencion en el uso de energias renovables para estos sistemas, pero debe mostrarse que estas soluciones no-convencionales son competitivas con las convencionales establecidas. Los altos costos de inversion y las incertidumbres tecnicas y economicas aunadamente con el uso de fuentes de energia dependientes del tiempo son los principales factores inhibidores de los factores de decision para escoger estos sistemas en lugar de los convencionales. En este articulo se presenta un nuevo modelo de planeacion de expansion optima de sistemas hibridos autocontenidos de generacion electrica bajo la consideracion de incertidumbres. Este modelo esta actualmente en {sup e}stado de desarrollo{sup .} Los resultados ya obtenidos en las primeras etapas de esta investigacion son prometedores y se presentan algunos de ellos.

Efficacy and prognostic analysis of chemoradiotherapy in patients with thoracic esophageal squamous carcinoma with cervical lymph nodal metastasis alone

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Peng; Xi, Mian; Zhao, Lei; Li, Qiao-Qiao; He, Li-Ru; Liu, Shi-Liang; Shen, Jing-Xian; Liu, Meng-Zhong

2014-01-01

The prognostic factors of thoracic esophageal squamous carcinoma with cervical lymph nodal metastasis (CLNM) have not been specifically investigated. This study was performed to analyze the efficacy and prognostic factors of chemoradiotherapy for thoracic esophageal carcinoma with CLNM alone. From 2002 to 2011, 139 patients with inoperable esophageal cancer who underwent chemoradiotherapy at the Sun Yat-Sen University were retrospectively analyzed. Median radiation doses were 60 Gy (range: 50–68 Gy). Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to compare overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). The 1- and 3-year OS rates were 68.2% and 27.9%, respectively. The 1- and 3-year PFS rates were 51.9% and 20.1%, respectively. The multivariate analysis demonstrated that response to treatment, T stage, pathological grade, and laterality of cervical lymph nodal metastases were independent prognostic factors for thoracic esophageal carcinoma with CLNM. Concurrent chemoradiotherapy is an important and hopeful treatment option for patients with esophageal cancer with CLNM alone. Our study has revealed that response to treatment, T stage, pathological grade and laterality of cervical lymph nodal metastases are significant prognostic factors for long-term survival

Size optimization of stand-alone photovoltaic (PV) room air conditioners

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Chien-Wei; Zahedi, A.

2006-01-01

Sizing of a stand-alone PV system determines the main cost of the system. PV electricity cost is determined by the amount of solar energy received, hence the actual climate and weather conditions such as solar irradiance and ambient temperature affect the size required and cost of the system. Air conditioning demand also depends on the weather conditions. Therefore, sizing a PV powered air conditioner must consider the characteristics of local climate and temperature. In this paper, sizing procedures and special considerations for air conditioning under Melbourne's climatic conditions is presented. The reliability of various PV-battery size combinations is simulated by MATLAB. As a result, excellent system performance can be predicated.(Author)

In vitro microbiologic evaluation of PTFE and cotton as spacer materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Paranjpe, Avina; Jain, Sumita; Alibhai, Karim J; Wadhwani, Chandur P; Darveau, Richard P; Johnson, James D

2012-09-01

To microbiologically evaluate the efficacy of cotton and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) tape used as spacer materials. Twenty-six extracted human molars were restored using either cotton or PTFE tape as spacers under a standardized provisional restorative material (Cavit). The teeth were incubated for 7 days in a culture of Streptococcus gordonii or in liquid media alone. The spacers were removed and tested for bacterial contamination. The access cavities were also evaluated for bacterial contamination. Nine of 10 teeth with cotton spacers and one of 10 teeth with PTFE spacers were positive for S gordonii growth. The nine teeth in the cotton group also showed contamination of the access cavities. Even under optimal conditions, cotton spacers may cause leakage into the access cavities. Cotton fibers may serve as a route for bacterial contamination of the access cavities and root canal space. In contrast, PTFE tape did not provide an avenue for bacterial contamination.

Enhancement of a stand-alone photovoltaic system's performance: Reduction of soft and hard shading

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lamont, Lisa A.; El Chaar, Lana [Petroleum Institute, Electrical Engineering Department, P.O. Box 2533, Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates)

2011-04-15

A stand-alone photovoltaic (PV) system is the most promising solution to supply electric power to meet energy demand in isolated locations. This technology can offer an interesting alternative to other currently existing sources of energy. Due to space constraint in the remote offshore oil and gas industry, a stand-alone system is used for cathodic protection, telemetry and valve control. However in such an environment, dust accumulation and bird droppings have been critical issues to the operation of off-grid solar devices. These factors do not only reduce the available power of the modules but also makes the cost of solar devices ineffective since cleaning, especially on well-head towers, is very expensive due to the location. Hence this paper presents two technical solutions that have shown promising results in reducing the impact of these factors. (author)

Design of Stand-Alone Hybrid Power Generation System at Brumbun Beach Tulungagung East Java

Science.gov (United States)

Rahmat, A. N.; Hidayat, M. N.; Ronilaya, F.; Setiawan, A.

2018-04-01

Indonesian government insists to optimize the use of renewable energy resources in electricity generation. One of the efforts is launching Independent Energy Village plan. This program aims to fulfill the need of electricity for isolated or remote villages in Indonesia. In order to support the penetration of renewable energy resources in electricity generation, a hybrid power generation system is developed. The simulation in this research is based on the availability of renewable energy resources in Brumbun beach, Tulungagung, East Java. Initially, the electricity was supplied through stand-alone electricity generations which are installed at each house. Hence, the use of electricity between 5 p.m. – 9 p.m. requires high operational costs. Based on the problem above, this research is conducted to design a stand-alone hybrid electricity generation system, which may consist of diesel, wind, and photovoltaic. The design is done by using HOMER software to optimize the use of electricity from renewable resources and to reduce the operation of diesel generation. The combination of renewable energy resources in electricity generation resulted in NPC of 44.680, COE of 0,268, and CO2 emissions of 0,038 % much lower than the use of diesel generator only.

Feasibility and Optimal Design of a Stand-Alone Photovoltaic Energy System for the Orphanage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vincent Anayochukwu Ani

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Access to electricity can have a positive psychological impact through a lessening of the sense of exclusion, and vulnerability often felt by the orphanages. This paper presented the simulation and optimization study of a stand-alone photovoltaic power system that produced the desired power needs of an orphanage. Solar resources for the design of the system were obtained from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA Surface Meteorology and Solar Energy website at a location of 6°51′N latitude and 7°35′E longitude, with annual average solar radiation of 4.92 kWh/m2/d. This study is based on modeling, simulation, and optimization of energy system in the orphanage. The patterns of load consumption within the orphanage were studied and suitably modeled for optimization. Hybrid Optimization Model for Electric Renewables (HOMER software was used to analyze and design the proposed stand-alone photovoltaic power system model. The model was designed to provide an optimal system configuration based on an hour-by-hour data for energy availability and demands. A detailed design, description, and expected performance of the system were presented in this paper.

A control strategy for PV stand-alone applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Slouma, S; Baccar, H

2015-01-01

This paper proposes a stand-alone photovoltaic (PV) system study in domestic applications. Because of the decrease in power of photovoltaic module as a consequence of changes in solar radiation and temperature which affect the photovoltaic module performance, the design and control of DC-DC buck converter was proposed for providing power to the load from a photovoltaic source.In fact, the control of this converter is carried out with integrated MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracking) algorithm which ensures a maximum energy generated by the PV arrays. Moreover, the output stage is composed by a battery energy storage system, dc-ac inverter, LCL filter which enables higher efficiency, low distortion ac waveforms and low leakage currents. The control strategy adopted is cascade control composed by two regulation loops.Simulations performed with PSIM software were able to validate the control system.The realization and testing of the photovoltaic system were achieved in the Photovoltaic laboratory of the Centre for Research and Energy Technologies at the Technopark Borj Cedria. Experimental results verify the effeciency of the proposed system

A control strategy for PV stand-alone applications

Science.gov (United States)

Slouma, S.; Baccar, H.

2015-04-01

This paper proposes a stand-alone photovoltaic (PV) system study in domestic applications. Because of the decrease in power of photovoltaic module as a consequence of changes in solar radiation and temperature which affect the photovoltaic module performance, the design and control of DC-DC buck converter was proposed for providing power to the load from a photovoltaic source.In fact, the control of this converter is carried out with integrated MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracking) algorithm which ensures a maximum energy generated by the PV arrays. Moreover, the output stage is composed by a battery energy storage system, dc-ac inverter, LCL filter which enables higher efficiency, low distortion ac waveforms and low leakage currents. The control strategy adopted is cascade control composed by two regulation loops.Simulations performed with PSIM software were able to validate the control system.The realization and testing of the photovoltaic system were achieved in the Photovoltaic laboratory of the Centre for Research and Energy Technologies at the Technopark Borj Cedria. Experimental results verify the effeciency of the proposed system.

Lossy Data Aggregation with Network Coding in Stand-Alone Wireless Sensor Networks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Madsen, Tatiana Kozlova

2011-01-01

in chemical plants, etc. Given resource constrained operation of a sensor network where the nodes are battery powered and buffer sizes are limited, efficient methods for in-network data storage abd it subsequent fast and reliable transmission to a gateway is desirable. To save scarse resources and to prolong......This work focuses on a special type of wireless sensor networks (WSNs) that we refer to as a stand alone network. These netwoks operate in harsh and extreme environments where data collection is done only occasionally. Typical examples include habitat monitoring systems, monitoring systems...

State Feedback Decoupling with In-Loop Lead Compensator in Stand-Alone VSIs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Federico, de Bosio; Pastorelli, Michele; de Sousa Ribeiro, Luiz Antonio

2016-01-01

The performance of current and voltage regulators during transients and steady-state is of primary concern for power converters intended for stand-alone applications. Dynamics performance and command tracking capability are enhanced by actively decoupling the controlled states variables. To further...... widen the current loop bandwidth while still preserving a well-damped system a lead compensator structure on the forward loop is proposed. A 3 kHz bandwidth with 0.707 damping factor is achieved for the inner current controller. Accordingly, also the voltage regulator bandwidth can be widen, thus...

The Stand-alone Heliostat; El Heliostato Autonomo

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Garcia Navajas, G.; Egea Gea, A. [Ciemat. Madrid (Spain)

2000-07-01

The first Autonomous Heliostat has been developed by CIEMAT at PSA facilities in Almeria. This heliostat is an innovative approach to reducing the civil engineering work costs in heliostat fields of central tower plants. Channels, cables and other electric elements have been eliminated in the new heliostat. Thus, one 70-m''2, classical T glass/metal heliostat has been adapted to include all the new stand-alone concept components. A PV system is able to drive two sun-tracking DC motors between 5 and 24 Vdc, 0 and 15A. The heliostat communicates with the control room 400-m away by using a radio-modern working at 9600 baud. An anemometer, a wind switcher, light and ambient temperature sensors have been installed on the heliostat for self-protection decision-making. A PV panel integrated into the heliostat reflecting surface, eliminates cabling and other elements required for a conventional power supply. Communication lines between master control and local control have been replaced by radio-modern. Testing has validated the technical feasibility of the prototype and quantified the real consumption and efficiencies of new elements. The extra costs produced by the autonomous concepts are compared with the cost of civil work in conventional heliostat field. (Author) 8 refs.

The Stand-alone Heliostat; El Heliostato Autonomo

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Garcia Navajas, G; Egea Gea, A [Ciemat. Madrid (Spain)

2000-07-01

The first Autonomous Heliostat has been developed by CIEMAT at PSA facilities in Almeria. This heliostat is an innovative approach to reducing the civil engineering work costs in heliostat fields of central tower plants. Channels, cables and other electric elements have been eliminated in the new heliostat. Thus, one 70-m''2, classical T glass/metal heliostat has been adapted to include all the new stand-alone concept components. A PV system is able to drive two sun-tracking DC motors between 5 and 24 Vdc, 0 and 15A. The heliostat communicates with the control room 400-m away by using a radio-modern working at 9600 baud. An anemometer, a wind switcher, light and ambient temperature sensors have been installed on the heliostat for self-protection decision-making. A PV panel integrated into the heliostat reflecting surface, eliminates cabling and other elements required for a conventional power supply. Communication lines between master control and local control have been replaced by radio-modern. Testing has validated the technical feasibility of the prototype and quantified the real consumption and efficiencies of new elements. The extra costs produced by the autonomous concepts are compared with the cost of civil work in conventional heliostat field. (Author) 8 refs.

Development of a microprocessor controller for stand-alone photovoltaic power systems

Science.gov (United States)

Millner, A. R.; Kaufman, D. L.

1984-01-01

A controller for stand-alone photovoltaic systems has been developed using a low power CMOS microprocessor. It performs battery state of charge estimation, array control, load management, instrumentation, automatic testing, and communications functions. Array control options are sequential subarray switching and maximum power control. A calculator keypad and LCD display provides manual control, fault diagnosis and digital multimeter functions. An RS-232 port provides data logging or remote control capability. A prototype 5 kW unit has been built and tested successfully. The controller is expected to be useful in village photovoltaic power systems, large solar water pumping installations, and other battery management applications.

Multidetector CT of blunt cervical spine trauma in adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Dreizin, David; Letzing, Michael; Sliker, Clint W; Chokshi, Falgun H; Bodanapally, Uttam; Mirvis, Stuart E; Quencer, Robert M; Munera, Felipe

2014-01-01

A number of new developments in cervical spine imaging have transpired since the introduction of 64-section computed tomographic (CT) scanners in 2004. An increasing body of evidence favors the use of multidetector CT as a stand-alone screening test for excluding cervical injuries in polytrauma patients with obtundation. A new grading scale that is based on CT and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging findings, the cervical spine Subaxial Injury Classification and Scoring (SLIC) system, is gaining acceptance among spine surgeons. Radiographic measurements described for the evaluation of craniocervical distraction injuries are now being reevaluated with the use of multidetector CT. Although most patients with blunt trauma are now treated nonsurgically, evolution in the understanding of spinal stability, as well as the development of new surgical techniques and hardware, has driven management strategies that are increasingly favorable toward surgical intervention. It is therefore essential that radiologists recognize findings that distinguish injuries with ligamentous instability or a high likelihood of nonfusion that require surgical stabilization from those that are classically stable and can be treated with a collar or halo vest alone. The purpose of this article is to review the spectrum of cervical spine injuries, from the craniocervical junction through the subaxial spine, and present the most widely used grading systems for each injury type. ©RSNA, 2014.

Hydrogen Gas Production in a Stand-Alone Wind Farm

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Naziry Kordkandy

2017-04-01

Full Text Available This paper is analyzing the operation of a stand-alone wind farm with variable speed turbines, permanent magnet synchronous generators (PMSG and a system for converting wind energy during wind speed variations. On this paper, the design and modeling of a wind system which uses PMSG’s to provide the required power of a hydrogen gas electrolyzer system, is discussed. This wind farm consists of three wind turbines, boost DC-DC converters, diode full bridge rectifiers, permanent magnet synchronous generators, MPPT control and a hydrogen gas electrolyzer system. The MPPT controller based on fuzzy logic is designed to adjust the duty ratio of the boost DC-DC converters to absorb maximum power. The proposed fuzzy logic controller assimilates, with (PSF MPPT algorithm which generally used to absorb maximum power from paralleled wind turbines and stores it in form of hydrogen gas. The system is modeled and its behavior is studied using the MATLAB software.

Stand-alone version of the 11kW Gaia wind turbine

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bindner, H.; Rosas, P.A.C.; Teodorescu, R.; Blaabjerg, F.

2004-09-15

This report describes the development of a stand-alone version of the 11kW Gaia wind turbine. Various possible configurations are investigated and a configuration using a back-to-back converter is chosen. A model is developed for controller design of the fast controllers of the unit. Controllers are designed and a prototype is built for testing. The report documents the performance of the prototype through measurements done on the full scale prototype installed in a test facility where it has been tested both as a standalone unit and in parallel with a diesel genset. For system wide power quality assessment and controller design a dynamic performance assessment model has been developed. (au)

A Simple Sizing Algorithm for Stand-Alone PV/Wind/Battery Hybrid Microgrids

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jing Li

2012-12-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we develop a simple algorithm to determine the required number of generating units of wind-turbine generator and photovoltaic array, and the associated storage capacity for stand-alone hybrid microgrid. The algorithm is based on the observation that the state of charge of battery should be periodically invariant. The optimal sizing of hybrid microgrid is given in the sense that the life cycle cost of system is minimized while the given load power demand can be satisfied without load rejection. We also report a case study to show the efficacy of the developed algorithm.

Design, building and testing of a stand alone fuel cell hybrid system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Segura, F.; Duran, E.; Andujar, J.M. [Department of Electronic, Computer Science and Automatic Engineering, University of Huelva (Spain)

2009-08-01

This paper designs, sizes, builds and tests a stand alone fuel cell hybrid system made up of a fuel cell stack and a battery bank. This system has been sized to supply a typical telecommunication load profile, but moreover, the system can supply other profiles. For this purpose, a modular low cost electronic load bank has been designed and built. This load bank allows the power demand to be chosen by selecting different solid state relays. Moreover, a virtual instrument based on NI Labview {sup registered} has been designed to select the load power demand from the computer. (author)

Stand-Alone Ethics, Social Responsibility, and Sustainability Course Requirements: A Snapshot from Australia and New Zealand

Science.gov (United States)

Rundle-Thiele, Sharyn R.; Wymer, Walter

2010-01-01

This article analyzes the extent to which Australian and New Zealand marketing educators use dedicated or stand-alone courses to equip students with alternative views of business. A census of marketing programs in degree-granting universities was conducted. Program brochures were obtained via the Internet and were content analyzed. This study…

Modified Chaos Particle Swarm Optimization-Based Optimized Operation Model for Stand-Alone CCHP Microgrid

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fei Wang

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The optimized dispatch of different distributed generations (DGs in stand-alone microgrid (MG is of great significance to the operation’s reliability and economy, especially for energy crisis and environmental pollution. Based on controllable load (CL and combined cooling-heating-power (CCHP model of micro-gas turbine (MT, a multi-objective optimization model with relevant constraints to optimize the generation cost, load cut compensation and environmental benefit is proposed in this paper. The MG studied in this paper consists of photovoltaic (PV, wind turbine (WT, fuel cell (FC, diesel engine (DE, MT and energy storage (ES. Four typical scenarios were designed according to different day types (work day or weekend and weather conditions (sunny or rainy in view of the uncertainty of renewable energy in variable situations and load fluctuation. A modified dispatch strategy for CCHP is presented to further improve the operation economy without reducing the consumers’ comfort feeling. Chaotic optimization and elite retention strategy are introduced into basic particle swarm optimization (PSO to propose modified chaos particle swarm optimization (MCPSO whose search capability and convergence speed are improved greatly. Simulation results validate the correctness of the proposed model and the effectiveness of MCPSO algorithm in the optimized operation application of stand-alone MG.

Design of a Stand-Alone Photovoltaic (PV Models for Home Lightings and Clean Environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vincent Anayochukwu Ani

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This paper gives a well-documented health risks of fuel-based lighting (kerosene lamps and fuel-powered generators and proposed a design of a stand-alone solar PV system for sustainable home lightings in rural Nigerian area. The design was done in three different patterns of electricity consumptions with energy efficient lightings (EELs using two different battery types (Rolls Surrette 6CS25PS and hoppecke 10 OpzS 1000 on; i judicious power consumption, ii normal power consumption, iii excess power consumption; and compared them with the incandescent light bulb consumption. The stand-alone photovoltaic energy systems were designed to match the rural Nigerian sunlight and weather conditions to meet the required lightings of the household. The objective function and constraints for the design models were formulated and optimization procedure were used to demonstrate the best solution (reliability at the lowest lifecycle cost. Initial capital costs as well as annualized costs over 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 years were quantified and documented. The design identified the most cost-effective and reliable solar and battery array among the patterns of electricity consumption with energy efficient lighting options (judicious power consumption, normal power consumption, and excess power consumption.

Hierarchical energy management system for stand-alone hybrid system based on generation costs and cascade control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Torreglosa, J.P.; García, P.; Fernández, L.M.; Jurado, F.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • We present an energy management system for a stand-alone WT/PV/hydrogen/battery hybrid system. • Hierarchical control composed by master and slave control strategies. • Control assures reliable electricity support for stand-alone applications subject to technical and economic criteria. - Abstract: This paper presents an energy management system (EMS) for stand-alone hybrid systems composed by photovoltaic (PV) solar panels and a wind turbine (WT) as primary energy sources and two energy storage systems, which are a hydrogen system and a battery. The hydrogen system is composed of fuel cell (FC), electrolyzer and hydrogen storage tank. The EMS is a hierarchical control composed by a master control strategy and a slave control strategy. On the one hand, the master control generates the reference powers to meet several premises (such as to satisfy the load power demand, and to maintain the hydrogen tank level and the state of charge (SOC) of the battery between their target margins), taking also into account economic aspects to discriminate between using the battery or hydrogen system. On the other hand, the slave control modifies the reference powers generated by the master control according to the energy sources dynamic limitations, and maintains the DC bus voltage at its reference value. The models, implemented in MATLAB-Simulink environment, have been developed from commercially available components. To check the viability of the proposed EMS, two kinds of simulations were carried out: (1) A long-term simulation of 25 years (expected lifetime of the system) with a sample time of one hour to validate the master control of the EMS; and (2) A short-term simulation with sudden net power variations to validate the slave control of the EMS

SoC-Based Output Voltage Control for BESS with a Lithium-Ion Battery in a Stand-Alone DC Microgrid

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Seung-Yeong Yu

2016-11-01

Full Text Available This paper proposes a new DC output voltage control for a battery energy storage system (BESS with a lithium-ion battery based on the state of charge (SoC. The proposed control scheme was verified through computer simulations for a typical stand-alone DC microgrid, which consists of a BESS, photovoltaic (PV panel, engine generator (EG, and DC load. A scaled hardware prototype for a stand-alone DC microgrid was set up in the lab, in which the proposed control scheme was loaded in a DSP controller. The experimental results were compared with the simulation results for performance verification. The proposed control scheme provides relatively lower variation of the DC grid voltage than the conventional droop control.

Improved double integral sliding mode MPPT controller based parameter estimation for a stand-alone photovoltaic system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chatrenour, Nasrin; Razmi, Hadi; Doagou-Mojarrad, Hasan

2017-01-01

Highlights: • IDISMC based MPPT algorithm is introduced. • Hurwitz stability theorem is used for switching surface coefficients computation. • GA approach is presented for parameter estimation of the stand-alone PV system. - Abstract: In this paper, an Improved Double Integral Sliding Mode MPPT Controller (IDISMC) for a stand-alone photovoltaic (PV) system is proposed. Performance of a sliding mode controller (SMC) is greatly influenced by the choice of the sliding surface. Switching surface coefficients were selected by the use of Hurwitz stability theorem. The IDISMC not only is robust against parametric and non-parametric uncertainties, but also has a very small steady-state error, thanks to the use of double integral of tracking voltage error in the definition of its sliding surface. For realistic simulation, Genetic Algorithm (GA) method was used to estimate parameters of solar panels model. The validity of the proposed double integral SMC in maximum power point tracking was approved by comparing the simulation results obtained for a sample PV system with the results of other methods.

A Meta-Analytic Review of Stand-Alone Interventions to Improve Body Image.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jessica M Alleva

Full Text Available Numerous stand-alone interventions to improve body image have been developed. The present review used meta-analysis to estimate the effectiveness of such interventions, and to identify the specific change techniques that lead to improvement in body image.The inclusion criteria were that (a the intervention was stand-alone (i.e., solely focused on improving body image, (b a control group was used, (c participants were randomly assigned to conditions, and (d at least one pretest and one posttest measure of body image was taken. Effect sizes were meta-analysed and moderator analyses were conducted. A taxonomy of 48 change techniques used in interventions targeted at body image was developed; all interventions were coded using this taxonomy.The literature search identified 62 tests of interventions (N = 3,846. Interventions produced a small-to-medium improvement in body image (d+ = 0.38, a small-to-medium reduction in beauty ideal internalisation (d+ = -0.37, and a large reduction in social comparison tendencies (d+ = -0.72. However, the effect size for body image was inflated by bias both within and across studies, and was reliable but of small magnitude once corrections for bias were applied. Effect sizes for the other outcomes were no longer reliable once corrections for bias were applied. Several features of the sample, intervention, and methodology moderated intervention effects. Twelve change techniques were associated with improvements in body image, and three techniques were contra-indicated.The findings show that interventions engender only small improvements in body image, and underline the need for large-scale, high-quality trials in this area. The review identifies effective techniques that could be deployed in future interventions.

A Case Study of Control and Improved Simplified Swarm Optimization for Economic Dispatch of a Stand-Alone Modular Microgrid

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xianyong Zhang

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Due to the complex configuration and control framework, the conventional microgrid is not cost-effective for engineering applications with small or medium capacity. A stand-alone modular microgrid with separated AC bus and decentralized control strategy is proposed in this paper. Each module is a self-powered system, which consists of wind and solar power, a storage battery, load and three-port converter. The modules are interconnected by three-port converters to form the microgrid. Characteristics, operation principle, control of the modular microgrid and the three-port converter are analyzed in detail. Distributed storage batteries enable power exchanges among modules to enhance economic returns. Economic dispatch of the stand-alone modular microgrid is a mixed-integer programming problem. A day-ahead operation optimization model including fuel cost, battery operation cost, and power transmission cost is established. Because there are so many constraints, it is difficult to produce a feasible solution and even more difficult to have an improved solution. An improved simplified swarm optimization (iSSO method is therefore proposed. The iSSO scheme designs the new update mechanism and survival of the fittest policy. The experimental results from the demonstration project on DongAo Island reflect the effectiveness of the stand-alone modular microgrid and the economic dispatch strategy based on the iSSO method.

Diagnostic value of the stand-alone synthetic image in digital breast tomosynthesis examinations.

Science.gov (United States)

Garayoa, Julia; Chevalier, Margarita; Castillo, Maria; Mahillo-Fernández, Ignacio; Amallal El Ouahabi, Najim; Estrada, Carmen; Tejerina, Alejandro; Benitez, Olivia; Valverde, Julio

2018-02-01

To demonstrate the non-inferiority of synthetic image (SI) mammography versus full-field digital mammography (FFDM) in breast tomosynthesis (DBT) examinations. An observational, retrospective, single-centre, multireader blinded study was performed, using 2384 images to directly compare SI and FFDM based on Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BIRADS) categorisation and visibility of radiological findings. Readers had no access to digital breast tomosynthesis slices. Multiple reader, multiple case (MRMC) receiver operating characteristic (ROC) methodology was used to compare the diagnostic performance of SI and FFDM images. The kappa statistic was used to estimate the inter-reader and intra-reader reliability. The area under the ROC curves (AUC) reveals the non-inferiority of SI versus FFDM based on BIRADS categorisation [difference between AUC (ΔAUC), -0.014] and lesion visibility (ΔAUC, -0.001) but the differences were not statistically significant (p=0.282 for BIRADS; p=0.961 for lesion visibility). On average, 77.4% of malignant lesions were detected with SI versus 76.5% with FFDM. Sensitivity and specificity of SI are superior to FFDM for malignant lesions scored as BIRADS 5 and breasts categorised as BIRADS 1. SI is not inferior to FFDM when DBT slices are not available during image reading. SI can replace FFDM, reducing the dose by 45%. • Stand-alone SI demonstrated performance not inferior for lesion visibility as compared to FFDM. • Stand-alone SI demonstrated performance not inferior for lesion BIRADS categorisation as compared to FFDM. • Synthetic images provide important dose savings in breast tomosynthesis examinations.

Stand-Alone Photovoltaic System Operation with Energy Management and Fault Tolerant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jmashidpour, Ehsan; Poure, Philippe; Gholipour, E.; Saadate, Shahrokh

2017-01-01

This paper presents a stand-alone photovoltaic (PV) system with a fault tolerant operation capability. An energy management method is provided to keep the balance between produced and consumed energy instantaneously. As the storage element, an Ultra-Capacitor (UC) pack is used for facing high frequency variation of the load/source, and batteries are in charge of slow load /source variations. A Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) algorithm is applied to control the boost converter of the PV source to achieve the maximum power. In order to improve the micro-grid service continuity and reliability, a fast fault diagnosis method based on the converter current shape for PV source is applied. Finally, the validity of the proposed energy management and the fault diagnosis method is confirmed by the simulation and experimental results. (author)

Epicardial, Biatrial Ablation With Integrated Uni-bipolar Radiofrequency Technology in Stand-alone Persistent Atrial Fibrillation.

Science.gov (United States)

Rosati, Fabrizio; Muneretto, Claudio; Merati, Elisa; Polvani, Gianluca; Moltrasio, Massimo; Tondo, Claudio; Curnis, Antonio; Cerini, Manuel; Metras, Alexandre; Bisleri, Gianluigi

Although minimally invasive approaches for surgical treatment of stand-alone atrial fibrillation have gained popularity for the past decade, ablation technology and extensive lesion sets play a major role in the achievement of a successful procedure, especially in presence of persistent and long-standing persistent atrial fibrillation. We evaluated clinical outcomes after totally endoscopic biatrial epicardial ablation of persistent atrial fibrillation with a novel integrated uni-bipolar radiofrequency device. Forty-nine (49) consecutive patients with stand-alone atrial fibrillation underwent right-sided monolateral thoracoscopic surgical ablation with a novel integrated uni-bipolar radiofrequency energy delivery and temperature-controlled technology. Atrial fibrillation was persistent in 13 (26.5%) of 49 and long-standing persistent in 36 (73.5%) of 49 patients. Mean ± SD age was 60.6 ± 10.3 years. Median duration of atrial fibrillation was 74 months. Mean ± SD left atrial diameter was 44.7 ± 4.0 mm. Epicardial en bloc isolation of all pulmonary veins (box lesion) and additional ablation of the right atrial free wall was successfully performed via minimally invasive approach without any intraoperative and postoperative major complications. Intraoperative entrance and exit block was achieved in 77.5% (38/49) and 91.8% (45/49) of patients, respectively. Mean ± SD ablation time was 16.3 ± 4.8 minutes. No intensive care unit stay was required. Postoperative sinus rhythm was achieved in 93.8% (30/32) patients, and no pacemaker implantation was required. At 13 months, 87.7% (43/49) of patients were in sinus rhythm; 71.4% (35/49) were free from antiarrhythmic drugs and 75.5% (37/49) from oral anticoagulation. Integrated uni-bipolar radiofrequency ablation technology showed to be effective for the surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation with a total endoscopic approach. A versapolar suction device with extensive right-left atrial lesion set may further improve

Charactrization of a Li-ion battery based stand-alone a-Si photovoltaic system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hamid Vishkasougheh, Mehdi; Tunaboylu, Bahadir

2014-01-01

Highlights: • An Li-ion battery based stand-alone a-Si PV was designed. The system composed of three a-Si panels with an efficiency of 7% and 40 cells of LFP batteries. • Effects of solar radiation and environmental temperature for three cities, Istanbul, Ankara, and Adana, have been investigated on a-Si panels. • Using transition formulas BSPV outputs are predictable for any location out of standard test condition. - Abstract: The number of photovoltaic (PV) system installations is increasing rapidly. As more people learn about this versatile and often cost-effective power option, this trend will accelerate. This document presents a recommended design for a battery based stand-alone photovoltaic system (BSPV). BSPV system has the ability to be applied in different areas, including warning signals, lighting, refrigeration, communication, residential water pumping, remote sensing, and cathodic protection. The presented calculation method gives a proper idea for a system sizing technique. Based on application load, different scenarios are possible for designing a BSPV system. In this study, a battery based stand-alone system was designed. The electricity generation part is three a-Si panels, which are connected in parallel, and for the storage part LFP (lithium iron phosphate) battery was used. The high power LFP battery packs are 40 cells each 8S5P (configured 8 series 5 parallel). Each individual pack weighs 0.5 kg and is 25.6 V. In order to evaluate the efficiency of a-Si panels with respect to the temperature and the solar irradiation, cities of Istanbul, Ankara and Adana in Turkey were selected. Temperature and solar irradiation were gathered from reliable sources and by using translation equations, current and voltage output of panels were calculated. As a result of these calculations, current and energy outputs were computed by considering an average efficient solar irradiation time value per day in Turkey. The calculated power values were inserted to a

Charactrization of a Li-ion battery based stand-alone a-Si photovoltaic system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hamid Vishkasougheh, Mehdi, E-mail: mehdi.hamid2@gmail.com [Istanbul Sehir University, Kubakisi Caddesi, No: 27, Altunizade, Uskudar, Istanbul 34662 (Turkey); Tunaboylu, Bahadir [Istanbul Sehir University, Kubakisi Caddesi, No: 27, Altunizade, Uskudar, Istanbul 34662 (Turkey); Marmara Research Center, Materials Institute, PO Box 21, Gebze, Kocaeli 41470 (Turkey)

2014-11-01

Highlights: • An Li-ion battery based stand-alone a-Si PV was designed. The system composed of three a-Si panels with an efficiency of 7% and 40 cells of LFP batteries. • Effects of solar radiation and environmental temperature for three cities, Istanbul, Ankara, and Adana, have been investigated on a-Si panels. • Using transition formulas BSPV outputs are predictable for any location out of standard test condition. - Abstract: The number of photovoltaic (PV) system installations is increasing rapidly. As more people learn about this versatile and often cost-effective power option, this trend will accelerate. This document presents a recommended design for a battery based stand-alone photovoltaic system (BSPV). BSPV system has the ability to be applied in different areas, including warning signals, lighting, refrigeration, communication, residential water pumping, remote sensing, and cathodic protection. The presented calculation method gives a proper idea for a system sizing technique. Based on application load, different scenarios are possible for designing a BSPV system. In this study, a battery based stand-alone system was designed. The electricity generation part is three a-Si panels, which are connected in parallel, and for the storage part LFP (lithium iron phosphate) battery was used. The high power LFP battery packs are 40 cells each 8S5P (configured 8 series 5 parallel). Each individual pack weighs 0.5 kg and is 25.6 V. In order to evaluate the efficiency of a-Si panels with respect to the temperature and the solar irradiation, cities of Istanbul, Ankara and Adana in Turkey were selected. Temperature and solar irradiation were gathered from reliable sources and by using translation equations, current and voltage output of panels were calculated. As a result of these calculations, current and energy outputs were computed by considering an average efficient solar irradiation time value per day in Turkey. The calculated power values were inserted to a

An improved synchronous reference frame phase-locked loop for stand-alone variable speed constant frequency power generation systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Liu, Yi; Xu, Wei; Ke, Longzhang

2017-01-01

The phase-locked loop (PLL) based on conventional synchronous reference frame, i.e. dqPLL, is usually employed in grid-connected variable speed constant frequency (VSCF) power generation systems (PGSs). However, the voltage amplitude drop of stand-alone PGSs is often greater than that of the grid...

Imagery rescripting as a stand-alone treatment for patients with social phobia: a case series.

Science.gov (United States)

Frets, Petra G; Kevenaar, Ciska; van der Heiden, Colin

2014-03-01

The majority of patients with social phobia reports experiencing negative images, usually linked to memories of earlier aversive social experiences. Several studies have indicated that such negative self-imagery appears to have a causal role in maintaining social phobia, which suggests that interventions aimed at dealing with these images could be beneficial in the treatment of social phobia. One potentially powerful approach is imagery rescripting (IR), a clinical intervention that focuses on changing the meaning and impact of unpleasant memories. In the treatment of social phobia IR was only used as part of a broader cognitive-behavioral treatment package. However, we propose that IR alone might also be an effective treatment for this anxiety disorder. The present study reports an initial evaluation of the application of IR as a stand-alone treatment for six adult outpatients presenting with social phobia. A single case series using an A-B replication across patients design was employed. Following a no-treatment baseline period, IR was delivered weekly and patients were followed up for 3 and 6 months. For all patients, substantial reductions were obtained on all outcome measures at post-treatment, and gains were largely maintained at 6-months follow-up. The generalizability of the effects of IR for social phobia is limited by the small number of patients treated by only one therapist. The results of this preliminary case series suggest that IR as a stand alone treatment is an apparently effective intervention in the treatment of patients with social phobia, and indicate that controlled evaluation of its efficacy might be worthwhile. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Stand-Alone Solar Organic Rankine Cycle Water Pumping System and Its Economic Viability in Nepal

OpenAIRE

Suresh Baral; Kyung Chun Kim

2015-01-01

The current study presents the concept of a stand-alone solar organic Rankine cycle (ORC) water pumping system for rural Nepalese areas. Experimental results for this technology are presented based on a prototype. The economic viability of the system was assessed based on solar radiation data of different Nepalese geographic locations. The mechanical power produced by the solar ORC is coupled with a water pumping system for various applications, such as drinking and irrigation. The thermal ef...

Boost converter with combined control loop for a stand-alone photovoltaic battery charge system

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mira Albert, Maria del Carmen; Knott, Arnold; Thomsen, Ole Cornelius

2013-01-01

frequency avoids perturbations in the load being propagated to the photovoltaic panel and thus deviating the operating point. Linearization of the photovoltaic panel and converter state-space modeling is performed. In order to achieve stable operation under all operating conditions, the photovoltaic panel......The converter control scheme plays an important role in the performance of maximum power point tracking (MPPT) algorithms. In this paper, an input voltage control with double loop for a stand-alone photovoltaic system is designed and tested. The inner current control loop with high crossover...

System design optimization for stand-alone photovoltaic systems sizing by using superstructure model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Azau, M A M; Jaafar, S; Samsudin, K

2013-01-01

Although the photovoltaic (PV) systems have been increasingly installed as an alternative and renewable green power generation, the initial set up cost, maintenance cost and equipment mismatch are some of the key issues that slows down the installation in small household. This paper presents the design optimization of stand-alone photovoltaic systems using superstructure model where all possible types of technology of the equipment are captured and life cycle cost analysis is formulated as a mixed integer programming (MIP). A model for investment planning of power generation and long-term decision model are developed in order to help the system engineer to build a cost effective system.

Study of Stand-Alone Microgrid under Condition of Faults on Distribution Line

Science.gov (United States)

Malla, S. G.; Bhende, C. N.

2014-10-01

The behavior of stand-alone microgrid is analyzed under the condition of faults on distribution feeders. During fault since battery is not able to maintain dc-link voltage within limit, the resistive dump load control is presented to do so. An inverter control is proposed to maintain balanced voltages at PCC under the unbalanced load condition and to reduce voltage unbalance factor (VUF) at load points. The proposed inverter control also has facility to protect itself from high fault current. Existing maximum power point tracker (MPPT) algorithm is modified to limit the speed of generator during fault. Extensive simulation results using MATLAB/SIMULINK established that the performance of the controllers is quite satisfactory under different fault conditions as well as unbalanced load conditions.

Multi-objective optimal planning of the stand-alone microgrid system based on different benefit subjects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo, Li; Wang, Nan; Lu, Hai; Li, Xialin; Wang, Chengshan

2016-01-01

As an important means to realize the energetic complementarity and improve the efficiency of renewable resources, the stand-alone microgrid (SAMG) system gains attention increasingly, especially in islands and remote areas. In this paper, considering the interest conflict of the distribution company and the distributed generation owner, a new multi-objective optimal planning model is formulated for medium voltage SAMG. Besides, to avoid the power constraint of distributed generation (DG) once the over-limit voltage occurs, a novel two-step power dispatch control method including the voltage regulation strategy is proposed, in which the absorption of distributed power by energy storage system (ESS) and the reactive power adjustment though its power control system are used to regulate voltage. The goal of this paper is to search the Pareto-optimal front of the site and capacity of DG as well as the contract price between both parties, and thus can provide effective references for practical planning of SAMG. Considering the high cost of ESS, the investment analysis of ESS is also discussed in the paper. - Highlights: • A multi-objective planning model based on different benefit subjects is proposed. • A two-step power dispatch method including the voltage regulation is proposed. • The economical efficiency of the proposed model is analyzed. • The effective reference for the stand-alone microgrid planning is provided.

Efficiency of the hybrid solar-wind systems for electricity supply to the stand-alone sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdullaev, D.A.; Isaev, R.I.

2000-01-01

The features of stand-alone sites and principles of their electricity supply is described there is going observation of the works about conditions of production and efficiency of using autonomy wind turbines and photovoltaics. Their unsufficiency is estimated. The advantages of hybrid systems and their realization schemes is described. The advantage of hybrid solar-wind Battery system (HSWBS) on the basis of own researches and the facts of other authors are given. The conception overall discounting cost is developed on HSWBS case. (Author)

A Control Approach and Supplementary Controllers for a Stand-Alone System with Predominance of Wind Generation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tiago Lukasievicz

2018-02-01

Full Text Available This paper proposes a control approach and supplementary controllers for the operation of a hybrid stand-alone system composed of a wind generation unit and a conventional generation unit based on synchronous generator (CGU. The proposed controllers allow the islanded or isolated operation of small power systems with predominance of wind generation. As an advantage and a paradigm shift, the DC-link voltage of the wind unit is controlled by means of a conventional synchronous generator connected to the AC grid of the system. Two supplementary controllers, added to a diesel generator (DIG and to a DC dump load (DL, are proposed to control the DC-link voltage. The wind generation unit operates in V-f control mode and the DIG operates in PQ control mode, which allows the stand-alone system to operate either in wind-diesel (WD mode or in wind-only (WO mode. The strong influence of the wind turbine speed variations in the DC-link voltage is mitigated by a low-pass filter added to the speed control loop of the wind turbine. The proposed control approach does not require the use battery bank and ultra-capacitor to control the DC-link voltage in wind generation units based on fully rated converter.

Energy management system for stand-alone diesel-wind-biomass microgrid with energy storage system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Chengshan; Liu, Yixin; Li, Xialin; Guo, Li; Qiao, Lei; Lu, Hai

2016-01-01

An energy management system for stand-alone microgrid composed of diesel generators, wind turbine generator, biomass generator and an ESS (energy storage system) is proposed in this paper. Different operation objectives are achieved by a hierarchical control structure with different time scales. Firstly, the optimal schedules of the diesel generators, wind turbine generator, biomass generator and ESS are determined fifteen minutes ahead according to the super short-term forecast of load and wind speed in the optimal scheduling layer. Comprehensive analysis which takes the uncertainty of load and wind speed into account is conducted in this layer to minimize the operation cost of the system and ensure a desirable range of the state of charge of the ESS. Secondly, the operation points of each unit are regulated dynamically to guarantee real-time power balance and safety range of diesel generation in the real-time control layer, based on which the response capability when suffering significant forecast deviation and other emergency issues, e.g. sudden load-up can be improved. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed energy management strategy is verified on an RT-Lab based real-time simulation platform, and the economic performances with different types of ESS are analyzed as well. - Highlights: • A hierarchical control strategy is proposed for a stand-alone microgrid. • The uncertainties of load and wind speed have been considered. • Better economic performance and high reliability of the system can be achieved. • The influences of different energy storage systems have been analyzed.

Use of appliances in stand-alone PV power supply systems: problems and solutions. Task 3 use of photovoltaic power systems in stand-alone and island applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vallve, X.; Gafas, G. [IEA PVPS, Task 3 (Spain); Villoz, M. [IEA PVPS, Task 3 (Switzerland); Wilshaw, A. [IEA PVPS, Task 3 (United Kingdom); Jacquin, P. [IEA PVPS, Task 3 (France)

2002-09-15

In Stand-Alone Photovoltaic Systems (SAPV systems), special attention must be paid to the used appliances and loads. Inappropriate loads are very often the origin of PV system malfunction or failure. Start-up power peaks, or reactive power and harmonic distortion can cause system signal instability and protective devices will close the system down. A well-matched load together with a carefully selected choice of appliances can lead to significant savings in terms of reduced need for PV and electricity storage capacity. Conversely, inefficient appliances and processes, standby loads and inappropriate loads will increase the requirement for expensive PV and storage capacity. This paper presents a survey of real cases with load related problems in worldwide applications, their effect on quality and cost of the service and the solutions that were adopted and suggested alternative solutions. One of the main conclusions of the work is the importance to integrate the choice of the appliance while designing the SAPV system. (author)

49 CFR 1109.4 - Mandatory mediation in rate cases to be considered under the stand-alone cost methodology.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 8 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Mandatory mediation in rate cases to be considered... § 1109.4 Mandatory mediation in rate cases to be considered under the stand-alone cost methodology. (a) A... methodology must engage in non-binding mediation of its dispute with the railroad upon filing a formal...

Optimization of stand-alone photovoltaic systems with hydrogen storage for total energy self-sufficiency

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lund, P D [Helsinki Univ. of Technology, Espoo (Finland). Dept. of Technical Physics

1991-01-01

A new method for optimization of stand-alone photovoltaic-hydrogen energy systems is presented. The methodology gives the optimum values for the solar array and hydrogen storage size for any given system configuration and geographical site. Sensitivity analyses have been performed to study the effect of subsystem efficiencies on the total system performance and sizing, and also to identify possibilities for further improvements. Optimum system configurations have also been derived. The results indicate that a solar-hydrogen energy system is a very promising potential alternative for low power applications requiring a total electricity self-sufficiency. (Author).

GOssTo: a stand-alone application and a web tool for calculating semantic similarities on the Gene Ontology.

Science.gov (United States)

Caniza, Horacio; Romero, Alfonso E; Heron, Samuel; Yang, Haixuan; Devoto, Alessandra; Frasca, Marco; Mesiti, Marco; Valentini, Giorgio; Paccanaro, Alberto

2014-08-01

We present GOssTo, the Gene Ontology semantic similarity Tool, a user-friendly software system for calculating semantic similarities between gene products according to the Gene Ontology. GOssTo is bundled with six semantic similarity measures, including both term- and graph-based measures, and has extension capabilities to allow the user to add new similarities. Importantly, for any measure, GOssTo can also calculate the Random Walk Contribution that has been shown to greatly improve the accuracy of similarity measures. GOssTo is very fast, easy to use, and it allows the calculation of similarities on a genomic scale in a few minutes on a regular desktop machine. alberto@cs.rhul.ac.uk GOssTo is available both as a stand-alone application running on GNU/Linux, Windows and MacOS from www.paccanarolab.org/gossto and as a web application from www.paccanarolab.org/gosstoweb. The stand-alone application features a simple and concise command line interface for easy integration into high-throughput data processing pipelines. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press.

Biomechanical comparison of a new stand-alone anterior lumbar interbody fusion cage with established fixation techniques – a three-dimensional finite element analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hsieh Pang-Hsing

2008-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Initial promise of a stand-alone interbody fusion cage to treat chronic back pain and restore disc height has not been realized. In some instances, a posterior spinal fixation has been used to enhance stability and increase fusion rate. In this manuscript, a new stand-alone cage is compared with conventional fixation methods based on the finite element analysis, with a focus on investigating cage-bone interface mechanics and stress distribution on the adjacent tissues. Methods Three trapezoid 8° interbody fusion cage models (dual paralleled cages, a single large cage, or a two-part cage consisting of a trapezoid box and threaded cylinder were created with or without pedicle screws fixation to investigate the relative importance of the screws on the spinal segmental response. The contact stress on the facet joint, slip displacement of the cage on the endplate, and rotational angle of the upper vertebra were measured under different loading conditions. Results Simulation results demonstrated less facet stress and slip displacement with the maximal contact on the cage-bone interface. A stand-alone two-part cage had good slip behavior under compression, flexion, extension, lateral bending and torsion, as compared with the other two interbody cages, even with the additional posterior fixation. However, the two-part cage had the lowest rotational angles under flexion and torsion, but had no differences under extension and lateral bending. Conclusion The biomechanical benefit of a stand-alone two-part fusion cage can be justified. This device provided the stability required for interbody fusion, which supports clinical trials of the cage as an alternative to circumferential fixations.

Use of small stand-alone Internet nodes as a distributed control system

Science.gov (United States)

Goodwin, Robert W.; Kucera, Michael J.; Shea, Michael F.

1994-12-01

For several years, the standard model for accelerator control systems has been workstation consoles connected to VME local stations by a Local Area Network with analog and digital data being accessed via a field bus to custom I/O interface electronics. Commercially available hardware has now made it possible to implement a small stand-alone data acquisition station that combines the LAN connection, the computer, and the analog and digital I/O interface on a single board. This eliminates the complexity of a field bus and the associated proprietary I/O hardware. A minimum control system is one data acquisition station and a Macintosh or workstation console, both connected to the network; larger systems have more consoles and nodes. An implementation of this architecture is described along with performance and operational experience.

Human microRNA target analysis and gene ontology clustering by GOmir, a novel stand-alone application.

Science.gov (United States)

Roubelakis, Maria G; Zotos, Pantelis; Papachristoudis, Georgios; Michalopoulos, Ioannis; Pappa, Kalliopi I; Anagnou, Nicholas P; Kossida, Sophia

2009-06-16

microRNAs (miRNAs) are single-stranded RNA molecules of about 20-23 nucleotides length found in a wide variety of organisms. miRNAs regulate gene expression, by interacting with target mRNAs at specific sites in order to induce cleavage of the message or inhibit translation. Predicting or verifying mRNA targets of specific miRNAs is a difficult process of great importance. GOmir is a novel stand-alone application consisting of two separate tools: JTarget and TAGGO. JTarget integrates miRNA target prediction and functional analysis by combining the predicted target genes from TargetScan, miRanda, RNAhybrid and PicTar computational tools as well as the experimentally supported targets from TarBase and also providing a full gene description and functional analysis for each target gene. On the other hand, TAGGO application is designed to automatically group gene ontology annotations, taking advantage of the Gene Ontology (GO), in order to extract the main attributes of sets of proteins. GOmir represents a new tool incorporating two separate Java applications integrated into one stand-alone Java application. GOmir (by using up to five different databases) introduces miRNA predicted targets accompanied by (a) full gene description, (b) functional analysis and (c) detailed gene ontology clustering. Additionally, a reverse search initiated by a potential target can also be conducted. GOmir can freely be downloaded BRFAA.

Information systems for the materials management department: stand-alone and enterprise resource planning systems.

Science.gov (United States)

2005-03-01

Materials management information systems (MMISs) incorporate information tools that hospitals can use to automate certain business processes, increase staff compliance with these processes, and identify opportunities for cost savings. Recently, there has been a push by hospital administration to purchase enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, information systems that promise to integrate many more facets of healthcare business. We offer this article to help materials managers, administrators, and others involved with information system selection understand the changes that have taken place in materials management information systems, decide whether they need a new system and, if so, whether a stand-alone MMIS or an ERP system will be the best choice.

Gene expression profiles in cervical cancer with radiation therapy alone and chemo-radiation therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Kyu Chan; Kim, Joo Young; Hwang, You Jin; Kim, Meyoung Kon; Choi, Myung Sun; Kim, Chul Young

2003-01-01

To analyze the gene expression profiles of uterine cervical cancer, and its variation after radiation therapy, with or without concurrent chemotherapy, using a cDNA microarray. Sixteen patients, 8 with squamous cell carcinomas of the uterine cervix, who were treated with radiation alone, and the other 8 treated with concurrent chemo-radiation, were included in the study. Before the starting of the treatment, tumor biopsies were carried out, and the second time biopsies were performed after a radiation dose of 16.2-27 Gy. Three normal cervix tissues were used as a control group. The microarray experiments were performed with 5 groups of the total RNAs extracted individually and then admixed as control, pre-radiation therapy alone, during-radiation therapy alone, pre-chemoradiation therapy, and during chemoradiation therapy. The 33P-labeled cDNAs were synthesized from the total RNAs of each group, by reverse transcription, and then they were hybridized to the cDNA microarray membrane. The gene expression of each microarrays was captured by the intensity of each spot produced by the radioactive isotopes. The pixels per spot were counted with an Arrayguage, and were exported to Microsoft Excel. The data were normalized by the Z transformation, and the comparisons were performed on the Z-ratio values calculated. The expressions of 15 genes, including integrin linked kinase (ILK), CDC28 protein kinase 2, Spry 2, and ERK 3, were increased with the Z-ratio values of over 2.0 for the cervix cancer tissues compared to those for the normal controls. Those genes were involved in cell growth and proliferation, cell cycle control, or signal transduction. The expressions of the other 6 genes, including G protein coupled receptor kinase 6, were decreased with the Z-ratio values of below -2.0. After the radiation therapy, most of the genes, with a previously increase expressions, represented the decreased expression profiles, and the genes, with the Z-ratio values of over 2.0, were

An optimized Fuzzy Logic Controller by Water Cycle Algorithm for power management of Stand-alone Hybrid Green Power generation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sarvi, Mohammad; Avanaki, Isa Nasiri

2015-01-01

Highlights: • A new method to improve the performance of renewable power management is proposed. • The proposed method is based on Fuzzy Logic optimized by the Water Cycle Algorithm. • The proposed method characteristics are compared with two other methods. • The comparisons confirm that the proposed method is robust and effectiveness one. - Abstract: This paper aims to improve the power management system of a Stand-alone Hybrid Green Power generation based on the Fuzzy Logic Controller optimized by the Water Cycle Algorithm. The proposed Stand-alone Hybrid Green Power consists of wind energy conversion and photovoltaic systems as primary power sources and a battery, fuel cell, and Electrolyzer as energy storage systems. Hydrogen is produced from surplus power generated by the wind energy conversion and photovoltaic systems of Stand-alone Hybrid Green Power and stored in the hydrogen storage tank for fuel cell later using when the power generated by primary sources is lower than load demand. The proposed optimized Fuzzy Logic Controller based power management system determines the power that is generated by fuel cell or use by Electrolyzer. In a hybrid system, operation and maintenance cost and reliability of the system are the important issues that should be considered in studies. In this regard, Water Cycle Algorithm is used to optimize membership functions in order to simultaneously minimize the Loss of Power Supply Probability and operation and maintenance. The results are compared with the particle swarm optimization and the un-optimized Fuzzy Logic Controller power management system to prove that the proposed method is robust and effective. Reduction in Loss of Power Supply Probability and operation and maintenance, are the most advantages of the proposed method. Moreover the level of the State of Charge of the battery in the proposed method is higher than other mentioned methods which leads to increase battery lifetime.

Improving efficiency of a regional stand alone bone bank.

Science.gov (United States)

Warnock, Jonathan M; Rowan, Clare H; Davidson, Helen; Millar, Ciara; McAlinden, M Gavan

2016-03-01

The introduction of a stand-alone Bone Bank in our Regional Orthopaedic Hospital has improved the availability of femoral head allograft. Benninger et al. (Bone Joint J 96-B:1307-1311, 2014), demonstrated their institutions bank to be cost effective despite a 30 % discard rate for harvested allograft. We sought to audit our own discard rates and subsequent cost-effectiveness of our bone bank. Donor recruitment. Before approaching a potential donor, our establishment's nurse specialists review their clinical notes and biochemical laboratory results, available on a regional Electronic Care Records. They view femoral head architecture on radiographs against set criteria, Patient Archive and Communication system (SECTRA, Sweden). In total 1383 femoral heads were harvested, 247 were discarded giving an overall rate of 17.9 %. The most common reasons for discard of harvested graft was a positive microbiology/bacteriology result, n = 96 (38.9 %). After a rise in discard rates in 2007, we have steadily reduced our discard rates since 2006/2007 (28.2 %), 2008/2009 (17 %), 2010/2011 (14.8 %), and finally to 10.3 % in 2012/2013. In the current financial year, our cost to harvest, test, store and release a femoral head is £ 610. With a structured donor recruitment process and unique pre-operative radiographic analysis we have successfully reduced our discard rates bi-annually making our bone bank increasingly cost-effective.

Facetal distraction as treatment for single- and multilevel cervical spondylotic radiculopathy and myelopathy: a preliminary report.

Science.gov (United States)

Goel, Atul; Shah, Abhidha

2011-06-01

The authors discuss their successful preliminary experience with 36 cases of cervical spondylotic disease by performing facetal distraction using specially designed Goel cervical facet spacers. The clinical and radiological results of treatment are analyzed. The mechanism of action of the proposed spacers and the rationale for their use are evaluated. Between 2006 and February 2010, 36 patients were treated using the proposed technique. Of these patients, 18 had multilevel and 18 had single-level cervical spondylotic radiculopathy and/or myelopathy. The average follow-up period was 17 months with a minimum of 6 months. The Japanese Orthopaedic Association classification system, visual analog scale (neck pain and radiculopathy), and Odom criteria were used to monitor the clinical status of the patient. The patients were prospectively analyzed. The technique of surgery involved wide opening of the facet joints, denuding of articular cartilage, distraction of facets, and forced impaction of Goel cervical facet spacers into the articular cavity. Additionally, the interspinous process ligaments were resected, and corticocancellous bone graft from the iliac crest was placed and was stabilized over the adjoining laminae and facets after adequately preparing the host bone. Eighteen patients underwent single-level, 6 patients underwent 2-level, and 12 patients underwent 3-level treatment. The alterations in the physical architecture of spine and canal dimensions were evaluated before and after the placement of intrafacet joint spacers and after at least 6 months of follow-up. All patients had varying degrees of relief from symptoms of pain, radiculopathy, and myelopathy. Analysis of radiological features suggested that the distraction of facets with the spacers resulted in an increase in the intervertebral foraminal dimension (mean 2.2 mm), an increase in the height of the intervertebral disc space (range 0.4-1.2 mm), and an increase in the interspinous distance (mean 2

Economic and Environmental Assessment of a Renewable Stand-Alone Energy Supply System Using Multi-objective Optimization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Dohyun; Han, Seulki; Kim, Jiyong Kim [Incheon National University, Incheon (Korea, Republic of)

2017-06-15

This study aims to propose a new optimization-based approach for design and analysis of the stand-alone hybrid energy supply system using renewable energy sources (RES). In the energy supply system, we include multiple energy production technologies such as Photovoltaics (PV), Wind turbine, and fossil-fuel-based AC generator along with different types of energy storage and conversion technologies such as battery and inverter. We then select six different regions of Korea to represent various characteristics of different RES potentials and demand profiles. We finally designed and analyzed the optimal RES stand-alone energy supply system in the selected regions using multiobjective optimization (MOOP) technique, which includes two objective functions: the minimum cost and the minimum CO{sub 2} emission. In addition, we discussed the feasibility and expecting benefits of the systems by comparing to conventional systems of Korea. As a result, the region of the highest RES potential showed the possibility to remarkably reduce CO{sub 2} emissions compared to the conventional system. Besides, the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) of the RES-based energy system is identified to be slightly higher than conventional energy system: 0.35 and 0.46 $/kWh, respectively. However, the total life-cycle emission of CO{sub 2} (LCECO{sub 2}) can be reduced up to 470 gCO{sub 2}/kWh from 490 gCO{sub 2}/kWh of the conventional systems.

Clinician's perspectives of the relocation of a regional child and adolescent mental health service from co-located to stand alone premises.

Science.gov (United States)

Francis, K J; Boyd, C P; Sewell, J; Nurse, S

2008-01-01

Australia's National Mental Health Strategy's statement of rights and responsibilities states that children and adolescents admitted to a mental health facility or community program have the right to be separated from adult patients and provided with programs suited to their developmental needs. However, in rural Australia, where a lack of healthcare services, financial constraints, greater service delivery areas and fewer mental healthcare specialists represent the norm, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) are sometimes co-located with adult mental health services. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the impact of a recent relocation of a regional CAMHS in Victoria from co-located to stand alone premises. Six CAMHS clinicians who had experienced service delivery at a co-located setting and the current stand-alone CAMHS setting were interviewed about their perceptions of the impact of the relocation on service delivery. An exploratory interviewing methodology was utilized due to the lack of previous research in this area. Interview data were transcribed and analysed according to interpretative phenomenological analysis techniques. Findings indicated a perception that the relocation was positive for clients due to the family-friendly environment at the new setting and separation of CAMHS from adult psychiatric services. However, the impact of the relocation on clinicians was marked by a perceived loss of social capital from adult psychiatric service clinicians. These results provide increased understanding of the effects of service relocation and the influence of co-located versus stand-alone settings on mental health service delivery - an area where little prior research exists.

A compact seven switches topology and reduced DC-link capacitor size for single-phase stand-alone PV system with hybrid energy storages

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Liu, Xiong; Wang, Peng; Loh, Poh Chiang

2011-01-01

Single-phase stand-alone PV system is suitable for household applications in remote area. Hybrid battery/ultra-capacitor energy storage can reduce charge and discharge cycles and avoid deep discharges of battery. This paper proposes a compact seven switches structure for stand-alone PV system......, which otherwise needs nine switches configuration, inclusive of one switch for boost converter, four switches for single-phase inverter and four switches for two DC/DC converters of battery and ultra-capacitor. It is well-known that a bulky DC-link capacitor is always required to absorb second......-order harmonic current caused by single-phase inverter. In the proposed compact topology, a small size DC-link capacitor can achieve the same function through charging/discharging control of ultra-capacitor to mitigate second-order ripple current. Simulation results are provided to validate the effectiveness...

The polymethyl methacrylate cervical cage for treatment of cervical disk disease Part III. Biomechanical properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Jyi-Feng; Lee, Shih-Tseng

2006-10-01

In a previous article, we used the PMMA cervical cage in the treatment of single-level cervical disk disease and the preliminary clinical results were satisfactory. However, the mechanical properties of the PMMA cage were not clear. Therefore, we designed a comparative in vitro biomechanical study to determine the mechanical properties of the PMMA cage. The PMMA cervical cage and the Solis PEEK cervical cage were compressed in a materials testing machine to determine the mechanical properties. The compressive yield strength of the PMMA cage (7030 +/- 637 N) was less than that of the Solis polymer cervical cage (8100 +/- 572 N). The ultimate compressive strength of the PMMA cage (8160 +/- 724 N) was less than that of the Solis cage (9100 +/- 634 N). The stiffness of the PMMA cervical cage (8106 +/- 817 N/mm) was greater than that of the Solis cage (6486 +/- 530 N/mm). The elastic modulus of the PMMA cage (623 +/- 57 MPa) was greater than that of the Solis cage (510 +/- 42 MPa). The elongation of PMMA cage (43.5 +/- 5.7%) was larger than that of the Solis cage (36.1 +/- 4.3%). Although the compressive yield strength and ultimate compressive strength of the PMMA cervical cage were less than those of the Solis polymer cage, the mechanical properties are better than those of the cervical vertebral body. The PMMA cage is strong and safe for use as a spacer for cervical interbody fusion. Compared with other cage materials, the PMMA cage has many advantages and no obvious failings at present. However, the PMMA cervical cage warrants further long-term clinical study.

Diagnostic reliability of the cervical vertebral maturation method and standing height in the identification of the mandibular growth spurt.

Science.gov (United States)

Perinetti, Giuseppe; Contardo, Luca; Castaldo, Attilio; McNamara, James A; Franchi, Lorenzo

2016-07-01

To evaluate the capability of both cervical vertebral maturation (CVM) stages 3 and 4 (CS3-4 interval) and the peak in standing height to identify the mandibular growth spurt throughout diagnostic reliability analysis. A previous longitudinal data set derived from 24 untreated growing subjects (15 females and nine males,) detailed elsewhere were reanalyzed. Mandibular growth was defined as annual increments in Condylion (Co)-Gnathion (Gn) (total mandibular length) and Co-Gonion Intersection (Goi) (ramus height) and their arithmetic mean (mean mandibular growth [mMG]). Subsequently, individual annual increments in standing height, Co-Gn, Co-Goi, and mMG were arranged according to annual age intervals, with the first and last intervals defined as 7-8 years and 15-16 years, respectively. An analysis was performed to establish the diagnostic reliability of the CS3-4 interval or the peak in standing height in the identification of the maximum individual increments of each Co-Gn, Co-Goi, and mMG measurement at each annual age interval. CS3-4 and standing height peak show similar but variable accuracy across annual age intervals, registering values between 0.61 (standing height peak, Co-Gn) and 0.95 (standing height peak and CS3-4, mMG). Generally, satisfactory diagnostic reliability was seen when the mandibular growth spurt was identified on the basis of the Co-Goi and mMG increments. Both CVM interval CS3-4 and peak in standing height may be used in routine clinical practice to enhance efficiency of treatments requiring identification of the mandibular growth spurt.

Comparison of pulp-mill-integrated hydrogen production from gasified black liquor with stand-alone production from gasified biomass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andersson, E.; Harvey, S.

2007-01-01

When gasified black liquor is used for hydrogen production, significant amounts of biomass must be imported. This paper compares two alternative options for producing hydrogen from biomass: (A) pulp-mill-integrated hydrogen production from gasified back liquor; and (B) stand-alone production of hydrogen from gasified biomass. The comparison assumes that the same amount of biomass that is imported in Alternative A is supplied to a stand-alone hydrogen production plant and that the gasified black liquor in Alternative B is used in a black liquor gasification combined cycle (BLGCC) CHP unit. The comparison is based upon equal amounts of black liquor fed to the gasifier, and identical steam and power requirements for the pulp mill. The two systems are compared on the basis of total CO 2 emission consequences, based upon different assumptions for the reference energy system that reflect different societal CO 2 emissions reduction target levels. Ambitions targets are expected to lead to a more CO 2 -lean reference energy system, in which case hydrogen production from gasified black liquor (Alternative A) is best from a CO 2 emissions' perspective, whereas with high CO 2 emissions associated with electricity production, hydrogen from gasified biomass and electricity from gasified black liquor (Alternative B) is preferable. (author)

Can aqueous hydrogen peroxide be used as a stand-alone energy source?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Disselkamp, Robert S.

2010-01-01

A novel electrochemical scheme to convert a stand-alone supply of aqueous hydrogen peroxide into a fuel cell-ready stream of hydrogen gas plus aqueous hydrogen peroxide is described. The electrochemical cell, consisting of a solid base and solid acid electrocatalyst, together with a proton exchange membrane, comprise the system that converts aqueous hydrogen peroxide into separate gas streams of oxygen and hydrogen. Aqueous hydrogen peroxide is contained in the anode compartment only and exists in the region where oxygen gas is formed, whereas the cathode compartment is where hydrogen gas is generated and therefore exists in a reduced state. A near zero theoretical over-potential can be achieved by the choice of basicity and acidity of the electrode materials. The primary cost of the electrochemical cell is electrode construction and the aqueous hydrogen peroxide energy storage compound. Additional research effort is required to experimentally validate the concept and explore the full economic impact should initial studies, based on the design presented here, prove promising. (author)

Key factors for the implementation of successful, stand-alone village electrification schemes in Peru

Science.gov (United States)

Sanchez-Campos, Teodoro

The hypothesis of this work is that there are social, financial, technical, managerial institutional and political key factors that may either support or prevent the success of small stand alone energy systems in rural areas. This research work aims at contributing to the identification of such factors and study their relevance to the performance and sustainability of stand alone energy systems in rural areas; to meet its purpose, a wide range of literature was reviewed including rural electrification programmes and projects, research and development projects on access to electricity in rural areas, impact studies and others, and a field research survey was done the Andes and Upper Jungle regions in Peru. Nineteen possible critical factors were identified, thirteen with relevance at the local context (the community or village), and six with relevance at the national (or wider) context. From literature review it was found that the possible local critical factors were relevant only to four categories of factors instead of the six considered initially (i.e. social, financial, technological and managerial): the other two categories, political and institutional were found to be more relevant to the national context, therefore those were included in the group of possible critical factors of wider context. A series of questionnaires were designed to collect field data information, which was later used to analyse and establish the relation of each identified factor with the success of the systems studied. The survey research was implemented in 14 villages, 7 with small diesel sets and 7 with small hydropower schemes, all spread in the Andes and Upper Jungle of Peru, which were carefully selected to be representative of regions with isolated stand alone systems and with different socioeconomic background. Out of the 13 possible critical factors of local context, it was found that only 3 are really critical, the others are important but not critical; one of them (technical

Study on the optimization of stand-alone type photovoltaic systems. 2

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Man Geun; Song, Jin Soo; Kim, Boo ho; Park, I June; Jung, Meung Woong; Yoo, Kyun Joung; Kim, Hong Woo [Korea Inst. of Energy Research, Taejon (Korea, Republic of)

1995-12-01

The objectives of this study are to make a maximization of the operating efficiency of photovoltaic power systems, to improve stand- align PV systems design, technical operation and system analysis, and to promote technical cooperation of mutual interest in the area of IEA/PVPS program. This study aims to investigating the problems of applied photovoltaic power systems currently in operation to improve a system design, seeking remedies of individual PVPS applications to improve the system efficiency and reliability and to raise the system economics, and reporting the international movements of PV system dissemination and technical cooperation for developing countries. For the purpose of this works 1) Investigations of applications of existing photovoltaic power systems: - Photovoltaic electric sources used for expressway lamps - Optimum design of solar light with low pressure sodium lamps under 8 hours lighting a day at night by program-able electronic timer. 2) Comparative analyses of Marado PV system and propose a new reliable PV-diesel hybrid system and high efficiency operations. 3) Overall review of Hahwado 60 KWp PV system extending from 25 KWp and the remote monitoring systems for measurement of its operating results. 4) Introduction of IEA/PVPS international cooperating program, especially in task III for stand- alone PV systems and isolated islands and Exco meeting. As results, investigative findings of PVPS currently in operation and the work for improvement - Propose a prescription of Marado PV systems being blocked up by explosion of electrical demands from residence, parallel operational dual inverter with a big capacity. - There are shortage of solar generated power due to shortage of solar cell capacity that results in an increased operating time of diesel generator. Hence the insolation capacity of solar cell per household is continuously increased from the 0.5 KWp to 2 KWp in Hanwado island electrification.

Mixing vane grid spacer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patterson, J.F.; Galbraith, K.P.

1978-01-01

An improved mixing vane grid spacer having enhanced flow mixing capability by virtue of mixing vanes being positioned at welded intersecting joints of the spacer wherein each mixing vane has an opening or window formed therein substantially directly over the welded joint to provide improved flow mixing capability is described. Some of the vanes are slotted, depending on their particular location in the spacers. The intersecting joints are welded by initially providing consumable tabs at and within each window, which are consumed during the welding of the spacer joints

WE-FG-BRA-02: Docetaxel Eluting Brachytherapy Spacers for Local Chemo-Radiation Therapy in Prostate Cancer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Belz, J [Northeastern University, Boston, MA (United States); Kumar, R; Sridhar, S [Northeastern University & Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA (United States); Makrigiorgos, G; Nguyen, P [Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA (United States); D’Amico, A [Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA (United States); Cormack, R [Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA (United States)

2016-06-15

Purpose: We propose an innovative combinatorial treatment strategy of Local ChemoRadiation Therapy (LCRT) using a sustained drug delivery platform in the form of a spacer to locally radio-sensitize the prostate with Docetaxel (DTX) enabling a synergistic cure with the use of lower radiation doses. These biodegradable spacers are physically similar to the inert spacers routinely used in prostate brachytherapy but are now loaded with formulations of DTX. Methods: Spacers were loaded with ∼500µg Docetaxel (DTX) for prostate cancer studies. The implants were characterized in vitro using SEM and HPLC. The release kinetic studies were carried out in buffer (pH 6.0) at 37°C. Subcutaneous PC3 tumors were xenografted in nude mice. Prostate cancer studies were done with and without radiation using SARRP at 5Gy, 10Gy, and 15Gy. Drug-loaded implants were injected once intratumorally using an 18G brachytherapy needle. Results: The release study in vitro showed a highly sustained release for multiple weeks at therapeutically relevant doses. The monotherapy with local DTX spacer showed sustained tumor inhibition compared to empty implants and an equivalent DTX dose given systemically. At 40 days, 89% survival was observed for mice treated with DTX implants compared with 0% in all other treatment groups. The combined treatment with local DTX spacer and radiation (10Gy) showed the highest degree of tumor suppression (significant tumor growth inhibition by day 90). The control mice showed continuous tumor growth and were scarified by day 56. Groups of mice treated with DTX-spacer or radiation alone showed initial tumor suppression but growth continued after day 60. A larger experiment is ongoing. Conclusion: This approach provides localized delivery of the chemotherapeutic sensitizer directly to the tumor and avoids the toxicities associated with both brachytherapy and current systemic delivery of docetaxel. Sustained release of DTX is an effective chemotherapy option alone or

Comparison of the result of radiation alone and radiation with daily low dose cisplatin in management of locally advanced cervical cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Hun Jung; Kim, Woo Chul; Lee, Mee Jo; Kim, Chul Su; Song, Eun Seop; Loh, John J. K.

2004-01-01

An analysis was to compare the results of radiation alone with those of radiation with daily low dose cisplatin as a radiation sensitizer in locally advanced cervical cancer. A retrospective analysis of 59 patients diagnosed with locally advanced uterine cervix cancer between December 1996 and March 2001 was performed. Thirty one patients received radiation alone and 28 patients received daily low dose cisplatin, as a radiation sensitizer, and radiation therapy. The median follow-up period was 34 months, ranging from 2.5 to 73 months. The radiation therapy consisted of 4500 cGy external beam irradiation to the whole pelvis (midline block after 3060 cGy), a 900 ∼ 1,000 cGy boost to the involved parametrium and high dose-rate intracavitary brachytherapy (a total dose of 3,000 ∼ 3,500 cGy/500 cGy per fraction to point A, twice per week). In the chemoradiation group, 10 mg of daily intravenous cisplatin was given daily from the 1st day of radiation therapy to the 20th day of radiation therapy. According to the FIGO classification, the patients were subdivided into 51 (86.4%) and 8 (13.6%) stages IIB and stage IIIB, respectively. The overall 5 year survival rate was 65.65% and according to treatment modality were 56.75% and 73.42% in the radiation alone and chemoradiation groups, respectively (ρ = 0.180). The 5 year disease-free survival rates were 49.39% and 63.34% in the radiation alone and chemoradiation groups, respectively (ρ = 0.053). The 5 year locoregional control rates were 52.34% and 73.58% in the radiation alone and chemoradiation groups, respectively (ρ = 0.013). The 5 year distant disease-free survival rates were 59.29% and 81.46% in the radiation alone and chemoradiation groups, respectively (ρ = 0.477). Treatment related hematologic toxicity were prominent in the chemoradiation group. Leukopenia (≥ 3 grade) occurred in 3.2% and 28.5% of the radiation alone and chemoradiation groups, respectively (ρ = 0.02). There were no statistical differences

Comparison of the result of radiation alone and radiation with daily low dose cisplatin in management of locally advanced cervical cancer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Hun Jung; Kim, Woo Chul; Lee, Mee Jo; Kim, Chul Su; Song, Eun Seop; Loh, John J. K. [Inha University Medical College, Inchon (Korea, Republic of)

2004-09-15

An analysis was to compare the results of radiation alone with those of radiation with daily low dose cisplatin as a radiation sensitizer in locally advanced cervical cancer. A retrospective analysis of 59 patients diagnosed with locally advanced uterine cervix cancer between December 1996 and March 2001 was performed. Thirty one patients received radiation alone and 28 patients received daily low dose cisplatin, as a radiation sensitizer, and radiation therapy. The median follow-up period was 34 months, ranging from 2.5 to 73 months. The radiation therapy consisted of 4500 cGy external beam irradiation to the whole pelvis (midline block after 3060 cGy), a 900 {approx} 1,000 cGy boost to the involved parametrium and high dose-rate intracavitary brachytherapy (a total dose of 3,000 {approx} 3,500 cGy/500 cGy per fraction to point A, twice per week). In the chemoradiation group, 10 mg of daily intravenous cisplatin was given daily from the 1st day of radiation therapy to the 20th day of radiation therapy. According to the FIGO classification, the patients were subdivided into 51 (86.4%) and 8 (13.6%) stages IIB and stage IIIB, respectively. The overall 5 year survival rate was 65.65% and according to treatment modality were 56.75% and 73.42% in the radiation alone and chemoradiation groups, respectively ({rho} = 0.180). The 5 year disease-free survival rates were 49.39% and 63.34% in the radiation alone and chemoradiation groups, respectively ({rho} = 0.053). The 5 year locoregional control rates were 52.34% and 73.58% in the radiation alone and chemoradiation groups, respectively ({rho} = 0.013). The 5 year distant disease-free survival rates were 59.29% and 81.46% in the radiation alone and chemoradiation groups, respectively ({rho} = 0.477). Treatment related hematologic toxicity were prominent in the chemoradiation group. Leukopenia ({>=} 3 grade) occurred in 3.2% and 28.5% of the radiation alone and chemoradiation groups, respectively ({rho} = 0.02). There were

Comparison of zero-profile anchored spacer versus plate-cage construct in treatment of cervical spondylosis with regard to clinical outcomes and incidence of major complications: a meta-analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liu WJ

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Weijun Liu,1,* Ling Hu,2,* Junwen Wang,1 Ming Liu,1 Xiaomei Wang3 1Department of Orthopedics, Pu Ai Hospital, Affiliated to Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 2Department of Anesthesiology, Tianyou Hospital, Affiliated to Wuhan University of Science and Technology, 3Department of Biological Science and Technology, Wuhan Bioengineering Institute, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China *These authors contributed equally to this work Purpose: Meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate whether zero-profile anchored spacer (Zero-P could reduce complication rates, while maintaining similar clinical outcomes compared to plate-cage construct (PCC in the treatment of cervical spondylosis. Methods: All prospective and retrospective comparative studies published up to May 2015 that compared the clinical outcomes of Zero-P versus PCC in the treatment of cervical spondylosis were acquired by a comprehensive search in PubMed and EMBASE. Exclusion criteria were non-English studies, noncomparative studies, hybrid surgeries, revision surgeries, and surgeries with less than a 12-month follow-up period. The main end points including Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA and Neck Disability Index (NDI scores, cervical lordosis, fusion rate, subsidence, and dysphagia were analyzed. All studies were analyzed with the RevMan 5.2.0 software. Publication biases of main results were examined using Stata 12.0. Results: A total of 12 studies were included in the meta-analysis. No statistical difference was observed with regard to preoperative or postoperative JOA and NDI scores, cervical lordosis, and fusion rate. The Zero-P group had a higher subsidence rate than the PCC group (P<0.05, risk difference =0.13, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.00–0.26. However, the Zero-P group had a significantly lower postoperative dysphagia rate than the PCC group within the first 2 weeks (P<0.05, odds ratio [OR] =0.64, 95% CI 0.45–0.91, at the 6th month [P

Quality of life and sexuality in disease-free survivors of cervical cancer after radical hysterectomy alone: A comparison between total laparoscopy and laparotomy.

Science.gov (United States)

Xiao, Meizhu; Gao, Huiqiao; Bai, Huimin; Zhang, Zhenyu

2016-09-01

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the possible differences between total laparoscopy and laparotomy regarding their impact on postoperative quality of life and sexuality in disease-free cervical cancer survivors who received radical hysterectomy (RH) and/or lymphadenectomy alone and were followed for >1 year.We reviewed all patients with cervical cancer who had received surgical treatment in our hospital between January 2001 and March 2014. Consecutive sexually active survivors who received RH and/or lymphadenectomy for early stage cervical cancer were enrolled and divided into 2 groups based on surgical approach. Survivors were interviewed and completed validated questionnaires, including the European Organization for Research Treatment of Cancer Quality-of-Life Core Questionnaire including 30 items, the Cervical Cancer-Specific Module of European Organization for Research Treatment of Cancer Quality-of-Life Questionnaire including 24 items (EORTC QLQ-CX24), and the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI).In total, 273 patients with histologically confirmed cervical cancer were retrospectively reviewed. However, only 64 patients had received RH and/or lymphadenectomy alone; 58 survivors meeting the inclusion criteria were enrolled, including 42 total laparoscopy cases and 16 laparotomy cases, with an average follow-up of 46.1 and 51.2 months, respectively. The survivors in the 2 groups obtained good and similar scores on all items of the European Organization for Research Treatment of Cancer Quality-of-Life Core Questionnaire including 30 items and Cervical Cancer-Specific Module of European Organization for Research Treatment of Cancer Quality-of-Life Questionnaire including 24 items, without significant differences after controlling for covariate background characteristics. To the date of submission, 21.4% (9/42) of cases in the total laparoscopy group and 31.2% (5/16) of cases in the laparotomy group had not resumed sexual behavior after RH. Additionally

Comparison of a zero-profile anchored spacer (ROI-C) and the polyetheretherketone (PEEK) cages with an anterior plate in anterior cervical discectomy and fusion for multilevel cervical spondylotic myelopathy.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Yijie; Wang, Heng; Li, Xuefeng; Chen, Jie; Sun, Han; Wang, Genlin; Yang, Huilin; Jiang, Weimin

2016-06-01

We aimed to analyze the clinical and radiographic efficacy of a new zero-profile anchored spacer called the ROI-C in anterior discectomy and fusion (ACDF) for multilevel cervical spondylotic myelopathy (MCSM). We retrospectively reviewed the clinical, radiological outcomes and complications of multilevel ACDF with the ROI-C or with the polyetheretherketone (PEEK) cages with an anterior plate. From April 2011 to April 2014, 60 patients with MCSM were operated on using ACDF, with the ROI-C in 28 patients and PEEK cages with an anterior plate in 32 patients. The operative time, intraoperative blood loss, and clinical and radiological results were compared between the ROI-C group and the cage-plate group. The mean follow-up time was 23.8 ± 6.6 months, ranging from 12 to 36 months. At the first month and the last follow-up, the neck disability index (NDI) scores were decreased, and the Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) scores were significantly increased, compared with the presurgical measurements in both groups. There were no significant differences in NDI scores or JOA scores between the two groups (P > 0.05), but there were significant differences in the operation time, blood loss and the presence of dysphagia (P PEEK cage with an anterior plate.

Fouling resistant membrane spacers

KAUST Repository

Ghaffour, Noreddine

2017-10-12

Disclosed herein are spacers having baffle designs and perforations for efficiently and effectively separating one or more membrane layers a membrane filtration system. The spacer (504) includes a body (524) formed at least in part by baffles (520) that are interconnected, and the baffles define boundaries of openings or apertures (525) through a thickness direction of the body of the spacer. Alternatively or additionally, passages or perforations (526A, 526B) may be present in the spacer layer or baffles for fluid flow there through, with the passages and baffles having a numerous different shapes and sizes.

Fuel spacer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nishida, Koji; Yokomizo, Osamu; Kanazawa, Toru; Kashiwai, Shin-ichi; Orii, Akihito.

1992-01-01

The present invention concerns a fuel spacer for a fuel assembly of a BWR type reactor and a PTR type reactor. Springs each having a vane are disposed on the side surface of a circular cell which supports a fuel rods. A vortex streams having a vertical component are formed by the vanes in the flowing direction of a flowing channel between adjacent cylindrical cells. Liquid droplets carried by streams are deposited on liquid membrane streams flowing along the fuel rod at the downstream of the spacer by the vortex streams. In view of the above, the liquid droplets can be deposited to the fuel rod without increasing the amount of metal of the spacer. Accordingly, the thermal margin of the fuel assembly can be improved without losing neutron economy. (I.N.)

SedInConnect: a stand-alone, free and open source tool for the assessment of sediment connectivity

Science.gov (United States)

Crema, Stefano; Cavalli, Marco

2018-02-01

There is a growing call, within the scientific community, for solid theoretic frameworks and usable indices/models to assess sediment connectivity. Connectivity plays a significant role in characterizing structural properties of the landscape and, when considered in combination with forcing processes (e.g., rainfall-runoff modelling), can represent a valuable analysis for an improved landscape management. In this work, the authors present the development and application of SedInConnect: a free, open source and stand-alone application for the computation of the Index of Connectivity (IC), as expressed in Cavalli et al. (2013) with the addition of specific innovative features. The tool is intended to have a wide variety of users, both from the scientific community and from the authorities involved in the environmental planning. Thanks to its open source nature, the tool can be adapted and/or integrated according to the users' requirements. Furthermore, presenting an easy-to-use interface and being a stand-alone application, the tool can help management experts in the quantitative assessment of sediment connectivity in the context of hazard and risk assessment. An application to a sample dataset and an overview on up-to-date applications of the approach and of the tool shows the development potential of such analyses. The modelled connectivity, in fact, appears suitable not only to characterize sediment dynamics at the catchment scale but also to integrate prediction models and as a tool for helping geomorphological interpretation.

Multi-objective analytical model for optimal sizing of stand-alone photovoltaic water pumping systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olcan, Ceyda

2015-01-01

Highlights: • An analytical optimal sizing model is proposed for PV water pumping systems. • The objectives are chosen as deficiency of power supply and life-cycle costs. • The crop water requirements are estimated for a citrus tree yard in Antalya. • The optimal tilt angles are calculated for fixed, seasonal and monthly changes. • The sizing results showed the validity of the proposed analytical model. - Abstract: Stand-alone photovoltaic (PV) water pumping systems effectively use solar energy for irrigation purposes in remote areas. However the random variability and unpredictability of solar energy makes difficult the penetration of PV implementations and complicate the system design. An optimal sizing of these systems proves to be essential. This paper recommends a techno-economic optimization model to determine optimally the capacity of the components of PV water pumping system using a water storage tank. The proposed model is developed regarding the reliability and cost indicators, which are the deficiency of power supply probability and life-cycle costs, respectively. The novelty is that the proposed optimization model is analytically defined for two-objectives and it is able to find a compromise solution. The sizing of a stand-alone PV water pumping system comprises a detailed analysis of crop water requirements and optimal tilt angles. Besides the necessity of long solar radiation and temperature time series, the accurate forecasts of water supply needs have to be determined. The calculation of the optimal tilt angle for yearly, seasonally and monthly frequencies results in higher system efficiency. It is, therefore, suggested to change regularly the tilt angle in order to maximize solar energy output. The proposed optimal sizing model incorporates all these improvements and can accomplish a comprehensive optimization of PV water pumping systems. A case study is conducted considering the irrigation of citrus trees yard located in Antalya, Turkey

Integrated Three-Port DC-DC Converter for Photovoltaic (PV) Battery Stand-alone Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ouyang, Ziwei; Andersen, Michael A. E.

2016-01-01

of solar energy. Moreover, a novel transformer configuration enables variable turns ratio controlled by the phase between the two current excitations subjected to the primary windings, allowing a wider input/output range. 1 kW experimental prototype has been built to demonstrate a wellmanaged power flow......Several power sources such as PV solar arrays and battery are often used to manage the power flow for a photovoltaic (PV) based stand-alone power system due to the fluctuation nature of solar energy resource, and deliver a continuous power to the users in an appropriate form. Traditionally, three...... different single-input single-output (SISO) dc/dc converters would have been used. To reduce the cost and improve the power density of the system, an integrated three-port isolated dc/dc converter is proposed in this paper. It can realize all functions of the energy delivery due to the fluctuation nature...

JAERI Fuel Cleanup System (J-FCU) stand-alone tritium test at the TSTA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Konishi, Satoshi; Hayashi, Takumi; Inoue, Masahiko

1993-03-01

JAERI designed, fabricated, and installed the JAERI Fuel Cleanup System (J-FCU) as a subsystem of simulated fusion fuel loop at the TSTA. The main function of the J-FCU is to purify and to recover hydrogen isotopes from simulated plasma exhaust while exhausting tritium free impurities. After a lot of deuterium tests, a first tritium test of the J-FCU was performed with one gram of tritium at the TSTA on June 1991. Main purpose of this test was to evaluate the total integrity and function of the J-FCU system with a DT mixture. Through this test, the J-FCU was operated well and its function with tritium was demonstrated. This report describes the detail test results of the J-FCU first tritium test and discuss its functions by stand-alone mode. Residual tritium inventory of the J-FCU system was also discussed. (author)

System Simulation by Recursive Feedback: Coupling a Set of Stand-Alone Subsystem Simulations

Science.gov (United States)

Nixon, D. D.

2001-01-01

Conventional construction of digital dynamic system simulations often involves collecting differential equations that model each subsystem, arran g them to a standard form, and obtaining their numerical gin solution as a single coupled, total-system simultaneous set. Simulation by numerical coupling of independent stand-alone subsimulations is a fundamentally different approach that is attractive because, among other things, the architecture naturally facilitates high fidelity, broad scope, and discipline independence. Recursive feedback is defined and discussed as a candidate approach to multidiscipline dynamic system simulation by numerical coupling of self-contained, single-discipline subsystem simulations. A satellite motion example containing three subsystems (orbit dynamics, attitude dynamics, and aerodynamics) has been defined and constructed using this approach. Conventional solution methods are used in the subsystem simulations. Distributed and centralized implementations of coupling have been considered. Numerical results are evaluated by direct comparison with a standard total-system, simultaneous-solution approach.

Structural Stator Spacers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, Peter Omand; Andreasen, Jens H.; Pijanowski, J. M.

2001-01-01

This paper presents a powerful new design aspect to reduce acoustic noise and vibration of electro-magnetic origin for electrical machines, by introducing improved slot wedges referred to as "Structural Stator Spacers". These spacers, by using a very stiff dielectric and non magnetic material...

Physical function outcome in cervical radiculopathy patients after physiotherapy alone compared with anterior surgery followed by physiotherapy: a prospective randomized study with a 2-year follow-up.

Science.gov (United States)

Peolsson, Anneli; Söderlund, Anne; Engquist, Markus; Lind, Bengt; Löfgren, Håkan; Vavruch, Ludek; Holtz, Anders; Winström-Christersson, Annelie; Isaksson, Ingrid; Öberg, Birgitta

2013-02-15

Prospective randomized study. To investigate differences in physical functional outcome in patients with radiculopathy due to cervical disc disease, after structured physiotherapy alone (consisting of neck-specific exercises with a cognitive-behavioral approach) versus after anterior cervical decompression and fusion (ACDF) followed by the same structured physiotherapy program. No earlier studies have evaluated the effectiveness of a structured physiotherapy program or postoperative physical rehabilitation after ACDF for patients with magnetic resonance imaging-verified nerve compression due to cervical disc disease. Our prospective randomized study included 63 patients with radiculopathy and magnetic resonance imaging-verified nerve root compression, who were randomized to receive either ACDF in combination with physiotherapy or physiotherapy alone. For 49 of these patients, an independent examiner measured functional outcomes, including active range of neck motion, neck muscle endurance, and hand-related functioning before treatment and at 3-, 6-, 12-, and 24-month follow-ups. There were no significant differences between the 2 treatment alternatives in any of the measurements performed (P = 0.17-0.91). Both groups showed improvements over time in neck muscle endurance (P ≤ 0.01), manual dexterity (P ≤ 0.03), and right-handgrip strength (P = 0.01). Compared with a structured physiotherapy program alone, ACDF followed by physiotherapy did not result in additional improvements in neck active range of motion, neck muscle endurance, or hand-related function in patients with radiculopathy. We suggest that a structured physiotherapy program should precede a decision for ACDF intervention in patients with radiculopathy, to reduce the need for surgery. 2.

DCE-MRI of the breast in a stand-alone setting outside a complementary strategy - results of the TK-study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kaiser, Clemens G.; Krammer, J.; Wasser, K.; Schoenberg, S.O. [University Medical Centre Mannheim, Medical Faculty Mannheim-University of Heidelberg, Institute of Clinical Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Mannheim (Germany); Reich, C.; Kaiser, W.A. [Friedrich-Schiller-University Hospital Jena, Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology I, Jena (Germany); Dietzel, M. [Friedrich-Alexander-University Hospital Erlangen-Nuernberg, Department of Neuroradiology, Erlangen (Germany); Baltzer, P.A.T. [Medical University Vienna, Institute of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Vienna (Austria)

2015-06-01

To evaluate the accuracy of MRI of the breast (DCE-MRI) in a stand-alone setting with extended indications. According to the inclusion criteria, breast specialists were invited to refer patients to our institution for DCE-MRI. Depending on the MR findings, patients received either a follow-up or biopsy. Between 04/2006 and 12/2011 a consecutive total of 1,488 women were prospectively examined. Of 1,488 included patients, 393 patients were lost to follow-up, 1,095 patients were evaluated. 124 patients were diagnosed with malignancy by DCE-MRI (76 TP, 48 FP, 971 TN, 0 FN cases). Positive cases were confirmed by histology, negative cases by MR follow-ups or patient questionnaires over the next 5 years in 1,737 cases (sensitivity 100 %; specificity 95.2 %; PPV 61.3 %; NPV 100 %; accuracy 95.5 %). For invasive cancers only (DCIS excluded), the results were 63 TP; 27 FP; 971 TP and 0 FN (sensitivity 100 %; specificity 97.2 %; PPV 70 %; NPV 100 %; accuracy 97.5 %). The DCE-MRI indications tested imply that negative results in DCE-MRI reliably exclude cancer. The results were achieved in a stand-alone setting (single modality diagnosis). However, these results are strongly dependent on reader experience and adequate technical standards as prerequisites for optimal diagnoses. (orig.)

DCE-MRI of the breast in a stand-alone setting outside a complementary strategy - results of the TK-study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaiser, Clemens G.; Krammer, J.; Wasser, K.; Schoenberg, S.O.; Reich, C.; Kaiser, W.A.; Dietzel, M.; Baltzer, P.A.T.

2015-01-01

To evaluate the accuracy of MRI of the breast (DCE-MRI) in a stand-alone setting with extended indications. According to the inclusion criteria, breast specialists were invited to refer patients to our institution for DCE-MRI. Depending on the MR findings, patients received either a follow-up or biopsy. Between 04/2006 and 12/2011 a consecutive total of 1,488 women were prospectively examined. Of 1,488 included patients, 393 patients were lost to follow-up, 1,095 patients were evaluated. 124 patients were diagnosed with malignancy by DCE-MRI (76 TP, 48 FP, 971 TN, 0 FN cases). Positive cases were confirmed by histology, negative cases by MR follow-ups or patient questionnaires over the next 5 years in 1,737 cases (sensitivity 100 %; specificity 95.2 %; PPV 61.3 %; NPV 100 %; accuracy 95.5 %). For invasive cancers only (DCIS excluded), the results were 63 TP; 27 FP; 971 TP and 0 FN (sensitivity 100 %; specificity 97.2 %; PPV 70 %; NPV 100 %; accuracy 97.5 %). The DCE-MRI indications tested imply that negative results in DCE-MRI reliably exclude cancer. The results were achieved in a stand-alone setting (single modality diagnosis). However, these results are strongly dependent on reader experience and adequate technical standards as prerequisites for optimal diagnoses. (orig.)

Control of a Stand-Alone Variable Speed Wind Energy Supply System †

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohamed M. Hamada

2013-04-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a simple control strategy for the operation of a variable speed stand-alone wind turbine with a permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG. The PMSG is connected to a three phase resistive load through a switch mode rectifier and a voltage source inverter. Control of the generator side converter is used to achieve maximum power extraction from the available wind power. Control of the DC-DC bidirectional buck-boost converter, which is connected between batteries bank and DC-link voltage, is used to maintain the DC-link voltage at a constant value. It is also used to make the batteries bank stores the surplus of wind energy and supplies this energy to the load during a wind power shortage. The load side voltage source inverter uses a relatively complex vector control scheme to control the output load voltage in terms of amplitude and frequency. The control strategy works under wind speed variation as well as with variable load. Extensive simulation results have been performed using MATLAB/SIMULINK.

Stand-alone excitation synchronous wind power generators with power flow management strategy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tzuen-Lih Chern

2014-09-01

Full Text Available This study presents a stand-alone excitation synchronous wind power generator (SESWPG with power flow management strategy (PFMS. The rotor speed of the excitation synchronous generator tracks the utility grid frequency by using servo motor tracking technologies. The automatic voltage regulator governs the exciting current of generator to achieve the control goals of stable voltage. When wind power is less than the needs of the consumptive loading, the proposed PFMS increases motor torque to provide a positive power output for the loads, while keeping the generator speed constant. Conversely, during the periods of wind power greater than output loads, the redundant power of generator production is charged to the battery pack and the motor speed remains constant with very low power consumption. The advantage of the proposed SESWPG is that the generator can directly output stable alternating current (AC electricity without using additional DC–AC converters. The operation principles with software simulation for the system are described in detail. Experimental results of a laboratory prototype are shown to verify the feasibility of the system.

Interspinous Process Decompression: Expanding Treatment Options for Lumbar Spinal Stenosis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pierce D. Nunley

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Interspinous process decompression is a minimally invasive implantation procedure employing a stand-alone interspinous spacer that functions as an extension blocker to prevent compression of neural elements without direct surgical removal of tissue adjacent to the nerves. The Superion® spacer is the only FDA approved stand-alone device available in the US. It is also the only spacer approved by the CMS to be implanted in an ambulatory surgery center. We computed the within-group effect sizes from the Superion IDE trial and compared them to results extrapolated from two randomized trials of decompressive laminectomy. For the ODI, effect sizes were all very large (>1.0 for Superion and laminectomy at 2, 3, and 4 years. For ZCQ, the 2-year Superion symptom severity (1.26 and physical function (1.29 domains were very large; laminectomy effect sizes were very large (1.07 for symptom severity and large for physical function (0.80. Current projections indicate a marked increase in the number of patients with spinal stenosis. Consequently, there remains a keen interest in minimally invasive treatment options that delay or obviate the need for invasive surgical procedures, such as decompressive laminectomy or fusion. Stand-alone interspinous spacers may fill a currently unmet treatment gap in the continuum of care and help to reduce the burden of this chronic degenerative condition on the health care system.

Performance and Simulation of a Stand-alone Parabolic Trough Solar Thermal Power Plant

Science.gov (United States)

Mohammad, S. T.; Al-Kayiem, H. H.; Assadi, M. K.; Gilani, S. I. U. H.; Khlief, A. K.

2018-05-01

In this paper, a Simulink® Thermolib Model has been established for simulation performance evaluation of Stand-alone Parabolic Trough Solar Thermal Power Plant in Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Malaysia. This paper proposes a design of 1.2 kW parabolic trough power plant. The model is capable to predict temperatures at any system outlet in the plant, as well as the power output produced. The conditions that are taken into account as input to the model are: local solar radiation and ambient temperatures, which have been measured during the year. Other parameters that have been input to the model are the collector’s sizes, location in terms of latitude and altitude. Lastly, the results are presented in graphical manner to describe the analysed variations of various outputs of the solar fields obtained, and help to predict the performance of the plant. The developed model allows an initial evaluation of the viability and technical feasibility of any similar solar thermal power plant.

Power quality improvement of a stand-alone power system subjected to various disturbances

Science.gov (United States)

Lone, Shameem Ahmad; Mufti, Mairaj Ud-Din

In wind-diesel stand-alone power systems, the disturbances like random nature of wind power, turbulent wind, sudden changes in load demand and the wind park disconnection effect continuously the system voltage and frequency. The satisfactory operation of such a system is not an easy task and the control design has to take in to account all these subtleties. For maintaining the power quality, generally, a short-term energy storage device is used. In this paper, the performance of a wind-diesel system associated with a superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES) system is studied. The effect of installing SMES at wind park bus/load bus, on the system performance is investigated. To control the exchange of real and reactive powers between the SMES unit and the wind-diesel system, a control strategy based on fuzzy logic is proposed. The dynamic models of the hybrid power system for most common scenarios are developed and the results presented.

Spacer device for nuclear reactor fuel elements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anthony, A.J.; Gaines, A.L.; Krawiec, D.M.

1974-01-01

The grid-type spacer device consists of two rows of main spacers arranged parallel to each other with some space in between, the first row extending perpendicular to the second row. Parallel to the respective rows of main spacers there are rows of secondary spacers interlocked with the main spacers. The individual spacers are welded together at their points of intersection. A large number of spring cages are installed within the spacer device to hold in place the main spacers which are oriented at right angles relative to each other. In addition, the spring cages serve for supporting the fuel elements. The spacers are made of zirconium which does not greatly influence the neutron capture cross section of the reactor. The material of the spring cages with the spring elements is a nickel alloy. It has the necessary stress relaxation properties to be able to force the fuel elements against the spacers under the action of the spring. (DG) [de

Evaluation of a proper controller performance for maximum-power point tracking of a stand-alone PV system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nafeh, A.E.-S.A.; Fahmy, F.H. [Electronics Research Institute, Cairo (Egypt); El-Zahab, E.M.A. [Cairo University, Giza (Egypt). Faculty of Engineering

2003-02-01

In this paper the implementation of a suggested stand-alone PV system, for maximum-power point tracking (MPPT), is carried out. Also, this paper presents a comparative study, through experimental work, between the conventional PI controller and the fuzzy logic controller (FLC) under different atmospheric conditions. The implemented system with both the PI controller and the FLC gives a good maximum-power operation of the PV array, but the tracking capability for different optimum operating points is better and faster for the case of using the FLC compared to the case of using the PI controller. (author)

Spacer st4ructure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Masetti, W.R.

1978-01-01

A spacer structure is described for maintaining a spaced relation between a plurality of generally parallel fuel rods within a housing in a nuclear reactor. The spacer structure is comprised of a grid pattern of ribs slotted to interlock with each other. The slots are arranged in such a way that when the ribs are welded to each other, the weld shrinkage is distributed uniformly in all directions to reduce or eliminate the amount of rework necessary in manufacturing the spacer structure

Comparison of Radiologic Outcomes of Different Methods in Single-Level Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion.

Science.gov (United States)

Kwon, O Ik; Son, Dong Wuk; Lee, Sang Weon; Song, Geun Sung

2016-09-01

Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) is a choice of surgical procedure for cervical degenerative diseases associated with radiculopathy or myelopathy. However, the patients undergoing ACDF still have problems. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the radiologic results of 3 different methods in single-level ACDF. We conducted a retrospective collection of radiological data from January 2011 to December 2014. A total of 67 patients were included in this study. The patients were divided into 3 groups by operation procedure: using stand-alone cage (group cage, n=20); polyether-ether-ketone (PEEK)-titanium combined anchored cage (group AC, n=21); and anterior cervical cage-plate (group CP, n=26). Global cervical lordosis (C2-C7 Cobb angle), fused segment height, fusion rate, and cervical range of motion (ROM) were measured and analyzed at serial preoperative, postoperative, 6-month, and final 1-year follow-up. Successful bone fusion was achieved in all patients at the final follow-up examination; however, the loss of disc height over 3 mm at the surgical level was observed in 6 patients in group cage. Groups AC and CP yielded significantly better outcomes than group cage in fused segment height and cervical ROM(p=0.01 and p=0.02, respectively). Furthermore, group AC had similar radiologic outcomes to those of group CP. The PEEK-titanium combined anchored cage may be a good alternative procedure in terms of reducing complications induced by plate after ACDF.

Probabilistic modelling and analysis of stand-alone hybrid power systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lujano-Rojas, Juan M.; Dufo-López, Rodolfo; Bernal-Agustín, José L.

2013-01-01

As a part of the Hybrid Intelligent Algorithm, a model based on an ANN (artificial neural network) has been proposed in this paper to represent hybrid system behaviour considering the uncertainty related to wind speed and solar radiation, battery bank lifetime, and fuel prices. The Hybrid Intelligent Algorithm suggests a combination of probabilistic analysis based on a Monte Carlo simulation approach and artificial neural network training embedded in a genetic algorithm optimisation model. The installation of a typical hybrid system was analysed. Probabilistic analysis was used to generate an input–output dataset of 519 samples that was later used to train the ANNs to reduce the computational effort required. The generalisation ability of the ANNs was measured in terms of RMSE (Root Mean Square Error), MBE (Mean Bias Error), MAE (Mean Absolute Error), and R-squared estimators using another data group of 200 samples. The results obtained from the estimation of the expected energy not supplied, the probability of a determined reliability level, and the estimation of expected value of net present cost show that the presented model is able to represent the main characteristics of a typical hybrid power system under uncertain operating conditions. - Highlights: • This paper presents a probabilistic model for stand-alone hybrid power system. • The model considers the main sources of uncertainty related to renewable resources. • The Hybrid Intelligent Algorithm has been applied to represent hybrid system behaviour. • The installation of a typical hybrid system was analysed. • The results obtained from the study case validate the presented model

An Analysis of Stand-alone GPS Quality and Simulated GNSS Quality for Road Pricing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zabic, Martina; Nielsen, Otto Anker

2006-01-01

Use of GPS for road pricing has often been suggested as the way of creating more efficient charging strategies than existing systems based on cordon lines or time use. In Denmark, Copenhagen participated with the AKTA project in the PRoGRESS programme, sponsored by the EU. The major part...... of the AKTA project was to equip 500 cars with GPS receivers. The paper presents the methods and results from a study of GPS quality in relation to road pricing in a dense urban area. The collected data from 500 cars over a two-year period in the Copenhagen region was analyzed in order to determine whether...... the stand alone GPS quality and reliability is adequate for implementation of an operational road pricing system in Copenhagen. The results from the analysis show that the satellite availability in Copenhagen is not sufficient to form the basis for a reliable operational road pricing system. The narrow...

Flow behavior of droplets downstream of the spacer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kodama, Eiichiro; Morishita, Kiyohide; Aritomi, Masanori; Yano, Takashi

1998-01-01

The fuel spacer, of which role is to maintain an appropriate rod-to-rod clearance, is one of the components of a Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) fuel rod bundles. The fuel spacer influences flow characteristics of the liquid film in fuel rod bundles, so that its geometry influences greatly thermal hydraulics such as critical power and pressure drop therein. The purpose of this study is to clarify the effect of the spacer geometry on the core flow split downstream of the spacer. Phase Doppler Anemometry (PDA) was used for their meausrement under the conditions of a small amount of droplets in mist flows. From the experimental results, the normalized droplet velocity profiles with a spacer were split by the spacer and were different between a wider and a narrower regions in the channel, however, they became uniform at the distance far 100mm from the spacer. In the case without a spacer, the velocity was monotonously increasing nearer the rod surface with going toward the center of the channel. In the case with a spacer, the velocity profile downstream of the spacer changed in the narrower region of the channel. This tendency became more remarkable with thickening the spacer and widening clearance between the spacer and the wall. In this paper, 'drift' velocity effect was applied for the spacer model, due to the gas flows were split by the spacer which is based on the momentum balance between the narrower and wider channels. This model was confirmed from the experimental results that the droplet flowed from a wider region to a narrower one. This drift effect appeared more strongly as the spacer became thicker and the clearance did narrower. The analytical results explained qualitatively the measured ones. It is clarified that the drift effect proposed in this work was a dominant factor on droplet deposition downstream of the spacer

Fouling Resilient Perforated Feed Spacers for Membrane Filtration

KAUST Repository

Kerdi, Sarah

2018-04-24

The improvement of feed spacers with optimal geometry remains a key challenge for spiral-wound membrane systems in water treatment due to their impact on the hydrodynamic performance and fouling development. In this work, novel spacer designs are proposed by intrinsically modifying cylindrical filaments through perforations. Three symmetric perforated spacers (1-Hole, 2-Hole, and 3-Hole) were in-house 3D-printed and experimentally evaluated in terms of permeate flux, feed channel pressure drop and membrane fouling. Spacer performance is characterized and compared with standard no perforated (0-Hole) design under constant feed pressure and constant feed flow rate. Perforations in the spacer filaments resulted in significantly lowering the net pressure drop across the spacer filled channel. The 3-Hole spacer was found to have the lowest pressure drop (50% - 61%) compared to 0-Hole spacer for various average flow velocities. Regarding permeate flux production, the 0-Hole spacer produced 5.7 L.m-2.h-1 and 6.6 L.m-2.h-1 steady state flux for constant pressure and constant feed flow rate, respectively. The 1-Hole spacer was found to be the most efficient among the perforated spacers with 75% and 23% increase in permeate production at constant pressure and constant feed flow, respectively. Furthermore, membrane surface of 1-Hole spacer was found to be cleanest in terms of fouling, contributing to maintain higher permeate flux production. Hydrodynamic understanding of these perforated spacers is also quantified by performing Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS). The performance enhancement of these perforated spacers is attributed to the formation of micro-jets in the spacer cell that aided in producing enough unsteadiness/turbulence to clean the membrane surface and mitigate fouling phenomena. In the case of 1-Hole spacer, the unsteadiness intensity at the outlet of micro-jets and the shear stress fluctuations created inside the cells are higher than those observed with

Fouling resilient perforated feed spacers for membrane filtration.

Science.gov (United States)

Kerdi, Sarah; Qamar, Adnan; Vrouwenvelder, Johannes S; Ghaffour, Noreddine

2018-04-24

The improvement of feed spacers with optimal geometry remains a key challenge for spiral-wound membrane systems in water treatment due to their impact on the hydrodynamic performance and fouling development. In this work, novel spacer designs are proposed by intrinsically modifying cylindrical filaments through perforations. Three symmetric perforated spacers (1-Hole, 2-Hole, and 3-Hole) were in-house 3D-printed and experimentally evaluated in terms of permeate flux, feed channel pressure drop and membrane fouling. Spacer performance is characterized and compared with standard no perforated (0-Hole) design under constant feed pressure and constant feed flow rate. Perforations in the spacer filaments resulted in significantly lowering the net pressure drop across the spacer filled channel. The 3-Hole spacer was found to have the lowest pressure drop (50%-61%) compared to 0-Hole spacer for various average flow velocities. Regarding permeate flux production, the 0-Hole spacer produced 5.7 L m -2 .h -1 and 6.6 L m -2 .h -1 steady state flux for constant pressure and constant feed flow rate, respectively. The 1-Hole spacer was found to be the most efficient among the perforated spacers with 75% and 23% increase in permeate production at constant pressure and constant feed flow, respectively. Furthermore, membrane surface of 1-Hole spacer was found to be cleanest in terms of fouling, contributing to maintain higher permeate flux production. Hydrodynamic understanding of these perforated spacers is also quantified by performing Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS). The performance enhancement of these perforated spacers is attributed to the formation of micro-jets in the spacer cell that aided in producing enough unsteadiness/turbulence to clean the membrane surface and mitigate fouling phenomena. In the case of 1-Hole spacer, the unsteadiness intensity at the outlet of micro-jets and the shear stress fluctuations created inside the cells are higher than those

Development of a High Performance Spacer Grid

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Song, Kee Nam; Song, K. N.; Yoon, K. H. (and others)

2007-03-15

A spacer grid in a LWR fuel assembly is a key structural component to support fuel rods and to enhance the heat transfer from the fuel rod to the coolant. In this research, the main research items are the development of inherent and high performance spacer grid shapes, the establishment of mechanical/structural analysis and test technology, and the set-up of basic test facilities for the spacer grid. The main research areas and results are as follows. 1. 18 different spacer grid candidates have been invented and applied for domestic and US patents. Among the candidates 16 are chosen from the patent. 2. Two kinds of spacer grids are finally selected for the advanced LWR fuel after detailed performance tests on the candidates and commercial spacer grids from a mechanical/structural point of view. According to the test results the features of the selected spacer grids are better than those of the commercial spacer grids. 3. Four kinds of basic test facilities are set up and the relevant test technologies are established. 4. Mechanical/structural analysis models and technology for spacer grid performance are developed and the analysis results are compared with the test results to enhance the reliability of the models.

Online retrieval of patient information by asynchronous communication between general purpose computer and stand-alone personal computer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsutsumi, Reiko; Takahashi, Kazuei; Sato, Toshiko; Komatani, Akio; Yamaguchi, Koichi

1988-01-01

Asynchronous communication was made between host (FACOM M-340) and personal computer (OLIBETTIE S-2250) to get patient's information required for RIA test registration. The retrieval system consists of a keyboad input of six numeric codes, patient's ID, and a real time reply containing six parameters for the patient. Their identified parameters are patient's name, sex, date of birth (include area), department, and out- or inpatient. Linking this program to RIA registration program for individual patient, then, operator can input name of RIA test requested. Our simple retrieval program made a useful data network between different types of host and stand-alone personal computers, and enabled us accurate and labor-saving registration for RIA test. (author)

Efficiency of hydrogen gas production in a stand-alone solar hydrogen system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, K.; Tamakloe, R.Y.

2003-01-01

Many photovoltaic systems operate in a decentralised electricity producing system, or stand-alone mode and the total energy demand is met by the output of the photovoltaic array. The output of the photovoltaic system fluctuates and is unpredictable for many applications making some forms of energy storage system necessary. The role of storage medium is to store the excess energy produced by the photovoltaic arry, to absorb momentary power peaks and to supply energy during sunless periods. One of the storage modes is the use of electrochemical techniques, with batteries and water electrolysis as the most important examples. The present study includes three main parts: the first one is the hydrogen production form the electrolysis of water depending on the DC output current of the photovoltaic (PV) energy source and the charging of the battery. The second part presents the influence of various parameters on the efficiency of hydrogen gas production. The final part includes simulation studies with focus on solar hydrogen efficiency under the influence of various physical and chemical parameters. For a 50W panel-battery-electrolyser system, the dependence of volume of hydrogen gas on voltage, current and power yielded a maximum efficiency of 13.6% (author)

Optimal sizing method for constituent elements of stand-alone photovoltaic power systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Otsuka, Hirotada; Oi, Yoichi [Hokuriku Electric Power Co., Inc. Toyama (Japan)

1988-12-25

The purpose of the report was to calculate the optimal volume of constituent elements of stand-alone photovoltaic power systems, based on the distribution of global radiation on an inclined surface (herein-after called flux of solar radiation), which had been previously measured, and the size of load to be supplied. The least power generation cost was calculated, supposing that setting load was 176kWh/month and the loss of load probability (LOLP) was 1%, by using actual amount of solar radiation in May 1985. The cost was divided into two components: one was proportionate to the size of solar cell, and the other was in proportion to the battery volume. And then, the cost of twenty-year operation(TLC) was calculated. The size of array and the battery volume, which minimize the cost, can be determined when TLC is differentiate. Since auxiliary power source is not attached to this system, it is necessary to restrict the load in order to meet the electric power shortage. In case of the cost at construction in 1984, a standard model indicating the least power generation cost is a photovoltaic system with the array size of A=49.0m{sup 2} and the battery volume of Q=568(Ah). 4 refs., 9 figs., 10 tabs.

Validity of cervical auscultation in the screening for aspiration.

Science.gov (United States)

Al Hawat, A; Woisard, V; Perez-Begout, L; Sarrabère, E; Grand, S; Puech, M

2014-01-01

Cervical auscultation could improve the performance of bedside swallowing test to predict aspiration, especially silent aspiration. The aim of this study is to compare the predictive values of bedside swallowing test performed with and without cervical auscultation by logopedist students who had intensive training on cervical auscultation. 64 patients were included in the study. They all underwent swallowing test alone, combined swallowing test and cervical auscultation, and videofluoroscopic swallowing study as defined gold standard. Two logopedist students, at the end of their training, performed the auscultation and noted their results. 128 tests were performed, 96% of the tests were judged positive for aspiration. When comparing the results of the two different clinical tests, the detection of clinical signs is not improved by the addition of auscultation. Using a penetration aspiration scale threshold >5, the area under the curve measured for the swallowing test alone was significantly higher than that measured for the combined tests (p = 0.03) (0.66 for the swallowing test alone (95% CI between 0.49 and 0.83), and 0.50 for the combined tests (95% CI between 0.31 and 0.69). This study showed no advantage in performing cervical auscultation with bedside swallowing test. Cervical auscultation seems to hamper the assessment, mainly the perception of wet voice and laryngeal motion. These results are compatible with literature but need further confirmation using studies performed with trained logopedists.

Solar pv fed stand-alone excitation system of a synchronous machine for reactive power generation

Science.gov (United States)

Sudhakar, N.; Jain, Siddhartha; Jyotheeswara Reddy, K.

2017-11-01

This paper presents a model of a stand-alone solar energy conversion system based on synchronous machine working as a synchronous condenser in overexcited state. The proposed model consists of a Synchronous Condenser, a DC/DC boost converter whose output is fed to the field of the SC. The boost converter is supplied by the modelled solar panel and a day time variable irradiance is fed to the panel during the simulation time. The model also has one alternate source of rechargeable batteries for the time when irradiance falls below a threshold value. Also the excess power produced when there is ample irradiance is divided in two parts and one is fed to the boost converter while other is utilized to recharge the batteries. A simulation is done in MATLAB-SIMULINK and the obtained results show the utility of such modelling for supplying reactive power is feasible.

Spacer for supporting fuel element boxes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wild, E.

1979-01-01

A spacer plate unit arranged externally on each side and at a predetermined level of a polygonal fuel element box for mutually supporting, with respect to one another, a plurality of the fuel element boxes forming a fuel element bundle, is formed of a first and a second spacer plate part each having the same length and the same width and being constituted of unlike first and second materials, respectively. The first and second spacer plate parts of the several spacer plate units situated at the predetermined level are arranged in an alternating continuous series when viewed in the peripheral direction of the fuel element box, so that any two spacer plate units belonging to face-to-face oriented sides of two adjoining fuel element boxes in the fuel element bundle define interfaces of unlike materials

Systematic Multi-variable H-infinity Control Design for Primary Frequency Regulation in Stand-alone Microgrids with High Penetration of Renewable Energy Sources

OpenAIRE

Lam , Quang Linh; Bratcu , Antoneta Iuliana; Riu , Delphine

2016-01-01

International audience; In this paper, a systematic design of a robust multi-variable control structure for primary frequency regulation in microgrids with high rate of renewable source penetration is proposed. The considered microgrid represents a diesel-photovoltaic-supercapacitor hybrid power generation system operating in stand-alone mode. The proposed control structure relies on a two-level architecture: classical PI-based current tracking controllers are placed on the low control level ...

Multi-muscle electrical stimulation and stand training: Effects on standing.

Science.gov (United States)

Momeni, Kamyar; Ramanujam, Arvind; Garbarini, Erica L; Forrest, Gail F

2018-02-15

To examine the biomechanical and neuromuscular effects of a longitudinal multi-muscle electrical stimulation (submaximal intensities) training of the lower limbs combined with/without activity-based stand training, on the recovery of stability and function for one individual with spinal cord injury (SCI). Single-subject, longitudinal study. Neuroplasticity laboratory. A 34-year-old male, with sensory- and motor-complete SCI (C5/C6). Two consecutive interventions: 61 hours of supine, lower-limb ES (ES-alone) and 51 hours of ES combined with stand training using an overhead body-weight support system (ST + ES). Clinical measures, trunk stability, and muscle activity were assessed and compared across time points. Trunk Stability Limit (TSL) determined improvements in trunk independence. Functional clinical values increased after both interventions, with further increases post ST + ES. Post ES-alone, trunk stability was maintained at 81% body-weight (BW) loading before failure; post ST + ES, BW loading increased to 95%. TSL values decreased post ST + ES (TSL A/P =54.0 kg.cm, TSL M/L =14.5 kg.cm), compared to ES-alone (TSL A/P =8.5 kg.cm, TSL M/L =3.9 kg.cm). Trunk muscle activity decreased post ST + ES training, compared to ES-alone. Neuromuscular and postural trunk control dramatically improved following the multi-muscle ES of the lower limbs with stand training. Multi-muscle ES training paradigm of the lower limb, using traditional parameters, may contribute to the functional recovery of the trunk.

Side insertable spacer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patterson, J.F.; Ewing, R.H.

1992-01-01

This patent describes a spacer for restraining the fuel rods of a nuclear fuel assembly, the assembly being formed of a plurality of parallel, elongated fuel rods so arranged that the assembly is bounded by a polygon having an even number of sides, the rods being so arranged as to lie in a plurality of sets of parallel rows, the rows of each set being perpendicular to one of the sides of the polygon. It comprises a number of spacer combs equal to at least half the number of the sides of the polygon, the spacer combs being superposed on each other, each of the spacer combs comprising: a single base strip having a length equal to that of one of the sides of the polygon and grid strips equal in number to the spaces between rows in one of the sets, and at least a majority of the grid strips being of a length sufficient to extend substantially the full length of the rows; the grid strips being provided with spring members positioned to engage each of the rods; the grid strips being provided with spring members positioned to engage each of the rods; the grid strips being secured to and extending at right angles to the base strip; the grid strips of different combs being positioned at angles to each other, so as to occupy the spaces between rows in different sets

Fouling Resilient Perforated Feed Spacers for Membrane Filtration

KAUST Repository

Kerdi, Sarah; Qamar, Adnan; Vrouwenvelder, Johannes S.; Ghaffour, NorEddine

2018-01-01

drop across the spacer filled channel. The 3-Hole spacer was found to have the lowest pressure drop (50% - 61%) compared to 0-Hole spacer for various average flow velocities. Regarding permeate flux production, the 0-Hole spacer produced 5.7 L.m-2.h-1

Antibiotic impregnated total femur spacers: a technical tip

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Colin D. Canham, MD

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Simultaneous prosthetic joint infection of ipsilateral hip and knee arthroplasties is often accompanied by significant bone loss and presents a challenging reconstructive problem. Two-stage reconstruction is favored and requires the placement of a total femur spacer, which is not a commercially available device. We describe a surgical technique, reporting on 2 cases in which a customized total femur antibiotic impregnated spacer was created by combining an articulating knee spacer and an articulating hip spacer with a reinforced cement dowel construct connecting the 2 spacers. Custom total femoral spacers are useful in the management of infected femoral megaprostheses and cases with ipsilateral injected hip and knee arthroplasties and severe femoral bone loss. Keywords: total femur spacer, revision arthroplasty, total hip arthroplasty, total knee arthroplasty, prosthetic joint infection

Particulate matter concentrations in residences: an intervention study evaluating stand-alone filters and air conditioners.

Science.gov (United States)

Batterman, S; Du, L; Mentz, G; Mukherjee, B; Parker, E; Godwin, C; Chin, J-Y; O'Toole, A; Robins, T; Rowe, Z; Lewis, T

2012-06-01

This study, a randomized controlled trial, evaluated the effectiveness of free-standing air filters and window air conditioners (ACs) in 126 low-income households of children with asthma. Households were randomized into a control group, a group receiving a free-standing HEPA filter placed in the child's sleeping area, and a group receiving the filter and a window-mounted AC. Indoor air quality (IAQ) was monitored for week-long periods over three to four seasons. High concentrations of particulate matter (PM) and carbon dioxide were frequently seen. When IAQ was monitored, filters reduced PM levels in the child's bedroom by an average of 50%. Filter use varied greatly among households and declined over time, for example, during weeks when pollutants were monitored, filter use was initially high, averaging 84±27%, but dropped to 63±33% in subsequent seasons. In months when households were not visited, use averaged only 34±30%. Filter effectiveness did not vary in homes with central or room ACs. The study shows that measurements over multiple seasons are needed to characterize air quality and filter performance. The effectiveness of interventions using free-standing air filters depends on occupant behavior, and strategies to ensure filter use should be an integral part of interventions. Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) increased particulate matter (PM) levels by about 14 μg/m3 and was often detected using ETS-specific tracers despite restrictions on smoking in the house as reported on questionnaires administered to caregivers. PM concentrations depended on season, filter usage, relative humidity, air exchange ratios, number of children, outdoor PM levels, sweeping/dusting, and presence of a central air conditioner (AC). Free-standing air filters can be an effective intervention that provides substantial reductions in PM concentrations if the filters are used. However, filter use was variable across the study population and declined over the study duration, and

Design of a reliable and low-cost stand-alone micro hydropower station

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kusakana, K.; Munda, J.L. [Tshwane Univ. of Technology, Pretoria (South Africa)

2008-07-01

A stand-alone micro-hydropower station was presented. The plant was comprised of a squirrel cage induction machine coupled to a Kaplan water turbine. Power converters were used to control the variable frequency and voltage outputs of the generator caused by variations in water flow. The hydropower plant was installed a farm in the Kwazulu-Natal region of South Africa, and was designed to provide electricity in relation to the low power demand of users in the region as well as according to the site's hydrology and topology. Load forecasts for the 8 houses using the system were conducted. A generator with a higher output than the average power needed to feed the load was selected in order to ensure load supply during peak demand. The system was designed to shore energy generated during off-peak periods in batteries. An AC-DC-AC converter was used as an interface between the generator and the load in order to ensure voltage and frequency stabilization. Simulations of plant components were conducted to demonstrate output power supply during water flow variations. Results of the modelling study indicated that power converters are needed to stabilize generator outputs. The hydropower design is a cost-effective means of supplying power to low-income households. 10 refs., 2 tabs., 7 figs.

Battery Storage Technologies for Electrical Applications: Impact in Stand-Alone Photovoltaic Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel Akinyele

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Batteries are promising storage technologies for stationary applications because of their maturity, and the ease with which they are designed and installed compared to other technologies. However, they pose threats to the environment and human health. Several studies have discussed the various battery technologies and applications, but evaluating the environmental impact of batteries in electrical systems remains a gap that requires concerted research efforts. This study first presents an overview of batteries and compares their technical properties such as the cycle life, power and energy densities, efficiencies and the costs. It proposes an optimal battery technology sizing and selection strategy, and then assesses the environmental impact of batteries in a typical renewable energy application by using a stand-alone photovoltaic (PV system as a case study. The greenhouse gas (GHG impact of the batteries is evaluated based on the life cycle emission rate parameter. Results reveal that the battery has a significant impact in the energy system, with a GHG impact of about 36–68% in a 1.5 kW PV system for different locations. The paper discusses new batteries, strategies to minimize battery impact and provides insights into the selection of batteries with improved cycling capacity, higher lifespan and lower cost that can achieve lower environmental impacts for future applications.

Simulation of stand alone PV system; Dokuritsugata taiyoko hatsuden system no simulation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kondo, H; Ogawa, H; Sekii, Y [Chiba Institute of Technology, Chiba (Japan); Tsuda, I; Nozaki, K [Electrotechnical Laboratory, Tsukuba (Japan); Kurokawa, K [Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo (Japan)

1996-10-27

In order to evaluate the simulation results of a photovoltaic power generation system, an operation simulation was carried out using the actual measured data of a stand alone PV system in Miyakojima, Okinawa Prefecture, so as to make a comparison with the actual operation data. The electric power was supplied to 250 houses and primary/junior high schools in the surrounding villages, which had an average demand load of approximately 90kw and the maximum of approximately 200kw. The power was supplied through the PV power generation in the duration of the sunshine, with an excess power charged in storage batteries and then supplied from the batteries at night. The array capacity was made 750kWp, the output current and storage batteries being characteristic type with an actual efficiency curve used for the inverter. The weather data used were the actual inclined insolation quantity and the outside air temperature data for a period of one month of November. The power charged in excess of 100% in the batteries was termed as an overflow power. With the charging condition 30% or less, a diesel generator was run for a rated operation for one hour, the power of which was termed as a backup power. As a result, the simulation was found nearly in agreement with the actual measurements. 5 refs., 7 figs., 2 tabs.

Nerve Transfers for Improved Hand Function Following Cervical Spinal Cord Injury

Science.gov (United States)

the cervical spine resulting in diminished or complete loss of arm and/or hand function. Cervical SCI patients consistently rank hand function as the...most desired function above bowel and bladder function, sexual function, standing, and pain control. The overall goal of the proposed study is to...evaluate the efficacy of nerve transfers to treat patients with cervical SCIs. Over the last decade, nerve transfers have been used with increasing

A soil-canopy scheme for use in a numerical model of the atmosphere: 1D stand-alone model

Science.gov (United States)

Kowalczyk, E. A.; Garratt, J. R.; Krummel, P. B.

We provide a detailed description of a soil-canopy scheme for use in the CSIRO general circulation models (GCMs) (CSIRO-4 and CSIRO-9), in the form of a one-dimensional stand-alone model. In addition, the paper documents the model's ability to simulate realistic surface fluxes by comparison with mesoscale model simulations (involving more sophisticated soil and boundary-layer treatments) and observations, and the diurnal range in surface quantities, including extreme maximum surface temperatures. The sensitivity of the model to values of the surface resistance is also quantified. The model represents phase 1 of a longer-term plan to improve the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) and surface schemes in the CSIRO GCMs.

How type II CRISPR-Cas establish immunity through Cas1-Cas2-mediated spacer integration.

Science.gov (United States)

Xiao, Yibei; Ng, Sherwin; Nam, Ki Hyun; Ke, Ailong

2017-10-05

CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) and the nearby Cas (CRISPR-associated) operon establish an RNA-based adaptive immunity system in prokaryotes. Molecular memory is created when a short foreign DNA-derived prespacer is integrated into the CRISPR array as a new spacer. Whereas the RNA-guided CRISPR interference mechanism varies widely among CRISPR-Cas systems, the spacer integration mechanism is essentially identical. The conserved Cas1 and Cas2 proteins form an integrase complex consisting of two distal Cas1 dimers bridged by a Cas2 dimer. The prespacer is bound by Cas1-Cas2 as a dual-forked DNA, and the terminal 3'-OH of each 3' overhang serves as an attacking nucleophile during integration. The prespacer is preferentially integrated into the leader-proximal region of the CRISPR array, guided by the leader sequence and a pair of inverted repeats inside the CRISPR repeat. Spacer integration in the well-studied Escherichia coli type I-E CRISPR system also relies on the bacterial integration host factor. In type II-A CRISPR, however, Cas1-Cas2 alone integrates spacers efficiently in vitro; other Cas proteins (such as Cas9 and Csn2) have accessory roles in the biogenesis phase of prespacers. Here we present four structural snapshots from the type II-A system of Enterococcus faecalis Cas1 and Cas2 during spacer integration. Enterococcus faecalis Cas1-Cas2 selectively binds to a splayed 30-base-pair prespacer bearing 4-nucleotide 3' overhangs. Three molecular events take place upon encountering a target: first, the Cas1-Cas2-prespacer complex searches for half-sites stochastically, then it preferentially interacts with the leader-side CRISPR repeat, and finally, it catalyses a nucleophilic attack that connects one strand of the leader-proximal repeat to the prespacer 3' overhang. Recognition of the spacer half-site requires DNA bending and leads to full integration. We derive a mechanistic framework to explain the stepwise spacer

The international phase 4 validation study of the EORTC QLQ-SWB32: A stand-alone measure of spiritual well-being for people receiving palliative care for cancer

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vivat, B.; Young, T. E.; Winstanley, J.; Arraras, J. I.; Black, K.; Boyle, F.; Bredart, A.; Costantini, A.; Guo, J.; Irarrazaval, M. E.; Kobayashi, K.; Kruizinga, R.; Navarro, M.; Omidvari, S.; Rohde, G. E.; Serpentini, S.; Spry, N.; van Laarhoven, H. W. M.; Yang, G. M.

2017-01-01

The EORTC Quality of Life Group has just completed the final phase (field-testing and validation) of an international project to develop a stand-alone measure of spiritual well-being (SWB) for palliative cancer patients. Participants (n = 451)-from 14 countries on four continents; 54% female; 188

Pressure Drop Test of Hybrid Mixing Vane Spacer Grid

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oh, D. S.; Chang, S. K.; Kim, B. D.; Chun, S. Y.; Chun, T. H

2007-08-15

The pressure loss test has been accomplished in the test section containing 5x5 rod bundle with a length of 2 m including 3 spacer grids. The test has been performed for the 5 kinds of spacer grids to compare the pressure loss characteristics: 1. Plain spacer grid which has the same body of the Hybrid but without vane (Plain), 2. Hybrid Vane spacer grid (Hybrid), 3. Hybrid-SC spacer grid which is constructed with coined, chamfered strip and is fabricated by spot welding, 4. Hybrid-LC spacer grid which is constructed with coined, chamfered strip and is fabricated by line welding along intersection line, 5. Westinghouse spacer grid with split vane (Plus-7). The pressure loss coefficient of the Plain, Hybrid, Hybrid-SC, Hybrid-LC, and Plus-7 spacer grid is 0.93, 1.15, 1.02, 1.04, and 1.08, respectively.

Comparative studies of 111In-labeled monoclonal antibody using spacer-containing and non-spacer bifunctional chelates. 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun, Baofu

1994-01-01

Indium-111-labeled A7 monoclonal antibodies using two spacer-containing chelates, succinimido-EGS-DTPA (EGS-DTPA: diester spacer) and maleimido-C10-Bz-EDTA (C10-Bz-EDTA: hydrocarbon spacer) were investigated in human LS180 colon tumor bearing nude mice and were compared with two non-spacer chelates, cyclic DTPA dianhydride (cDTPAA) and isothiocyanatobenzyl-EDTA (SCN-Bz-EDTA). Compared with immunoconjugates using non-spacer chelates, immunoconjugates using spacer-containing chelates, especially C10-Bz-EDTA-A7 showed lower 111 In activity in normal organs. The radioactivity in the liver for C10-Bz-EDTA-A7 decreased continuously till 96 hrs postinjection, however, this liver radioactivity for EGS-DTPA-A7 showed little change after 24 hrs. Moreover, in liver subcellular distribution study, EGS-DTPA-A7 showed a higher activity retention in mitochondrial fraction which contained lysosome, a place for metabolizing and storing of 111 In labeled antibody, than that of C10-Bz-EDTA-A7. The C10-Bz-EDTA-A7 conjugate demonstrated more preferable tumor-to-non tumor contrast on the scintigrams than that found with other three immunoconjugates. Up to 96 hrs postinjection, tumor bearing nude mice injecting with immunoconjugates using spacer-containing chelates exreted twice radioactivity from whole body than that excreted by using non-spacer chelates. Interestingly, different from other three chelates, C10-Bz-EDTA-A7 were mainly excreted via feces. We conclude that the decrease of radioactivity in normal tissues in the case of EGS-DTPA-A7 was due to the rapid decrease of activity in the blood, while in the case of C10-Bz-EDTA-A7 it was due to the quickly excreted small metabolite through faces. 111 In labeled C10-Bz-EDTA conjugate is superior, at least when conjugated with A7, to other three chelate conjugates used in this study. (author)

Stand quality management in a late-rotation, red oak-sweetgum stand in east Mississippi: preliminary results following thinning

Science.gov (United States)

James S. Meadows; Daniel A. Skojac

2012-01-01

Stand quality management is a new management strategy in which thinning prescriptions are based solely on tree quality rather than a quantitative level of residual stand density. As long as residual density falls within fairly broad limits, prescriptions are based on tree quality alone. We applied four thinning prescriptions based on stand quality management, along...

Pressure Drop of Chamfer on Spacer Grid Strap

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Euijae; Kim, Kanghoon; Kim, Kyounghong; Nahm, Keeyil [KEPCO Nuclear Fuel Co., Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2014-05-15

A swirl flow and cross flow are generated by the spacer grid with mixing vane that enhances the thermal performance and critical heat flux (CHF). The additional pressure drop makes it difficult to meet acceptance criteria for overall pressure drop in fuel assembly depending upon the pump capacity. The chamfer on the end of spacer grid strap is one solution to reduce additional pressure drop without any adverse effect on flow fields. In this research, the pressure drop tests for spacer grid with and without chamfer were carried out at the hydraulic test facility. The result can be applied to develop high performance nuclear fuel assemblies for Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) plants. The pressure drop tests for 5x5 spacer grid with and without chamfer as well as 6x6 spacer grid with and without chamfer were carried out at the INFINIT test facility. The Reynolds number ranged about from 16000 to 75000. The sweep-up and sweep-down test showed that the direction of sweep did not affect the pressure drop. The chamfer on spacer grid strap reduced the pressure drop due to the decreased in ratio of inlet area to outlet area. The pressure loss coefficient for spacer grid with chamfer was by up to 13.8 % lower than that for spacer grid without chamfer. Hence, the chamfer on spacer grid strap was one of effective ways to reduce the pressure drop.

Stand-Alone Photovoltaic System Assessment in Warmer Urban Areas in Mexico

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alberto-Jesus Perea-Moreno

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study is to examine the possibility of using a stand-alone photovoltaic system (SAPVS for electricity generation in urban areas in Southern Mexico. In Mexico, an urban area is defined as an area where more than 2500 inhabitants live. Due to constant migration from the countryside to the cities, the number of inhabitants of urban localities has been increasing. Global horizontal irradiation (GHI data were recorded every 10 min during 2014–2016 in Coatzacoalcos in the state of Veracruz located on 18°08′09″ N and 94°27′48″ W. In this study, batteries represented 77% of the total cost, 12 PV panels of 310 W could export 5.41 MWh to the grid, and an inverter with an integrated controller and charger was selected, which decreased the initial cost. The city of Coatzacoalcos was chosen because the average annual temperature is 28°, with an average relative humidity of 75% and an average irradiance of 5.3 kWh/m2/day. An emission factor 0.505 tCO2/MWh of greenhouse gases (GHG were obtained, based on the power system, the reduction of net annual GHG would be 11 tCO2 and a financial revenue of 36.951 × 103 $/tCO2 would be obtained. Financial parameters such as a 36.3% Internal Rate Return (IRR and 3.4 years payback show the financial viability of this investment. SAPVSs in urban areas in Mexico could be a benefit as long as housing has a high consumption of electricity.

The eBioKit, a stand-alone educational platform for bioinformatics.

Science.gov (United States)

Hernández-de-Diego, Rafael; de Villiers, Etienne P; Klingström, Tomas; Gourlé, Hadrien; Conesa, Ana; Bongcam-Rudloff, Erik

2017-09-01

Bioinformatics skills have become essential for many research areas; however, the availability of qualified researchers is usually lower than the demand and training to increase the number of able bioinformaticians is an important task for the bioinformatics community. When conducting training or hands-on tutorials, the lack of control over the analysis tools and repositories often results in undesirable situations during training, as unavailable online tools or version conflicts may delay, complicate, or even prevent the successful completion of a training event. The eBioKit is a stand-alone educational platform that hosts numerous tools and databases for bioinformatics research and allows training to take place in a controlled environment. A key advantage of the eBioKit over other existing teaching solutions is that all the required software and databases are locally installed on the system, significantly reducing the dependence on the internet. Furthermore, the architecture of the eBioKit has demonstrated itself to be an excellent balance between portability and performance, not only making the eBioKit an exceptional educational tool but also providing small research groups with a platform to incorporate bioinformatics analysis in their research. As a result, the eBioKit has formed an integral part of training and research performed by a wide variety of universities and organizations such as the Pan African Bioinformatics Network (H3ABioNet) as part of the initiative Human Heredity and Health in Africa (H3Africa), the Southern Africa Network for Biosciences (SAnBio) initiative, the Biosciences eastern and central Africa (BecA) hub, and the International Glossina Genome Initiative.

Concurrent weekly cisplatin plus external beam radiotherapy and high-dose rate brachytherapy for advanced cervical cancer: A control cohort comparison with radiation alone on treatment outcome and complications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, S.-W.; Liang, J.-A.; Hung, Y.-C.; Yeh, L.-S.; Chang, W.-C.; Lin, W.-C.; Yang, S.-N.; Lin, F.-J.

2006-01-01

Purpose: To test, though a control-cohort study, the hypothesis that concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) using weekly cisplatin, plus high-dose rate intracavitary brachytherapy (HDRICB) is superior to radiation (RT) alone in patients with advanced cervical cancer. Methods and Materials: A total of 171 patients with Stage IIB-III cervical cancer were enrolled in this study. Seventy patients were treated with CCRT and the results were compared with those of 101 patients who had been treated with RT using the same protocol at an early period. RT consisted of 45 Gy in 25 fractions to the whole pelvis, followed by a 12.6-Gy boost to the parametrium. Four courses of HDRICB using 6.0 Gy to Point A were performed. Chemotherapy consisted of weekly cisplatin at a dose of 40 mg/m 2 for 5-6 cycles. Results: The 4-year actuarial survival was 74% for the CCRT group and 68% for the RT group (p = 0.60). The 4-year pelvic relapse-free survival was 87% for the CCRT group and 85% for the RT group (p = 0.37). The 4-year distant metastases-free survival was 75% for the CCRT group and 76% for the RT group (p = 0.44). The cumulative incidence of gastrointestinal and genitourinary injuries of grade 3 or above was 14.3% for the CCRT group and 7.9% for the RT group (p = 0.19). Conclusion: This study did not show a survival benefit of CCRT with weekly cisplatin and HDRICB for Stage II-III cervical cancer, nor did it demonstrate a significant increase of late complications when comparing with RT alone

Analysis and control of induction generator supplying stand-alone AC loads employing a Matrix Converter

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sumedha Mahajan

2017-04-01

Full Text Available This paper proposes a Capacitor Excited Induction Generator (CEIG-Matrix Converter (MC system for feeding stand-alone AC loads. The variable output voltage magnitude and frequency from CEIG is converted into a constant voltage magnitude and frequency at the load terminals by controlling MC using Space Vector Modulation (SVM technique. This single-stage MC is turned up as a good alternative for the proposed system against commonly used AC/DC/AC two stage power converters. The configuration and implementation of the closed-loop control scheme employing dSPACE 1103 real time controller have been fully described in the paper. The proposed closed-loop controller regulates the AC load voltage irrespective of changes in the prime mover speed and load. A method for predetermining the steady-state performance of the proposed system has been developed and described with relevant analytical expressions. The effectiveness of the proposed system is exemplified through simulation results for various operating conditions. The proposed control technique is further validated using an experimental setup developed in the laboratory.

An intelligent stand-alone ultrasonic device for monitoring local structural damage: implementation and preliminary experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pertsch, Alexander; Kim, Jin-Yeon; Wang, Yang; Jacobs, Laurence J

2011-01-01

Continuous structural health monitoring has the potential to significantly improve the safety management of aged, in-service civil structures. In particular, monitoring of local damage growth at hot-spot areas can help to prevent disastrous structural failures. Although ultrasonic nondestructive evaluation (NDE) has proved to be effective in monitoring local damage growth, conventional equipment and devices are usually bulky and only suitable for scheduled human inspections. The objective of this research is to harness the latest developments in embedded hardware and wireless communication for developing a stand-alone, compact ultrasonic device. The device is directed at the continuous structural health monitoring of civil structures. Relying on battery power, the device possesses the functionalities of high-speed actuation, sensing, signal processing, and wireless communication. Integrated with contact ultrasonic transducers, the device can generate 1 MHz Rayleigh surface waves in a steel specimen and measure response waves. An envelope detection algorithm based on the Hilbert transform is presented for efficiently determining the peak values of the response signals, from which small surface cracks are successfully identified

The potential of standard and modified feed spacers for biofouling control

KAUST Repository

Araú jo, Paula A.; Kruithof, Joop C.; van Loosdrecht, Mark C.M.; Vrouwenvelder, Johannes S.

2012-01-01

The impact of feed spacers on initial feed channel pressure (FCP) drop, FCP increase and biomass accumulation has been studied in membrane fouling simulators using feed spacers applied in commercially available nanofiltration and reverse osmosis spiral wound membrane modules. All spacers had a similar geometry.Our studies showed that biofouling was not prevented by (i) variation of spacer thickness, (ii) feed spacer orientation, (iii) feed spacer coating with silver, copper or gold and (iv) using a biostatic feed spacer. At constant feed flow, a lower FCP and FCP increase were observed for a thicker feed spacer. At constant linear flow velocity, roughly the same FCP development and biomass accumulation were found irrespective of the feed spacer thickness: hydrodynamics and substrate load were more important for development and impact of biofouling than the thickness of currently applied spacers. Use of biostatic and metal coated spacers were not effective for biofouling control. The same small reduction of biofouling rate was observed with copper and silver coated spacers as well as uncoated 45° rotated spacers.The studied modified spacers were not effective for biofouling prevention and control. The impact of biofouling on FCP increase was reduced significantly by a lower linear flow velocity, while spacer orientation and spacer thickness in membrane modules had a smaller but still significant effect. © 2012 Elsevier B.V.

The potential of standard and modified feed spacers for biofouling control

KAUST Repository

Araújo, Paula A.

2012-06-01

The impact of feed spacers on initial feed channel pressure (FCP) drop, FCP increase and biomass accumulation has been studied in membrane fouling simulators using feed spacers applied in commercially available nanofiltration and reverse osmosis spiral wound membrane modules. All spacers had a similar geometry.Our studies showed that biofouling was not prevented by (i) variation of spacer thickness, (ii) feed spacer orientation, (iii) feed spacer coating with silver, copper or gold and (iv) using a biostatic feed spacer. At constant feed flow, a lower FCP and FCP increase were observed for a thicker feed spacer. At constant linear flow velocity, roughly the same FCP development and biomass accumulation were found irrespective of the feed spacer thickness: hydrodynamics and substrate load were more important for development and impact of biofouling than the thickness of currently applied spacers. Use of biostatic and metal coated spacers were not effective for biofouling control. The same small reduction of biofouling rate was observed with copper and silver coated spacers as well as uncoated 45° rotated spacers.The studied modified spacers were not effective for biofouling prevention and control. The impact of biofouling on FCP increase was reduced significantly by a lower linear flow velocity, while spacer orientation and spacer thickness in membrane modules had a smaller but still significant effect. © 2012 Elsevier B.V.

Modeling and Experimental Test of Grid-Tied Photovoltaic Cell Emulating System in the Stand-alone Mode

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vu Minh Phap

2017-06-01

Full Text Available In recent decades, generation of electricity from solar arrays has been increased to meet the world's growing energy demand. However, the utilization rate of the power conditioner in the grid-tied solar power system is low because the operation of solar panels is dependent on sunlight. Thus, we studied the method that the small scale wind power generating system in size from a few hundred watts to two or three kilowatts can be connected to the grid-tied power conditioner of the solar power system for residential applications with low power ratings (single phase, size is limited to 10kW by emulating characteristic of the solar panel. In this paper, we introduce the application of the grid-tied PV cell emulating system in the stand-alone mode to improve the utilization rate of the power conditioner. The simulation and experimental test results verify that the PV cell emulating system can operate the power conditioner of the gridtied solar power system.

A non-electrostatic spacer for aerosol delivery

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bisgaard, H; Anhøj, J; Klug, B

1995-01-01

to 6 years, suspected to have asthma the non-electrostatic spacer delivered a mean total dose of budesonide aerosol of 39% of the nominal dose, which was significantly higher than the Babyhaler (28%), the Nebuhaler (21%), and the AeroChamber (19%). These differences were most pronounced in children......A pear shaped non-electrostatic spacer, composed of steel with a volume of 250 ml and equipped with a facemask containing integrated inlet and outlet valves for inspiration and expiration, was compared with three plastic spacers. The plastic spacers were primed with repeated puffs from a budesonide...... was 27 seconds and independent of the use of p-MDI. In vitro the maximum dose of budesonide from a p-MDI, expressed as a percentage of the nominal dose, was 56% from the non-electrostatic spacer, 61% from the Nebuhaler, 45% from the Babyhaler, and 30% from the AeroChamber. In 124 children, age 6 months...

A non-electrostatic spacer for aerosol delivery

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bisgaard, H; Anhøj, J; Klug, B

1995-01-01

A pear shaped non-electrostatic spacer, composed of steel with a volume of 250 ml and equipped with a facemask containing integrated inlet and outlet valves for inspiration and expiration, was compared with three plastic spacers. The plastic spacers were primed with repeated puffs from a budesonide...... pressurised metered dose inhaler (p-MDI) to minimise the electrostatic charge on the plastic. The procedure prolonged the half life (t1/2) of the aerosol in the Nebuhaler from nine to 32 seconds. A normal cleaning procedure reduced the aerosol t1/2 back to baseline. The t1/2 of the aerosol in the metal spacer...... was 27 seconds and independent of the use of p-MDI. In vitro the maximum dose of budesonide from a p-MDI, expressed as a percentage of the nominal dose, was 56% from the non-electrostatic spacer, 61% from the Nebuhaler, 45% from the Babyhaler, and 30% from the AeroChamber. In 124 children, age 6 months...

Hydrogen-based energy storage unit for stand alone PV systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Labbe, J.

2006-12-01

Stand alone systems supplied only by a photovoltaic generator need an energy storage unit to be fully self sufficient. Lead acid batteries are commonly used to store energy because of their low cost, despite several operational constraints. A hydrogen-based energy storage unit (HESU) could be another candidate, including an electrolyser, a fuel cell and a hydrogen tank. However many efforts still need to be carried out for this technology to reach an industrial stage. In particular, market outlets must be clearly identified. The study of small stationary applications (few kW) is performed by numerical simulations. A simulator is developed in the Matlab/Simulink environment. It is mainly composed of a photovoltaic field and a storage unit (lead acid batteries, HESU, or hybrid storage HESU/batteries). The system component sizing is achieved in order to ensure the complete system autonomy over a whole year of operation. The simulator is tested with 160 load profiles (1 kW as a yearly mean value) and three locations (Algeria, France and Norway). Two coefficients are set in order to quantify the correlation between the power consumption of the end user and the renewable resource availability at both daily and yearly scales. Among the tested cases, a limit value of the yearly correlation coefficient came out, enabling to recommend the use of the most adapted storage to a considered case. There are cases for which using HESU instead of lead acid batteries can increase the system efficiency, decrease the size of the photovoltaic field and improve the exploitation of the renewable resource. In addition, hybridization of HESU with batteries always leads to system enhancements regarding its sizing and performance, with an efficiency increase by 10 to 40 % depending on the considered location. The good agreement between the simulation data and field data gathered on real systems enabled the validation of the models used in this study. (author)

On the economics of stand-alone renewable hybrid power plants in remote regions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petrakopoulou, Fontina

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Economic evaluation of three renewable hybrid power plants for off-grid operation. • The high electricity cost of remote regions increases the competitiveness of renewable energy. • The proposed plants are economically viable when compared to the existing situation. • The zero direct emissions of the plants constitute an additional advantage of the plants. - Abstract: In recent years ever more examples of regions that have managed to achieve or orientate themselves toward renewable energy sufficiency are emerging. However, actions to create energy autonomy are mainly the result of isolated activities and they are less driven from fully organized movements. In addition, total energy independence without the support of a centralized electrical grid is yet to be achieved. The objectives of this work are to investigate the associated costs of stand-alone renewable hybrid power plants on a Greek island and compare them to the cost of the currently used fossil-fuel-based conventional plant. The plants examined here are designed to fully cover the electricity needs of the island. Islands may face numerous energy problems and rely heavily on foreign and environmentally-harmful fuels. It is shown that the relatively high cost of electricity of such a remote region can increase the competitiveness and promote the wider incorporation of technologies based on renewable energy sources that may, in other cases, seem economically inferior to business-as-usual energy solutions.

MIRNA-DISTILLER: a stand-alone application to compile microRNA data from databases

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jessica K. Rieger

2011-07-01

Full Text Available MicroRNAs (miRNA are small non-coding RNA molecules of ~22 nucleotides which regulate large numbers of genes by binding to seed sequences at the 3’-UTR of target gene transcripts. The target mRNA is then usually degraded or translation is inhibited, although thus resulting in posttranscriptional down regulation of gene expression at the mRNA and/or protein level. Due to the bioinformatic difficulties in predicting functional miRNA binding sites, several publically available databases have been developed that predict miRNA binding sites based on different algorithms. The parallel use of different databases is currently indispensable, but highly uncomfortable and time consuming, especially when working with numerous genes of interest. We have therefore developed a new stand-alone program, termed MIRNA-DISTILLER, which allows to compile miRNA data for given target genes from public databases. Currently implemented are TargetScan, microCosm, and miRDB, which may be queried independently, pairwise, or together to calculate the respective intersections. Data are stored locally for application of further analysis tools including freely definable biological parameter filters, customized output-lists for both miRNAs and target genes, and various graphical facilities. The software, a data example file and a tutorial are freely available at http://www.ikp-stuttgart.de/content/language1/html/10415.asp

MIRNA-DISTILLER: A Stand-Alone Application to Compile microRNA Data from Databases.

Science.gov (United States)

Rieger, Jessica K; Bodan, Denis A; Zanger, Ulrich M

2011-01-01

MicroRNAs (miRNA) are small non-coding RNA molecules of ∼22 nucleotides which regulate large numbers of genes by binding to seed sequences at the 3'-untranslated region of target gene transcripts. The target mRNA is then usually degraded or translation is inhibited, although thus resulting in posttranscriptional down regulation of gene expression at the mRNA and/or protein level. Due to the bioinformatic difficulties in predicting functional miRNA binding sites, several publically available databases have been developed that predict miRNA binding sites based on different algorithms. The parallel use of different databases is currently indispensable, but highly uncomfortable and time consuming, especially when working with numerous genes of interest. We have therefore developed a new stand-alone program, termed MIRNA-DISTILLER, which allows to compile miRNA data for given target genes from public databases. Currently implemented are TargetScan, microCosm, and miRDB, which may be queried independently, pairwise, or together to calculate the respective intersections. Data are stored locally for application of further analysis tools including freely definable biological parameter filters, customized output-lists for both miRNAs and target genes, and various graphical facilities. The software, a data example file and a tutorial are freely available at http://www.ikp-stuttgart.de/content/language1/html/10415.asp.

Low ERCC1 mRNA and protein expression are associated with worse survival in cervical cancer patients treated with radiation alone

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Doll, Corinne M.; Prystajecky, Michael; Eliasziw, Misha; Klimowicz, Alexander C.; Petrillo, Stephanie K.; Craighead, Peter S.; Hao, Desiree; Diaz, Roman; Lees-Miller, Susan P.; Magliocco, Anthony M.

2010-01-01

Purpose: To evaluate the association of excision repair cross-complementation group 1 (ERCC1) expression, using both mRNA and protein expression analysis, with clinical outcome in cervical cancer patients treated with radical radiation therapy (RT). Experimental design: Patients (n = 186) with locally advanced cervical cancer, treated with radical RT alone from a single institution were evaluated. Pre-treatment FFPE biopsy specimens were retrieved from 112 patients. ERCC1 mRNA level was determined by real-time PCR, and ERCC1 protein expression (FL297, 8F1) was measured using quantitative immunohistochemistry (AQUA (registered) ). The association of ERCC1 status with local response, 10-year disease-free (DFS) and overall survival (OS) was analyzed. Results: ERCC1 protein expression levels using both FL297 and 8F1 antibodies were determined for 112 patients; mRNA analysis was additionally performed in 32 patients. Clinical and outcome factors were comparable between the training and validation sets. Low ERCC1 mRNA expression status was associated with worse OS (17.9% vs 50.1%, p = 0.046). ERCC1 protein expression using the FL297 antibody, but not the 8F1 antibody, was significantly associated with both OS (p = 0.002) and DFS (p = 0.010). After adjusting for pre-treatment hemoglobin in a multivariate analysis, ERCC1 FL297 expression status remained statistically significant for OS [HR 1.9 (1.1-3.3), p = 0.031]. Conclusions: Pre-treatment tumoral ERCC1 mRNA and protein expression, using the FL297 antibody, are predictive factors for survival in cervical cancer patients treated with RT, with ERCC1 FL297 expression independently associated with survival. These results identify a subset of patients who may derive the greatest benefit from the addition of cisplatin chemotherapy.

Stand alone solution for generation and storage of hydrogen and electric energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gany, Alon; Elitzur, Shani; Valery

2015-01-01

A novel method enabling safe, simple, and controllable production, storage, and use of hydrogen as well as compact electric energy storage and generation via hydrogen- oxygen fuel cells has been developed. The technology indicates, in our opinion, a significant milestone in the search for practical utilization of hydrogen as an alternative energy source. It consists of an original thermal-chemical treatment / activation of aluminum powders to react spontaneously with water to produce hydrogen at regular conditions according to the reaction Al+3H 2 O=Al (OH) 3 +3/2H 2 . Only about 1-2% of lithium, based activator is applied, and any type of water including tap water, sea water and waste water may be used, making the method attractive for variety of applications. 11% of hydrogen compared to the aluminum mass can be obtained, and our experiments reveal 90% reaction yield and more. The technology has a clear advantage over batteries, providing specific electric energy of over 2 kW h/kg Al, 5-10 times greater than that of commonly used lithium-ion batteries. Combined with a fuel cell it may be particularly beneficial for stand-alone electric power generators, where there is no access to the grid. Such applications include emergency generators (e.g., in hospitals), electricity backup systems, and power generation in remote communication posts. Automotive applications may be considered as well. The technology provides green electric energy and quiet operation as well as additional heat energy resulting mainly from the exothermic aluminum-water reaction. (full text)

High corrosion-resistant fuel spacers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshida, Toshimi; Takase, Iwao; Ikeda, Shinzo; Masaoka, Isao; Nakajima, Junjiro.

1986-01-01

Purpose: To enable manufacturing BWR fuel spacers by prior-art production process, using a zirconium-base alloy having very excellent corrosion resistance. Method: A highly improved nodular-resistant, corrosion-resistant zirconium alloy is devised by adding a slight amount of niobium, titanium and vanadium to zircaloy, of which fuel spacers are produced. That is, there can be obtained an alloy having much more excellent nodular resistance than conventional zircaloy, and free from a large change in plasticity, workability, and weldability, by adding to zirconium about 1.5 % of tin, about 0.15 % of iron, about 0.05 % of chromium, about 0.05 % of nickel, and 0.05 to 0.5 % of at least one or two kinds of niobium, titanium and vanadium. Using this zirconium-base alloy can manufacture fuel spacers by the same manufacturing process, thus improving economy and reliability. (Kamimura, M.)

Use of Super-Capacitor to Enhance Charging Performance of Stand-Alone Solar PV System

KAUST Repository

Huang, B. J.

2011-01-01

Introduction: The battery charging performance in a stand-alone solar PV system affects the PV system efficiency and the load operating time. The New Energy Center of National Taiwan University has been devoted to the development of a PWM charging technique to continue charging the lead-acid battery after the overcharge point to increase the battery storage capacity by more than 10%. The present study intends to use the super-capacitor to further increase the charge capacity before the overcharge point of the battery. The super-capacitor is connected in parallel to the lead-acid battery. This will reduce the overall charging impedance during the charge and increase the charging current, especially in sunny weather. A system dynamics model of the lead-acid battery and super-capacitor was derived and the control system simulation was carried out to predict the charging performance for various weathers. It shows that the overall battery impedance decreases and charging power increases with increasing solar radiation. An outdoor comparative test for two identical PV systems with and without supercapacitor was carried out. The use of super-capacitor is shown to be able to increase the lead-acid charging capacity by more than 25% at sunny weather and 10% in cloudy weather. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2011.

Grid parity analysis of stand-alone hybrid microgrids: A comparative study of Germany, Pakistan, South Africa and the United States

Science.gov (United States)

Siddiqui, Jawad M.

Grid parity for alternative energy resources occurs when the cost of electricity generated from the source is lower than or equal to the purchasing price of power from the electricity grid. This thesis aims to quantitatively analyze the evolution of hybrid stand-alone microgrids in the US, Germany, Pakistan and South Africa to determine grid parity for a solar PV/Diesel/Battery hybrid system. The Energy System Model (ESM) and NREL's Hybrid Optimization of Multiple Energy Resources (HOMER) software are used to simulate the microgrid operation and determine a Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE) figure for each location. This cost per kWh is then compared with two distinct estimates of future retail electricity prices at each location to determine grid parity points. Analysis results reveal that future estimates of LCOE for such hybrid stand-alone microgrids range within the 35-55 cents/kWh over the 25 year study period. Grid parity occurs earlier in locations with higher power prices or unreliable grids. For Pakistan grid parity is already here, while Germany hits parity between the years 2023-2029. Results for South Africa suggest a parity time range of the years 2040-2045. In the US, places with low grid prices do not hit parity during the study period. Sensitivity analysis results reveal the significant impact of financing and the cost of capital on these grid parity points, particularly in developing markets of Pakistan and South Africa. Overall, the study helps conclude that variations in energy markets may determine the fate of emerging energy technologies like microgrids. However, policy interventions have a significant impact on the final outcome, such as the grid parity in this case. Measures such as eliminating uncertainty in policies and improving financing can help these grids overcome barriers in developing economies, where they may find a greater use much earlier in time.

Solar photovoltaic applications seminar: design, installation and operation of small, stand-alone photovoltaic power systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1980-07-01

This seminar material was developed primarily to provide solar photovoltaic (PV) applied engineering technology to the Federal community. An introduction to photoconductivity, semiconductors, and solar photovoltaic cells is included along with a demonstration of specific applications and application identification. The seminar details general systems design and incorporates most known information from industry, academia, and Government concerning small solar cell power system design engineering, presented in a practical and applied manner. Solar PV power system applications involve classical direct electrical energy conversion and electric power system analysis and synthesis. Presentations and examples involve a variety of disciplines including structural analysis, electric power and load analysis, reliability, sizing and optimization; and, installation, operation and maintenance. Four specific system designs are demonstrated: water pumping, domestic uses, navigational and aircraft aids, and telecommunications. All of the applications discussed are for small power requirement (under 2 kilowatts), stand-alone systems to be used in remote locations. Also presented are practical lessons gained from currently installed and operating systems, problems at sites and their resolution, a logical progression through each major phase of system acquisition, as well as thorough design reviews for each application.

Bronchodilator Effect of Tiotropium via Respimat®Administered with a Spacer in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).

Science.gov (United States)

Ogasawara, Takashi; Sakata, Jun; Aoshima, Yoichiro; Tanaka, Kazuki; Yano, Toshiaki; Kasamatsu, Norio

2017-09-15

Objective Among elderly patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), there are some patients who cannot inhale tiotropium via Respimat ® due to poor hand-lung coordination. This study aimed to examine whether or not tiotropium inhalation therapy using Respimat ® with a spacer increased the forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV 1 ) in patients with COPD. Methods A randomized, crossover, single-center study was conducted in 18 patients with stable COPD. Tiotropium (5 μg) via Respimat ® with or without a spacer (AeroChamber ® ) was administered for 2 weeks. Following a 2-week washout period using a transdermal tulobuterol patch (2 mg per day), participants were then crossed over to the other inhalation therapy with respect to spacer use. The trough FEV 1 was measured at every visit using a spirometer. A questionnaire regarding inhalation therapy was administered to patients at the final visit. Results The administration of tiotropium via Respimat ® both with and without a spacer significantly increased the trough FEV 1 from baseline during each treatment period, with mean differences of 115.0±169.6 mL and 92.8±128.1 mL, respectively. There was no significant difference in the change in the trough FEV 1 between the 2 procedures (p=0.66). A total of 86% of patients reported that inhalation using a spacer was not difficult, and more than half also rated both the usage and maintenance of the AeroChamber ® as easy. Conclusion Tiotropium inhalation therapy administered via Respimat ® using a spacer exerted a bronchodilatory effect similar to that observed with tiotropium Respimat ® alone.

Comparative analysis of distributed MPPT controllers for partially shaded stand alone photovoltaic systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muthuramalingam, M.; Manoharan, P.S.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Analyzes the performance of ANN and ANFIS MPPT algorithms by stand alone PV system. • ISSBC with ANFIS can provide the overall efficiency higher than ANN. • CHBMLI integrate with SHE ANN modulation technique improve output voltage quality. • Simulation and hardware results show the ANFIS algorithm efficient than ANN algorithm. - Abstract: This paper presents a unique combination of an interleaved soft switched boost converter (ISSBC) run by a set of two photovoltaic panel (PV) with a distributed MPPT, suitable to guarantee MPPT even under partial shadowed conditions, managed by an adaptive neuro fuzzy inference system trained by the training data derived from a particle swarm optimization (PSO–ANFIS) unit. The ISSBC is followed by a, single phase cascaded H bridge five-level inverter (CHI) driven by the individual DC outputs of the ISSBC, with selective harmonic elimination scheme to eliminate typically the seventh order harmonics. A comparison of different intelligent distributed maximum power point tracking (MPPT) algorithms for photovoltaic (PV) system under partial shadow conditions is carried out. The use of the ISSBC guarantees mitigation of ripple and it is meant to handle higher currents with minimal switching losses. Simulation was carried out in the Matlab Simulink environment and an experimental verification with a scaled down model validated the proposed scheme. It has been thus established, by both simulation and experimental verification, that the PSO–ANFIS model of distributed MPPT scheme of control outperforms other schemes of control for MPPT

Stand-Alone Lateral Interbody Fusion for the Treatment of Low-Grade Degenerative Spondylolisthesis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luis Marchi

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this paper was to investigate the stand-alone lateral interbody fusion as a minimally invasive option for the treatment of low-grade degenerative spondylolisthesis with a minimum 24-month followup. Prospective nonrandomized observational single-center study. 52 consecutive patients (67.6±10 y/o; 73.1% female; 27.4±3.4 BMI with single-level grade I/II single-level degenerative spondylolisthesis without significant spine instability were included. Fusion procedures were performed as retroperitoneal lateral transpsoas interbody fusions without screw supplementation. The procedures were performed in average 73.2 minutes and with less than 50cc blood loss. VAS and Oswestry scores showed lasting improvements in clinical outcomes (60% and 54.5% change, resp.. The vertebral slippage was reduced in 90.4% of cases from mean values of 15.1% preoperatively to 7.4% at 6-week followup (P<0.001 and was maintained through 24 months (7.1%, P<0.001. Segmental lordosis (P<0.001 and disc height (P<0.001 were improved in postop evaluations. Cage subsidence occurred in 9/52 cases (17% and 7/52 cases (13% spine levels needed revision surgery. At the 24-month evaluation, solid fusion was observed in 86.5% of the levels treated. The minimally invasive lateral approach has been shown to be a safe and reproducible technique to treat low-grade degenerative spondylolisthesis.

Nanoparticle-Based Brachytherapy Spacers for Delivery of Localized Combined Chemoradiation Therapy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kumar, Rajiv, E-mail: r.kumar@neu.edu [Nanomedicine Science and Technology Center, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts (United States); Department of Radiation Oncology, Brigham and Women' s Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts (United States); Belz, Jodi [Nanomedicine Science and Technology Center, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts (United States); Markovic, Stacey [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts (United States); Jadhav, Tej; Fowle, William [Nanomedicine Science and Technology Center, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts (United States); Niedre, Mark [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts (United States); Cormack, Robert; Makrigiorgos, Mike G. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Brigham and Women' s Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts (United States); Sridhar, Srinivas [Nanomedicine Science and Technology Center, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts (United States); Department of Radiation Oncology, Brigham and Women' s Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts (United States)

2015-02-01

Purpose: In radiation therapy (RT), brachytherapy-inert source spacers are commonly used in clinical practice to achieve high spatial accuracy. These implanted devices are critical technical components of precise radiation delivery but provide no direct therapeutic benefits. Methods and Materials: Here we have fabricated implantable nanoplatforms or chemoradiation therapy (INCeRT) spacers loaded with silica nanoparticles (SNPs) conjugated containing a drug, to act as a slow-release drug depot for simultaneous localized chemoradiation therapy. The spacers are made of poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA) as matrix and are physically identical in size to the commercially available brachytherapy spacers (5 mm × 0.8 mm). The silica nanoparticles, 250 nm in diameter, were conjugated with near infrared fluorophore Cy7.5 as a model drug, and the INCeRT spacers were characterized in terms of size, morphology, and composition using different instrumentation techniques. The spacers were further doped with an anticancer drug, docetaxel. We evaluated the in vivo stability, biocompatibility, and biodegradation of these spacers in live mouse tissues. Results: The electron microscopy studies showed that nanoparticles were distributed throughout the spacers. These INCeRT spacers remained stable and can be tracked by the use of optical fluorescence. In vivo optical imaging studies showed a slow diffusion of nanoparticles from the spacer to the adjacent tissue in contrast to the control Cy7.5-PLGA spacer, which showed rapid disintegration in a few days with a burst release of Cy7.5. The docetaxel spacers showed suppression of tumor growth in contrast to control mice over 16 days. Conclusions: The imaging with the Cy7.5 spacer and therapeutic efficacy with docetaxel spacers supports the hypothesis that INCeRT spacers can be used for delivering the drugs in a slow, sustained manner in conjunction with brachytherapy, in contrast to the rapid clearance of the drugs when

Nanoparticle-Based Brachytherapy Spacers for Delivery of Localized Combined Chemoradiation Therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumar, Rajiv; Belz, Jodi; Markovic, Stacey; Jadhav, Tej; Fowle, William; Niedre, Mark; Cormack, Robert; Makrigiorgos, Mike G.; Sridhar, Srinivas

2015-01-01

Purpose: In radiation therapy (RT), brachytherapy-inert source spacers are commonly used in clinical practice to achieve high spatial accuracy. These implanted devices are critical technical components of precise radiation delivery but provide no direct therapeutic benefits. Methods and Materials: Here we have fabricated implantable nanoplatforms or chemoradiation therapy (INCeRT) spacers loaded with silica nanoparticles (SNPs) conjugated containing a drug, to act as a slow-release drug depot for simultaneous localized chemoradiation therapy. The spacers are made of poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA) as matrix and are physically identical in size to the commercially available brachytherapy spacers (5 mm × 0.8 mm). The silica nanoparticles, 250 nm in diameter, were conjugated with near infrared fluorophore Cy7.5 as a model drug, and the INCeRT spacers were characterized in terms of size, morphology, and composition using different instrumentation techniques. The spacers were further doped with an anticancer drug, docetaxel. We evaluated the in vivo stability, biocompatibility, and biodegradation of these spacers in live mouse tissues. Results: The electron microscopy studies showed that nanoparticles were distributed throughout the spacers. These INCeRT spacers remained stable and can be tracked by the use of optical fluorescence. In vivo optical imaging studies showed a slow diffusion of nanoparticles from the spacer to the adjacent tissue in contrast to the control Cy7.5-PLGA spacer, which showed rapid disintegration in a few days with a burst release of Cy7.5. The docetaxel spacers showed suppression of tumor growth in contrast to control mice over 16 days. Conclusions: The imaging with the Cy7.5 spacer and therapeutic efficacy with docetaxel spacers supports the hypothesis that INCeRT spacers can be used for delivering the drugs in a slow, sustained manner in conjunction with brachytherapy, in contrast to the rapid clearance of the drugs when

Development of structural technology for a high performance spacer grid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Song, Kee Nam; Kim, H. K.; Kang, H. S.

2003-03-01

A spacer grid in a LWR fuel assembly is a key structural component to support fuel rods and to enhance the heat transfer from the fuel rod to the coolant. In this research, the main research items are the development of inherent and high performance spacer grid shapes, the establishment of mechanical/structural analysis and test technology, and the set-up of basic test facilities for the spacer grid. The main research areas and results are as follows. 1. 14 different spacer grid candidates have been invented and applied for domestic and US patents. Among the candidates six are chosen from the patent. 2. Two kinds of spacer grids are finally selected for the advanced LWR fuel after detailed performance tests on the candidates and commercial spacer grids from a mechanical/structural point of view. According to the test results the features of the selected spacer grids are better than those of the commercial spacer grids. 3. Four kinds of basic test facilities are set up and the relevant test technologies are established. 4. Mechanical/structural analysis models and technology for spacer grid performance are developed and the analysis results are compared with the test results to enhance the reliability of the models

Integration of hydrogen energy technologies in stand-alone power systems analysis of the current potential for applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zoulias, E.I.; Lymberopoulos, N.; Tsoutsos, T.; Glockner, R.; Mydske, H.J.; Vosseler, I.; Gavalda, O.; Taylor, P.

2006-01-01

The European study entitled: 'Market Potential Analysis for Introduction of Hydrogen Energy Technology in Stand-Alone Power Systems (H-SAPS)' aimed to establish a broad understanding of the market potential for H-SAPS and provide a basis for promoting in wide scale new technological applications. The scope of the study was limited to small and medium installations, up to a few hundred kW power rating and based on RE as the primary energy source. The potential for hydrogen technology in SAPS was investigated through an assessment of the technical potential for hydrogen, the market analysis and the evaluation of external factors. The results are mostly directed towards action by governments and the research community but also industry involvement is identified. The results include targeted market research, establishment of individual cost targets, regulatory changes to facilitate alternative grid solutions, information and capacity building, focused technology research and bridging the technology gaps. (author)

Multi-Objective Optimal Design of Stand-Alone Hybrid Energy System Using Entropy Weight Method Based on HOMER

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiaxin Lu

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Implementation of hybrid energy system (HES is generally considered as a promising way to satisfy the electrification requirements for remote areas. In the present study, a novel decision making methodology is proposed to identify the best compromise configuration of HES from a set of feasible combinations obtained from HOMER. For this purpose, a multi-objective function, which comprises four crucial and representative indices, is formulated by applying the weighted sum method. The entropy weight method is employed as a quantitative methodology for weighting factors calculation to enhance the objectivity of decision-making. Moreover, the optimal design of a stand-alone PV/wind/battery/diesel HES in Yongxing Island, China, is conducted as a case study to validate the effectiveness of the proposed method. Both the simulation and optimization results indicate that, the optimization method is able to identify the best trade-off configuration among system reliability, economy, practicability and environmental sustainability. Several useful conclusions are given by analyzing the operation of the best configuration.

A practical multi-objective design approach for optimum exhaust heat recovery from hybrid stand-alone PV-diesel power systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yousefi, Moslem; Kim, Joong Hoon; Hooshyar, Danial; Yousefi, Milad; Sahari, Khairul Salleh Mohamed; Ahmad, Rodina Binti

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Heat recovery exchanger is designed based on practical conditions of a hybrid power system. • Off-the-grid electricity system modeling and analysis using micro-grid analysis software HOMER. • NSGA-II is used for the multi-objective design optimization task. • A new local search is proposed to incorporate the engineering knowledge in NSGA-II. • The proposed approach outperforms the existing ones. - Abstract: Integration of solar power and diesel generators (DGs) together with battery storage has proven to be an efficient choice for stand-alone power systems (SAPS). For higher energy efficiency, heat recovery from exhaust gas of the DG can also be employed to supply all or a portion of the thermal energy demand. Although the design of such heat recovery systems (HRSs) has been studied, the effect of solar power integration has not been taken into account. In this paper, a new approach for practical design of these systems based on varying engine loads is presented. Fast and elitist non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II) equipped with a novel local search was used for the design process, considering conflicting objectives of annual energy recovery and total cost of the system, and six design variables. An integrated power system, designed for a remote SAPS, was used to evaluate the design approach. The optimum power supply system was first designed using the commercial software Hybrid Optimization of Multiple Energy Resources (HOMER), based on power demand and global solar energy in the region. Heat recovery design was based on the outcome of HOMER for DG hourly load, considering different power scenarios. The proposed approach improves the annual heat recovery of the PV/DG/battery system by 4%, PV/battery by 1.7%, and stand-alone DG by 1.8% when compared with a conventional design based on nominal DG load. The results prove that the proposed approach is effective and that load calculations should be taken into account prior to

Factors that can influence the economic feasibility of stand-alone and grid-connected photovoltaic systems: case studies using the software AVES-F

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blasques, L.C.M.; Pinho, J.T.

2004-01-01

This paper presents case studies of economic feasibility of solar photovoltaic systems using the software AVES-F (Analysis of Economic Feasibility of Photovoltaic Systems), developed by the authors, considering cases of stand-alone and grid-connected systems. The software takes into account several factors that can influence the economic feasibility of these kind of systems, like load to be supplied, distance to the grid, the use regime of the system, applied subsidies and others. The main goal of this paper is to analyze some of these factors and to observe how they can affect the economics of PV systems for electricity generation. (authors)

Investigation of cervical lymph node metastasis from primary unknown carcinoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sagawa, Kosuke; Terada, Tomonori; Saeki, Nobuo; Uwa, Nobuhiro; Mohri, Takeshi; Sakagami, Masafumi

2012-01-01

We retrospectively evaluated 41 patients with metastatic cervical tumors from unknown primary sites at the Hyogo College of Medicine between 1997 and 2007. The N stage classification of cervical lymph nodes was: N1 in 3 cases, N2a in 10 cases, N2b in 10 cases, N2c in 4 cases, and N3 in 14 cases. The histopathological diagnoses of cervical lymph node were: squamous cell carcinoma in 33 cases, adenocarcinoma in 5 cases, undifferentiated carcinoma in 2 cases, and papillary carcinoma in 1 cases. Primary tumor sites were: tonsil in 5 cases, esophaguses in 2 cases, hypopharynxies in 2 cases, and thyroid, oral floor, submandibular gland, lung, gastric and colon in 1 case each. The useful tests were gastric endoscope, positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT), and blind biopsy of tonsil. We treated 24 of the 41 patients. Therapies were: neck dissection with postoperative radiation therapy in 11 cases, neck dissection alone in 1 case, only radiation or chemoradiation therapy alone in 8 cases, and chemotherapy alone in 4 cases. The 5-year survival rate was 40.1% in all cases and 81.5% in cases who underwent neck dissection. (author)

Dolichoodontoid. A rare cranio-cervical anomaly--MRI findings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prokesch, Rupert W.; Chocholka, Peter; Bader, Till W.; Ba-Ssalamah, Ahmed; Trattnig, Siegfried

2000-01-01

The case of a 40-year-old woman with a dolichoodontoid, a rare congenital anomaly of the cranio-cervical region, is presented. Due to summation image and overlying bony structures, plain radiographs in two planes were inconclusive. MRI revealed the hyperplasia of the odontoid process, allowed a grading of the subtype of this disorder and demonstrated its relationship to the neural structures within the foramen magnum and the upper cervical spine. Additional inflammatory disease, suspected in this patient with long standing rheumatoid arthritis could be excluded by MRI

Anticancer activity of aqueous myrrh extract alone and in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Wafaa S. Ramadan, Khalid H. Sait, Nisreen M. Anfinan. Abstract. Purpose: To study the impact of an aqueous myrrh extract on the proliferation of cervical cancer cells in vitro. Methods: First, 100 g of ground ... The effect of combined therapy was more lethal than the effect of either of them alone. Conclusion: Myrrh induces ...

Hydraulic Design Criteria for Spacer Grids of Nuclear Fuel Element

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Juanico, Luis; Brasnarof, Daniel

2000-01-01

In this paper a hydraulic model for calculating the pressure drop on the CARA spacer grids is extended.This model is validated and feedback from experimental hydraulic test performed in a low pressure loop.The importance of the spacer grid geometric parameter (that is, its thickness and length, the number and kind of their fix spacer), developing hydraulic design criteria for spacer grid on fuel element

Preclinical Evaluation of Bioabsorbable Polyglycolic Acid Spacer for Particle Therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akasaka, Hiroaki; Sasaki, Ryohei; Miyawaki, Daisuke; Mukumoto, Naritoshi; Sulaiman, Nor Shazrina Binti; Nagata, Masaaki; Yamada, Shigeru; Murakami, Masao; Demizu, Yusuke; Fukumoto, Takumi

2014-01-01

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of a polyglycolic acid (PGA) spacer through physical and animal experiments. Methods and Materials: The spacer was produced with surgical suture material made of PGA, forming a 3-dimensional nonwoven fabric. For evaluation or physical experiments, 150-MeV proton or 320-MeV carbon-ion beams were used to generate 60-mm width of spread-out Bragg peak. For animal experiments, the abdomens of C57BL/6 mice, with or without the inserted PGA spacers, were irradiated with 20 Gy of carbon-ion beam (290 MeV) using the spread-out Bragg peak. Body weight changes over time were scored, and radiation damage to the intestine was investigated using hematoxylin and eosin stain. Blood samples were also evaluated 24 days after the irradiation. Long-term thickness retention and safety were evaluated using crab-eating macaques. Results: No chemical or structural changes after 100 Gy of proton or carbon-ion irradiation were observed in the PGA spacer. Water equivalency of the PGA spacer was equal to the water thickness under wet condition. During 24 days' observation after 20 Gy of carbon-ion irradiation, the body weights of mice with the PGA spacer were relatively unchanged, whereas significant weight loss was observed in those mice without the PGA spacer (P<.05). In mice with the PGA spacer, villus and crypt structure were preserved after irradiation. No inflammatory reactions or liver or renal dysfunctions due to placement of the PGA spacer were observed. In the abdomen of crab-eating macaques, thickness of the PGA spacer was maintained 8 weeks after placement. Conclusions: The absorbable PGA spacer had water-equivalent, bio-compatible, and thickness-retaining properties. Although further evaluation is warranted in a clinical setting, the PGA spacer may be effective to stop proton or carbon-ion beams and to separate normal tissues from the radiation field

Iliac crest autograft versus alternative constructs for anterior cervical spine surgery: Pros, cons, and costs

Science.gov (United States)

Epstein, Nancy E.

2012-01-01

Background: Grafting choices available for performing anterior cervical diskectomy/fusion (ACDF) procedures have become a major concern for spinal surgeons, and their institutions. The “gold standard”, iliac crest autograft, may still be the best and least expensive grafting option; it deserves to be reassessed along with the pros, cons, and costs for alternative grafts/spacers. Methods: Although single or multilevel ACDF have utilized iliac crest autograft for decades, the implant industry now offers multiple alternative grafting and spacer devices; (allografts, cages, polyether-etherketone (PEEK) amongst others). While most studies have focused on fusion rates and clinical outcomes following ACDF, few have analyzed the “value-added” of these various constructs (e.g. safety/efficacy, risks/complications, costs). Results: The majority of studies document 95%-100% fusion rates when iliac crest autograft is utilized to perform single level ACDF (X-ray or CT confirmed at 6-12 postoperative months). Although many allograft studies similarly quote 90%-100% fusion rates (X-ray alone confirmed at 6-12 postoperative months), a recent “post hoc analysis of data from a prospective multicenter trial” (Riew KD et. al., CSRS Abstract Dec. 2011; unpublished) revealed a much higher delayed fusion rate using allografts at one year 55.7%, 2 years 87%, and four years 92%. Conclusion: Iliac crest autograft utilized for single or multilevel ACDF is associated with the highest fusion, lowest complication rates, and significantly lower costs compared with allograft, cages, PEEK, or other grafts. As spinal surgeons and institutions become more cost conscious, we will have to account for the “value added” of these increasingly expensive graft constructs. PMID:22905321

Zircaloy spacer grid for boiling light water reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Borgiani, F.; Cali', G.P.; Cerretti, P.; Pazzo, P.

1975-01-01

The need to increase the neutronic efficiency of the new cores of BWR's, lead to study types of spacer-grids made of low neutronic absorption materials as zircaloy-4. The particular mechanical behaviour of this material suggested to design a spacer-grids such as to utilize only blanking, slotting and bending operations as plastic forming and to avoid therefore drawing effects. The optimization of the bending procedures lead to a final spacer-grids configuration equally stiff in all directions and planes. Only for the ''elastic constraints'' nichel alloy sheets were used to made easy the whole spacer design. The ''rigid constraints'', supporting the rods, have been obtained directly from the spacer structure. Calculations were performed to verify the mechanical strength of the main grid components. In this framework a computer code was developed to find the best elastic characteristic of the ''elastic constraints'' taking into account the machining tolerances. Some original methods to test the integral behaviour of the grid assembled as well as the procedures to be adopted for its best maintenance, are described

Mechanical/structural performance test method of a spacer grid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoon, Kyung Ho

2000-06-01

The spacer grid is one of the main structural components in the fuel assembly, which supports the fuel rods, guides cooling water, and protects the system from an external impact load, such as earthquakes. In order to develop the spacer grid with the high mechanical performance, the mechanical and structural properties of the spacer grids must be extensively examined while designing it. In this report, the mechanical/structural test methods, i.e. the characteristic test of a spacer grid spring or dimple, static buckling test of a partial or full size spacer grid and dynamic impact test of them are described. The characteristic test of a spacer grid spring or dimple is accomplished with universal tensile test machine, a specimen is fixed with test fixture and then applied compressive load. The characteristic test data is saved at loading and unloading event. The static buckling test of a partial or full size spacer grid is executed with the same universal tensile testing machine, a specimen is fixed between cross-heads and then applied the compressive load. The buckling strength is decided the maximum strength at load vs. displacement curve. The dynamic impact test of a partial or full size spacer grid is performed with pendulum type impact machine and free fall shock test machine, a specimen is fixed with test fixture and then applied the impact load by impact hammer. Specially, the pendulum type impact test machine is also possible under the operating temperature because a furnace is separately attached with test machine

Bioinformatics analyses of Shigella CRISPR structure and spacer classification.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Pengfei; Zhang, Bing; Duan, Guangcai; Wang, Yingfang; Hong, Lijuan; Wang, Linlin; Guo, Xiangjiao; Xi, Yuanlin; Yang, Haiyan

2016-03-01

Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) are inheritable genetic elements of a variety of archaea and bacteria and indicative of the bacterial ecological adaptation, conferring acquired immunity against invading foreign nucleic acids. Shigella is an important pathogen for anthroponosis. This study aimed to analyze the features of Shigella CRISPR structure and classify the spacers through bioinformatics approach. Among 107 Shigella, 434 CRISPR structure loci were identified with two to seven loci in different strains. CRISPR-Q1, CRISPR-Q4 and CRISPR-Q5 were widely distributed in Shigella strains. Comparison of the first and last repeats of CRISPR1, CRISPR2 and CRISPR3 revealed several base variants and different stem-loop structures. A total of 259 cas genes were found among these 107 Shigella strains. The cas gene deletions were discovered in 88 strains. However, there is one strain that does not contain cas gene. Intact clusters of cas genes were found in 19 strains. From comprehensive analysis of sequence signature and BLAST and CRISPRTarget score, the 708 spacers were classified into three subtypes: Type I, Type II and Type III. Of them, Type I spacer referred to those linked with one gene segment, Type II spacer linked with two or more different gene segments, and Type III spacer undefined. This study examined the diversity of CRISPR/cas system in Shigella strains, demonstrated the main features of CRISPR structure and spacer classification, which provided critical information for elucidation of the mechanisms of spacer formation and exploration of the role the spacers play in the function of the CRISPR/cas system.

Stress Analysis of Single Spacer Grid Support considering Fuel Rod

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yoo, Y. G.; Jung, D. H.; Kim, J. H. [Chungnam National University, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Park, J. K.; Jeon, K. L. [Korea Nuclear Fuel, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2010-10-15

Pressurized water reactor (PWR) nuclear fuel assembly is mainly composed of a top-end piece, a bottom-end piece, lots of fuel rods, and several spacer grids. Among them, the main function of spacer grid is protecting fuel rods from Fluid Induced Vibration (FIV). The cross section of spacer grid assembled by laser welding in upper and lower point. When the fuel rod inserted in spacer gird, spring and dimple and around of welded area got a stresses. The main hypothesis of this analysis is the boundary area of HAZ and base metal can get a lot of damage than other area by FIV. So, design factors of spacer grid mainly considered to preventing the fatigue failure in HAZ and spring and dimple of spacer grid. From previous researching, the environment in reactor verified. Pressure and temperature of light water observed 15MPa and 320 .deg. C, and vibration of the fuel rod observed within 0 {approx} 50Hz. In this study, mechanical properties of zirconium alloy that extracted from the test and the spacer grid model which used in the PWR were applied in stress analyzing. General-purpose finite element analysis program was used ANSYS Workbench 12.0.1 version. 3-D CAD program CATIA was used to create spacer grid model

"Candidatus Fokinia solitaria", a Novel "Stand-Alone" Symbiotic Lineage of Midichloriaceae (Rickettsiales.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Franziska Szokoli

Full Text Available Recently, the family Midichloriaceae has been described within the bacterial order Rickettsiales. It includes a variety of bacterial endosymbionts detected in different metazoan host species belonging to Placozoa, Cnidaria, Arthropoda and Vertebrata. Representatives of Midichloriaceae are also considered possible etiological agents of certain animal diseases. Midichloriaceae have been found also in protists like ciliates and amoebae. The present work describes a new bacterial endosymbiont, "Candidatus Fokinia solitaria", retrieved from three different strains of a novel Paramecium species isolated from a wastewater treatment plant in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil. Symbionts were characterized through the full-cycle rRNA approach: SSU rRNA gene sequencing and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH with three species-specific oligonucleotide probes. In electron micrographs, the tiny rod-shaped endosymbionts (1.2 x 0.25-0.35 μm in size were not surrounded by a symbiontophorous vacuole and were located in the peripheral host cytoplasm, stratified in the host cortex in between the trichocysts or just below them. Frequently, they occurred inside autolysosomes. Phylogenetic analyses of Midichloriaceae apparently show different evolutionary pathways within the family. Some genera, such as "Ca. Midichloria" and "Ca. Lariskella", have been retrieved frequently and independently in different hosts and environmental surveys. On the contrary, others, such as Lyticum, "Ca. Anadelfobacter", "Ca. Defluviella" and the presently described "Ca. Fokinia solitaria", have been found only occasionally and associated to specific host species. These last are the only representatives in their own branches thus far. Present data do not allow to infer whether these genera, which we named "stand-alone lineages", are an indication of poorly sampled organisms, thus underrepresented in GenBank, or represent fast evolving, highly adapted evolutionary lineages.

Synchronized Pulsed dc - dc Converter as Maximum Power Position Tracker with Wide Load and Insolation Variation for Stand Alone PV System

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hardik, P. Desai; Ranjan Maheshwari

2011-01-01

This paper investigates the interest focused on employing parallel connected dc-dc converter with high tracking effectiveness under wide variation in environmental conditions (Insolation) and wide load variation. dc-dc converter is an essential part of the stand alone PV system. Paper also presents an approach on how duty cycle for maximum power position (MPP) is adjusted by taking care of varying load conditions and without iterative steps. Synchronized PWM pulses are employed for the converter. High tracking efficiency is achieved with continuous input and inductor current. In this approach, the converter can he utilized in buck as well in boost mode. The PV system simulation was verified and experimental results were in agreement to the presented scheme. (authors)

CFD application to advanced design for high efficiency spacer grid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ikeda, Kazuo

2014-01-01

Highlights: • A new LDV was developed to investigate the local velocity in a rod bundle and inside a spacer grid. • The design information that utilizes for high efficiency spacer grid has been obtained. • CFD methodology that predicts flow field in a PWR fuel has been developed. • The high efficiency spacer grid was designed using the CFD methodology. - Abstract: Pressurized water reactor (PWR) fuels have been developed to meet the needs of the market. A spacer grid is a key component to improve thermal hydraulic performance of a PWR fuel assembly. Mixing structures (vanes) of a spacer grid promote coolant mixing and enhance heat removal from fuel rods. A larger mixing vane would improve mixing effect, which would increase the departure from nucleate boiling (DNB) benefit for fuel. However, the increased pressure loss at large mixing vanes would reduce the coolant flow at the mixed fuel core, which would reduce the DNB margin. The solution is to develop a spacer grid whose pressure loss is equal to or less than the current spacer grid and that has higher critical heat flux (CHF) performance. For this reason, a requirement of design tool for predicting the pressure loss and CHF performance of spacer grids has been increased. The author and co-workers have been worked for development of high efficiency spacer grid using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) for nearly 20 years. A new laser Doppler velocimetry (LDV), which is miniaturized with fiber optics embedded in a fuel cladding, was developed to investigate the local velocity profile in a rod bundle and inside a spacer grid. The rod-embedded fiber LDV (rod LDV) can be inserted in an arbitrary grid cell instead of a fuel rod, and has the advantage of not disturbing the flow field since it is the same shape as a fuel rod. The probe volume of the rod LDV is small enough to measure spatial velocity profile in a rod gap and inside a spacer grid. According to benchmark experiments such as flow velocity

CFD application to advanced design for high efficiency spacer grid

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ikeda, Kazuo, E-mail: kazuo3_ikeda@ndc.mhi.co.jp

2014-11-15

Highlights: • A new LDV was developed to investigate the local velocity in a rod bundle and inside a spacer grid. • The design information that utilizes for high efficiency spacer grid has been obtained. • CFD methodology that predicts flow field in a PWR fuel has been developed. • The high efficiency spacer grid was designed using the CFD methodology. - Abstract: Pressurized water reactor (PWR) fuels have been developed to meet the needs of the market. A spacer grid is a key component to improve thermal hydraulic performance of a PWR fuel assembly. Mixing structures (vanes) of a spacer grid promote coolant mixing and enhance heat removal from fuel rods. A larger mixing vane would improve mixing effect, which would increase the departure from nucleate boiling (DNB) benefit for fuel. However, the increased pressure loss at large mixing vanes would reduce the coolant flow at the mixed fuel core, which would reduce the DNB margin. The solution is to develop a spacer grid whose pressure loss is equal to or less than the current spacer grid and that has higher critical heat flux (CHF) performance. For this reason, a requirement of design tool for predicting the pressure loss and CHF performance of spacer grids has been increased. The author and co-workers have been worked for development of high efficiency spacer grid using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) for nearly 20 years. A new laser Doppler velocimetry (LDV), which is miniaturized with fiber optics embedded in a fuel cladding, was developed to investigate the local velocity profile in a rod bundle and inside a spacer grid. The rod-embedded fiber LDV (rod LDV) can be inserted in an arbitrary grid cell instead of a fuel rod, and has the advantage of not disturbing the flow field since it is the same shape as a fuel rod. The probe volume of the rod LDV is small enough to measure spatial velocity profile in a rod gap and inside a spacer grid. According to benchmark experiments such as flow velocity

Development of a Laser-Powered Dielectric Structure-Based Accelerator as a Stand-Alone Particle Source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoder, R. B.; Travish, G.; Arab, E. R.; Fong, D.; Hoyer, Z.; Lacroix, U. H.; Vartanian, N.; Rosenzweig, J. B.

2010-01-01

An experimental program to develop and build a dielectric-based slab-symmetric structure (the micro-accelerator platform, or MAP) for generating and accelerating low-energy electrons is underway at UCLA and Manhattanville College. This optical acceleration structure is effectively a resonant cavity powered by a side-coupled laser, and has applications as a radiation source for medicine or industry. We present recent experimental and computational results on the accelerator, and progress toward its incorporation into a self-contained particle source. Such a particle source would incorporate a micron-scale electron emitter and a non-relativistic capture region to enable self-injection into the synchronous field within the accelerator. A prototype of the accelerator itself has been constructed from candidate dielectric materials using micromanufacturing techniques; the current status of the testing program is described. A novel electron emitter incorporating pyroelectric crystals with field-enhancing tips has been demonstrated to produce steady currents; the results are dependent on tip geometry, and appear suitable for injection into a microstructure. Extension of the MAP concept to non-relativistic velocities, as in the stand-alone source, requires a tapered structure that gives rise to numerous complications including beam defocusing and manufacturing challenges; approaches for addressing these complications are mentioned.

Effects of ozone as a stand-alone and coagulation-aid treatment on the reduction of trihalomethanes precursors from high DOC and hardness water.

Science.gov (United States)

Sadrnourmohamadi, Mehrnaz; Gorczyca, Beata

2015-04-15

This study investigates the effect of ozone as a stand-alone and coagulation aid on the removal of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from the water with a high level of DOC (13.8 mgL(-1)) and calcium hardness (270 mgL(-1)) CaCO3. Natural water collected from the Assiniboine River (Manitoba, Canada) was used in this study. Effectiveness of ozone treatment was evaluated by measurement of DOC, DOC fractions, UV254, and trihalomethane formation potential (THMFP). Additionally, zeta potential and dissolved calcium concentration were measured to discern the mechanism of ozone reactions. Results indicated that 0.8 mg O3/mg DOC ozone stand-alone can cause up to 86% UV254 reduction and up to 27% DOC reduction. DOC fractionation results showed that ozone can change the composition of DOC in the water samples, converting the hydrophobic fractions into hydrophilic ones and resulting in the reduction of THMFP. Also, ozone caused a decrease in particle stability and dissolved calcium concentration. These simultaneous ozonation effects caused improved water flocculation and enhanced removal of DOC. This resulted in reduction of the coagulant dosage when ozone doses higher than 0.2 mg O3/mg DOC were applied prior to coagulation with ferric sulfate. Also, pre-ozonation-coagulation process achieved preferential THMFP removal for all of the ozone doses tested (0-0.8 mg O3/mg DOC), leading to a lower specific THMFP in pre-ozonated-coagulated waters than in the corresponding ozonated waters. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The association between cervical dysplasia, a short cervix, and preterm birth.

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Emily S; Sakowicz, Allie; Grobman, William A

2015-10-01

We sought to determine whether cervical dysplasia in the absence of an excisional procedure is associated with an increased risk of preterm birth (PTB) and whether that risk is independent of the presence of a short cervix. This is a cohort study including women with a singleton pregnancy who underwent routine cervical length assessment between 18-23 6/7 weeks of gestation, stratified by cervical dysplasia (ie, no prior dysplasia, prior dysplasia but no excisional procedure, or prior excisional procedure). The frequency of a short cervix (≤2.5 cm) and PTB were compared between groups and multivariable analyses were performed to identify whether: (1) dysplasia alone or a prior excisional procedure was associated with PTB; and (2) whether these factors remained independently associated with PTB after adjusting for the presence of a short cervix. Of the 18,528 women who met inclusion criteria, 3023 (16.3%) had prior dysplasia alone and 1356 (7.3%) had a prior excisional procedure. The frequency of a short cervix for women without dysplasia, with prior dysplasia alone, or with a prior excisional procedure was 0.8%, 1.0%, and 2.2%, respectively (P cervix. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Salvage radiotherapy with or without concurrent chemotherapy for pelvic recurrence after hysterectomy alone for early-stage uterine cervical cancer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Sang-Won [Ajou University School of Medicine, Department of Radiation Oncology, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do (Korea, Republic of); Konyang University School of Medicine, Department of Radiation Oncology, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Chun, Mison; Oh, Young-Taek [Ajou University School of Medicine, Department of Radiation Oncology, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do (Korea, Republic of); Ryu, Hee-Sug; Chang, Suk-Joon; Kong, Tae Wook [Ajou University School of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Eun Ju [Ajou University School of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Yong Hee [Ajou University School of Medicine, Department of Pathology, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do (Korea, Republic of)

2017-07-15

Treatment outcomes of patients with pelvic recurrence after hysterectomy alone for uterine cervical cancer who received salvage radiotherapy (RT) with or without concurrent chemotherapy were investigated. Salvage RT for recurrent cervical cancer confined to the pelvic cavity after hysterectomy alone was received by 33 patients. The median interval between initial hysterectomy and recurrence was 26 months. Whole-pelvic irradiation was delivered to median dose of 45 Gy, followed by a boost with a median dose of 16 Gy to the gross tumor volume. Cisplatin-based concurrent chemotherapy was administered to 29 patients. The median follow-up period was 53 months for surviving patients. Most patients (97.0%) completed salvage RT of ≥45 Gy. Complete response (CR) was achieved in 23 patients (69.7%). Pelvic sidewall involvement and evaluation with positron-emission tomography-computed tomography were significantly associated with CR. The 5-year progression-free survival (PFS), local control (LC), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), and overall survival (OS) rates were 62.7, 79.5, 72.5, and 60.1%, respectively. Initial International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage, pelvic sidewall involvement, and CR status were significant factors for PFS and OS rates in multivariate analysis. The incidence of severe acute and late toxicities (≥grade 3) was 12.1 and 3.0%, respectively. Aggressive salvage RT with or without concurrent chemotherapy for recurrent cervical cancer confined to the pelvic cavity was feasible, with promising treatment outcomes and acceptable toxicities. However, even more intensive novel treatment strategies should be investigated for patients with unfavorable prognostic factors. (orig.) [German] Untersuchung der Behandlungsergebnisse von Patientinnen mit Beckenrezidiv nach alleiniger Hysterektomie bei Zervixkarzinom, die eine Salvage-Radiotherapie (RT) mit oder ohne begleitende Chemotherapie erhalten hatten. Insgesamt 33 Patientinnen erhielten

Factors Affecting Myocardial Infarction in Cervical Cancer Patients: A Population-Based Study

Science.gov (United States)

Hsieh, Chen-Hsi; Chiou, Wen-Yen; Lee, Ching-Chih; Lee, Moon-Sing; Lin, Hon-Yi; Su, Yu-Chieh; Hung, Shih-Kai

2013-01-01

Background Radiotherapy (RT) or concurrent chemoradiation therapy has been suggested to increase the risk of coronary heart disease for cervical cancer patients, but the results of studies have been inconsistent. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the factors which influence the risk of developing myocardial infarction (MI) in cervical cancer patients with a large, nationwide cohort. Methods The study analyzed data from the 1996 to 2010 National Health Insurance Research Database provided by the National Health Research Institutes in Taiwan. The assessed number of patients with cervical cancer with radiotherapy only, surgery with bilateral oophorectomy only, and with appendectomy were 308, 323 and 229, respectively. The Kaplan-Meier method and the Cox proportional hazards model were used to assess the risk of myocardial infarction. Results The adjusted hazard ratio for cervical cancer in patients with MI was 1.97 (95% CI, 0.97 - 3.91; P = 0.05) for the group that received RT alone, and 2.13 (95% CI, 1.11 - 3.75; P = 0.01) for the surgery group when compared with controls. The more risk comorbidities they have, the higher the risk of myocardial infarction would be for the patients. Conclusion The incidence of MI was significantly higher among cervical cancer patients with RT alone or surgery with bilateral oophorectomy alone than among general populations. RT might be as a factor to increase risk as bilateral oophorectomy. Whether RT itself triggers menopause or impairs the ovarian hormone production that increases the risk of MI needs to be further investigated. PMID:24171059

Fuel assembly spacer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shirakawa, Ken-etsu.

1988-01-01

Purpose: To reduce the pressure loss of coolants by fuel assembly spacers. Constitution: Spacers for supporting a fuel assembly are attached by means of a plurality of wires to an outer frame. The outer frame is made of shape memory alloy such that the wires are caused to slacken at normal temperature and the slacking of the wires is eliminated in excess of the transition temperature. Since the wires slacken at the normal temperature, fuel rods can be inserted easily. After the insertion of the fuel rods, when the entire portion or the outer frame is heated by water or gas at a predetermined temperature, the outer frame resumes its previously memorized shape to tighten the wires and, accordingly, the fuel rods can be supported firmly. In this way, since the fuel rods are inserted in the slacken state of the wires and, after the assembling, the outer frame resumes its memorized shape, the assembling work can be conducted efficiently. (Kamimura, M.)

Spacer grid for fuel elements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hensolt, T.; Huenner, M.; Rau, P.; Veca, A.

1978-01-01

The spacer grid for fuel elements of a gas-cooled fast breeder reactor (but also for PWRs and BWRs) consists of a lattice field with dodecagonal meshes. These meshes are formed by three each adjacent hexagons grouped arround a central axis. The pairs of legs extending into the dodecagon and being staggered by 120 0 are designed as knubs with inclined abutting surfaces for the fuel rods. By this means there is formed a three-point bearing for centering the fuel rods. The spacer grid mentioned above is rough-worked from a single disc- resp. plate-shaped body (unfinished piece). (DG) [de

Spacer grid for fuel elements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hensolt, T.; Huenner, M.; Rau, P.; Veca, A.

1980-01-01

The spacer grid for fuel elements of a gas-cooled fast breeder reactor (but also for PWRs and BWRs) consists of a lattice field with dodecagonal meshes. These meshes are formed by three each adjacent hexagons grouped arround a central axis. The pairs of legs extending into the dodecagon and being staggered by 120 are designed as knubs with inclined abutting surfaces for the fuel rods. By this means there is formed a three-point bearing for centering the fuel rods. The spacer grid mentioned above is rough-worked from a single disc- resp. plate-shaped body (unfinished piece). (orig.)

Search Improvement Process-Chaotic Optimization-Particle Swarm Optimization-Elite Retention Strategy and Improved Combined Cooling-Heating-Power Strategy Based Two-Time Scale Multi-Objective Optimization Model for Stand-Alone Microgrid Operation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fei Wang

2017-11-01

Full Text Available The optimal dispatching model for a stand-alone microgrid (MG is of great importance to its operation reliability and economy. This paper aims at addressing the difficulties in improving the operational economy and maintaining the power balance under uncertain load demand and renewable generation, which could be even worse in such abnormal conditions as storms or abnormally low or high temperatures. A new two-time scale multi-objective optimization model, including day-ahead cursory scheduling and real-time scheduling for finer adjustments, is proposed to optimize the operational cost, load shedding compensation and environmental benefit of stand-alone MG through controllable load (CL and multi-distributed generations (DGs. The main novelty of the proposed model is that the synergetic response of CL and energy storage system (ESS in real-time scheduling offset the operation uncertainty quickly. And the improved dispatch strategy for combined cooling-heating-power (CCHP enhanced the system economy while the comfort is guaranteed. An improved algorithm, Search Improvement Process-Chaotic Optimization-Particle Swarm Optimization-Elite Retention Strategy (SIP-CO-PSO-ERS algorithm with strong searching capability and fast convergence speed, was presented to deal with the problem brought by the increased errors between actual renewable generation and load and prior predictions. Four typical scenarios are designed according to the combinations of day types (work day or weekend and weather categories (sunny or rainy to verify the performance of the presented dispatch strategy. The simulation results show that the proposed two-time scale model and SIP-CO-PSO-ERS algorithm exhibit better performance in adaptability, convergence speed and search ability than conventional methods for the stand-alone MG’s operation.

Effect of State Feedback Coupling and System Delays on the Transient Performance of Stand-Alone VSI with LC Output Filter

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Federico, de Bosio; de Sousa Ribeiro, Luiz Antonio; Freijedo Fernandez, Francisco Daniel

2016-01-01

The influence of state feedback coupling in the dynamics performance of power converters for stand-alone microgrids is investigated. Computation and PWM delays are the main factors that limit the achievable bandwidth of current regulators in digital implementations. In particular, the performance...... of state feedback decoupling is degraded because of these delays. Two decoupling techniques to improve the transient response of the system are investigated, named non-ideal and ideal capacitor voltage decoupling respectively. In particular, the latter solution consists in leading the capacitor voltage...... on the state feedback decoupling path in order to compensate for system delays. Practical implementation issues are discussed with reference to both the decoupling techniques. A design methodology for the voltage loop, that considers the closed loop transfer functions developed for the inner loop, is also...

Radiosensitizers in cervical cancer. Cisplatin and beyond

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Candelaria, Myrna; Garcia-Arias, Alicia; Cetina, Lucely; Dueñas-Gonzalez, Alfonso

2006-01-01

Cervical cancer continues to be a significant health burden worldwide. Globally, the majority of cancers are locally advanced at diagnosis; hence, radiation remains the most frequently used therapeutical modality. Currently, the value of adding cisplatin or cisplatin-based chemotherapy to radiation for treatment of locally advanced cervical cancer is strongly supported by randomized studies and meta-analyses. Nevertheless, despite these significant achievements, therapeutic results are far from optimal; thus, novel therapies need to be assayed. A strategy currently being investigated is the use of newer radiosensitizers alone or in combination with platinum compounds. In the present work, we present preclinical information on known and newer cytotoxic agents as radiosensitizers on cervical cancer models, as well as the clinical information emanating from early phase trials that incorporate them to the cervical cancer management. In addition, we present the perspectives on the combined approach of radiation therapy and molecular target-based drugs with proven radiosensitizing capacity

PCR-Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) genes sequencing and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Methods: DNA extraction, purification, amplification and sequencing of Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) genes were per- formed using ... Keywords: Internal transcribed spacer genes, phylogenetic, genetic relationship, clinical and environmental fungi, HIV-TB. ... Nigeria. An Ethical clearance was obtained from the Eth-.

Surface-Tethered Iterative Carbohydrate Synthesis (STICS): A spacer study

Science.gov (United States)

Ganesh, N. Vijaya; Fujikawa, Kohki; Tan, Yih Horng; Nigudkar, Swati S.

2013-01-01

Comparative study of STICS using HPLC-assisted experimental set-up clearly demonstrated benefits of using longer spacer-anchoring systems. The use of mixed self-assembled monolayers helps to provide the required space for glycosylation reaction around the immobilized glycosyl acceptor. Both extension of the spacer length and using mixed self-assembled monolayers help to promote reaction and the beneficial effects may include moving the glycosyl acceptor further out into solution and providing additional conformational flexibility. It is possible that surface-immobilized glycosyl acceptors with a longer spacer (C8-O-C8)-lipoic acid have a higher tendency to mimic a solution-phase reaction environment than that of acceptors with shorter spacers. PMID:23822088

Feasibility study and energy conversion analysis of stand-alone hybrid renewable energy system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baghdadi, Fazia; Mohammedi, Kamal; Diaf, Said; Behar, Omar

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Hybrid stand-alone wind–solar–fossil power system is analyzed. • Measurement data are used to evaluate system performance. • The proposed system can generate about 70% from renewables. • Such a hybrid plant is very promising for remote regions in Algeria. - Abstract: There is a great interest in the development of renewable power technologies in Algeria, and more particularly hybrid concept. The present paper has investigated the performance of hybrid PV–Wind–Diesel–Battery configuration based on hourly measurements of Adrar climate (southern Algeria). Data of global solar radiation, ambient temperature and wind speed for a period of one year have been used. Firstly, the proposed hybrid system has been optimized by means of HOMER software. The optimization process has been carried out taking into account renewable resources potential and energy demand; while maximizing renewable electricity use and fuel saving are the purpose. In the second step, a mathematical model has been developed to ensure efficient energy management on the basis of various operation strategies. The analysis has shown that renewable energy system (PV–Wind) is able to supply about 70% of the demand. Wind power has ranked first with 43% of the annual total electricity production followed by diesel generator (with 31%) while the remaining fraction is being to PV panels. In this context, 69% of the fossil fuel can be saved when using the proposed hybrid configuration instead of the diesel generators that are currently installed in most remote regions in Algeria. Such a concept is very promising to meet the focus of renewable energy program announced in 2011.

Membrane with integrated spacer

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Balster, J.H.; Stamatialis, Dimitrios; Wessling, Matthias

2010-01-01

Many membrane processes are severely influenced by concentration polarisation. Turbulence promoting spacers placed in between the membranes can reduce the diffusional resistance of concentration polarisation by inducing additional mixing. Electrodialysis (ED) used for desalination suffers from

A Study on Structural Strength of Irradiated Spacer Grid for PWR Fuel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jin, Y. G.; Baek, S. J.; Kim, D. S.; Yoo, B. O.; Ahn, S. B.; Chun, Y. B. [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Kim, J. I.; Kim, Y. H.; Lee, J. J. [KEPCO NF, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2014-10-15

A fuel assembly consists of an array of fuel rods, spacer grids, guide thimbles, instrumentation tubes, and top and bottom nozzles. In PWR (Pressurized light Water Reactor) fuel assemblies, the spacer grids support the fuel rods by the friction forces between the fuel rods and springs/dimples. Under irradiation, the spacer grids supporting the fuel rods absorb vibration impacts due to the reactor coolant flow, and also bear static and dynamic loads during operation inside the nuclear reactor and transportation for spent fuel storage. Thus, it is important to understand the characteristics of deformation behavior and the change in structural strength of an irradiated spacer grid.. In the present study, the static compression test of a spacer grid was conducted to investigate the structural strength of the irradiated spacer grid in a hot cell at IMEF (Irradiated Materials Examination Facility) of KAERI. To evaluate the structural strength of an irradiated spacer grid, hot cell tests were carried out at IMEF of KAERI. The fuel assembly was dismantled and the irradiated spacer grid was obtained for the compression test. The apparatus for measuring the compression strength of the irradiated spacer grid was developed and installed successfully in the hot cell.

Improved spacers for high temperature gas-cooled heat exchangers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nordstroem, L A [Swiss Federal Institute for Reactor Research, Wuerenlingen (Switzerland)

1984-07-01

Experimental and analytical investigations in the field of heat exchanger thermohydraulics have been performed at EIR for many years, Basic studies have been carried out on heat transfer and pressure loss for tube bundles of different geometries and tube surfaces. As a part of this overall R+D programme for heat exchangers, investigations have been carried out on spacer pressure loss in bundles with longitudinal flow. An analytical spacer pressure loss model was developed which could handle different types of subchannel within the bundle. The model has been evaluated against experiments, using about 25 spacers of widely differing geometries. In a gas-cooled reactor it is important to keep the pressure loss over the primary circuit heat exchangers to a minimum. In exchangers with grid spacers these contribute a significant proportion of the overall bundle losses. For example, in the HHT Recuperator, with a shell-side pressure loss of 3.5 % of the inlet pressure, the spacers cause about one half of this loss. Reducing the loss to, say, 2.5 % results in an overall increase in plant efficiency by more than 1 % - a significant improvement Preliminary analysis identified 5 geometries in particular which were chosen for experimental evaluation as part of a joint project with the SULZER Company, to develop a low pressure-loss spacer for HHT heat exchangers (longitudinal counter-flow He/He and He/H{sub 2}O designs). The aim of the tests was to verify the low pressure-loss characteristics of these spacer grid types, as well as the quality of the results calculated by the computer code analytical model. The experimental and analytical results are compared in this report.

Implementing a Fee-for-Service Cervical Cancer Screening and Treatment Program in Cameroon: Challenges and Opportunities.

Science.gov (United States)

DeGregorio, Geneva; Manga, Simon; Kiyang, Edith; Manjuh, Florence; Bradford, Leslie; Cholli, Preetam; Wamai, Richard; Ogembo, Rebecca; Sando, Zacharie; Liu, Yuxin; Sheldon, Lisa Kennedy; Nulah, Kathleen; Welty, Thomas; Welty, Edith; Ogembo, Javier Gordon

2017-07-01

the setting of a large faith-based health care system in Cameroon. It is potentially replicable in many African countries, where faith-based organizations provide a large portion of health care. The cost-recovery model and concept of offering multiple services in a single clinic rather than stand-alone "silo" cervical cancer screening could provide a model for other low-and-middle-income countries planning to roll out a new, or make an existing, cervical cancer screening services accessible, comprehensive, and sustainable. © AlphaMed Press 2017.

The Impact of Course Delivery Systems on Student Achievement and Sense of Community: A Comparison of Learning Community versus Stand-Alone Classroom Settings in an Open-Enrollment Inner City Public Community College

Science.gov (United States)

Bandyopadhyay, Pamela

2010-01-01

This study examined the effects of two types of course delivery systems (learning community classroom environments versus stand-alone classroom environments) on the achievement of students who were simultaneously enrolled in remedial and college-level social science courses at an inner city open-enrollment public community college. This study was…

The CRISPR Spacer Space Is Dominated by Sequences from Species-Specific Mobilomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Shmakov, Sergey A; Sitnik, Vassilii; Makarova, Kira S; Wolf, Yuri I; Severinov, Konstantin V; Koonin, Eugene V

2017-09-19

Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats and CRISPR-associated protein (CRISPR-Cas) systems store the memory of past encounters with foreign DNA in unique spacers that are inserted between direct repeats in CRISPR arrays. For only a small fraction of the spacers, homologous sequences, called protospacers, are detectable in viral, plasmid, and microbial genomes. The rest of the spacers remain the CRISPR "dark matter." We performed a comprehensive analysis of the spacers from all CRISPR- cas loci identified in bacterial and archaeal genomes, and we found that, depending on the CRISPR-Cas subtype and the prokaryotic phylum, protospacers were detectable for 1% to about 19% of the spacers (~7% global average). Among the detected protospacers, the majority, typically 80 to 90%, originated from viral genomes, including proviruses, and among the rest, the most common source was genes that are integrated into microbial chromosomes but are involved in plasmid conjugation or replication. Thus, almost all spacers with identifiable protospacers target mobile genetic elements (MGE). The GC content, as well as dinucleotide and tetranucleotide compositions, of microbial genomes, their spacer complements, and the cognate viral genomes showed a nearly perfect correlation and were almost identical. Given the near absence of self-targeting spacers, these findings are most compatible with the possibility that the spacers, including the dark matter, are derived almost completely from the species-specific microbial mobilomes. IMPORTANCE The principal function of CRISPR-Cas systems is thought to be protection of bacteria and archaea against viruses and other parasitic genetic elements. The CRISPR defense function is mediated by sequences from parasitic elements, known as spacers, that are inserted into CRISPR arrays and then transcribed and employed as guides to identify and inactivate the cognate parasitic genomes. However, only a small fraction of the CRISPR spacers

Eddy current monitoring of spacers in coolant channel assemblies of nuclear reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhole, V.M.; Rastogi, P.K.; Kulkarni, P.G.; Vijayaraghavan, R.

1993-01-01

An eddy current testing method has been standardised for monitoring spacer springs which are used in coolant channel assemblies of pressurised heavy water nuclear reactors (PHWRs). The standard bobbin coil probe used for monitoring the spacer spring detects only the location but does not monitor the tilt orientation and tilt angle of a tilted spacer spring. The knowledge of location along with the tilt orientation of the spacer spring greatly improves the performance of repositioning methods. A modified probe with angular windings has been developed in laboratory tests for monitoring the location as well as the tilt orientation of the spacer springs. Experimental results are presented showing excellent performance of the modified probe in monitoring the exact location as well as tilt orientation of a spacer spring. The modified probe has also been used successfully in the field during repositioning of spacer springs in PHWRs before commissioning. (Author)

Buckling behavior analysis of spacer grid by lateral impact load

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoon, Kyung Ho; Kang, Heung Seok; Kim, Hyung Kyu; Song, Kee Nam

2000-05-01

The spacer grid is one of the main structural components in the fuel assembly, Which supports the fuel rods, guides cooling water, and protects the system from an external impact load, such as earthquakes. Therefore, the mechanical and structural properties of the spacer grids must be extensively examined while designing it. In this report, free fall type shock tests on the several kinds of the specimens of the spacer grids were also carried out in order to compare the results among the candidate grids. A free fall carriage on the specimen accomplishes the test. In addition to this, a finite element method for predicting the critical impact strength of the spacer grids is described. FE method on the buckling behavior of the spacer grids are performed for a various array of sizes of the grids considering that the spacer grid is an assembled structure with thin-walled plates and imposing proper boundary conditions by nonlinear dynamic impact analysis using ABAQUS/explicit code. The simulated results results also similarly predicted the local buckling phenomena and were found to give good correspondence with the shock test results

Numerical analysis of the spacer grids' compression strength

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schettino, C.F.M.; Gouvea, J.P.; Medeiros, N.

2013-01-01

Among the components of the fuel assembly, the spacer grids play an important structural role during the energy generation process, mainly for their requirement to have enough structural strength to withstand lateral impact loads, due to fuel assembly shipping/handling and due to forces outcome from postulated accidents (earthquake and LOCA). This requirement ensures a proper geometry for cooling and for guide thimble straightness in the fuel assembly. In this way, the understanding of the macroscopic mechanical behavior of this component becomes essential even to any subsequent geometrical modifications to optimize the flue assemblies' structural behavior. In the present work, three-dimensional finite element models destined to provide consistent predictions of 16X16-type spacer grids lateral strength were proposed. Firstly, buckling tests based on results available in the literature were performed to establish a methodology for spacer grid finite element-based modeling. The, by considering a spacer grid interesting geometry and some possible variations associated to its fabrication, tolerance, the proposed numerical models were submitted to compression conditions to calculate the buckling force. Also, these models were validated for comparison with experimental buckling load results. Comparison of buckling predictions combined to observations of actual and simulated deformed spacer grids geometries permitted to verify the consistency and applicability of the proposed models. Thus, these numerical results show a good agreement between the and the experimental results. (author)

Approaches for developing a sizing method for stand-alone PV systems with variable demand

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Posadillo, R. [Grupo de Investigacion en Energias y Recursos Renovables, Dpto. de Fisica Aplicada, E.P.S., Universidad de Cordoba, Avda. Menendez Pidal s/n, 14004 Cordoba (Spain); Lopez Luque, R. [Grupo de Investigacion de Fisica para las Energias y Recursos Renovables, Dpto. de Fisica Aplicada. Edificio C2 Campus de Rabanales, 14071 Cordoba (Spain)

2008-05-15

Accurate sizing is one of the most important aspects to take into consideration when designing a stand-alone photovoltaic system (SAPV). Various methods, which differ in terms of their simplicity or reliability, have been developed for this purpose. Analytical methods, which seek functional relationships between variables of interest to the sizing problem, are one of these approaches. A series of rational considerations are presented in this paper with the aim of shedding light upon the basic principles and results of various sizing methods proposed by different authors. These considerations set the basis for a new analytical method that has been designed for systems with variable monthly energy demands. Following previous approaches, the method proposed is based on the concept of loss of load probability (LLP) - a parameter that is used to characterize system design. The method includes information on the standard deviation of loss of load probability ({sigma}{sub LLP}) and on two new parameters: annual number of system failures (f) and standard deviation of annual number of failures ({sigma}{sub f}). The method proves useful for sizing a PV system in a reliable manner and serves to explain the discrepancies found in the research on systems with LLP<10{sup -2}. We demonstrate that reliability depends not only on the sizing variables and on the distribution function of solar radiation, but on the minimum value as well, which in a given location and with a monthly average clearness index, achieves total solar radiation on the receiver surface. (author)

Antibiotic-impregnated articulating cement spacer for infected total knee arthroplasty

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Parag Garg

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Background : Standard treatment of chronic infected total knee arthroplasty (TKA is a two-stage revision, the first step being placement of an antibiotic-impregnated cement spacer. Here we describe the results of a new technique (modification of the Goldstien′s technique for intraoperative manufacture of a customized articulating spacer at minimal cost and with relatively good conformity and longevity. Materials and Methods : Thirty-six infected knees underwent this procedure from June 2002 to May 2007. The technique consists of using the freshened femur and tibia interface as molds wrapped in a tin foil for manufacturing the two components of the spacer with antibiotic-impregnated methyl methycrylate cement. We used the spacer and the femoral component of the trial set of a TKA system to mold them to perfect articulation. We also reinforced the spacer with a K-wire scaffold to prevent fracture of the cement mantle in the last 21 cases. Results : All 36 knees showed excellent results in terms of infection control, mobility, and stability. There was significant improvement in the WOMAC and Knee Society Scores (20 and 39 points respectively. There were two fractures of the spacers in the initial 15 cases that did not have K-wire scaffolding but none in the last 21 that had reinforcement. Conclusion : This technique provides a more conforming spacer, with good range of motion and stability. The reinforcement helps in preventing the fracture of the cement mantle and is cost effective.

A stand alone computer system to aid the development of mirror fusion test facility RF heating systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thomas, R.A.

1983-01-01

The Mirror Fusion Test Facility (MFTF-B) control system architecture requires the Supervisory Control and Diagnostic System (SCDS) to communicate with a LSI-11 Local Control Computer (LCC) that in turn communicates via a fiber optic link to CAMAC based control hardware located near the machine. In many cases, the control hardware is very complex and requires a sizable development effort prior to being integrated into the overall MFTF-B system. One such effort was the development of the Electron Cyclotron Resonance Heating (ECRH) system. It became clear that a stand alone computer system was needed to simulate the functions of SCDS. This paper describes the hardware and software necessary to implement the SCDS Simulation Computer (SSC). It consists of a Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) LSI-11 computer and a Winchester/Floppy disk operating under the DEC RT-11 operating system. All application software for MFTF-B is programmed in PASCAL, which allowed us to adapt procedures originally written for SCDS to the SSC. This nearly identical software interface means that software written during the equipment development will be useful to the SCDS programmers in the integration phase

Optimum capacity determination of stand-alone hybrid generation system considering cost and reliability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Hung-Cheng

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► This paper presents a methodology for the installation capacity optimization. ► Hybrid generation system is optimized by application of adaptive genetic algorithm. ► A cost investigation is made under various conditions and component characteristics. ► The optimization scheme is validated to meet the annual power load demand. -- Abstract: The aim of this work is to present an optimization methodology for the installation capacity of a stand-alone hybrid generation system, taking into consideration the cost and reliability. Firstly, on the basis of derived steady state models of a wind generator (WG), a photovoltaic array (PV), a battery and an inverter, the hybrid generation system is modeled for the purpose of capacity optimization. Secondly, the power system is analyzed for determining both the system structure and the operation control strategy. Thirdly, according to hourly weather database of wind speed, temperature and solar irradiation, annual power generation capacity is estimated for the system match design in order that an annual power load demand can be met. The capacity determination of a hybrid generation system becomes complicated as a result of the uncertainty in the renewable energy together with load demand and the nonlinearity of system components. Aimed at the power system reliability and the cost minimization, the capacity of a hybrid generation system is optimized by application of an adaptive genetic algorithm (AGA) to individual power generation units. A total cost investigation is made under various conditions, such as wind generator power curves, battery discharge depth and the loss of load probability (LOLP). At the end of this work, the capacity of a hybrid generation system is optimized at two installation sites, namely the offshore Orchid Island and Wuchi in Taiwan. The optimization scheme is validated to optimize power capacities of a photovoltaic array, a battery and a wind turbine generator with a relative

Development and characterization of 3D-printed feed spacers for spiral wound membrane systems

KAUST Repository

Siddiqui, Amber

2016-01-02

Feed spacers are important for the impact of biofouling on the performance of spiral-wound reverse osmosis (RO) and nanofiltration (NF) membrane systems. The objective of this study was to propose a strategy for developing, characterizing, and testing of feed spacers by numerical modeling, three-dimensional (3D) printing of feed spacers and experimental membrane fouling simulator (MFS) studies. The results of numerical modeling on the hydraulic behavior of various feed spacer geometries suggested that the impact of spacers on hydraulics and biofouling can be improved. A good agreement was found for the modeled and measured relationship between linear flow velocity and pressure drop for feed spacers with the same geometry, indicating that modeling can serve as first step in spacer characterization. An experimental comparison study of a feed spacer currently applied in practice and a 3D printed feed spacer with the same geometry showed (i) similar hydraulic behavior, (ii) similar pressure drop development with time and (iii) similar biomass accumulation during MFS biofouling studies, indicating that 3D printing technology is an alternative strategy for development of thin feed spacers with a complex geometry. Based on the numerical modeling results, a modified feed spacer with low pressure drop was selected for 3D printing. The comparison study of the feed spacer from practice and the modified geometry 3D printed feed spacer established that the 3D printed spacer had (i) a lower pressure drop during hydraulic testing, (ii) a lower pressure drop increase in time with the same accumulated biomass amount, indicating that modifying feed spacer geometries can reduce the impact of accumulated biomass on membrane performance. The combination of numerical modeling of feed spacers and experimental testing of 3D printed feed spacers is a promising strategy (rapid, low cost and representative) to develop advanced feed spacers aiming to reduce the impact of biofilm formation on

Modeling and control design of a stand alone wind energy conversion system based on functional model predictive control

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kassem, Ahmed M. [Beni-Suef University, Electrical Dept., Beni Suef (Egypt)

2012-09-15

This paper investigates the application of the model predictive control (MPC) approach to control the voltage and frequency of a stand alone wind generation system. This scheme consists of a wind turbine which drives an induction generator feeding an isolated load. A static VAR compensator is connected at the induction generator terminals to regulate the load voltage. The rotor speed, and thereby the load frequency are controlled via adjusting the mechanical power input using the blade pitch-angle. The MPC is used to calculate the optimal control actions including system constraints. To alleviate computational effort and to reduce numerical problems, particularly in large prediction horizon, an exponentially weighted functional model predictive control (FMPC) is employed. Digital simulations have been carried out in order to validate the effectiveness of the proposed scheme. The proposed controller has been tested through step changes in the wind speed and the load impedance. Simulation results show that adequate performance of the proposed wind energy scheme has been achieved. Moreover, this scheme is robust against the parameters variation and eliminates the influence of modeling and measurement errors. (orig.)

(ISSR) and internal transcribed spacer

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Cladistic relationships within the genus Cinnamomum (Lauraceae) in Taiwan based on analysis of leaf morphology and inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) molecular markers.

Orthognathic model surgery with LEGO key-spacer.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsang, Alfred Chee-Ching; Lee, Alfred Siu Hong; Li, Wai Keung

2013-12-01

A new technique of model surgery using LEGO plates as key-spacers is described. This technique requires less time to set up compared with the conventional plaster model method. It also retains the preoperative setup with the same set of models. Movement of the segments can be measured and examined in detail with LEGO key-spacers. Copyright © 2013 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Risk of high-grade cervical dysplasia and cervical cancer in women with systemic lupus erythematosus receiving immunosuppressive drugs.

Science.gov (United States)

Feldman, C H; Liu, J; Feldman, S; Solomon, D H; Kim, S C

2017-06-01

Objective Prior studies suggest an increased risk of cervical cancer among women with systemic lupus erythematosus. However, the relationship with immunosuppressive drugs is not well studied in US nationwide cohorts. We compared the risk of high-grade cervical dysplasia and cervical cancer among women with systemic lupus erythematosus who started immunosuppressive drugs versus hydroxychloroquine. Methods We identified systemic lupus erythematosus patients initiating immunosuppressive drugs or hydroxychloroquine using claims data from two US commercial health plans and Medicaid (2000-2012). We used a validated claims-based algorithm to identify high-grade cervical dysplasia or cervical cancer. To account for potential confounders, including demographic factors, comorbidities, medication use, HPV vaccination status, and health care utilization, immunosuppressive drugs and hydroxychloroquine initiators were 1:1 matched on the propensity score. We used inverse variance-weighted, fixed effect models to pool hazard ratios from the propensity score-matched Medicaid and commercial cohorts. Results We included 2451 matched pairs of immunosuppressive drugs and hydroxychloroquine new users in the commercial cohort and 7690 matched pairs in Medicaid. In the commercial cohort, there were 14 cases of cervical dysplasia or cervical cancer among immunosuppressive drugs users and five cases among hydroxychloroquine users (hazard ratio 2.47, 95% CI 0.89-6.85, hydroxychloroquine = ref). In Medicaid, there were 46 cases among immunosuppressive drugs users and 29 cases in hydroxychloroquine users (hazard ratio 1.24, 95% CI 0.78-1.98, hydroxychloroquine = ref). The pooled hazard ratio of immunosuppressive drugs was 1.40 (95% CI 0.92-2.12). Conclusion Among women with systemic lupus erythematosus, immunosuppressive drugs may be associated with a greater, albeit not statistically significant, risk of high-grade cervical dysplasia and cervical cancer compared to patients receiving

The international phase 4 validation study of the EORTC QLQ-SWB32: a stand-alone measure of spiritual wellbeing (SWB) for people receiving palliative care for cancer

OpenAIRE

Vivat, B.; Young, T.; Winstanley, J.; Arraras, J.; Black, K.; Boyle, F.; Brédart, A.; Costantini, A.; Guo, J.; Irarrazaval, M. E.; Kobayashi, K.; Kruizinga, R.; Navarro, M.; Omidvari, S.; Rohde, G. E.

2017-01-01

The EORTC Quality of Life (QL) Group has just completed the final phase (field-testing and validation) of an international project to develop a stand-alone measure of spiritual wellbeing (SWB) for palliative cancer patients. Participants (n= 451) - from 14 countries on four continents; 54% female; 188 Christian, 50 Muslim, 156 with no religion - completed a provisional 36-item measure of SWB plus the EORTC QLQ-C15-PAL (PAL), then took part in a structured debriefing interview. All items showe...

System for measuring spacer pin pitch in a nuclear fuel assembly

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Isono, Kenji; Tateishi, Yoshinori; Mano, Tadashi.

1975-01-01

Object: To reduce the period for discriminating whether or not spacer pin pitch is satisfactory by simultaneously inserting a number of reference rods into a nuclear fuel assembly spacer ring element of a reactor and arranging them such that they can be simultaneously withdrawn to simplify the withdrawing operation. Structure: A spacer provided with a ring element which clamps a nuclear fuel element is supported on a spacer support with a rod secured to the support as a guide and is secured to the support by securing means. A vertically movable structure with a reference rod provided upright and thru-holes formed in two support plates provided in the same row as the spacer ring element is operated by a fluid pressure mechanism to simultaneously insert the reference rod into the spacer ring element. The reference rod is mounted in support plates via ball bearings such that it is slightly movable in the horizontal direction, and it is aligned with respect to the core of the ring element. The intercore distance of the reference rod is measured with the reference rod inserted in the ring element, thereby measuring the space pin pitch. From the results of measurement, discrimination as to whether the spacer is satisfactory or not is made. (Kamimura, M.)

Hydrogel Spacer Prospective Multicenter Randomized Controlled Pivotal Trial: Dosimetric and Clinical Effects of Perirectal Spacer Application in Men Undergoing Prostate Image Guided Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mariados, Neil, E-mail: nmariados@ampofny.com [Associated Medical Professionals of New York, Syracuse, New York (United States); Sylvester, John [21st Century Oncology, East Bradenton, Florida (United States); Shah, Dhiren [Western New York Urology Associates, Cancer Care of WNY, Cheektowaga, New York (United States); Karsh, Lawrence [The Urology Center of Colorado, Denver, Colorado (United States); Hudes, Richard [Chesapeake Urology Research Associates, The Prostate Center, Owings Mills, Maryland (United States); Beyer, David [Arizona Oncology Services Foundation, Phoenix, Arizona (United States); Kurtzman, Steven [Urological Surgeons of Northern California, Campbell, California (United States); Bogart, Jeffrey [The Research Foundation of State University of New York, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York (United States); Hsi, R. Alex [Peninsula Cancer Center, Poulsbo, Washington (United States); Kos, Michael [Urology Nevada, Reno, Nevada (United States); Ellis, Rodney [University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio (United States); Logsdon, Mark [Sutter Health Sacramento Sierra Region, Sutter Institute for Medical Research, Sacramento, California (United States); Zimberg, Shawn [Advanced Radiation Centers of New York, Lake Success, New York (United States); Forsythe, Kevin [Oregon Urology Institute, Springfield, Oregon (United States); Zhang, Hong [University of Rochester, Rochester, New York (United States); Soffen, Edward [CentraState Medical Center, Freehold, New Jersey (United States); Francke, Patrick [Carolina Regional Cancer Center, 21st Century Oncology, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (United States); Mantz, Constantine [21st Century Oncology, Fort Meyers, Florida (United States); Rossi, Peter [Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia (United States); DeWeese, Theodore [The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland (United States); and others

2015-08-01

Purpose: Perirectal spacing, whereby biomaterials are placed between the prostate and rectum, shows promise in reducing rectal dose during prostate cancer radiation therapy. A prospective multicenter randomized controlled pivotal trial was performed to assess outcomes following absorbable spacer (SpaceOAR system) implantation. Methods and Materials: Overall, 222 patients with clinical stage T1 or T2 prostate cancer underwent computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans for treatment planning, followed with fiducial marker placement, and were randomized to receive spacer injection or no injection (control). Patients received postprocedure CT and MRI planning scans and underwent image guided intensity modulated radiation therapy (79.2 Gy in 1.8-Gy fractions). Spacer safety and impact on rectal irradiation, toxicity, and quality of life were assessed throughout 15 months. Results: Spacer application was rated as “easy” or “very easy” 98.7% of the time, with a 99% hydrogel placement success rate. Perirectal spaces were 12.6 ± 3.9 mm and 1.6 ± 2.0 mm in the spacer and control groups, respectively. There were no device-related adverse events, rectal perforations, serious bleeding, or infections within either group. Pre-to postspacer plans had a significant reduction in mean rectal V70 (12.4% to 3.3%, P<.0001). Overall acute rectal adverse event rates were similar between groups, with fewer spacer patients experiencing rectal pain (P=.02). A significant reduction in late (3-15 months) rectal toxicity severity in the spacer group was observed (P=.04), with a 2.0% and 7.0% late rectal toxicity incidence in the spacer and control groups, respectively. There was no late rectal toxicity greater than grade 1 in the spacer group. At 15 months 11.6% and 21.4% of spacer and control patients, respectively, experienced 10-point declines in bowel quality of life. MRI scans at 12 months verified spacer absorption. Conclusions: Spacer

Free-Standing Hybrid Graphene Paper Encapsulating Nanostructures for High Cycle-Life Supercapacitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiao, Xinyan; Hao, Qingli; Xia, Xifeng; Lei, Wu; Ouyang, Yu; Ye, Haitao; Mandler, Daniel

2018-03-09

The incorporation of spacers between graphene sheets has been investigated as an effective method to improve the electrochemical performance of graphene papers (GPs) for supercapacitors. Here, we report the design of free-standing GP@NiO and GP@Ni hybrid GPs in which NiO nanoclusters and Ni nanoparticles are encapsulated into graphene sheets through electrostatic assembly and subsequent vacuum filtration. The encapsulated NiO nanoclusters and Ni nanoparticles can mitigate the restacking of graphene sheets, providing sufficient spaces for high-speed ion diffusion and electron transport. In addition, the spacers strongly bind to graphene sheets, which can efficiently improve the electrochemical stability. Therefore, at a current density of 0.5 A g -1 , the GP@NiO and GP@Ni electrodes exhibit higher specific capacitances of 306.9 and 246.1 F g -1 than the GP electrode (185.7 F g -1 ). The GP@NiO and GP@Ni electrodes exhibit capacitance retention of 98.7 % and 95.6 % after 10000 cycles, demonstrating an outstanding cycling stability. Additionally, the GP@NiO∥GP@Ni delivers excellent cycling stability (93.7 % after 10 000 cycles) and high energy density. These free-standing encapsulated hybrid GPs have great potential as electrode for high-performance supercapacitors. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Biofouling Control in Spiral-Wound Membrane Systems: Impact of Feed Spacer Modification and Biocides

KAUST Repository

Siddiqui, Amber

2016-12-01

High-quality drinking water can be produced with membrane-based filtration processes like reverse osmosis and nanofiltration. One of the major problems in these membrane systems is biofouling that reduces the membrane performance, increasing operational costs. Current biofouling control strategies such as pre-treatment, membrane modification, and chemical cleaning are not sufficient in all cases. Feed spacers are thin (0.8 mm), complex geometry meshes that separate membranes in a module. The main objective of this research was to evaluate whether feed spacer modification is a suitable strategy to control biofouling. Membrane fouling simulator studies with six feed spacers showed differences in biofouled spacer performance, concluding that (i) spacer geometry influences biofouling impact and (ii) biofouling studies are essential for evaluation of spacer biofouling impact. Computed tomography (CT) was found as a suitable technique to obtain three-dimensional (3D) measurements of spacers, enabling more representative mathematical modeling of hydraulic behavior of spacers in membrane systems. A strategy for developing, characterizing, and testing of spacers by numerical modeling, 3D printing of spacers and experimental membrane fouling simulator studies was developed. The combination of modeling and experimental testing of 3D printed spacers is a promising strategy to develop advanced spacers aiming to reduce the impact of biofilm formation on membrane performance and to improve the cleanability of spiral-wound membrane systems.

Analytical prediction of fuel assembly spacer grid loss coefficient

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lim, J. S.; Nam, K. I.; Park, S. K.; Kwon, J. T.; Park, W. J.

2002-01-01

The analytical prediction model of the fuel assembly spacer grid pressure loss coefficient has been studied. The pressure loss of gap between the test section wall and spacer grid was separated from the current model and the different friction drag coefficient on spacer straps from high Reynolds number region were used to low Reynolds number region. The analytical model has been verified based on the hydraulic pressure drop test results for the spacer grids of three types for 5x5, 16x16(or 17x17) arrays. The analytical model predicts the pressure loss coefficients obtained from test results within the maximum errors of 12% and 7% for 5x5 test bundle and full size bundle, respectively, at Reynolds number 500,000 of the core operating condition. This result shows that the analytical model can be used for research and design change of the nuclear fuel assembly

Ertapenem Articulating Spacer for the Treatment of Polymicrobial Total Knee Arthroplasty Infection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dragan Radoicic

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. Periprosthetic joint infections (PJIs are the primary cause of early failure of the total knee arthroplasty (TKA. Polymicrobial TKA infections are often associated with a higher risk of treatment failure. The aim of the study was to assess the efficacy of ertapenem loaded spacers in the treatment of polymicrobial PJI. Methods. There were 18 patients enrolled; nine patients with polymicrobial PJI treated with ertapenem loaded articulating spacers were compared to the group of 9 patients treated with vancomycin or ceftazidime loaded spacers. Results. Successful reimplantation with revision implants was possible in 66.67%. Ertapenem spacers were used in 6 cases in primary two-stage procedure and in 3 cases in secondary spacer exchange. Successful infection eradication was achieved in all cases; final reimplantation with revision knee arthroplasty implants was possible in 6 cases. Conclusion. Ertapenem can be successfully used as antimicrobial addition to the cement spacers in two-stage revision treatment of polymicrobial PJIs. However, this type of spacer may also be useful in the treatment of infections caused by monomicrobial extended spectrum beta-lactamases producing gram-negative bacilli. Further clinical studies are required to evaluate the efficacy and safety of ertapenem spacers in the treatment of polymicrobial and monomicrobial PJIs.

Experimental investigation of turbulent flow through spacer grids in fuel rod bundles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Caraghiaur, Diana; Anglart, Henryk; Frid, Wiktor

2009-01-01

This paper contains experimental data of pressure, velocity and turbulence intensity in a 24-rod fuel bundle with spacer grids. Detailed pressure measurements inside the spacer grid have been obtained by use of a sliding pressure-sensing rod. Laser Doppler Velocimetry technique was used to measure the local axial velocity and its fluctuating component upstream and downstream of the spacer grid in sub-channels with different blockage ratios. The measurements show a changing pattern in function of radial position in the cross-section of the fuel bundle. For sub-channels close to the box wall, the turbulence intensity suddenly increases just downstream of the spacer and then gradually decays. In inner sub-channels, however, the turbulence intensity downstream of the spacer decreases below its upstream value and then gradually increases until it reaches the maximum value at approximately two spacer heights. The present study reveals that spacer effects, such as local pressure distribution and turbulence intensity enhancement, not only depend exclusively on the local geometry details, but also on the location in the cross-section of the rod bundle.

Experimental investigation of turbulent flow through spacer grids in fuel rod bundles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Caraghiaur, Diana [Royal Institute of Technology, Division of Nuclear Reactor Technology, Department of Physics, School of Engineering Sciences, AlbaNova University Center, SE-106 91 Stockholm (Sweden)], E-mail: dianac@kth.se; Anglart, Henryk [Royal Institute of Technology, Division of Nuclear Reactor Technology, Department of Physics, School of Engineering Sciences, AlbaNova University Center, SE-106 91 Stockholm (Sweden); Frid, Wiktor [Swedish Radiation Safety Authority, Reactor Technology and Structural Integrity, SE-171 16 Stockholm (Sweden)

2009-10-15

This paper contains experimental data of pressure, velocity and turbulence intensity in a 24-rod fuel bundle with spacer grids. Detailed pressure measurements inside the spacer grid have been obtained by use of a sliding pressure-sensing rod. Laser Doppler Velocimetry technique was used to measure the local axial velocity and its fluctuating component upstream and downstream of the spacer grid in sub-channels with different blockage ratios. The measurements show a changing pattern in function of radial position in the cross-section of the fuel bundle. For sub-channels close to the box wall, the turbulence intensity suddenly increases just downstream of the spacer and then gradually decays. In inner sub-channels, however, the turbulence intensity downstream of the spacer decreases below its upstream value and then gradually increases until it reaches the maximum value at approximately two spacer heights. The present study reveals that spacer effects, such as local pressure distribution and turbulence intensity enhancement, not only depend exclusively on the local geometry details, but also on the location in the cross-section of the rod bundle.

Grid spacers for use in a nuclear fuel assembly

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuwako, Akira.

1987-01-01

Purpose: To obtain spacers capable of reducing the pressure loss by enlarging coolant flow channels when the fuel temperature is high, while capable of reliably maintaining the fuel pins with no vibrations when the fuel temperature is low. Constitution: This invention concerns grid spacers for constituting fuel assemblies for use in water cooled reactors. Memory shape alloys are disposed at least a portion of a spacer element that takes such a shape as urging the pin when the fuel temperature is low, while enlarging the coolant flow channel to reduce the pressure loss when the fuel temperature is high. (Ikeda, J.)

Computer-Aided Design Method of Warp-Knitted Jacquard Spacer Fabrics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Li Xinxin

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Based on a further study on knitting and jacquard principles, this paper presents a mathematical design model to make computer-aided design of warp-knitted jacquard spacer fabrics more efficient. The mathematical model with matrix method employs three essential elements of chain notation, threading and Jacquard designing. With this model, the processing to design warp-knitted jacquard spacer fabrics with CAD software is also introduced. In this study, the sports shoes which have separated functional areas according to the feet structure and characteristics of movement are analysed. The results show the different patterns on Jacquard spacer fabrics that are seamlessly stitched with jacquard technics. The computer-aided design method of warp-knitted jacquard spacer fabrics is efficient and simple.

The influence of the preliminary garter spring spacer simulator clamping force in the pressure tube spacer -calandria tube hook-up simulator aging behaviour

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gyongyosi, T.; Deloreanu, G.; Puiu, D.; Corbescu, B.; Anghel, N.; Dinu, E.

2016-01-01

The garter spring spacer is a specially constructed torsion spring used to fit-out the CANDU 6 fuel channel. The pressure tube ageing decreases the gap to the calandria tube. Continuous gap decrease directly affects the garter spring spacers behavior during fuel channel assembly operation. The preliminary clamping force value of the garter spring spacer assembly is important for its ageing behavior. This paper briefly describes the experimental technological facilities used for conducted the experiments and highlights some of the important moments during an experiment carried out in laboratory conditions, without using pressurized boiled water and irradiation working conditions. The results analysis and some conclusions are outlined at the end, pointing out that a garter spring spacer preliminary clamping force increase reduces the vibration response signal amplitude, and does not lead to its relaxation. The paper is dedicated to specialists working in research and technological engineering. (authors)

Computed tomography in the evaluation of caudal cervical spondylomyelopathy of the Doberman Pinscher

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharp, N.J.H.; Cofone, M.; Robertson, I.D.; DeCarlo, A.; Smith, G.K.; Thrall, D.E.

1995-01-01

Caudal cervical spondylomyelopathy is a common neurologic disorder of Doberman pinschers which has a number of striking similarities to cervical spondylotic myelopathy in humans. Diagnosis of this human disease is facilitated considerably by the use of computed tomographic (CT) myelography. Sixteen Doberman pinscher dogs with caudal cervical spondylomyelopathy were studied by conventional myelography followed by CT myelography. A close correlation was noted between the CT myelographic appearance of the cervical spinal cord in these dogs, and that reported for human cervical spondylotic myelopathy. Five dogs had atrophy of the spinal cord, and in another there was an accumulation of contrast medium within the spinal cord. These features are often associated with a poor response to surgical decompression in humans with cervical spondylotic myelopathy. The CT examination provided information that could not be obtained by conventional myelography alone and should be considered as an additional diagnostic procedure in dogs with caudal cervical spondylomyelopathy

Techno-economic assessment of FT unit for synthetic diesel production in existing stand-alone biomass gasification plant using process simulation tool

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hunpinyo, Piyapong; Narataruksa, Phavanee; Tungkamani, Sabaithip

2014-01-01

For alternative thermo-chemical conversion process route via gasification, biomass can be gasified to produce syngas (mainly CO and H2). On more applications of utilization, syngas can be used to synthesize fuels through the catalytic process option for producing synthetic liquid fuels...... such as Fischer-Tropsch (FT) diesel. The embedding of the FT plant into the stand-alone based on power mode plants for production of a synthetic fuel is a promising practice, which requires an extensive adaptation of conventional techniques to the special chemical needs found in a gasified biomass. Because...... there are currently no plans to engage the FT process in Thailand, the authors have targeted that this work focus on improving the FT configurations in existing biomass gasification facilities (10 MWth). A process simulation model for calculating extended unit operations in a demonstrative context is designed...

Preliminary analysis of the effect of the grid spacers on the reflood heat transfer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sugimoto, Jun; Murao, Yoshio

1982-02-01

The results are described about the preliminary analysis of the effect of the grid spacers on the heat transfer during reflood phase of a PWR LOCA. Experiments at JAERI and other facilities showed substantial heat transfer enhancement near the grid spacers. The heat transfer enhancement decreases with the distance from the grid spacers in the downstream region of the grid spacers. Several mechanisms are discussed about the heat transfer enhancement near the grid spacers. A model of a coalescence of the water droplets downstream the spacers is proposed based on the review of the experimental data. The heat transfer correlation for the saturated film boiling is utilized to quantify the heat transfer augmentation by the grid spacers. (author)

Adaptive Artificial intelligence based fuzzy logic MPPTcontrol for stande-alone photovoltaic system under different atmospheric conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zaghba Layachi

2015-08-01

Full Text Available there is an increased need for analysing the effect of atmospheric variables on photovoltaic (PV production and performance. The outputs from the different PV cells in different atmospheric conditions, such as irradiation and temperature , differ from each other evidencing knowledge deficiency in PV systems [14]. Maximum power point tracking (MPPT methods are used to maximize the PV array output power by tracking continuously the maximum power point (MPP. Among all MPPT methods existing in the literature, perturb and observe (P&O is the most commonly used for its simplicity and ease of implementation; however, it presents drawbacks such as slow response speed, oscillation around the MPP in steady state, and even tracking in wrong way under rapidly changing atmospheric conditions. In order to allow a functioning around the optimal point Mopt, we have inserted a DC-DC converter (Buck–Boost for a better matching between the PV and the load. This paper, we study the Maximum power point tracking using adaptive Intelligent fuzzy logic and conventional (P&O control for stande-alone photovoltaic Array system .In particular, the performances of the controllers are analyzed under variation weather conditions with are constant temperature and variable irradiation. The proposed system is simulated by using MATLAB-SIMULINK. According to the results, fuzzy logic controller has shown better performance during the optimization.

BWR fuel assembly having fuel rod spacers axially positioned by exterior springs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taleyarkhan, R.P.

1988-01-01

In a fuel assembly having spaced fuel rods, an outer hollow tubular flow channel surrounding the fuel rods so as to direct flow of coolant/moderator fluid there-along, and at least one spacer being disposed along the channel and about the fuel rods so as to maintain them in side-by-side spaced relationship, an arrangement for disposing the spacer in a desired axial position along the fuel rods is described comprising: yieldably resilient springs disposed between an interior side of the outer channel and an exterior side of the spacer. The springs have an inherent spring bias directed away from the exterior sides of the spacers and toward the interior side of the channel such that by contact with the channel and spacer the springs assume states in which they are deflected away from the channel interior side so as to exert sufficient compressive contacting force thereon to maintain the spacer substantially stationary in the desired axial position along the fuel rods

Comparison of Turkey’s Geographical Regions in terms of Stand-Alone PV System Design and Cost Parameters

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nevzat Onat

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Stand-alone photovoltaic (SAPV systems are widely used in rural areas where there is no national grid or as a precaution against power outages. In this study, technical and economic analysis of a SAPV system was carried out using meteorological data for 75 province centers in seven geographical regions of Turkey. Obtained results for each province center were separated by geographical area. The averages of the centers for each region are taken as output. A calculation algorithm based on MsExcel has been established for these operations. The analyses made with the developed algorithm are repeated for five different scenarios that they cover periods of time when a constant strong load is active for all seasons (winter, spring, summer, and autumn and all year round. The developed algorithm calculates the life-cycle cost, the unit energy cost, the electrical capacity utilization rate, the amount of generated/excess energy per month, the initial investment/replacement, and operating and maintenance (O&M costs of each element. As a result, geographical regions of Turkey are compared in terms of these outputs graphically. Further investigations may include the sale of excess energy generated, small-scale PV system cost factors parallel to the grid, and the effects of government incentives.

Power fluctuations suppression of stand-alone hybrid generation combining solar photovoltaic/wind turbine and fuel cell systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmed, Nabil A.; Miyatake, Masafumi; Al-Othman, A.K.

2008-01-01

In this paper a hybrid energy system combining variable speed wind turbine, solar photovoltaic and fuel cell generation systems is presented to supply continuous power to residential power applications as stand-alone loads. The wind and photovoltaic systems are used as main energy sources while the fuel cell is used as secondary or back-up energy source. Three individual dc-dc boost converters are used to control the power flow to the load. A simple and cost effective control with dc-dc converters is used for maximum power point tracking and hence maximum power extracting from the wind turbine and the solar photovoltaic systems. The hybrid system is sized to power a typical 2 kW/150 V dc load as telecommunication power plants or ac residential power applications in isolated islands continuously throughout the year. The results show that even when the sun and wind are not available; the system is reliable and available and it can supply high-quality power to the load. The simulation results which proved the accuracy of the proposed controllers are given to demonstrate the availability of the proposed system in this paper. Also, a complete description of the management and control system is presented

Analyses of the Collapse Behavior of a Spacer Grid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jang, Myung-Geun; Na, Geum Ju; Jag, Yeon-Hui; Kim, Hee Cheol; Kim, Jong-Bong; Kim, Jaeyoug

2016-01-01

In order to investigate the protection capability of a spacer grid assembly for impact load, a hammer impact test has been carried out. The crush strength is measured in the hammer impact test. Song et al. carried out the experiment and finite element analysis for the hammer impact test for various weld line depth. Park et al. designed the spacer grid shape to get required crush strength via finite element analysis. Song et al. also optimized the spacer grid shape to maximize the crush strength, and carried out the finite element analysis for the hammer impact test considering the weld properties. Kim et al. carried out finite element analysis for various guide tube hole shape and compared the crush shape and crush strength. In this study, the effect of shape defect on the crush behavior in the hammer impact test is investigated. The spacer grid cannot be exactly the square. Therefore a lateral displacement (imperfection) is imposed to square spacer grid and then hammer impact is carried out. The effect of the lateral imperfection on the crush strength is investigated. The effect of the shape defect on the crushing behavior in the hammer impact test is investigated by finite element analysis. It is shown that the collapse become severe as the lateral imperfection displacement increases, especially when the imperfection is greater than or equal to 0.7 mm

Numerical analysis of the spacer grids' compression strength

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schettino, C.F.M.; Gouvea, J.P.; Medeiros, N., E-mail: carlosschettino@inb.gov.br, E-mail: jpg@metal.eeimvr.uff.br [Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF), Volta Redonda, RJ (Brazil). Programa de Engenharia Metalurgica

2013-07-01

Among the components of the fuel assembly, the spacer grids play an important structural role during the energy generation process, mainly for their requirement to have enough structural strength to withstand lateral impact loads, due to fuel assembly shipping/handling and due to forces outcome from postulated accidents (earthquake and LOCA). This requirement ensures a proper geometry for cooling and for guide thimble straightness in the fuel assembly. In this way, the understanding of the macroscopic mechanical behavior of this component becomes essential even to any subsequent geometrical modifications to optimize the flue assemblies' structural behavior. In the present work, three-dimensional finite element models destined to provide consistent predictions of 16X16-type spacer grids lateral strength were proposed. Firstly, buckling tests based on results available in the literature were performed to establish a methodology for spacer grid finite element-based modeling. The, by considering a spacer grid interesting geometry and some possible variations associated to its fabrication, tolerance, the proposed numerical models were submitted to compression conditions to calculate the buckling force. Also, these models were validated for comparison with experimental buckling load results. Comparison of buckling predictions combined to observations of actual and simulated deformed spacer grids geometries permitted to verify the consistency and applicability of the proposed models. Thus, these numerical results show a good agreement between the and the experimental results. (author)

Impact of spacer thickness on biofouling in forward osmosis

KAUST Repository

Valladares Linares, Rodrigo

2014-06-01

Forward osmosis (FO) indirect desalination systems integrate wastewater recovery with seawater desalination. Niche applications for FO systems have been reported recently, due to the demonstrated advantages compared to conventional high-pressure membrane processes such as nanofiltration (NF) and reverse osmosis (RO). Among them, wastewater recovery has been identified to be particularly suitable for practical applications. However, biofouling in FO membranes has rarely been studied in applications involving wastewater effluents. Feed spacers separating the membrane sheets in cross-flow systems play an important role in biofilm formation. The objective of this study was to determine the influence of feed spacer thickness (28, 31 and 46mil) on biofouling development and membrane performance in a FO system, using identical cross-flow cells in parallel studies. Flux development, biomass accumulation, fouling localization and composition were determined and analyzed. For all spacer thicknesses, operated at the same feed flow and the same run time, the same amount of biomass was found, while the flux reduction decreased with thicker spacers. These observations are in good agreement with biofouling studies for RO systems, considering the key differences between FO and RO. Our findings contradict previous cross-flow studies on particulate/colloidal fouling, where higher cross-flow velocities improved system performance. Thicker spacers reduced the impact of biofouling on FO membrane flux. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd.

Impact of spacer thickness on biofouling in forward osmosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Valladares Linares, R; Bucs, Sz S; Li, Z; AbuGhdeeb, M; Amy, G; Vrouwenvelder, J S

2014-06-15

Forward osmosis (FO) indirect desalination systems integrate wastewater recovery with seawater desalination. Niche applications for FO systems have been reported recently, due to the demonstrated advantages compared to conventional high-pressure membrane processes such as nanofiltration (NF) and reverse osmosis (RO). Among them, wastewater recovery has been identified to be particularly suitable for practical applications. However, biofouling in FO membranes has rarely been studied in applications involving wastewater effluents. Feed spacers separating the membrane sheets in cross-flow systems play an important role in biofilm formation. The objective of this study was to determine the influence of feed spacer thickness (28, 31 and 46 mil) on biofouling development and membrane performance in a FO system, using identical cross-flow cells in parallel studies. Flux development, biomass accumulation, fouling localization and composition were determined and analyzed. For all spacer thicknesses, operated at the same feed flow and the same run time, the same amount of biomass was found, while the flux reduction decreased with thicker spacers. These observations are in good agreement with biofouling studies for RO systems, considering the key differences between FO and RO. Our findings contradict previous cross-flow studies on particulate/colloidal fouling, where higher cross-flow velocities improved system performance. Thicker spacers reduced the impact of biofouling on FO membrane flux. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Impact of spacer thickness on biofouling in forward osmosis

KAUST Repository

Valladares Linares, Rodrigo; Bucs, Szilard; Li, Z.; AbuGhdeeb, M.; Amy, Gary L.; Vrouwenvelder, Johannes S.

2014-01-01

Forward osmosis (FO) indirect desalination systems integrate wastewater recovery with seawater desalination. Niche applications for FO systems have been reported recently, due to the demonstrated advantages compared to conventional high-pressure membrane processes such as nanofiltration (NF) and reverse osmosis (RO). Among them, wastewater recovery has been identified to be particularly suitable for practical applications. However, biofouling in FO membranes has rarely been studied in applications involving wastewater effluents. Feed spacers separating the membrane sheets in cross-flow systems play an important role in biofilm formation. The objective of this study was to determine the influence of feed spacer thickness (28, 31 and 46mil) on biofouling development and membrane performance in a FO system, using identical cross-flow cells in parallel studies. Flux development, biomass accumulation, fouling localization and composition were determined and analyzed. For all spacer thicknesses, operated at the same feed flow and the same run time, the same amount of biomass was found, while the flux reduction decreased with thicker spacers. These observations are in good agreement with biofouling studies for RO systems, considering the key differences between FO and RO. Our findings contradict previous cross-flow studies on particulate/colloidal fouling, where higher cross-flow velocities improved system performance. Thicker spacers reduced the impact of biofouling on FO membrane flux. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd.

A comparative study of the effect of soft and hard cervical collars on static postural

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Minoo Khalkhali Zavieh

2013-01-01

Full Text Available AbstractBackground and Aim: Using cervical collars is one of the treatment methods for releaving cervical pain. The effect of limb orthotics on proprioception and postural stability has been suggested. There is not sufficient studies about the effect of cervical collars on static and dynamic stability, and the effect of soft and hard collars have not been compared with one another. The objective of this study is investigating and comparing the immediate effect of soft and hard cervical collars on static postural stability in healthy young subjects. Methods & Materials: In standing position on firm surface with closed eyes, both soft and hard collars decreased the stability and there was not any significant difference among collars. In standing positions on soft surface with closed and opened eyes, using none of the soft and hard collars did not change the stability. This quasi experimental study through repeated measure method has been conducted on 65 healthy young male and female college students. Static stability was evaluated by modified Clinical Test for Sensory Interaction and Balance (CTSIB in conditions without collar and by soft and hard cervical collars and were compared between the conditions. Results: Conclusion: Our results suggest that in static conditions, without vision, both collars decrease the stability in healthy young subjects. So considering the evaluation of stability and prevention of balance disturbance during the collar prescription seems to be necessary.

Optimized Design of Spacer in Electrodialyzer Using CFD Simulation Method

Science.gov (United States)

Jia, Yuxiang; Yan, Chunsheng; Chen, Lijun; Hu, Yangdong

2018-06-01

In this study, the effects of length-width ratio and diversion trench of the spacer on the fluid flow behavior in an electrodialyzer have been investigated through CFD simulation method. The relevant information, including the pressure drop, velocity vector distribution and shear stress distribution, demonstrates the importance of optimized design of the spacer in an electrodialysis process. The results show width of the diversion trench has a great effect on the fluid flow compared with length. Increase of the diversion trench width could strength the fluid flow, but also increase the pressure drop. Secondly, the dead zone of the fluid flow decreases with increase of length-width ratio of the spacer, but the pressure drop increases with the increase of length-width ratio of the spacer. So the appropriate length-width ratio of the space should be moderate.

A Systematic Overview of Radiation Therapy Effects in Cervical Cancer (Cervix Uteri)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Einhorn, Nina [Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm (Sweden). Dept. of Oncology; Trope, Claes; Ridderheim, Mona; Boman, Karin; Sorbe, Bengt; Cavallin-Staahl, Eva

2003-09-01

A systematic review of radiation therapy trials in several tumour types was performed by The Swedish Council of Technology Assessment in Health Care (SBU). The procedures for evaluation of the scientific literature are described separately. This synthesis of the literature on radiation therapy for cervical cancer is based on data from 1 meta-analysis and 34 randomized trials. In total, 35 scientific articles are included, involving 7,952 patients. The results were compared with those of a similar overview from 1996 including 34,024 patients. The conclusions reached can be summarized in these points: There are limited scientific data supporting that postoperative pelvic radiotherapy improves disease-free survival in early cervical cancer. No firm conclusion can be drawn. There is moderate scientific evidence that external beam radiotherapy combined with brachytherapy gives a similar disease-free and overall survival rate as radical hysterectomy in early cervical cancer. There is strong scientific evidence that concomitant radiochemotherapy improves disease-free and overall survival compared to radiotherapy alone in early cervical cancer. The NCI has recently published an announcement stating that cisplantin-based chemotherapy should be used concomitantly with radiotherapy in cervical cancer. No solid documentation for this statement can be found concerning locally advanced stages (>IIB). There is a strong scientific evidence that cisplatin-based chemotherapy given concomitantly with radiotherapy is superior to concomitant chemotherapy with hydroxyurea. There is no scientific evidence to show that neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy improves disease-free or overall survival compared to radiotherapy alone in patients with localized cervical cancer. There is moderate scientific evidence that high-dose-rate brachytherapy gives the same local control rate as low-dose-rate brachytherapy but with fewer rectal complications.

A Systematic Overview of Radiation Therapy Effects in Cervical Cancer (Cervix Uteri)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Einhorn, Nina; Trope, Claes; Ridderheim, Mona; Boman, Karin; Sorbe, Bengt; Cavallin-Staahl, Eva

2003-01-01

A systematic review of radiation therapy trials in several tumour types was performed by The Swedish Council of Technology Assessment in Health Care (SBU). The procedures for evaluation of the scientific literature are described separately. This synthesis of the literature on radiation therapy for cervical cancer is based on data from 1 meta-analysis and 34 randomized trials. In total, 35 scientific articles are included, involving 7,952 patients. The results were compared with those of a similar overview from 1996 including 34,024 patients. The conclusions reached can be summarized in these points: There are limited scientific data supporting that postoperative pelvic radiotherapy improves disease-free survival in early cervical cancer. No firm conclusion can be drawn. There is moderate scientific evidence that external beam radiotherapy combined with brachytherapy gives a similar disease-free and overall survival rate as radical hysterectomy in early cervical cancer. There is strong scientific evidence that concomitant radiochemotherapy improves disease-free and overall survival compared to radiotherapy alone in early cervical cancer. The NCI has recently published an announcement stating that cisplantin-based chemotherapy should be used concomitantly with radiotherapy in cervical cancer. No solid documentation for this statement can be found concerning locally advanced stages (>IIB). There is a strong scientific evidence that cisplatin-based chemotherapy given concomitantly with radiotherapy is superior to concomitant chemotherapy with hydroxyurea. There is no scientific evidence to show that neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy improves disease-free or overall survival compared to radiotherapy alone in patients with localized cervical cancer. There is moderate scientific evidence that high-dose-rate brachytherapy gives the same local control rate as low-dose-rate brachytherapy but with fewer rectal complications

A Study on Cell Size of Irradiated Spacer Grid for PWR Fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jin, Y. G.; Kim, G. S.; Ryu, W. S. and others

2014-01-01

The spacer grids supporting the fuel rods absorb vibration impacts due to the reactor coolant flow, and grid spring force decreases under irradiation. This reduction of contact force might cause grid-to-rod fretting wear. The fretting failure of the fuel rod is one of the recent significant issues in the nuclear industry from an economical as well as a safety concern. Thus, it is important to understand the characteristics of cell spring behavior and the change in size of grid cells for an irradiated spacer grid. In the present study, the dimensional measurement of a spacer grid was conducted to investigate the cell size of an irradiated spacer grid in a hot cell at IMEF (Irradiated Materials Examination Facility) of KAERI. To evaluate the fretting wear performance of an irradiated spacer grid, hot cell tests were carried out at IMEF of KAERI. Hot cell examinations include dimensional measurements for the irradiated spacer grid. The change of cell sizes was dependent on the direction of the spacer grids, leading to significant gap variations. It was found that the change in size of the cell springs due to irradiation-induced stress relaxation and creep during the fuel residency in the reactor core affect the contact behavior between the fuel rod and the cell spring

Functional diagnostics of the cervical spine by using computer tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dvorak, J.; Hayek, J.; Grob, D.

1988-01-01

35 healthy adults and 137 patients after cervical spine injury were examined by functional CT. The range of axial rotation at the level occiput/atlas, atlas/axis and the segment below were measured in all subjects. A rotation occiput/atlas of more than 7 0 , and C1/C2 more than 54 0 could refer to segmental hypermobility, a rotation at the segment C1/C2 less than 29 0 to hypomobility. According to the postulated normal values based upon a 98% confidence level, out of 137 patients examined after cervical spine injury and with therapy-resistant neck pain, 45 showed signs of segmental hypermobility of the upper cervical spine, 17 showed hyper- or hypomobility at different levels, 10 patients presented segmental hypomobility at C1/C2 level alone. In all patients, according to the clinical assessment, functional pathology was suspected in the upper cervical spine. Surgical correction of rotatory instability should be considered as a possible therapeutic procedure after successful diagnostic stabilisation of the cervical spine by minerva cast. (orig.)

Functional diagnostics of the cervical spine by using computer tomography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dvorak, J; Hayek, J; Grob, D; Penning, L; Panjabi, M M; Zehnder, R

1988-04-01

35 healthy adults and 137 patients after cervical spine injury were examined by functional CT. The range of axial rotation at the level occiput/atlas, atlas/axis and the segment below were measured in all subjects. A rotation occiput/atlas of more than 7/sup 0/, and C1/C2 more than 54/sup 0/ could refer to segmental hypermobility, a rotation at the segment C1/C2 less than 29/sup 0/ to hypomobility. According to the postulated normal values based upon a 98% confidence level, out of 137 patients examined after cervical spine injury and with therapy-resistant neck pain, 45 showed signs of segmental hypermobility of the upper cervical spine, 17 showed hyper- or hypomobility at different levels, 10 patients presented segmental hypomobility at C1/C2 level alone. In all patients, according to the clinical assessment, functional pathology was suspected in the upper cervical spine. Surgical correction of rotatory instability should be considered as a possible therapeutic procedure after successful diagnostic stabilisation of the cervical spine by minerva cast.

Performance of FDG-PET/CT for diagnosis of recurrent uterine cervical cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kitajima, Kazuhiro; Murakami, Koji; Yamasaki, Erena; Domeki, Yasushi; Kaji, Yasushi; Sugimura, Kazuro

2008-01-01

The purpose is to evaluate the accuracy of integrated FDG-PET/CT, compared with PET alone, for diagnosis of suspected recurrence of uterine cervical cancer. Fifty-two women who had undergone treatment for histopathologically proven cervical cancer received PET/CT with suspected recurrence. PET-alone and integrated PET/CT images were evaluated by two different experienced radiologists by consensus for each investigation. A final diagnosis was confirmed by histopathology, radiological imaging, and clinical follow-up for over 1 year. Patient-based analysis showed that the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of PET/CT were 92.0% (23/25), 92.6% (25/27), and 92.3% (48/52), respectively, while for PET, the corresponding figures were 80.0% (20/25), 77.8% (21/27), and 78.8% (41/52), respectively. PET/CT resolved the false-positive PET results due to hypermetabolic activity of benign/inflammatory lesions and physiological variants, and was able to detect lung metastasis, local recurrence, peritoneal dissemination, para-aortic lymph node metastasis, and pelvic lymph node metastasis missed by PET alone. However, tiny local recurrence and lymph node metastasis could not be detected even by PET/CT. FDG-PET/CT is a useful complementary modality for providing good anatomic and functional localization of sites of recurrence during follow-up of patients with cervical cancer. (orig.)

Energetic and financial investigation of a stand-alone solar-thermal Organic Rankine Cycle power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tzivanidis, Christos; Bellos, Evangelos; Antonopoulos, Kimon A.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • A stand-alone solar driven Organic Rankine Cycle is optimized parametrically. • The system is optimized energetically and financially. • Nine working fluids are tested with cyclohexane to be the most suitable. • A collecting area of 25,000 m"2 parabolic trough collectors is the optimum solution. • The maximum IRR is 13.46% and the payback period is about 9 years. - Abstract: The use of solar thermal energy for electricity production is a clean and sustainable way to cover the increasing energy needs of our society. The most mature technology for capturing solar energy in high temperature levels is the parabolic trough collectors (PTC). In this study, an Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) coupled with PTC is analyzed parametrically in order to be optimized financially and energetically. The first step is the thermodynamic investigation of the ORC by using various working fluids. The second step is the energetic and financial investigation of the total system which includes the solar field, the storage tank and the ORC module. By testing many combinations of collecting areas and storage tank volumes, finally cyclohexane proved to be the most suitable working fluid for producing 1 MW_e_l with PTC. Specifically, in the optimum situation a solar field of 25,000 m"2 with storage tank of about 300 m"3 leads to a payback period of 9 years and to an internal rate of return (IRR) equal to 13.46%. Moreover, an economic comparison for different commercial collectors is presented, with Eurotrough ET-150 being the financially optimum solution for this case study.

Stand-Alone Solar Organic Rankine Cycle Water Pumping System and Its Economic Viability in Nepal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Suresh Baral

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The current study presents the concept of a stand-alone solar organic Rankine cycle (ORC water pumping system for rural Nepalese areas. Experimental results for this technology are presented based on a prototype. The economic viability of the system was assessed based on solar radiation data of different Nepalese geographic locations. The mechanical power produced by the solar ORC is coupled with a water pumping system for various applications, such as drinking and irrigation. The thermal efficiency of the system was found to be 8% with an operating temperature of 120 °C. The hot water produced by the unit has a temperature of 40 °C. Economic assessment was done for 1-kW and 5-kW solar ORC water pumping systems. These systems use different types of solar collectors: a parabolic trough collector (PTC and an evacuated tube collector (ETC. The economic analysis showed that the costs of water are $2.47/m3 (highest and $1.86/m3 (lowest for the 1-kW system and a 150-m pumping head. In addition, the cost of water is reduced when the size of the system is increased and the pumping head is reduced. The minimum volumes of water pumped are 2190 m3 and 11,100 m3 yearly for 1 kW and 5 kW, respectively. The payback period is eight years with a profitability index of 1.6. The system is highly feasible and promising in the context of Nepal.

Cost-effectiveness of human papillomavirus vaccination and cervical cancer screening in Thailand.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, M; Ortendahl, J; van der Ham, E; Sy, S; Kim, J J

2012-01-01

To assess the health and economic outcomes of various screening and vaccination strategies for cervical cancer prevention. Cost-effectiveness analysis from a societal perspective. Thailand. Females aged 9 years and older. Using a mathematical model of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and cervical cancer, calibrated to epidemiological data from Thailand, we estimated the cost-effectiveness of pre-adolescent HPV vaccination, screening [visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA), HPV DNA testing, and cytology] between one and five times per lifetime in adulthood, and combined pre-adolescent vaccination and screening. Vaccine efficacy, coverage, cost, and screening frequency were varied in sensitivity analyses. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios, expressed as cost per year of life saved (YLS). Assuming lifelong efficacy and 80% coverage, pre-adolescent HPV vaccination alone was projected to reduce the lifetime risk of cervical cancer by 55%, which was greater than any strategy of screening alone. When cost per vaccinated girl was I$10 (approximately $2 per dose) or less, HPV vaccination alone was cost saving. Pre-adolescent vaccination and HPV DNA testing five times per lifetime, starting at age 35 years, reduced the lifetime cervical cancer risk by 70%, and had a cost-effectiveness ratio less than Thailand's GDP per capita (I$8100), provided the cost per vaccinated girl was I$200 or less. Low cost pre-adolescent HPV vaccination followed by HPV screening five times per lifetime is an efficient strategy for Thailand. Costs may need to be lower, however, for this strategy to be affordable. If vaccination is not feasible, HPV DNA testing five times per lifetime is efficient. © 2011 The Authors BJOG An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology © 2011 RCOG.

Heterogeneous diversity of spacers within CRISPR

Science.gov (United States)

Deem, Michael; He, Jiankui

2011-03-01

Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) in bacterial and archaeal DNA have recently been shown to be a new type of anti-viral immune system in these organisms. We here study the diversity of spacers in CRISPR under selective pressure. We propose a population dynamics model that explains the biological observation that the leader-proximal end of CRISPR is more diversified and the leader-distal end of CRISPR is more conserved. This result is shown to be in agreement with recent experiments. Our results show that the CRISPR spacer structure is influenced by and provides a record of the viral challenges that bacteria face. 1) J. He and M. W. Deem, Phys. Rev. Lett. 105 (2010) 128102

ATLAS barrel hadron tile calorimeter: spacers plates mass production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Artikov, A.M.; Budagov, Yu.A.; Khubua, J.

1999-01-01

In this article we expose the main problems of the mass production of the so-called 'spacer plates' for the ATLAS Barrel Hadron Tile Calorimeter. We describe all practical solutions of these problems. Particularly we present the measurement procedures and calculation schemes we used for the spacers dimensions determination. The results of the calculations are presented

On the impact analysis of a PWR spacer grid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Song, Kee Nam; Lee, S. H.

2012-01-01

A spacer grid, which is an interconnected array of slotted grid straps and is welded at the intersections to form an egg crate structure, is one of the most important structural components in a PWR fuel assembly. From a structural point of view, the spacer grid is required to have sufficient crush strength under lateral loads so that nuclear fuel rods are maintained in a cool able geometry, and that control rods can be inserted. The capacity of a spacer grid to resist lateral loads is usually characterized in terms of its crush strength, and it was reported that the lateral crush strength of the spacer grid is closely related with welding quality of the spacer grid. Microstructures in the weld zone, including a heat affected zone (HAZ), are different from that in a parent material. Consequently, the mechanical properties in the weld zone are different from those in the parent material to some extent. When a welded structure is loaded, the mechanical behavior of the welded structure might be different from the case of a structure with homogeneous mechanical properties. Nonetheless, mechanical properties in the welded structure have been neglected in many structural analyses of the spacer grid due to a lack of mechanical properties in the weld zone. When the weld zone is very narrow and the interfaces are not clear, it is difficult to take tensile test specimens in the weld zone. The reason for this is that the mechanical properties in the parent material are usually used in the structural analyses in the welded structure. As an aside, it has been recently determined that the ball indentation technique has the potential to be an excellent substitute for a standard tensile test, particularly in the case of small specimens or property gradient materials such as welds. In this study, to investigate the effect on the mechanical behavior of the spacer grid when using weld mechanical properties, strength analyses considering the weld mechanical properties recently obtained

A Low-Power Wearable Stand-Alone Tongue Drive System for People With Severe Disabilities.

Science.gov (United States)

Jafari, Ali; Buswell, Nathanael; Ghovanloo, Maysam; Mohsenin, Tinoosh

2018-02-01

This paper presents a low-power stand-alone tongue drive system (sTDS) used for individuals with severe disabilities to potentially control their environment such as computer, smartphone, and wheelchair using their voluntary tongue movements. A low-power local processor is proposed, which can perform signal processing to convert raw magnetic sensor signals to user-defined commands, on the sTDS wearable headset, rather than sending all raw data out to a PC or smartphone. The proposed sTDS significantly reduces the transmitter power consumption and subsequently increases the battery life. Assuming the sTDS user issues one command every 20 ms, the proposed local processor reduces the data volume that needs to be wirelessly transmitted by a factor of 64, from 9.6 to 0.15 kb/s. The proposed processor consists of three main blocks: serial peripheral interface bus for receiving raw data from magnetic sensors, external magnetic interference attenuation to attenuate external magnetic field from the raw magnetic signal, and a machine learning classifier for command detection. A proof-of-concept prototype sTDS has been implemented with a low-power IGLOO-nano field programmable gate array (FPGA), bluetooth low energy, battery and magnetic sensors on a headset, and tested. At clock frequency of 20 MHz, the processor takes 6.6 s and consumes 27 nJ for detecting a command with a detection accuracy of 96.9%. To further reduce power consumption, an application-specified integrated circuit processor for the sTDS is implemented at the postlayout level in 65-nm CMOS technology with 1-V power supply, and it consumes 0.43 mW, which is 10 lower than FPGA power consumption and occupies an area of only 0.016 mm.

Impact of feed spacer and membrane modification by hydrophilic, bactericidal and biocidal coating on biofouling control

KAUST Repository

Araújo, Paula A.

2012-06-01

The influence of polydopamine- and polydopamine-. graft-poly(ethylene glycol)-coated feed spacers and membranes, copper-coated feed spacers, and commercially-available biostatic feed spacers on biofouling has been studied in membrane fouling simulators. Feed spacers and membranes applied in practical membrane filtration systems were used; biofouling development was monitored by feed channel pressure drop increase and biomass accumulation. Polydopamine and polydopamine-. g-PEG are hydrophilic surface modification agents expected to resist protein and bacterial adhesion, while copper feed spacer coatings and biocides infused in feed spacers are expected to restrict biological growth. Our studies showed that polydopamine and polydopamine-. g-PEG coatings on feed spacers and membranes, copper coatings on feed spacers, and a commercial biostatic feed spacer did not have a significant impact on feed channel pressure drop increase and biofilm accumulation as measured by ATP and TOC content. The studied spacer and membrane modifications were not effective for biofouling control; it is doubtful that feed spacer and membrane modification, in general, may be effective for biofouling control regardless of the type of applied coating. © 2012 Elsevier B.V.

Effects of grid spacer with mixing vane on entrainments and depositions in two-phase annular flows

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Akimaro Kawahara

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The effects of mixing vanes (MVs attached to a grid spacer on the characteristics of air–water annular flows were experimentally investigated. To know the effects, a grid spacer with or without MV was inserted in a vertical circular pipe of 16-mm internal diameter. For three cases (i.e., no spacer, spacer without MV, and spacer with MV, the liquid film thickness, liquid entrainment fraction, and deposition rate were measured by the constant current method, single liquid film extraction method, and double liquid film extraction method, respectively. The MVs significantly promote the re-deposition of liquid droplets in the gas core flow into the liquid film on the channel walls. The deposition mass transfer coefficient is three times higher for the spacer with MV than for the spacer without MV, even for cases 0.3-m downstream from the spacer. The liquid film thickness becomes thicker upstream and downstream for the spacer with MV, compared with the thickness for the spacer without MV and for the case with no spacer.

Early stage cervical cancer, radical hysterectomy and sexual function: a longitudinal study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Pernille Tine

Background: Limited knowledge exists regarding the impact of treatment on the sexual function of early stage cervical cancer patients. We investigated the longitudinal course of self-reported sexual function after radical hysterectomy (RH) alone. Methods: 173 patients with lymph node-negative early...... stage cervical cancer who had undergone RH and pelvic lymphadenectomy alone were assessed prospectively using a validated self-assessment questionnaire 5 weeks and 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months after RH. Results were compared with an age-matched control group from the general population. At 12 months post......-surgery, the patients completed an extended version of the questionnaire with additional items assessing the patient’s perception of changes in sexual function compared with before the cancer diagnosis. Results: Compared with control women, patients experienced severe orgasmic problems and uncomfortable sexual...

Transcriptional regulator-mediated activation of adaptation genes triggers CRISPR de novo spacer acquisition

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Liu, Tao; Li, Yingjun; Wang, Xiaodi

2015-01-01

Acquisition of de novo spacer sequences confers CRISPR-Cas with a memory to defend against invading genetic elements. However, the mechanism of regulation of CRISPR spacer acquisition remains unknown. Here we examine the transcriptional regulation of the conserved spacer acquisition genes in Type I......, it was demonstrated that the transcription level of csa1, cas1, cas2 and cas4 was significantly enhanced in a csa3a-overexpression strain and, moreover, the Csa1 and Cas1 protein levels were increased in this strain. Furthermore, we demonstrated the hyperactive uptake of unique spacers within both CRISPR loci...... in the presence of the csa3a overexpression vector. The spacer acquisition process is dependent on the CCN PAM sequence and protospacer selection is random and non-directional. These results suggested a regulation mechanism of CRISPR spacer acquisition where a single transcriptional regulator senses the presence...

Measurement and CFD calculation of spacer loss coefficient for a tight-lattice fuel bundle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

In, Wang Kee; Shin, Chang Hwan; Kwack, Young Kyun; Lee, Chi Young

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Experiment and CFD analysis evaluated the pressure drop in a spacer grid. • The measurement and CFD errors for the spacer loss coefficient were estimated. • The spacer loss coefficient for the dual-cooled annular fuel bundle was determined. • The CFD prediction agrees with the measured spacer loss coefficient within 8%. - Abstract: An experiment and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis were performed to evaluate the pressure drop in a spacer grid for a dual-cooled annular fuel (DCAF) bundle. The DCAF bundle for the Korean optimum power reactor (OPR1000) is a 12 × 12 tight-lattice rod array with a pitch-to-diameter ratio of 1.08 owing to a larger outer diameter of the annular fuel rod. An experiment was conducted to measure the pressure drop in spacer grid for the DCAF bundle. The test bundle is a full-size 12 × 12 rod bundle with 11 spacer grid. The test condition covers a Reynolds number range of 2 × 10 4 –2 × 10 5 by changing the temperature and flow rate of water. A CFD analysis was also performed to predict the pressure drop through a spacer grid using the full-size and partial bundle models. The pressure drop and loss coefficient of a spacer grid were predicted and compared with the experimental results. The CFD predictions of spacer pressure drop and loss coefficient agree with the measured values within 8%. The spacer loss coefficient for the DCAF bundle is estimated to be approximately 1.50 at a nominal operating condition of OPR1000, i.e., Re = 4 × 10 5

Success of Two-Stage Reimplantation in Patients Requiring an Interim Spacer Exchange.

Science.gov (United States)

George, Jaiben; Miller, Evan M; Curtis, Gannon L; Klika, Alison K; Barsoum, Wael K; Mont, Michael A; Higuera, Carlos A

2018-03-23

Some patients undergoing a 2-stage revision for a periprosthetic joint infection require a repeat spacer in the interim (removal of existing spacer with insertion of a new spacer or spacer exchange) due to persistent infection. The objectives of this study are to (1) determine the factors associated with patients who receive a repeat spacer and (2) compare the infection-free survival (overall and stratified by joint type) of reimplantation in patients who did or did not receive a repeat spacer. From 2001 to 2014, 347 hip or knee 2-stage revisions that finally underwent reimplantation and had a minimum 2-year follow-up were identified. An interim spacer exchange was performed in 59 (17%) patients (exchange cohort). Patient-related and organism-related factors were compared between the exchange and non-exchange cohorts. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were performed to assess the success (absence of signs of infection, reoperation for infection, periprosthetic joint infection-related mortality) of both cohorts. Patients in the exchange group had higher comorbidity score (P = .020), prolonged time to reimplantation (P exchange cohort, and 78% (knee 77%, hip 78%) in the non-exchange cohort (P = .020). Patients requiring an interim spacer exchange were found to have more comorbidities, prolonged treatment period, and were more likely to be infected with a resistant organism. About one-third of such patients became reinfected within 5 years compared to only one-fifth of the patients without an interim spacer exchange. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Separator-spacer for electrochemical systems

Science.gov (United States)

Grimes, Patrick G.; Einstein, Harry; Newby, Kenneth R.; Bellows, Richard J.

1983-08-02

An electrochemical cell construction features a novel co-extruded plastic electrode in an interleaved construction with a novel integral separator-spacer. Also featured is a leak and impact resistant construction for preventing the spill of corrosive materials in the event of rupture.

Effects of different rod spacers (helical types) on coolant crossmixing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhukov, A.V.; Sviridenko, E.Ya.; Matyukhin, N.M.; Rymkevich, K.S.; Ushakov, P.A.

1981-11-01

The results of investigations (electromagnetic measuring method) on coolant cross mixing in rod clusters with spiral wire spacers with different winding directions, with alternating unfinned and finned rods (case 'fin to rod'), as well as in rod clusters with much space between the rods, (case 'fin to fin') are reported. The local fluid dynamics parameters (distribution of the transversal and longitudinal velocity component) that define the physical processes of the coolant exchange in the rod clusters with helical spacers are explained. The investigation results for different helical spacer types are compared with each other. (orig.) [de

PR2ALIGN: a stand-alone software program and a web-server for protein sequence alignment using weighted biochemical properties of amino acids.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuznetsov, Igor B; McDuffie, Michael

2015-05-07

Alignment of amino acid sequences is the main sequence comparison method used in computational molecular biology. The selection of the amino acid substitution matrix best suitable for a given alignment problem is one of the most important decisions the user has to make. In a conventional amino acid substitution matrix all elements are fixed and their values cannot be easily adjusted. Moreover, most existing amino acid substitution matrices account for the average (dis)similarities between amino acid types and do not distinguish the contribution of a specific biochemical property to these (dis)similarities. PR2ALIGN is a stand-alone software program and a web-server that provide the functionality for implementing flexible user-specified alignment scoring functions and aligning pairs of amino acid sequences based on the comparison of the profiles of biochemical properties of these sequences. Unlike the conventional sequence alignment methods that use 20x20 fixed amino acid substitution matrices, PR2ALIGN uses a set of weighted biochemical properties of amino acids to measure the distance between pairs of aligned residues and to find an optimal minimal distance global alignment. The user can provide any number of amino acid properties and specify a weight for each property. The higher the weight for a given property, the more this property affects the final alignment. We show that in many cases the approach implemented in PR2ALIGN produces better quality pair-wise alignments than the conventional matrix-based approach. PR2ALIGN will be helpful for researchers who wish to align amino acid sequences by using flexible user-specified alignment scoring functions based on the biochemical properties of amino acids instead of the amino acid substitution matrix. To the best of the authors' knowledge, there are no existing stand-alone software programs or web-servers analogous to PR2ALIGN. The software is freely available from http://pr2align.rit.albany.edu.

Experimental study of mechanical properties on spacer in NHR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiang Yueyuan; Shi Jibing; Xu Yong

2007-01-01

The spacer of NHR-200 is composed mainly of the inner, outer and cornual strips which are ranged in egg-crate of 12 x 12-3. First, the pre-distortion of three kinds of three-arc springs on reactor working condition and their related clipping-force ranges are analyzed in this paper. Secondly, the mechanical experiments of 1:1 prototype, such as the load-distortion experiments, which the load and distortion are respectively measured by strain gauge and displacement sensor, of three kinds of springs, rigid supports and the spacers in two different directions are carried out on a special experimental facility. The experimental results show that the spacer can completely meet the design demands of mechanical properties of the fuel assemblies in NHR-200. (authors)

Solution-processed organic tandem solar cells with embedded optical spacers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hadipour, Afshin; de Boer, Bert; Blom, Paul W. M.

2007-01-01

We demonstrate a solution-processed polymer tandem solar cell in which the two photoactive single cells are separated by an optical spacer. The use of an optical spacer allows for an independent optimization of both the electronic and optical properties of the tandem cell. The optical transmission

Multi-material poly(lactic acid) scaffold fabricated via fused deposition modeling and direct hydroxyapatite injection as spacers in laminoplasty

Science.gov (United States)

Syuhada, Ghifari; Ramahdita, Ghiska; Rahyussalim, A. J.; Whulanza, Yudan

2018-02-01

Nowadays, additive manufacturing method has been used extensively to realize any product with specific attributes rather than the conventional subtractive manufacturing method. For instance, the additive manufacturing has enable us to construct a product layer-by-layer by successively depositing several materials in one session and one platform. This paper studied the properties of a 3D printed scaffold fabricated through Poly(Lactic-acid) (PLA) deposition modelling in combination with injectable hydroxyapatite (HA)/alginate as cell carrier. The scaffold was designed to serve as a spacer in cervical laminoplasty. Therefore, a series of test were conducted to elaborate the mechanical property, porosity and in-vitro toxicity testing. The results showed that the method is reliable to fabricate the scaffold as desired although the toxicity test needs more confirmation.

3-D flow analyses for design of nuclear fuel spacer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Karouta, Z. [ABB Combustion Engineering, Windsor, CT (United States); GU, Chun-Yuan [ABB Corporate Research, Vaesteras (Sweden); Schoelin, B. [ABB Atom AB, Vaesteras (Sweden)

1995-09-01

The Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) code, CFDS-FLOW3D, was used to develop improved fuel designs for PWR cores. It was used primarily to understand the fluid dynamics of grid spacers, the mass transfer between subchannels caused by spacers and in the long term to develop two-phase models which enable prediction of critical heat flux in PWR fuel. A single subchannel of one grid span was modeled. In this model different spacer designs with mixing devices were analyzed. A special treatment of the boundary condition was developed making use of flow symmetry to model the mass transfer between different subchannels and minimize the size of the computational model. This reduced the computational model to a fraction of a subchannel using traditional periodic boundary conditions. The Navier-Stokes equation was solved for the liquid and the flow turbulence was modeled by k-{xi} turbulence model. The spacer and mixing device were treated as infinite thin surfaces in the model and a zero velocity condition and turbulent wall function were applied on each side of the thin surfaces. This approach simulated the swirl from the mixing devices well, but had the drawback of not predicting pressure drop accurately since the wake behind the plates and the acceleration effect of the spacers were ignored. CFDS-FLOW3D models with mixing devices were applied in the single-phase flow regime. Velocity profiles from the CFDS-FLOW3D models were compared to Laser Doppler Velocimeter measurements taken from the flow field downstream of spaces in a full scale, cold water test loop. The predicted axial and lateral velocity profiles were in good agreement with the measurements. The evaluation of the performance of different spacer devices was made by comparing the swirl ratio downstream of the grid spacers. It is planned to evaluate heat transfer coefficient downstream of the spaces, to implement two-phase flow models, and to model the superheated boundary layer on the surface of the fuel rod.

Lateral cervical puncture for cervical myelography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seol, Hae Young; Cha, Sang Hoon; Kim, Yoon Hwan; Suh, Won Hyuck

1985-01-01

Eleven cervical myelograms were performed by lateral cervical puncture using Metrizamide. So, following results were obtained: 1. Site of lateral cervical puncture; Posterior one third of bony cervical canal at C 1-2 level. 2. Advantages as compared with lumbar puncture for cervical myelograms; 1) Small amount of contrast media 2) Excellent image 3) Less position charge 4) Short time 5) Well visualization of superior margin of obstructive lesion in spinal canal 3. Cessation of lateral cervical puncture, when; 1) Pain during injection of contrast media 2) Localized collection of contrast media

Lateral cervical puncture for cervical myelography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Seol, Hae Young; Cha, Sang Hoon; Kim, Yoon Hwan; Suh, Won Hyuck [Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

1985-12-15

Eleven cervical myelograms were performed by lateral cervical puncture using Metrizamide. So, following results were obtained: 1. Site of lateral cervical puncture; Posterior one third of bony cervical canal at C 1-2 level. 2. Advantages as compared with lumbar puncture for cervical myelograms; 1) Small amount of contrast media 2) Excellent image 3) Less position charge 4) Short time 5) Well visualization of superior margin of obstructive lesion in spinal canal 3. Cessation of lateral cervical puncture, when; 1) Pain during injection of contrast media 2) Localized collection of contrast media.

Spacer geometry and particle deposition in spiral wound membrane feed channels

KAUST Repository

Radu, A.I.

2014-11-01

Deposition of microspheres mimicking bacterial cells was studied experimentally and with a numerical model in feed spacer membrane channels, as used in spiral wound nanofiltration (NF) and reverse osmosis (RO) membrane systems. In-situ microscopic observations in membrane fouling simulators revealed formation of specific particle deposition patterns for different diamond and ladder feed spacer orientations. A three-dimensional numerical model combining fluid flow with a Lagrangian approach for particle trajectory calculations could describe very well the in-situ observations on particle deposition in flow cells. Feed spacer geometry, positioning and cross-flow velocity sensitively influenced the particle transport and deposition patterns. The deposition patterns were not influenced by permeate production. This combined experimental-modeling approach could be used for feed spacer geometry optimization studies for reduced (bio)fouling. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd.

Stand-alone power systems for the future: Optimal design, operation and control of solar-hydrogen energy systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ulleberg, Oeystein

1998-12-31

This thesis gives a systematic review of the fundamentals of energy systems, the governing physical and chemical laws related to energy, inherent characteristics of energy system, and the availability of the earth`s energy. It shows clearly why solar-hydrogen systems are one of the most viable options for the future. The main subject discussed is the modelling of SAPS (Stand-Alone Power Systems), with focus on photovoltaic-hydrogen energy systems. Simulation models for a transient simulation program are developed for PV-H{sub 2} components, including models for photovoltaics, water electrolysis, hydrogen storage, fuel cells, and secondary batteries. A PV-H{sub 2} demonstration plant in Juelich, Germany, is studied as a reference plant and the models validated against data from this plant. Most of the models developed were found to be sufficiently accurate to perform short-term system simulations, while all were more than accurate enough to perform long-term simulations. Finally, the verified simulation models are used to find the optimal operation and control strategies of an existing PV-H{sub 2} system. The main conclusion is that the simulation methods can be successfully used to find optimal operation and control strategies for a system with fixed design, and similar methods could be used to find alternative system designs. 148 refs., 78 figs., 31 tabs.

Stand-alone power systems for the future: Optimal design, operation and control of solar-hydrogen energy systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ulleberg, Oeystein

1999-12-31

This thesis gives a systematic review of the fundamentals of energy systems, the governing physical and chemical laws related to energy, inherent characteristics of energy system, and the availability of the earth`s energy. It shows clearly why solar-hydrogen systems are one of the most viable options for the future. The main subject discussed is the modelling of SAPS (Stand-Alone Power Systems), with focus on photovoltaic-hydrogen energy systems. Simulation models for a transient simulation program are developed for PV-H{sub 2} components, including models for photovoltaics, water electrolysis, hydrogen storage, fuel cells, and secondary batteries. A PV-H{sub 2} demonstration plant in Juelich, Germany, is studied as a reference plant and the models validated against data from this plant. Most of the models developed were found to be sufficiently accurate to perform short-term system simulations, while all were more than accurate enough to perform long-term simulations. Finally, the verified simulation models are used to find the optimal operation and control strategies of an existing PV-H{sub 2} system. The main conclusion is that the simulation methods can be successfully used to find optimal operation and control strategies for a system with fixed design, and similar methods could be used to find alternative system designs. 148 refs., 78 figs., 31 tabs.

IEA PVPS Task 3. Use of photovoltaic systems in stand-alone and island applications. 'Swiss participation'; IEA PVPS Task 3. Use of photovoltaic systems in stand-alone and island applications. 'Participation Suisse'

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Villoz, M. [Dynatex SA, Morges (Switzerland)

2004-07-01

This report describes the work done during five years of the second phase of Task 3 of the photovoltaic power systems programme of the International Energy Agency (IEA-PVPS). Task 3 activities were concentrated on stand-alone photovoltaic systems with the main effort on improving the quality and reducing the cost of these systems. The work was divided in 2 sub-tasks whose first one was concentrated on quality insurance schemes and second one on technical recommendations coming from practical experience. Twelve original reports have been published covering topics that can be sorted in 4 categories: the first one is dedicated on quality issues with a review of existing standards in the participating countries and a double paper giving quality assurance recommendations on project management and examples of applying these rules in practical cases. The second category dwelled on photovoltaic systems with papers on charge controllers, on lightning protection and monitoring of systems. The third category presents interesting studies on the storage of energy which remains the main subject where improvements should be made in order to lower the cost of energy; four papers describe the management and the test procedures of lead-acid batteries, how to choose a lead-acid battery and finally are there alternatives to lead-acid batteries for the storage of photovoltaic electricity. The last category worked on loads and users of renewable energy and gives a large amount of experience with loads, how to choose them and how the energy can be better used through demand side management. (author)

Air-water flooding in multirod channels: effects of spacer grids and blockages

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cha, Jong Hee; Jun, Hyung Gil

1993-01-01

This paper presents the experimental results on flooding of countercurrent flow in vertical multirod channels, which consists of falling water film and upward air flow. In particular, the effects of spacer grids, with and without mixing vane, and of blockage in the multirod bundle on the behaviour of flooding were investigated. The 5 x 5 zircaloy tube bundle was used for the test section. The comparison of previous analytical models and empirical correlations with present data on flooding showed that the existing models and correlations predict much higher flooding curves. The spacer grid causes the lower flooding air flow rate to compare with the bare rod bundle. However, the mixing spacer grids need a higher flooding air flow rate for a constant liquid flow rate than the spacer grids without mixing vanes. The bundle containing blockages has the highest flooding air flow rate among the bundles with spacer grids and blokages. Empirical flooding correlations for the three types of test section have been made. (Author)

THE EFFECT OF EARLY CERVICAL CANCER DIAGNOSIS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Herman Haller

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Background: Treatment effectiveness and clinical outcome of patients with cervical carcinoma FIGO stage IA1 and IA2 are analyzed in three different time period at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Rijeka, Croatia. Method: Retrospective analysis of the hospital chart of all cervical cancer patients between 1991 and 2005 was conducted with five-year follow up. Results: Data on cervical cancer distribution by stage and five-year survival are presented. Separately analyzed age, histology type and treatment modalities in stage FIGO IA1 and IA2 during three consecutive five-year periods are presented. Conclusions: Conservative surgical approach – conization alone in stage IA1 of the squamous cell car- cinoma is reasonable and safe treatment option for reproductive active women. During observed periods conization became the most used surgical technique applied in almost two third of FIGO IA1 cervical cancer patients. Lymph vascular space invasion in stage IA1 lead to adjunct pelvic lymphadenectomy with unclear clinical benefit. In cervical cancer patients stage IA2 simple hysterectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy could be accepted as a standard treatment. In these patients further studies are recommended to evaluate other less radical surgical techniques – simple and radical trachelectomy with or without pelvic lymphadenectomy. Radical hysterectomy in both stages IA1 and IA2, based on personal experience and literature data represents a surgical overtreatment and should be abandoned.

Direct Flux Control for Stand-Alone Operation Brushless Doubly Fed Induction Generators Using a Resonant-Based Sliding-Mode Control Approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kai Ji

2018-04-01

Full Text Available In this paper, a novel voltage control strategy for stand-alone operation brushless doubly fed induction generators for variable speed constant frequency wind energy conversion systems was presented and discussed. Based on the model of the power generation system, the proposed direct flux control strategy employs a nonlinear reduced-order generalized integrator-based resonant sliding-mode control approach to directly calculate and regulate the output value of converter which the control winding stator requires so as to eliminate its instantaneous errors, without involving any synchronous rotating coordinate transformations. The stability, robustness and convergence capability of the proposed control strategy were described and analyzed. Owing to the fact no additional current control inner loops are involved, the system configuration is therefore simplified and the dynamic performance enhanced. A constant converter switching frequency was achieved by using space vector pulse width modulation, which reduces the harmonics of the generator terminal voltage. In addition, the feasibility and validity of the proposed scheme is verified by experiments, and excellent steady and transient performance is achieved.

Two-stage revision of septic knee prosthesis with articulating knee spacers yields better infection eradication rate than one-stage or two-stage revision with static spacers.

Science.gov (United States)

Romanò, C L; Gala, L; Logoluso, N; Romanò, D; Drago, L

2012-12-01

The best method for treating chronic periprosthetic knee infection remains controversial. Randomized, comparative studies on treatment modalities are lacking. This systematic review of the literature compares the infection eradication rate after two-stage versus one-stage revision and static versus articulating spacers in two-stage procedures. We reviewed full-text papers and those with an abstract in English published from 1966 through 2011 that reported the success rate of infection eradication after one-stage or two-stage revision with two different types of spacers. In all, 6 original articles reporting the results after one-stage knee exchange arthoplasty (n = 204) and 38 papers reporting on two-stage revision (n = 1,421) were reviewed. The average success rate in the eradication of infection was 89.8% after a two-stage revision and 81.9% after a one-stage procedure at a mean follow-up of 44.7 and 40.7 months, respectively. The average infection eradication rate after a two-stage procedure was slightly, although significantly, higher when an articulating spacer rather than a static spacer was used (91.2 versus 87%). The methodological limitations of this study and the heterogeneous material in the studies reviewed notwithstanding, this systematic review shows that, on average, a two-stage procedure is associated with a higher rate of eradication of infection than one-stage revision for septic knee prosthesis and that articulating spacers are associated with a lower recurrence of infection than static spacers at a comparable mean duration of follow-up. IV.

Optimal Sizing of a Stand-Alone Hybrid Power System Based on Battery/Hydrogen with an Improved Ant Colony Optimization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Weiqiang Dong

2016-09-01

Full Text Available A distributed power system with renewable energy sources is very popular in recent years due to the rapid depletion of conventional sources of energy. Reasonable sizing for such power systems could improve the power supply reliability and reduce the annual system cost. The goal of this work is to optimize the size of a stand-alone hybrid photovoltaic (PV/wind turbine (WT/battery (B/hydrogen system (a hybrid system based on battery and hydrogen (HS-BH for reliable and economic supply. Two objectives that take the minimum annual system cost and maximum system reliability described as the loss of power supply probability (LPSP have been addressed for sizing HS-BH from a more comprehensive perspective, considering the basic demand of load, the profit from hydrogen, which is produced by HS-BH, and an effective energy storage strategy. An improved ant colony optimization (ACO algorithm has been presented to solve the sizing problem of HS-BH. Finally, a simulation experiment has been done to demonstrate the developed results, in which some comparisons have been done to emphasize the advantage of HS-BH with the aid of data from an island of Zhejiang, China.

Boiling transition phenomenon in BWR fuel assemblies effect of fuel spacer shape on critical power

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamamoto, Yasushi; Morooka, Shin-ichi; Mitsutake, Toru; Yokobori, Seiichi; Kimura, Jiro.

1996-01-01

A thorough understanding of the thermal-hydraulic phenomena near fuel spacer is necessary for the accurate prediction of the critical power of BWR fuel assemblies, and is thus essential for effective developments of a new BWR fuel assembly. The main purpose of this study is to develop an accurate method for predicting the effect of spacer shapes on critical power. Tests have been conducted under actual BWR operating conditions, using an annulus flow channel consisting of a heated rod and circular-tube channel, and BWR simulated 4x4 rod bundles with heater rods unheated just upsteam of spacer. The effect of spacer shapes on critical power was predicted analytically based on the droplet deposition rate estimation. The droplet deposition rate for different spacer shapes was calculated using a single-phase flow model. The prediction results were compared with the test results for the annulus flow channel using ring-type spacers. Analytical results of critical power agreed with measured critical power from point of the effects of changes in the rod-spacer clearance and the spacer thickness on critical power. (author)

A technical report on the evaluation of the integrity for the TIG welded spacer grid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Song, Kee Nam; Yoo, Ho Sik; Lww, Chang Woo

1994-07-01

The spacer grid, which supports fuel rods, guide thimble and instrumentation tube, is classified into two types according to their strap material,.ie. inconel and zircaloy spacer grid. KOFA fuel of 14 x 14 and 17 x 17 type has seven and eight spacer grid respectively. Zircaloy spacer grid is assembled by straps whose cross points are welded by TIG welding method. This technical report provides to give some information about structure and function of the spacer grid and the basis and characteristic of the TIG welding method. A series of test which is conducted to evaluate the integrity of TIG welded zircaloy spacer grid and their results have been also studied. (Author) 18 refs., 23 figs., 3 tabs

A technical report on the evaluation of the integrity for the TIG welded spacer grid

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Song, Kee Nam; Yoo, Ho Sik; Lww, Chang Woo [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Taejon (Korea, Republic of)

1994-07-01

The spacer grid, which supports fuel rods, guide thimble and instrumentation tube, is classified into two types according to their strap material,.ie. inconel and zircaloy spacer grid. KOFA fuel of 14 x 14 and 17 x 17 type has seven and eight spacer grid respectively. Zircaloy spacer grid is assembled by straps whose cross points are welded by TIG welding method. This technical report provides to give some information about structure and function of the spacer grid and the basis and characteristic of the TIG welding method. A series of test which is conducted to evaluate the integrity of TIG welded zircaloy spacer grid and their results have been also studied. (Author) 18 refs., 23 figs., 3 tabs.

Numerical simulation of bubble motion about a grid spacer in a rod bundle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Zheng; Hosokawa, Shigeo; Hayashi, Kosuke; Tomiyama, Akio

2009-01-01

Numerical simulations based on a three-dimensional two-way bubble tracking method are carried out to predict bubble motions in a square duct with an obstacle and in a two-by-three rod bundle with a grid spacer. Comparisons between measured and predicted bubble motions demonstrate that the two-way bubble tracking method gives good predictions for trajectories of small bubbles in the upstream side of the grid spacer in the rod bundle geometry. The predicted bubble trajectories clearly show that bubbles are apt to migrate toward the rod surface in the vicinity of the bottom of the grid spacer. Analysis of forces acting on the bubbles confirms that pressure gradient force induced by the presence of the spacer is the main cause of the bubble lateral migration toward the rod surface. Motions of steam bubbles at a nominal operating condition of a pressurized water reactor (PWR) are also predicted by using the bubble tracking method, which indicates that steam bubbles also migrate toward the rod surface at the upstream side of the spacer due to the spacer-induced pressure gradient force. (author)

Modeling the effect of spacers and biofouling on forward osmosis performance

KAUST Repository

Mosqueira Santillá n, Marí a José

2014-01-01

and operational conditions. For this, a two dimensional numerical model for FO systems was developed using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). This model allowed the evaluation of the impact of (i) spacers and (ii) biofilm, and (iii) the combined impact of spacers

Articulating spacers used in two-stage revision of infected hip and knee prostheses abrade with time.

Science.gov (United States)

Fink, Bernd; Rechtenbach, Annett; Büchner, Hubert; Vogt, Sebastian; Hahn, Michael

2011-04-01

Articulating spacers used in two-stage revision surgery of infected prostheses have the potential to abrade and subsequently induce third-body wear of the new prosthesis. We asked whether particulate material abraded from spacers could be detected in the synovial membrane 6 weeks after implantation when the spacers were removed for the second stage of the revision. Sixteen hip spacers (cemented prosthesis stem articulating with a cement cup) and four knee spacers (customized mobile cement spacers) were explanted 6 weeks after implantation and the synovial membranes were removed at the same time. The membranes were examined by xray fluorescence spectroscopy, xray diffraction for the presence of abraded particles originating from the spacer material, and analyzed in a semiquantitative manner by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Histologic analyses also were performed. We found zirconium dioxide in substantial amounts in all samples, and in the specimens of the hip synovial lining, we detected particles that originated from the metal heads of the spacers. Histologically, zirconium oxide particles were seen in the synovial membrane of every spacer and bone cement particles in one knee and two hip spacers. The observations suggest cement spacers do abrade within 6 weeks. Given the presence of abrasion debris, we recommend total synovectomy and extensive lavage during the second-stage reimplantation surgery to minimize the number of abraded particles and any retained bacteria.

Deformation behavior of cell spring of an irradiated spacer grid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jin, Y. G.; Baek, S. J.; Ryu, W. S.; Kim, G. S.; Yoo, B. O.; Kim, D. S.; Ahn, S. B.; Chun, Y. B.; Choo, Y. S.

2012-01-01

Mechanical properties of a space grid of a fuel assembly are of great importance for fuel operation reliability in extended fuel burnup and duration of fuel life. The spacer grid with inner and outer straps has cell spring and dimples, which are in contact with the fuel rod. The spacer grids supporting the fuel rods absorb vibration impacts due to the reactor coolant flow and also grid spring force is decreasing under irradiation. This reduction of contact force might cause the grid to rod fretting wear. The fretting failure of the fuel rod is one of the significant issues recently in the nuclear industry from an economical as well as a safety concern. Thus, it is important to understand the characteristics of cell spring behavior for an irradiated spacer grid. In the present study, the stiffness test and dimensional measurement of cell springs were conducted to investigate the deformation behavior of cell springs of an irradiated spacer grid in a hot cell at IMEF (irradiated materials examination facility) of KAERI

Implementation of spacer therapy for acute asthma in children.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Vandeleur, M

2009-09-01

The aim was to develop and implement an evidence based guideline for the treatment of acute asthma using a metered dose inhaler and spacer combination. Children admitted to Cork University Hospital Paediatric Department with acute asthma were identified during two identical 2 month seasonal periods before (2005) and after (2006) implementation of the new guidelines in September 2006. Pre-intervention and post-intervention audits by case note review were performed to determine the impact of and compliance with this evidence-based guideline emphasising patient assessment, spacer delivered bronchodilator and specific discharge criteria. Patients had similar characteristics during the two study periods. There was a raised threshold for admission after guideline implementation with 11\\/52 patients having mild exacerbations in 2006, compared to 21\\/36 in 2005. Duration of admission was less in the post-implementation group for equivalent exacerbation severity e.g. for moderate severity; 28 hours in 2005, 23 hours in 2006. Duration of bronchodilator therapy was shorter in 2006 and more likely to be given by spacer device earlier for equivalent levels of severity e.g. for moderate exacerbations, in 2006 the average length of salbutamol therapy was 18 hours with 12 hours by spacer device, in 2005 the average length of therapy was 25 hours with 3 hours by spacer. There was earlier initiation of oral corticosteroids; the average time to administration was 56 minutes in 2006 and 227 minutes in 2005. There was an improved documentation of asthma education in 2006 e.g. inhaler technique was reviewed in 37\\/52 in 2006, 21\\/35 in 2005 and better use of written action plans.

Effect of spacer grids on CHF in tube bundles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jayanti, Sreenivas; Valette, Michel

2004-01-01

Spacers grids are used to support tube bundles in steam generators and in nuclear reactor fuel assemblies. These grids interface with the flow and heat transfer in a number of ways and their effect has been studied by a number of researchers. It is known that generally they have a beneficial effect on critical heat flux (CHF) in typical nuclear reactor assemblies. However, the enhancement obtained depends on the geometric characteristics of the spacer grids as well as on the parameter range in terms of pressure, local mass velocity and quality. In the present study, the problem is approached in the context of a one-dimensional three-field model. Unlike in previous approaches, no specific modeling of the constitutive laws is made to account for spacer effects and only the geometric details such as the reduction in the cross-sectional area and the hydraulic diameter are included in the calculation which is otherwise the same as that for flow through a single tube. It is shown by comparison with literature data that this approach leads to satisfactory prediction of the thermal-hydraulic effects of spacers and that the beneficial effects of spacers on dry out can be manifested only when the entrainment rate is neither too high nor too low. Their effect on reducing the post-dry out wall temperature is also limited to certain cases. The present work has been performed as part of the EDF-CEA Neptune project also supported by the Institut de Radioprotection et de Surete Nucleaire (IRSN, France) and FRAMATOME-ANP. NEPTUNE is a new set of two phase thermalhydraulic computer codes devoted to safety analysis of nuclear power plants. (author)

Effect of a spacer moiety on radiometal labelled Neurotensin derivatives

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mascarin, A.; Valverde, I.E.; Mindt, T.L. [Univ. of Basel Hospital (Switzerland). Div. of Radiopharmaceutical Chemistry

2013-07-01

The binding sequence of the regulatory peptide Neurotensin, NT(8-13), represents a promising tumour-specific vector for the development of radiopeptides useful in nuclear oncology for the diagnosis (imaging) and therapy of cancer. A number of radiometal-labelled NT(8-13) derivatives have been reported, however, the effect of the spacer which connects the vector with the radiometal complex has yet not been investigated systematically. Because a spacer moiety can influence potentially important biological characteristics of radiopeptides, we synthesized three [DOTA({sup 177}Lu)]-X-NT(8-13) derivatives and evaluated the effect of a spacer (X) on the physico-chemical properties of the conjugate including lipophilicity, stability, and in vitro receptor affinity and cell internalization. (orig.)

System dynamic model and charging control of lead-acid battery for stand-alone solar PV system

KAUST Repository

Huang, B.J.

2010-05-01

The lead-acid battery which is widely used in stand-alone solar system is easily damaged by a poor charging control which causes overcharging. The battery charging control is thus usually designed to stop charging after the overcharge point. This will reduce the storage energy capacity and reduce the service time in electricity supply. The design of charging control system however requires a good understanding of the system dynamic behaviour of the battery first. In the present study, a first-order system dynamics model of lead-acid battery at different operating points near the overcharge voltage was derived experimentally, from which a charging control system based on PI algorithm was developed using PWM charging technique. The feedback control system for battery charging after the overcharge point (14 V) was designed to compromise between the set-point response and the disturbance rejection. The experimental results show that the control system can suppress the battery voltage overshoot within 0.1 V when the solar irradiation is suddenly changed from 337 to 843 W/m2. A long-term outdoor test for a solar LED lighting system shows that the battery voltage never exceeded 14.1 V for the set point 14 V and the control system can prevent the battery from overcharging. The test result also indicates that the control system is able to increase the charged energy by 78%, as compared to the case that the charging stops after the overcharge point (14 V). © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Techno-economic analysis of stand-alone photovoltaic/wind/battery/hydrogen systems for very small-scale applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stojković Saša M.

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The paper presents the results of a technical and economic analysis of three stand-alone hybrid power systems based on renewable energy sources which supply a specific group of low-power consumers. This particular case includes measuring sensors and obstacle lights on a meteorological mast for wind measurements requiring an uninterrupted power supply in cold climate conditions. Although these low-power (100 W measuring sensors and obstacle lights use little energy, their energy consumption is not the same as the available solar energy obtained on a daily or seasonal basis. In the paper, complementarity of renewable energy sources was analysed, as well as one of short-term lead-acid battery-based storage and seasonal, hydrogen-based (electrolyser, H2 tank, and fuel cells storage. These relatively complex power systems were proposed earlier for high-power consumers only, while this study specifically highlights the role of the hydrogen system for supplying low-power consumers. The analysis employed a numerical simulation method using the HOMER software tool. The results of the analysis suggest that solar and wind-solar systems, which involve meteorological conditions as referred to in this paper, include a relatively large number of lead-acid batteries. Additionally, the analysis suggests that the use of hydrogen power systems for supplying low power-consumers is entirely justifiable, as it significantly reduces the number of batteries (two at minimum in this particular case. It was shown that the increase in costs induced by the hydrogen system is acceptable.

Comparison of film/screen and PCR digital lateral cervical spine radiographs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silver, D.I.; Kreipke, D.L.; Tarver, R.; Braunstein, E.M.

1988-01-01

The authors compared film/screen and Phillips computed radiography (PCR) radiographs of the cervical spine. In 109 patients. fiilm/screen and digital radiographs were compared for adequate visualization (readability) of bone, soft tissue, and trachea. The lowest cervical vertebra seen was noted in each case. The radiographs were interpreted by four radiologists, and both interobserver and intraobserver consistency were measured. Of the PCR radiographs, 97% were readable with a viewbox alone. Of the film/screen radiographs, 9% were readable with a viewbox. With a hotlight, 83% of the film/screen radiographs became readable. Bone, soft tissue, and trachea were better seen on PCR radiographs than on film/screen radiographs (P<.001). There was less interobserver variation on digital radiographs. Readability of cervical spine radiographs was significantly improved with PCR

A Comparison of Hand Wrist Bone Analysis with Two Different Cervical Vertebral Analysis in Measuring Skeletal Maturation

OpenAIRE

Pichai, Saravanan; Rajesh, M; Reddy, Naveen; Adusumilli, Gopinath; Reddy, Jayaprakash; Joshi, Bhavana

2014-01-01

Background: Skeletal maturation is an integral part of individual pattern of growth and development and is a continuous process. Peak growth velocity in standing height is the most valid representation of the rate of overall skeletal growth. Ossification changes of hand wrist and cervical vertebrae are the reliable indicators of growth status of individual. The objective of this study was to compare skeletal maturation as measured by hand wrist bone analysis and cervical vertebral analysis. M...

Manipulation of recombination zone by utilizing the donor of electroplex as a spacer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lü, Zhaoyue, E-mail: lvzhaoyue@ecust.edu.cn [Department of Physics, School of Science, East China University of Science & Technology, Shanghai 200237 (China); Yin, Yuehong [Department of Applied Physics, Institute of Physical Chemistry, Henan Polytechnic University, Jiaozuo, Henan Province 454000 (China); Xiao, Jing [Physics and Electronic Engineering College, Taishan University, Shandong Province 271021,China (China)

2016-11-15

The emission of electroplex is varied with applied voltages, leading to poor color stability of devices. In this work, the recombination region was investigated in organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) based on the electroplex between N,N’-diphenyl-N,N’-bis(1-naphthyl-phenyl)-1,1′-biphenyl-4,4′-diamine(NPB) and 2-(4-biphenylyl)-5-(4-tert-butylphenyl)-1,2,4-oxadiazole (PBD). Color stability was manipulated by introducing the donor of electroplex as a spacer, which plays an important role of recombination zone for electroplex-based OLEDs. The 5-nm-spacer-device brought out a tolerable chromaticity coordinate shift of less than 0.01 for both x- and y-value. White light emission with CIE coordinates of (0.37,0.28) and (0.33,0.26) at 12 V was achieved when the thickness of spacer was 7 and 10 nm, respectively. The 7-nm-spacer-device exhibited better color stability than the 10-nm-spacer-device. This proves that adjusting spacer thickness is a simple and efficient method to control recombination region and can be useful for fulfilling color-stable electroplex-based white emission.

Manipulation of recombination zone by utilizing the donor of electroplex as a spacer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lü, Zhaoyue; Yin, Yuehong; Xiao, Jing

2016-01-01

The emission of electroplex is varied with applied voltages, leading to poor color stability of devices. In this work, the recombination region was investigated in organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) based on the electroplex between N,N’-diphenyl-N,N’-bis(1-naphthyl-phenyl)-1,1′-biphenyl-4,4′-diamine(NPB) and 2-(4-biphenylyl)-5-(4-tert-butylphenyl)-1,2,4-oxadiazole (PBD). Color stability was manipulated by introducing the donor of electroplex as a spacer, which plays an important role of recombination zone for electroplex-based OLEDs. The 5-nm-spacer-device brought out a tolerable chromaticity coordinate shift of less than 0.01 for both x- and y-value. White light emission with CIE coordinates of (0.37,0.28) and (0.33,0.26) at 12 V was achieved when the thickness of spacer was 7 and 10 nm, respectively. The 7-nm-spacer-device exhibited better color stability than the 10-nm-spacer-device. This proves that adjusting spacer thickness is a simple and efficient method to control recombination region and can be useful for fulfilling color-stable electroplex-based white emission.

A functional analysis of the spacer of V(DJ recombination signal sequences.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alfred Ian Lee

2003-10-01

Full Text Available During lymphocyte development, V(DJ recombination assembles antigen receptor genes from component V, D, and J gene segments. These gene segments are flanked by a recombination signal sequence (RSS, which serves as the binding site for the recombination machinery. The murine Jbeta2.6 gene segment is a recombinationally inactive pseudogene, but examination of its RSS reveals no obvious reason for its failure to recombine. Mutagenesis of the Jbeta2.6 RSS demonstrates that the sequences of the heptamer, nonamer, and spacer are all important. Strikingly, changes solely in the spacer sequence can result in dramatic differences in the level of recombination. The subsequent analysis of a library of more than 4,000 spacer variants revealed that spacer residues of particular functional importance are correlated with their degree of conservation. Biochemical assays indicate distinct cooperation between the spacer and heptamer/nonamer along each step of the reaction pathway. The results suggest that the spacer serves not only to ensure the appropriate distance between the heptamer and nonamer but also regulates RSS activity by providing additional RAG:RSS interaction surfaces. We conclude that while RSSs are defined by a "digital" requirement for absolutely conserved nucleotides, the quality of RSS function is determined in an "analog" manner by numerous complex interactions between the RAG proteins and the less-well conserved nucleotides in the heptamer, the nonamer, and, importantly, the spacer. Those modulatory effects are accurately predicted by a new computational algorithm for "RSS information content." The interplay between such binary and multiplicative modes of interactions provides a general model for analyzing protein-DNA interactions in various biological systems.

How to use an inhaler - no spacer

Science.gov (United States)

... MDI) administration - no spacer; Bronchial nebulizer; Wheezing - nebulizer; Reactive airway - nebulizer; COPD - ... 66. National Asthma Education and Prevention Program website. How to use a metered-dose inhaler. ...

The Use of Artificial Neural Networks for Forecasting the Electric Demand of Stand-Alone Consumers

Science.gov (United States)

Ivanin, O. A.; Direktor, L. B.

2018-05-01

The problem of short-term forecasting of electric power demand of stand-alone consumers (small inhabited localities) situated outside centralized power supply areas is considered. The basic approaches to modeling the electric power demand depending on the forecasting time frame and the problems set, as well as the specific features of such modeling, are described. The advantages and disadvantages of the methods used for the short-term forecast of the electric demand are indicated, and difficulties involved in the solution of the problem are outlined. The basic principles of arranging artificial neural networks are set forth; it is also shown that the proposed method is preferable when the input information necessary for prediction is lacking or incomplete. The selection of the parameters that should be included into the list of the input data for modeling the electric power demand of residential areas using artificial neural networks is validated. The structure of a neural network is proposed for solving the problem of modeling the electric power demand of residential areas. The specific features of generation of the training dataset are outlined. The results of test modeling of daily electric demand curves for some settlements of Kamchatka and Yakutia based on known actual electric demand curves are provided. The reliability of the test modeling has been validated. A high value of the deviation of the modeled curve from the reference curve obtained in one of the four reference calculations is explained. The input data and the predicted power demand curves for the rural settlement of Kuokuiskii Nasleg are provided. The power demand curves were modeled for four characteristic days of the year, and they can be used in the future for designing a power supply system for the settlement. To enhance the accuracy of the method, a series of measures based on specific features of a neural network's functioning are proposed.

Stand-alone front-end system for high- frequency, high-frame-rate coded excitation ultrasonic imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Jinhyoung; Hu, Changhong; Shung, K Kirk

2011-12-01

A stand-alone front-end system for high-frequency coded excitation imaging was implemented to achieve a wider dynamic range. The system included an arbitrary waveform amplifier, an arbitrary waveform generator, an analog receiver, a motor position interpreter, a motor controller and power supplies. The digitized arbitrary waveforms at a sampling rate of 150 MHz could be programmed and converted to an analog signal. The pulse was subsequently amplified to excite an ultrasound transducer, and the maximum output voltage level achieved was 120 V(pp). The bandwidth of the arbitrary waveform amplifier was from 1 to 70 MHz. The noise figure of the preamplifier was less than 7.7 dB and the bandwidth was 95 MHz. Phantoms and biological tissues were imaged at a frame rate as high as 68 frames per second (fps) to evaluate the performance of the system. During the measurement, 40-MHz lithium niobate (LiNbO(3)) single-element lightweight (<;0.28 g) transducers were utilized. The wire target measure- ment showed that the -6-dB axial resolution of a chirp-coded excitation was 50 μm and lateral resolution was 120 μm. The echo signal-to-noise ratios were found to be 54 and 65 dB for the short burst and coded excitation, respectively. The contrast resolution in a sphere phantom study was estimated to be 24 dB for the chirp-coded excitation and 15 dB for the short burst modes. In an in vivo study, zebrafish and mouse hearts were imaged. Boundaries of the zebrafish heart in the image could be differentiated because of the low-noise operation of the implemented system. In mouse heart images, valves and chambers could be readily visualized with the coded excitation.

Characterization of feed channel spacer performance using geometries obtained by X-ray computed tomography

KAUST Repository

Haaksman, Viktor A.

2016-09-09

Spiral-wound membrane modules used in water treatment for water reuse and desalination make use of spacer meshes for keeping the membrane leaves apart and for enhancing the mass transfer. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) has gained importance in the design of new spacers with optimized hydrodynamic characteristics, but this requires a precise description of the spacer geometry. This study developed a method to obtain accurate three-dimensional (3-D) geometry representations for any given spacer design from X-ray computed tomography (CT) scans. The method revealed that the filaments of industrial spacers have a highly variable cross-section size and shape, which impact the flow characteristics in the feed channel. The pressure drop and friction factors were calculated from numerical simulations on five commercially available feed spacers used in practice. Model solutions compared well to experimental data measured using a flow cell for average velocities up to 0.2 m/s, as used in industrial reverse osmosis and nanofiltration membrane operations. A newly-proposed spacer geometry with alternating strand thickness was tested, which was found to yield a lower pressure drop while being highly efficient in converting the pumping power into membrane shear. Numerical model solutions using CFD with geometries from CT scans were closer to measurements than those obtained using the traditional circular cross-section strand simplification, indicating that CT scans are very well suitable to approximate real feed spacer geometries. By providing detailed insight on the spacer filament shape, CT scans allow better quantification of local distribution of velocity and shear, possibly leading to more accurate estimations of fouling and concentration polarization. © 2016 Elsevier B.V.

Effect of plastic spacer handling on salbutamol lung deposition in asthmatic children

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lipworth, Brian J; Lee, Daniel K C; Anhøj, Jacob

2002-01-01

AIMS: To study the effects of electrostatics in a plastic spacer on the lung deposition of salbutamol in asthmatic children. METHODS: Twenty-five children (5-12 years) with mild asthma were given salbutamol hydrofluoroalkane pressurized metered dose inhaler 400 micro g via a 750 ml plastic spacer...... on separate days. Blood samples were taken for plasma salbutamol at 5, 10, 15 and 20 min after inhalation to measure lung bioavailability as a surrogate for relative lung dose. With immediate inhalation following actuation, a new rinsed spacer (NewRinsed ) was compared with a used spacer after repeated daily...... log transformed and expressed as geometric mean fold difference for the average plasma salbutamol concentration (Cav) over 20 min. RESULTS: There were significant differences (P NewRinsed 1.92 fold (95% CI 1.15, 3...

Optimized spacer layer thickness for plasmonic-induced enhancement of photocurrent in a-Si:H

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Saleh, Z. M., E-mail: zaki.saleh@aauj.edu, E-mail: zakimsaleh@yahoo.com; Nasser, H.; Özkol, E.; Günöven, M.; Abak, K. [Middle East Technical University, Center for Solar Energy Research and Applications (GÜNAM) (Turkey); Canli, S. [Middle East Technical University, Central Laboratory (Turkey); Bek, A.; Turan, R. [Middle East Technical University, Center for Solar Energy Research and Applications (GÜNAM) (Turkey)

2015-10-15

Plasmonic interfaces consisting of silver nanoparticles of different sizes (50–100 nm) have been processed by the self-assembled dewetting technique and integrated to hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) using SiNx spacer layers to investigate the dependence of optical trapping enhancement on spacer layer thickness through the enhancements in photocurrent. Samples illuminated from the a-Si:H side exhibit a localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) that is red-shifted with the increasing particle size and broadened into the red with the increasing spacer layer thickness. The photocurrent measured in a-Si:H is not only consistent with the red-shift and broadening of the LSPR, but exhibits critical dependence on the spacer layer thickness also. The samples with plasmonic interfaces and a SiNx spacer layer exhibit appreciable enhancement of photocurrent compared with flat a-Si:H reference depending on the size of the Ag nanoparticle. Simulations conducted on one-dimensional square structures exhibit electric fields that are localized near the plasmonic structures but extend appreciably into the higher refractive index a-Si:H. These simulations produce a clear red-shift and broadening of extinction spectra for all spacer layer thicknesses and predict an enhancement in photocurrent in agreement with experimental results. The spectral dependence of photocurrent for six plasmonic interfaces with different Ag nanoparticle sizes and spacer layer thicknesses are correlated with the optical spectra and compared with the simulations to predict an optimal spacer layer thickness.

Pharmacokinetics of adriamycin vaginal suppository on uterine cervical cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Noda, Tsuneo; Kiyozuka, Yasuhiko; Katakami, Yoshiaki

1986-01-01

Vaginal suppositories of Adriamycin (ADM, 5 mg), for reducing the capacity for repair from sublethal damage of X-ray-irradiated cells, were prepared using Wipepsol S-55 as the vehicle, and were intravaginally administered to patients with advanced uterine cervical cancer, and their pharmacokinetics and clinical effects were studied. The ADM concentration in the uterine cervical cancer tissues indicated high levels (17 to 566 μg/g), and migration into the cardinal ligament and regional lymph nodes was noted. However, little ADM was detected in serum (0 to 0.14 μg/g), probably because of its molecular weight and excellent tissue absorbance, and no side effects, such as cardiotoxicity and myelosuppression due to consecutive administration were detected. Histologically, the effect obtained when administered alone was limited, administration in combination with radiotherapy being more effective. Accordingly, radiotherapy of advanced uterine cervical cancer with concomitant administration of ADM vaginal suppositories seems to bring about a more powerful antitumoral effect with fewer systemic side effects. (author)

Pharmacokinetics of adriamycin vaginal suppository on uterine cervical cancer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Noda, Tsuneo; Kiyozuka, Yasuhiko; Katakami, Yoshiaki

1986-03-01

Vaginal suppositories of Adriamycin (ADM, 5 mg), for reducing the capacity for repair from sublethal damage of X-ray-irradiated cells, were prepared using Wipepsol S-55 as the vehicle, and were intravaginally administered to patients with advanced uterine cervical cancer, and their pharmacokinetics and clinical effects were studied. The ADM concentration in the uterine cervical cancer tissues indicated high levels (17 to 566 ..mu..g/g), and migration into the cardinal ligament and regional lymph nodes was noted. However, little ADM was detected in serum (0 to 0.14 ..mu..g/g), probably because of its molecular weight and excellent tissue absorbance, and no side effects, such as cardiotoxicity and myelosuppression due to consecutive administration were detected. Histologically, the effect obtained when administered alone was limited, administration in combination with radiotherapy being more effective. Accordingly, radiotherapy of advanced uterine cervical cancer with concomitant administration of ADM vaginal suppositories seems to bring about a more powerful antitumoral effect with fewer systemic side effects.

Screening of cervical cancer in Catalonia 2006-2012.

Science.gov (United States)

de Sanjosé, Silvia; Ibáñez, Raquel; Rodríguez-Salés, Vanesa; Peris, Mercè; Roura, Esther; Diaz, Mireia; Torné, Aureli; Costa, Dolors; Canet, Yolanda; Falguera, Gemma; Alejo, Maria; Espinàs, Josep Alfons; Bosch, F Xavier

2015-01-01

The early detection of intraepithelial lesions of the cervix, through the periodic examination of cervical cells, has been fundamental for the prevention of invasive cervical cancer and its related mortality. In this report, we summarise the cervical cancer screening activities carried out in Catalonia, Spain, within the National Health System during 2008-2011. The study population covers over two million women resident in the area. The evaluation includes 758,690 cervical cytologies performed on a total of 595,868 women. The three-year coverage of cervical cytology among women aged between 25 and 65 years was 40.8%. About 50% of first screened women with negative results had not returned to the second screening round. The introduction of high-risk human papillomavirus DNA (HPV) detection, as a primary screening cotest with cytology among women over age 40 with a poor screening history, significantly improved the detection of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 or worse (CIN2+), being far superior to cytology alone. Cotesting did not improve the detection of CIN2+. The use of the HPV test for the triage of atypical squamous cell undetermined significance (ASC-US) improved the selection of women at high risk of CIN2+. Sampling (both cytology and HPV test) was largely performed by midwives (66.7%), followed by obstetricians (23.8%) and nurses (7%). Over half of the centres (54.8%) had full use of online medical records. During the study period, educational activities for professionals and for women were carried out periodically. The organisation of screening as a population activity in which women are actively called to the screening visit and the introduction of HPV testing as a primary screening tool are strongly recommended to ensure the maximum population impact in the reduction of the cervical cancer burden.

Shelf life of pie caps with biodegradable films as spacers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniela Verónica Escobar Gianni

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Commonly pie caps at market use polyethylene films as spacers between them. This paper studies the conventional spacers replacement with edible and biodegradable films made with whey protein isolate (WPI and potassium sorbate as a preservative. Besides facilitating the separation of pie caps, with this application is intended to increase their shelf life. The films made by the compression molding method were used as spacers in pie caps without preservative in their formula (A and with preservative (B and they were compared with conventional polyethylene spacers (C. During four months, monthly sensory, microbiological and physicochemical (humidity evaluations were done on the pie caps, together with humidity and solubility evaluations of the films. None of the samples showed microbiological or sensory deterioration. The sensory attributes showed no or slight difference in study time. Between samples the differences were minor: the best scores were for sample A in color, sample C in flavor, and samples B and C in texture and overall liking. The edible films have an interesting potential for this application, although studies in disguise the flavor of serum should be done.

Hot fuel examination facility element spacer wire-wrap machine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tobias, D.A.; Sherman, E.K.

1989-01-01

Nondestructive examinations of irradiated experimental fuel elements conducted in the Argonne National Laboratory Hot Fuel Examination Facility/North (HFEF/N) at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory include laser and contact profilometry (element diameter measurements), electrical eddy-current testing for cladding and thermal bond defects, bow and length measurements, neutron radiography, gamma scanning, remote visual exam, and photography. Profilometry was previously restricted to spiral profilometry of the element to prevent interference with the element spacer wire wrapped in a helix about the Experimental Breeder Reactor II (EBR-II)-type fuel element from end to end. By removing the spacer wire prior to conducting profilometry examination, axial profilometry techniques may be used, which are considerably faster than spiral techniques and often result in data acquisition more important to experiment sponsors. Because the element must often be reinserted into the nuclear reactor (EBR-II) for additional irradiation, however, the spacer wire must be reinstalled on the highly irradiated fuel element by remote means after profilometry of the wireless elements. The element spacer wire-wrap machine developed at HFEF is capable of helically wrapping fuel elements with diameters up to 1.68 cm (0.660 in.) and 2.44-m (96-in.) lengths. The machine can accommodate almost any desired wire pitch length by simply inserting a new wrapper gear module

Knitting Technologies And Tensile Properties Of A Novel Curved Flat-Knitted Three-Dimensional Spacer Fabrics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Li Xiaoying

2015-09-01

Full Text Available This paper introduces a knitting technique for making innovative curved three-dimensional (3D spacer fabrics by the computer flat-knitting machine. During manufacturing, a number of reinforcement yarns made of aramid fibres are inserted into 3D spacer fabrics along the weft direction to enhance the fabric tensile properties. Curved, flat-knitted 3D spacer fabrics with different angles (in the warp direction were also developed. Tensile tests were carried out in the weft and warp directions for the two spacer fabrics (with and without reinforcement yarns, and their stress–strain curves were compared. The results showed that the reinforcement yarns can reduce the fabric deformation and improve tensile stress and dimensional stability of 3D spacer fabrics. This research can help the further study of 3D spacer fabric when applied to composites.

Pros and cons of symmetrical dual-k spacer technology in hybrid FinFETs

Science.gov (United States)

Pradhan, K. P.; Andrade, M. G. C.; Sahu, P. K.

2016-12-01

The symmetrical dual-k spacer technology in hybrid FinFETs has been widely explored for better electrostatic control of the fin-based devices in nanoscale region. Since, high-k tangible spacer materials are broadly became a matter of study due to their better immunity to the short channel effects (SCEs) in nano devices. However, the only cause that restricts the circuit designers from using high-k spacer is the unreasonable increasing fringing capacitances. This work quantitatively analyzed the benefits and drawbacks of considering two different dielectric spacer materials symmetrically in either sides of the channel for the hybrid device. From the demonstrated results, the inclusion of high-k spacer predicts an effective reduction in off-state leakage along with an improvement in drive current. However, these devices have paid the cost in terms of a high total gate-to-gate capacitance (Cgg) that consequently results poor cutoff frequency (fT) and delay.

Using cathode spacers to minimize reactor size in air cathode microbial fuel cells

KAUST Repository

Yang, Qiao

2012-04-01

Scaling up microbial fuel cells (MFCs) will require more compact reactor designs. Spacers can be used to minimize the reactor size without adversely affecting performance. A single 1.5mm expanded plastic spacer (S1.5) produced a maximum power density (973±26mWm -2) that was similar to that of an MFC with the cathode exposed directly to air (no spacer). However, a very thin spacer (1.3mm) reduced power by 33%. Completely covering the air cathode with a solid plate did not eliminate power generation, indicating oxygen leakage into the reactor. The S1.5 spacer slightly increased columbic efficiencies (from 20% to 24%) as a result of reduced oxygen transfer into the system. Based on operating conditions (1000ς, CE=20%), it was estimated that 0.9Lh -1 of air would be needed for 1m 2 of cathode area suggesting active air flow may be needed for larger scale MFCs. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd.

Nuclear reactor fuel assembly spacer grids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jabsen, F.S.

1977-01-01

Designs of nuclear reactor fuel assembly spacer grids for supporting and spacing fuel elements are described which do not utilize resilient grid plate protrusions in the peripheral band but retain the advantages inherent in the combination resilient and rigid protrusion cells. (U.K.)

History of cervical spine surgery: from nihilism to advanced reconstructive surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Dweik, A; Van den Brande, E; Kossmann, T; Maas, A I R

2013-11-01

Review of literature. To review and analyze the evolution of cervical spine surgery from ancient times to current practice. The aim is to present an accessible overview, primarily intended for a broad readership. Descriptive literature review and analysis of the development of cervical spine surgery from the prehistoric era until today. The first evidence for surgical treatment of spinal disorders dates back to approximately 1500 BC. Conservative approaches to treatment have been the hallmark for thousands of years, but over the past 50 years progress has been rapid. We illustrate how nations have added elements to this complex subject and how knowledge has surpassed borders and language barriers. Transferral of knowledge occurred from Babylon (Bagdad) to Old Egypt, to the Greek and Roman empires and finally via the Middle East (Bagdad and Damascus) back to Europe. Recent advances in the field of anesthesia, imaging and spinal instrumentation have changed long-standing nihilism in the treatment of cervical spine pathologies to the current practice of advanced reconstructive surgery of the cervical spine. A critical approach to the evaluation of benefits and complications of these advanced surgical techniques for treatment of cervical spine disorders is required. Advances in surgery now permit full mechanical reconstruction of the cervical spine. However, despite substantial experimental progress, spinal cord repair and restoration of lost functions remain a challenge. Modern surgeons are still looking for the best way to manage spine disorders.

[The life of elderly women living alone].

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Chunmi; Ko, Moon Hee; Kim, Moon Jeong; Kim, Joohyun; Kim, Hee Ja; Moon, Jin Ha; Baek, Kyoung Seon; Son, Haeng-Mi; Oh, SangEun; Lee, YoungAe; Choi, Jung-Sook

2008-10-01

This study aimed to uncover the fundamental nature of living alone in female elderly. The phenomenological research approach developed by van Manen was adopted. The theme was 'taking a firm stand alone on the edges of life'. The composition elements of living alone experienced by elderly women were as follows: 1) Corporeality: participants perceived their bodies by their health status. Unhealthy participants were suffering with diseases and dependant on other persons, while healthy participants were free from family responsibility and kept on moving. 2) Spatiality: participants felt both freedom and loneliness while they stayed home. 3) Relationality: participants felt pity and yearning for their bereaved husband and sometimes talked to his picture. According to their children's filial piety, participants were pleased or displeased. However, they incessantly devoted themselves to their children. 4) Temporality: participants considered the rest of their life as extra-time which was proceeding to death, and tried to keep themselves busy before they died. A nurse should understand the multifarious aspects of elderly women's life, and then intervene to consolidate their strengths for self-supporting the final years of life.

Suppression of subthreshold characteristics variation for junctionless multigate transistors using high-k spacers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lou, Haijun; Zhang, Baili; Li, Dan; Lin, Xinnan; He, Jin; Chan, Mansun

2015-01-01

In this work, the high-k spacer is proposed to suppress the subthreshold characteristics variation of junctionless multigate transistor (JMT) with non-ideal sidewall angle for the first time. It is demonstrated that the variation of subthreshold characteristics induced by the changing sidewall angle is efficiently suppressed by high-k spacers due to the enhanced corner effect through the fringe capacitance, and the electrostatic integrity of JMTs is also improved at sub-22 nm gate length. Two key parameters of high-k spacer, the thickness and length, have been optimized in terms of the suppression of subthreshold characteristics variation. Then their optimal values are proposed. The benefit of high-k spacer makes JMTs more scalable. (paper)

Photographic measurement of head and cervical posture when viewing mobile phone: a pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

Guan, Xiaofei; Fan, Guoxin; Wu, Xinbo; Zeng, Ying; Su, Hang; Gu, Guangfei; Zhou, Qi; Gu, Xin; Zhang, Hailong; He, Shisheng

2015-12-01

With the dramatic growth of mobile phone usage, concerns have been raised with regard to the adverse health effects of mobile phone on spinal posture. The aim of this study was to determine the head and cervical postures by photogrammetry when viewing the mobile phone screen, compared with those in neutral standing posture. A total of 186 subjects (81 females and 105 males) aged from 17 to 31 years old participated in this study. Subjects were instructed to stand neutrally and using mobile phone as in daily life. Using a photographic method, the sagittal head and cervical postures were assessed by head tilt angle, neck tilt angle, forward head shift and gaze angle. The photographic method showed a high intra-rater and inter-rater reliability in measuring the sagittal posture of cervical spine and gaze angle (ICCs ranged from 0.80 to 0.99). When looking at mobile phone, the head tilt angle significantly increased (from 74.55° to 95.22°, p = 0.000) and the neck angle decreased (from 54.68° to 38.77°, p = 0.000). The forward head posture was also confirmed by the significantly increased head shift (from 10.90 to 13.85 cm, p = 0.000). The posture assumed in mobile phone use was significantly correlated with neutral posture (p phone use. Compared to neutral standing, subjects display a more forward head posture when viewing the mobile phone screen, which is correlated with neutral posture, gaze angle and gender. Future studies will be needed to investigate a dose-response relationship between mobile phone use and assumed posture.

Stand-alone microgrids

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bauer, P.; Weldemariam, L.E.; Raijen, E.

2011-01-01

Abstract- A hybrid power system (HPS) which consists of diesel Genset, PV -arrays and wind turbines with energy storing and power electronic devices is discussed in this paper. An inventory of different connection topologies is made for some of the sources that generate AC power and others that

BWR fuel assembly with improved spacer and fuel bundle design for enhanced thermal-hydraulic performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mildrum, C.M.; Taleyarkhan, R.P.

1987-01-01

In a fuel assembly having a bundle of elongated fuel rods disposed in side-by-side relationship so as to form an array of spaced fuel rods, an outer tubular flow channel surrounding the fuel rods so as to direct flow of coolant/moderator fluid along the fuel rods, a hollow water cross extending centrally through and interconnected with the outer flow channel so as to divide the channel into separate compartments and the bundle of fuelrods into a plurality of mini-bundles thereof being disposed in the compartments, and spacers axially displaced along the fuel rods in each of the mini-bundles thereof. Each spacer is composed of inner and outer means which together define spacer cells at corner, side and interior locations of the spacer and have respective protrusions formed thereon which extend into cells so as to maintain the fuel rods received through the spacer cells in laterally spaced relationships. The improvement is described which comprises: (a) a generally uniform poison coating within at least a majority of the fuel rods; (b) a predetermined pattern of fuel enrichment with respect to the fuel rods of each mini-bundle thereof which together with the uniform poison coating within the fuel rods ensures that the packing powers of the fuel rods in the corner and side cells of the spacers are less than the peaking power of a leading one of the fuel rods in the interior cells of the spacers; and (c) each of the fuel rods being received through the cells of each spacer having a diametric size smaller than that of each of the fuel rods received through the side and interior cells of each spacer, the diametric sizes of each of the fuel rods received through the side and interior cells of each spacer being generally equal

Numerical investigation on practicability of reducing MCST by using grid spacer in a tight rod bundle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu, Xiaojing; Morooka, Shinichi; Oka, Yoshiaki

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Standard grid spacer design causes decreased heat transfer in a tight rod bundle. • Heat transfer is greatly enhanced by flow-enhancing features. • Swirling flow adversely affects the heat transfer downstream of grid spacer. • Enhanced heat transfer by existing grid spacer is limited in a short region. • Improved grid spacer can effectively reduce MCST. - Abstract: The numerical investigation was carried out to reveal the practicability of reducing the maximum cladding surface temperature (MCST) within the inner sub-channel of a tight, hexagon rod bundle using commercial CFD code STAR CCM+ 6.04. The special heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics caused by four existing grid spacer designs were discussed in detail by analyzing the effects of grid strap length, different flow enhancing features and different Reynolds numbers. It was found that the local heat transfer within the grid strap is greatly enhanced due to the raised flow velocity. Both the standard grid spacer and the grid spacer with split-vanes cause decreased heat transfer in the downstream region. The friction drag is very influential in the tight rod bundle and can eliminate the positive effect of flow blockage on the heat transfer performance. The grid spacer with flow blockage discs induces relatively good heat transfer performance and higher pressure drop within sub-channels, indicating a tradeoff between the heat transfer augmentation and the pressure drop. The combination of multiple existing grid spacers can reduce the MCST to a certain level, but the corresponding disadvantages cannot be ignored. The improved grid spacer design was proposed based on the overall considerations of heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics and has been proved more suitable to widely reduce MCST for SCWR than any other grid spacer designs involved in present study

Spacer grid for a nuclear reactor fuel assembly

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jabsen, F.S.

1978-01-01

The spacer grid consists of pairs of plates forming rectangular cells and enclosing the cylindrical fuel assemblies. They have got rigid as well as elastic projections extending into the cells and holding the fuel assemblies. Additional pairs of plates are arranged in about the center of the grid of plates. They have got only elastic projections extending on both sides of the plates into one cell each. This spacer grid may be used for reactor cores with and without fuel channels. By the combination of spring-elastic and rigid projections there is obtained a reinforced outer tie. Hydraulic pressure losses, parasitic neutron capture, and hot spots are essentially reduced. (DG) [de

Cost-effectiveness of human papillomavirus vaccine in reducing the risk of cervical cancer in Ireland due to HPV types 16 and 18 using a transmission dynamic model

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Usher, C.; Tilson, L.; Olsen, J.

2008-01-01

We evaluated the cost-effectiveness of combining a cervical cancer screening programme with a national HPV vaccination programme compared to a screening programme alone to prevent cervical dysplasia and cervical cancer related to HPV types 16 and 18 in the Irish healthcare setting. The incrementa...... per LYG was ((sic)3400 to E38,400). This suggests that vaccination against HPV types 16 and 18 would be cost-effective from the perspective of the Irish healthcare payer. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved......We evaluated the cost-effectiveness of combining a cervical cancer screening programme with a national HPV vaccination programme compared to a screening programme alone to prevent cervical dysplasia and cervical cancer related to HPV types 16 and 18 in the Irish healthcare setting. The incremental...... cost effectiveness of vaccination strategies for 12-year-old females (base-case) and 12-26-year-old catch-up vaccination strategies were examined. The base-case incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was (sic)17,383/LYG. Using a probabilistic sensitivity analysis about the base-case, the 95% CI for cost...

New Scheme for Seamless Operation for Stand-Alone Power Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hyun-Jun Kim

2016-06-01

Full Text Available On remote islands photovoltaic (PV panels with battery energy storage systems (BESSs supply electric power to customers in parallel operation with engine generators (EGs to reduce fuel consumption and environmental burden. A BESS operates in voltage control mode when it supplies power to loads alone, while it operates in current control mode when it supplies power to loads in parallel with the EG. This paper proposes a smooth mode change of the BESS from current control to voltage control by using initial value at the output of integral part in the voltage controller, and a smooth mode change from voltage control to current control by tracking the EG output voltage to the BESS output voltage using a phase-locked loop (PLL. The feasibility of the proposed scheme was verified through computer simulations and experiments with a scaled prototype.

Modeling the effect of spacers and biofouling on forward osmosis performance

KAUST Repository

Mosqueira Santillán, María José

2014-11-01

Currently, the most utilized desalination technology is reverse osmosis (RO), where a membrane is used as a physical barrier to separate the salts from the seawater, using high hydraulic pressure as driving force. A major problem in RO systems is biofouling, caused by severe growth of bacterial biofilms. Both, the need of an external energy input, as well as biofouling, impose a high cost on RO operation. Forward osmosis (FO) is an alternative membrane process that uses an osmotic pressure difference as driving force. FO uses a concentrated draw solution to generate high osmotic pressure, which extracts water across a semi permeable membrane from a feed solution. One of the main advantages of FO is the limited amount of external energy required to extract water from the feed solution. The objective of this research is the assessment of the impact of spacers, separating the membrane sheets, and biofouling on the FO system performance. This type of studies allow the optimization of membrane devices and operational conditions. For this, a two dimensional numerical model for FO systems was developed using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). This model allowed the evaluation of the impact of (i) spacers and (ii) biofilm, and (iii) the combined impact of spacers and biofilm on the performance of FO systems. The results obtained showed that the presence of spacers improved the performance of FO systems. Cavity configuration spacer gave the higher water flux across the membrane in clean systems; whereas for biofouled systems, the submerged configuration showed a better performance. In absence of spacers, the thickness or amount of biofilm is inversely proportional with the water flux. Furthermore, membrane surface coverage of the biofilm is more important than the amount of biofilm in terms of the impact on the performance. The numerical model can be adapted with other parameters (e.g. membrane and spacer thickness, feed and draw solution, solution concentration, etc.) to

Biofouling patterns in spacer filled channels: High resolution imaging for characterization of heterogeneous biofilms

KAUST Repository

Staal, Marc

2017-08-15

Biofilms develop in heterogeneous patterns at a µm scale up to a cm scale, and patterns become more pronounced when biofilms develop under complex hydrodynamic flow regimes. Spatially heterogeneous biofilms are especially known in spiral wound reverse osmosis (RO) and nanofiltration (NF) membrane filtration systems used for desalination and wastewater reuse to produce high quality (drinking) water. These spiral wound membrane modules contain mesh-like spacer structures used to create an intermembrane space and improve water mixing. Spacers create inhomogeneous water flow patterns resulting in zones favouring biofilm growth, possibly leading to biofouling thus hampering water production. Oxygen sensing planar optodes were used to visualize variations in oxygen decrease rates (ODR). ODR is an indication of biofilm activity. In this study, ODR images of multiple repetitive spacer areas in a membrane fouling simulator were averaged to produce high resolution, low noise ODR images. Averaging 40 individual spacer areas improved the ODR distribution image significantly and allowed comparison of biofilm patterning over a spacer structure at different positions in an RO filter. This method clearly showed that most active biofilm accumulated on and in direct vicinity of the spacer. The averaging method was also used to calculate the deviation of ODR patterning from individual spacer areas to the average ODR pattern, proposing a new approach to determine biofilm spatial heterogeneity. This study showed that the averaging method can be applied and that the improved, averaged ODR images can be used as an analytical, in-situ, non-destructive method to assess and quantify the effect of membrane installation operational parameters or different spacer geometries on biofilm development in spiral wound membrane systems characterized by complex hydrodynamic conditions.

5 X 5 rod bundle flow field measurements downstream a PWR spacer grid

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Castro, Higor F.P.; Silva, Vitor V A.; Santos, André A.C.; Veloso, Maria A.F., E-mail: higorfabiano@gmail.com, E-mail: mdora@nuclear.ufmg.br, E-mail: vitors@cdtn.br, E-mail: aacs@cdtn.br [Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil); Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear (CDTN/CNEN-MG), Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil)

2017-07-01

The spacer grids are structures present in nuclear fuel assembly of Pressurized Water Reactors (PWR). They play an important structural role and also assist in heat removal through the assembly by promoting increased turbulence of the flow. Understanding the flow dynamics downstream the spacer grid is paramount for fuel element design and analysis. This paper presents water flow velocity profiles measurements downstream a spacer grid in a 5 x 5 rod bundle test rig with the objective of highlighting important fluid dynamic behavior near the grid and supplying data for CFD simulation validation. These velocity profiles were obtained at two different heights downstream the spacer grid using a LDV (Laser Doppler Velocimetry) through the top of test rig. The turbulence intensities and patterns of the swirl and cross flow were evaluated. The tests were conducted for Reynolds numbers ranging from 1.8 x 10{sup 4} to 5.4 x 10{sup 4}. This experimental research was carried out in thermo-hydraulics laboratory of Nuclear Technology Development Center – CDTN. Results show great repeatability and low uncertainties (< 1.24 %). Details of the flow field show how the mixture and turbulence induced by the spacer grid quickly decays downstream the spacer grid. It is shown that the developed methodology can supply high resolution low uncertainty results that can be used for validation of CFD simulations. (author)

5 X 5 rod bundle flow field measurements downstream a PWR spacer grid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Castro, Higor F.P.; Silva, Vitor V A.; Santos, André A.C.; Veloso, Maria A.F.

2017-01-01

The spacer grids are structures present in nuclear fuel assembly of Pressurized Water Reactors (PWR). They play an important structural role and also assist in heat removal through the assembly by promoting increased turbulence of the flow. Understanding the flow dynamics downstream the spacer grid is paramount for fuel element design and analysis. This paper presents water flow velocity profiles measurements downstream a spacer grid in a 5 x 5 rod bundle test rig with the objective of highlighting important fluid dynamic behavior near the grid and supplying data for CFD simulation validation. These velocity profiles were obtained at two different heights downstream the spacer grid using a LDV (Laser Doppler Velocimetry) through the top of test rig. The turbulence intensities and patterns of the swirl and cross flow were evaluated. The tests were conducted for Reynolds numbers ranging from 1.8 x 10"4 to 5.4 x 10"4. This experimental research was carried out in thermo-hydraulics laboratory of Nuclear Technology Development Center – CDTN. Results show great repeatability and low uncertainties (< 1.24 %). Details of the flow field show how the mixture and turbulence induced by the spacer grid quickly decays downstream the spacer grid. It is shown that the developed methodology can supply high resolution low uncertainty results that can be used for validation of CFD simulations. (author)

Research report on development of spacer grid strap for AFA 3G fuel assembly

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ye Yuandong

2004-11-01

The current development and tendency for fuel assemblies being of low leakage, high burn-up and long cycle fuel reload in the world are presented, and the necessity and feasibility to develop the spacer grid for high burn-up fuel assembly are elaborated. Considering all the activities in implementing of spacer grid and the technical difficulties in machining of tools, the major technological processes are introduced; the research program and the approaches to develop the spacer grid while research targets and overall schedule are defined and some key technical points and applicable practices are discussed. Finally the requirements and the conditions necessary for developing of spacer grid are proposed. (authors)

A functional analysis of the spacer of V(D)J recombination signal sequences.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Alfred Ian; Fugmann, Sebastian D; Cowell, Lindsay G; Ptaszek, Leon M; Kelsoe, Garnett; Schatz, David G

2003-10-01

During lymphocyte development, V(D)J recombination assembles antigen receptor genes from component V, D, and J gene segments. These gene segments are flanked by a recombination signal sequence (RSS), which serves as the binding site for the recombination machinery. The murine Jbeta2.6 gene segment is a recombinationally inactive pseudogene, but examination of its RSS reveals no obvious reason for its failure to recombine. Mutagenesis of the Jbeta2.6 RSS demonstrates that the sequences of the heptamer, nonamer, and spacer are all important. Strikingly, changes solely in the spacer sequence can result in dramatic differences in the level of recombination. The subsequent analysis of a library of more than 4,000 spacer variants revealed that spacer residues of particular functional importance are correlated with their degree of conservation. Biochemical assays indicate distinct cooperation between the spacer and heptamer/nonamer along each step of the reaction pathway. The results suggest that the spacer serves not only to ensure the appropriate distance between the heptamer and nonamer but also regulates RSS activity by providing additional RAG:RSS interaction surfaces. We conclude that while RSSs are defined by a "digital" requirement for absolutely conserved nucleotides, the quality of RSS function is determined in an "analog" manner by numerous complex interactions between the RAG proteins and the less-well conserved nucleotides in the heptamer, the nonamer, and, importantly, the spacer. Those modulatory effects are accurately predicted by a new computational algorithm for "RSS information content." The interplay between such binary and multiplicative modes of interactions provides a general model for analyzing protein-DNA interactions in various biological systems.

Simultaneous radiochemotherapy in cervical cancer: recommendations for chemotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dunst, J.; Haensgen, G.

2001-01-01

Background: Simultaneous radiochemotherapy has recently been demonstrated to be superior to radiation alone in the treatment of cervical cancer. The objective of this article is to summarize the data of major randomized trials and to derive recommendations for daily clinical practice. Materials and Methods: We have analyzed the data from seven randomized trials in the recent literature in which radiotherapy alone as standard treatment has been compared to simultaneous radiochemotherapy. Four trials used cisplatin-based chemotherapy regimens, 5-FU, mitomycin C and epirubicin were used each in one trial. Results: All trials demonstrated some improvement in survival which was significant in the studies with cisplatin-based chemotherapy regimens. The survival benefit resulted mainly from an improvement in local control whereas chemotherapy had only a small and insignificant effect on distant metastases. Thus, the main action of chemotherapy is ''radiosensitization''. Cisplatin as single drug yielded comparable results as compared to combined regimens although the cisplatin dose was lower in the studies with combination chemotherapy. For the definitive treatment of locally advanced cancers, monotherapy with cisplatin can be recommended. Mitomycin C offers an attractive alternative to cisplatin in patients with contraindications for cisplatin. For postoperative radiochemotherapy, a combination of cisplatin/5-FU should be used because data with cisplatin alone are lacking so far. Simultaneous radiochemotherapy should also be considered for the curative treatment of local recurrences. Conclusions: The addition of simultaneous chemotherapy to radiotherapy is indicated in the vast majority of patients with cervical cancers who are treated with curative intent. (orig.) [de

Microbial fuel cells with an integrated spacer and separate anode and cathode modules

KAUST Repository

He, Weihua

2016-01-01

A new type of scalable MFC was developed based on using alternating graphite fiber brush array anode modules and dual cathode modules in order to simplify construction, operation, and maintenance of the electrodes. The modular MFC design was tested with a single (two-sided) cathode module with a specific surface area of 29 m2 m−3 based on a total liquid volume (1.4 L; 20 m2 m−3 using the total reactor volume of 2 L), and two brush anode modules. Three different types of spacers were used in the cathode module to provide structural stability, and enhance air flow relative to previous cassette (combined anode–cathode) designs: a low-profile wire spacer; a rigid polycarbonate column spacer; and a flexible plastic mesh spacer. The best performance was obtained using the wire spacer that produced a maximum power density of 1100 ± 10 mW m−2 of cathode (32 ± 0.3 W m−3 based on liquid volume) with an acetate-amended wastewater (COD = 1010 ± 30 mg L−1), compared to 1010 ± 10 mW m−2 for the column and 650 ± 20 mW m−2 for the mesh spacers. Anode potentials were unaffected by the different types of spacers. Raw domestic wastewater produced a maximum of 400 ± 8 mW m−2 under fed batch conditions (wire-spacers), which is one of the highest power densities for this fuel. Over time the maximum power was reduced to 300 ± 10 mW m−2 and 275 ± 7 mW m−2 for the two anode compartments, with only slightly less power of 250 ± 20 mW m−2 obtained under continuous flow conditions. In fixed-resistance tests, the average COD removal was 57 ± 5% at a hydraulic retention time of 8 h. These results show that this modular MFC design can both simplify reactor construction and enable relatively high power generation from even relatively dilute wastewater.

Treatment of cervical carcinoma by total hysterectomy and postoperative external irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Papavasiliou, C.; Yiogarakis, D.; Pappas, J.; Keramopoulos, A.

1980-01-01

The survival rates of 36 patients with early cervical carcinoma who had undergone total hysterectomy and bilateral salpingoophorectomy (THBSO) were compared to the survival rates of 41 patients who were subjected to the radical operation. As an integral part of their therapy both groups postoperatively received adequate doses of external beam supervoltage irradiation. Satisfactory results were obtained in both groups of patients. According to these results THBSO followed by postoperative radiotherapy is adequate treatment for early cervical carcinoma. In comparison to the radical operation or curietherapy alone this type of treatment has the advantage of requiring less surgical or radiotherapeutic expertise; it probably is associated with less morbidity

Cervical Lymph Node Metastases of Unknown Origin: Primary Tumor Detection with Whole-Body Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nassenstein, K.; Veit-Haibach, P.; Stergar, H.; Gutzeit, A.; Freudenberg, L.; Kuehl, H.; Fischer, M.; Barkhausen, J.; Bockisch, A.; Antoch, G.

2007-01-01

Background: Identification of primary tumor in patients with cervical lymph node metastasis of unknown primary (MUO) has a great impact on therapy approach and potentially on patient prognosis. Purpose: To assess the diagnostic accuracy of combined positron emission tomography (PET)/computer tomography (CT) for primary tumor detection in cervical metastases of unknown origin compared to PET, CT, and PET+CT side-by-side evaluation. Material and Methods: 39 consecutive patients (eight women, 31 men; mean age 59.9±11.2 years) with MUO were enrolled in this study. PET/CT images were obtained 1 hour after injection of 350 MBq of fluorodeoxyglucose. Oral and intravenous contrast agents were administered in all patients to ensure diagnostic CT data. Fused PET/CT data were evaluated for primary tumor detection. Diagnostic accuracy was calculated and compared with CT alone, PET alone, and side-by-side PET+CT evaluation. Statistical analysis of differences in diagnostic performance between the different imaging procedures was based on the McNemar test. Results: Fused PET/CT depicted the primary tumor in 11 of 39 (28%) patients. In 28 (72%) patients, the primary tumor remained occult. CT revealed the primary in five (13%), PET alone in 10 (26%), and side-by-side evaluation of PET+CT in 10 (26%) of 39 patients. Statistical analysis showed no significant differences between the imaging modalities. Conclusion: PET, side-by-side PET+CT, and PET/CT revealed similar detection rates for primary tumors in cervical MUO patients. Therefore, cervical metastases of an unknown primary may be assessed with either of these imaging modalities. Detection rates with CT were substantially lower. Thus, inclusion of functional data for assessment of cervical MUO patients must be recommended

Effect of plastic spacer handling on salbutamol lung deposition in asthmatic children

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lipworth, Brian J; Lee, Daniel K C; Anhøj, Jacob

2002-01-01

AIMS: To study the effects of electrostatics in a plastic spacer on the lung deposition of salbutamol in asthmatic children. METHODS: Twenty-five children (5-12 years) with mild asthma were given salbutamol hydrofluoroalkane pressurized metered dose inhaler 400 micro g via a 750 ml plastic spacer...

Bimetallic spacer means for a nuclear fuel assembly

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anthony, A.J.

1981-01-01

A bimetallic spacer means designed to be cooperatively associated with a nuclear fuel assembly and operative to resist the occurrence of in-reactor bowing of the nuclear fuel assembly. The subject bimetallic spacer means in accord with one embodiment of the invention includes a member formed, at least principally, of Zircaloy to which are attached a plurality of stainless steel strips. The latter stainless steel strips are located on the external surface of the Zircaloy member and with the major axis of each of the plurality of stainless steel strips extending substantially perpendicular to the major axis of the Zircaloy member. In accord with another embodiment of the invention, the subject bimetallic spacer means includes a member formed at least principally of Zircaloy to which a plurality of stainless steel strips are attached so as to be positioned thereon externally thereof and with the major axis of each of the plurality of stainless steel strips extending substantially parallel to the major axis of the Zircaloy member. In accord with a further embodiment of the invention, the stainless steel strips are attached to preselected members, each embodying at least a cladding of Zircaloy, which are located in the rows of fuel rods that define the perimeter of the fuel matrix of the nuclear fuel assembly. In each of the embodiments, the stainless steel strips during power production expand outwardly to a greater extent than do the members to which the stainless steel strips are attached, thereby forming stiff springs which abut against like bimetallic spacer means with which the other nuclear fuel assemblies are provided in a given nuclear reactor core to thus prevent the occurrence of in-reactor bowing of the nuclear fuel assemblies. Namely, the stainless steel strips expand laterally relative to the fuel assembly and thereby occupy the space adjacent to the external surface of the fuel assembly

Cervical Cap

Science.gov (United States)

... Videos for Educators Search English Español The Cervical Cap KidsHealth / For Teens / The Cervical Cap What's in ... Call the Doctor? Print What Is a Cervical Cap? A cervical cap is a small cup made ...

Does PEEK/HA Enhance Bone Formation Compared With PEEK in a Sheep Cervical Fusion Model?

Science.gov (United States)

Walsh, William R; Pelletier, Matthew H; Bertollo, Nicky; Christou, Chris; Tan, Chris

2016-11-01

Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) has a wide range of clinical applications but does not directly bond to bone. Bulk incorporation of osteoconductive materials including hydroxyapatite (HA) into the PEEK matrix is a potential solution to address the formation of a fibrous tissue layer between PEEK and bone and has not been tested. Using in vivo ovine animal models, we asked: (1) Does PEEK-HA improve cortical and cancellous bone ongrowth compared with PEEK? (2) Does PEEK-HA improve bone ongrowth and fusion outcome in a more challenging functional ovine cervical fusion model? The in vivo responses of PEEK-HA Enhanced and PEEK-OPTIMA ® Natural were evaluated for bone ongrowth in the form of dowels implanted in the cancellous and cortical bone of adult sheep and examined at 4 and 12 weeks as well as interbody cervical fusion at 6, 12, and 26 weeks. The bone-implant interface was evaluated with radiographic and histologic endpoints for a qualitative assessment of direct bone contact of an intervening fibrous tissue later. Gamma-irradiated cortical allograft cages were evaluated as well. Incorporating HA into the PEEK matrix resulted in more direct bone apposition as opposed to the fibrous tissue interface with PEEK alone in the bone ongrowth as well as interbody cervical fusions. No adverse reactions were found at the implant-bone interface for either material. Radiography and histology revealed resorption and fracture of the allograft devices in vivo. Incorporating HA into PEEK provides a more favorable environment than PEEK alone for bone ongrowth. Cervical fusion was improved with PEEK-HA compared with PEEK alone as well as allograft bone interbody devices. Improving the bone-implant interface with a PEEK device by incorporating HA may improve interbody fusion results and requires further clinical studies.

Iatrogenic Spinal Cord Injury Resulting From Cervical Spine Surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Daniels, Alan H; Hart, Robert A; Hilibrand, Alan S; Fish, David E; Wang, Jeffrey C; Lord, Elizabeth L; Buser, Zorica; Tortolani, P Justin; Stroh, D Alex; Nassr, Ahmad; Currier, Bradford L; Sebastian, Arjun S; Arnold, Paul M; Fehlings, Michael G; Mroz, Thomas E; Riew, K Daniel

2017-04-01

Retrospective cohort study of prospectively collected data. To examine the incidence of iatrogenic spinal cord injury following elective cervical spine surgery. A retrospective multicenter case series study involving 21 high-volume surgical centers from the AOSpine North America Clinical Research Network was conducted. Medical records for 17 625 patients who received cervical spine surgery (levels from C2 to C7) between January 1, 2005, and December 31, 2011, were reviewed to identify occurrence of iatrogenic spinal cord injury. In total, 3 cases of iatrogenic spinal cord injury following cervical spine surgery were identified. Institutional incidence rates ranged from 0.0% to 0.24%. Of the 3 patients with quadriplegia, one underwent anterior-only surgery with 2-level cervical corpectomy, one underwent anterior surgery with corpectomy in addition to posterior surgery, and one underwent posterior decompression and fusion surgery alone. One patient had complete neurologic recovery, one partially recovered, and one did not recover motor function. Iatrogenic spinal cord injury following cervical spine surgery is a rare and devastating adverse event. No standard protocol exists that can guarantee prevention of this complication, and there is a lack of consensus regarding evaluation and treatment when it does occur. Emergent imaging with magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography myelography to evaluate for compressive etiology or malpositioned instrumentation and avoidance of hypotension should be performed in cases of intraoperative and postoperative spinal cord injury.

Application of a hydrogel spacer for postoperative salvage radiotherapy of prostate cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pinkawa, Michael; Schubert, Carolin; Escobar-Corral, Nuria; Holy, Richard; Eble, Michael J.

2015-01-01

In contrast to primary radiotherapy, no reports are available for a hydrogel spacer application in postoperative salvage radiotherapy for prostate cancer. A 77-year-old patient presented 20 years after radical prostatectomy with a digitally palpable local recurrence at the urethrovesical anastomosis (PSA 5.5 ng/ml). The hydrogel spacer (10 ml, SpaceOAR trademark) was injected between the local recurrence and rectal wall under transrectal ultrasound guidance. Treatment planning was performed with an intensity-modulated technique up to a total dose of 76 Gy in 2-Gy fractions. The same planning was performed based on computed tomography before spacer injection for comparison. The local recurrence, initially directly on the rectal wall, could be displaced more than 1 cm from the rectal wall after hydrogel injection. With a mean total dose of 76 Gy to the planning target volume, rectal wall volumes included in the 70 Gy, 60 Gy, 50 Gy isodoses were 0 cm 3 , 0 cm 3 , and 0.4 cm 3 with a spacer and 2.9 cm 3 , 4.5 cm 3 , and 6.2 cm 3 without a spacer, respectively. The patient reported rectal urgency during radiotherapy, completely resolving after the end of treatment. The PSA level was 5.4 ng/ml a week before the end of radiotherapy and dropped to 0.9 ng/ml 5 months after radiotherapy. A hydrogel spacer was successfully applied for dose-escalated radiotherapy in a patient with macroscopic local prostate cancer recurrence at the urethrovesical anastomosis to decrease the dose at the rectal wall. This option can be considered in specifically selected patients. (orig.) [de

Mechanical test for fuel assembly spacer grid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kang, Heung Seok; Jeong, Yeon Ho; Song, Kee Nam; Kim, Hyung Kyu; Yoon, Kyung Ho; Bang, Je Keun.

1997-06-01

In order to propose some tests for a new spacer grid, the grid mechanical tests performed by ABB-CE, KWU and Westinghouse have been investigated. It is known that a static compression test, a dynamic impact test, and a grid spring characteristic test were commonly carried out by the vendors when a prototype spacer grid was developed. The static compression test is to measure the stresses on the strips as well as to obtain the grid stiffness. The dynamic impact test is to get some basic data for accident analysis such as impact stiffness, impact strength, and coefficient of restitution. Since each fuel vendor has his theory on an accident analysis, every vendor employs his particular method for the dynamic impact test. The dynamic impact test can be divided into two in accordance with the number of impact face, and the duration of impact pulse. One is an one-sided impact test and the other is an through-gird impact test. The duration of the impact pulse for the former is considerably shorter than the latter. Therefore, the grid can endure much higher load under the one-sided impact condition than under the through-grid impact condition. The grid spring characteristic test is to obtain a force versus deflection curve. This curve is very important in designing the spacer grid to provide fuel rods with a sound supports in core. (author). 18 tabs., 26 figs

Raising Cervical Cancer Awareness: Analysing the Incremental Efficacy of Short Message Service

Science.gov (United States)

Lemos, Marina Serra; Rothes, Inês Areal; Oliveira, Filipa; Soares, Luisa

2017-01-01

Objective: To evaluate the incremental efficacy of a Short Message Service (SMS) combined with a brief video intervention in increasing the effects of a health education intervention for cervical cancer prevention, over and beyond a video-alone intervention, with respect to key determinants of health behaviour change--knowledge, motivation and…

Experimental investigations of turbulent flows in rod bundles with and without spacer grids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trippe, G.

1979-07-01

In the thermofluiddynamic design of liquid metal cooled reactor fuel elements the lack of experimentally confirmed knowledge of the three-dimensional flow events in rod bundles provided with spacer grids has appeared as a significant problem. To close this gap of knowledge, detailed measurements of the local velocities were made on a 19-rod bundle model. The Pitot method of differential pressure measurements was used as the measuring system. In the first part of the work the fully developed flow regime not influenced by spacers was investigated. A simple relation was derived for distributing the mass flow among the subchannels of a rod bundle; it is but slightly dependent on the Reynolds number. This relation allows a quick, coarse calculation of the distribution of the undisturbed, fully developed mass flow in bundles with similar geometries. By evaluation of further experiments known from the literature, empirical relationships were found for the local velocity distribution within the subchannels of such bundles. In the second part the effect of grid shaped spacers was investigated. The three-dimensional flow events caused by the spacers were completely recorded and interpreted physically. The deeper understanding of these flow processes can now serve to improve the model concept used in the present design computer programs. Single results of the investigations which take primary importance are the quantitative relations existing between the changes of mass flow in the bundle boundary zone, caused by a spacer, and the geometry of this spacer. The transferability to other bundle geometries was discussed and delimited. Moreover, it was shown that the mass flow in the bundle boundary zone can be successively reduced by spacers placed one behind the other in the bundle. A noticeable dependence of flow events on the Reynolds number was not found for the range relevant in practical application (30.000 [de

A study on improvement of analytical prediction model for spacer grid pressure loss coefficients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lim, Jonh Seon

2002-02-01

Nuclear fuel assemblies used in the nuclear power plants consist of the nuclear fuel rods, the control rod guide tubes, an instrument guide tube, spacer grids,a bottom nozzle, a top nozzle. The spacer grid is the most important component of the fuel assembly components for thermal hydraulic and mechanical design and analyses. The spacer grids fixed with the guide tubes support the fuel rods and have the very important role to activate thermal energy transfer by the coolant mixing caused to the turbulent flow and crossflow in the subchannels. In this paper, the analytical spacer grid pressure loss prediction model has been studied and improved by considering the test section wall to spacer grid gap pressure loss independently and applying the appropriate friction drag coefficient to predict pressure loss more accurately at the low Reynolds number region. The improved analytical model has been verified based on the hydraulic pressure drop test results for the spacer grids of three types with 5x5, 16x16, 17x17 arrays, respectively. The pressure loss coefficients predicted by the improved analytical model are coincident with those test results within ±12%. This result shows that the improved analytical model can be used for research and design change of the nuclear fuel assembly

The independent loss model with ordered insertions for the evolution of CRISPR spacers.

Science.gov (United States)

Baumdicker, F; Huebner, A M I; Pfaffelhuber, P

2018-02-01

Today, the CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) region within bacterial and archaeal genomes is known to encode an adaptive immune system. We rely on previous results on the evolution of the CRISPR arrays, which led to the ordered independent loss model, introduced by Kupczok and Bollback (2013). When focusing on the spacers (between the repeats), new elements enter a CRISPR array at rate θ at the leader end of the array, while all spacers present are lost at rate ρ along the phylogeny relating the sample. Within this model, we compute the distribution of distances of spacers which are present in all arrays in a sample of size n. We use these results to estimate the loss rate ρ from spacer array data for n=2 and n=3. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Technology of electron beam welding for Zr-4 alloy spacer grid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pei Qiusheng; Wu Xueyi; Yang Qishun

1989-10-01

The welding technology for Zr-4 alloy spacer grid by using vacuum electron beam was studied. Through a series of welding technological experiments, metallographic examinations of seam structure and detecting tests for welding defect by X-ray defectoscopy, a good welding technology was selected to meet the requirements. The experimental results indicated that the Zr-4 alloy spacer grid welded by vacuum electron beam welding is feasible

Evaluation of spacer grid spring characteristics by means of physical tests and numerical simulation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schettino, Carlos Frederico Mattos, E-mail: carlosschettino@inb.gov.br [Industrias Nucleares do Brasil (INB), Resende, RJ (Brazil)

2017-11-01

Among all fuel assemblies' components, the spacer grids play an important structural role during the energy generation process, mainly due for its primary functional requirement, that is, to provide fuel rod support. The present work aims to evaluate the spring characteristics of a specific spacer grid design used in a PWR fuel assembly type 16 x 16. These spring characteristics comprises the load versus deflection capability and its spring rate, which are very important, and also mandatory, to be correctly established in order to preclude spacer grid spring and fuel rod cladding fretting during operation, as well as prevent an excessive fuel rod buckling. This study includes physical tests and numerical simulation. The tests were performed on an adapted load cell mechanical device, using as a specimen a single strap of the spacer grid. Three numerical models were prepared using the Finite Element Method, with the support of the commercial code ANSYS. One model was built to validate the simulation according to the performed physical test, the others were built inserting a gradient of temperature (Beginning Of Life hot condition) and to evaluate the spacer grid spring characteristics in End Of Life condition. The obtained results from physical test and numerical model have shown a good agreement between them, therefore validating the simulation. The obtained results from numerical models make available information regarding the spacer grid design purpose, such as the behavior of the fuel rod cladding support during operation. Therewith, these evaluations could be useful to improve the spacer grid design. (author)

Evaluation of spacer grid spring characteristics by means of physical tests and numerical simulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schettino, Carlos Frederico Mattos

2017-01-01

Among all fuel assemblies' components, the spacer grids play an important structural role during the energy generation process, mainly due for its primary functional requirement, that is, to provide fuel rod support. The present work aims to evaluate the spring characteristics of a specific spacer grid design used in a PWR fuel assembly type 16 x 16. These spring characteristics comprises the load versus deflection capability and its spring rate, which are very important, and also mandatory, to be correctly established in order to preclude spacer grid spring and fuel rod cladding fretting during operation, as well as prevent an excessive fuel rod buckling. This study includes physical tests and numerical simulation. The tests were performed on an adapted load cell mechanical device, using as a specimen a single strap of the spacer grid. Three numerical models were prepared using the Finite Element Method, with the support of the commercial code ANSYS. One model was built to validate the simulation according to the performed physical test, the others were built inserting a gradient of temperature (Beginning Of Life hot condition) and to evaluate the spacer grid spring characteristics in End Of Life condition. The obtained results from physical test and numerical model have shown a good agreement between them, therefore validating the simulation. The obtained results from numerical models make available information regarding the spacer grid design purpose, such as the behavior of the fuel rod cladding support during operation. Therewith, these evaluations could be useful to improve the spacer grid design. (author)

In vitro performance of three combinations of spacers and pressurized metered dose inhalers for treatment in children

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Berg, E; Madsen, J; Bisgaard, H

1998-01-01

The performance of pressurized metered dose inhalers (pMDIs) and spacers in correct dose recommendations is important, but limited information on dose delivery and fine-particle dose from different combinations of spacers and pMDIs is available. In this study, three combinations of spacers and p...... and spacers, with the NebuChamber giving the highest dose, both as delivered dose and in droplets account for these differences....

A Study on Electric Power Smoothing System for Lead-Acid Battery of Stand-Alone Natural Energy Power System Using EDLC

Science.gov (United States)

Jia, Yan; Shibata, Ryosuke; Yamamura, Naoki; Ishida, Muneaki

To resolve energy shortage and global warming problem, renewable natural resource and its power system has been gradually generalizing. However, the power fluctuation suppressing in short period and the balance control of consumption and supply in long period are two of main problems that need to be resolved urgently in natural energy power system. In Stand-alone Natural Energy Power System (SNEPS) with power energy storage devices, power fluctuation in short period is one of the main reasons that recharge cycle times increase and lead-acid battery early failure. Hence, to prolong the service life of lead-acid battery and improve power quality through suppressing the power fluctuation, we proposed a method of electric power smoothing for lead-acid battery of SNEPS using bi-directional Buck/Boost converter and Electric Double Layer Capacitor (EDLC) in this paper. According to the test data of existing SNEPS, a power fluctuation condition is selected and as an example to analyze the validity of the proposed method. The analysis of frequency characteristics indicates the power fluctuation is suppressed a desired range in the target frequency region. The experimental results of confirmed the feasibility of the proposed system and the results well satisfy the requirement of system design.

A simulation methodology of spacer grid residual spring deflection for predictive and interpretative purposes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, K. T.; Kim, H. K.; Yoon, K. H.

1994-01-01

The in-reactor fuel rod support conditions against the fretting wear-induced damage can be evaluated by spacer grid residual spring deflection. In order to predict the spacer grid residual spring deflection as a function of burnup for various spring designs, a simulation methodology of spacer grid residual spring deflection has been developed and implemented in the GRIDFORCE program. The simulation methodology takes into account cladding creep rate, initial spring deflection, initial spring force, and spring force relaxation rate as the key parameters affecting the residual spring deflection. The simulation methodology developed in this study can be utilized as an effective tool in evaluating the capability of a newly designed spacer grid spring to prevent the fretting wear-induced damage

Non linear fe analysis on the static buckling behavior of the spacer grid structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Song, K.N.; Yoon, K.H.

2001-01-01

In this study considered is the static buckling behavior of spacer grids in the fuel assembly, which are required to have a sufficient strength against an accident like earthquake. Special attention is given to the finite element modeling of the spot-welding and the constraints between the spacer strips assembled together: it is found that a proper treatment of the constraints is critical for accurate assessment of the buckling behavior including strain localization at the point of spot welding. The buckling strength of the 17 x 17 spacer grid, which is difficult to analyze due to a large number of degrees of freedom, is estimated from analysis for the smaller models 3 x 3, 5 x 5, 7 x 7, and 9 x 9 spacer grids. (authors)

Hysterectomy with radiotherapy or chemotherapy or both for women with locally advanced cervical cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Kokka, Fani; Bryant, Andrew; Brockbank, Elly; Powell, Melanie; Oram, David

2015-04-07

Cervical cancer is the second commonest cancer among women up to 65 years of age and is the most frequent cause of death from gynaecological cancers worldwide. Sources suggest that a very high proportion of new cervical cancer cases in developing countries are at an advanced stage (IB2 or more) and more than a half of these may be stage III or IV. Cervical cancer staging is based on findings from clinical examination (FIGO) staging). Standard care in Europe and US for stage IB2 to III is non-surgical treatment (chemoradiation). However in developing countries, where there is limited access to radiotherapy, locally advanced cervical cancer may be treated with a combination of chemotherapy and hysterectomy (surgery to remove the womb and the neck of the womb, with or without the surrounding tissues). It is not certain if this improves survival. Therefore, it is important to systematically assess the value of hysterectomy in addition to radiotherapy or chemotherapy, or both, as an alternative intervention in the treatment of locally advanced cervical cancer (stage IB2 to III). To determine whether hysterectomy, in addition to standard treatment with radiation or chemotherapy, or both, in women with locally advanced cervical cancer (stage IB2 to III) is safe and effective compared with standard treatment alone. We searched the Cochrane Gynaecological Cancer Group Trials Register, CENTRAL, MEDLINE, EMBASE and LILACS up to February 2014. We also searched registers of clinical trials, abstracts of scientific meetings and reference lists of included studies. We searched for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that compared treatment protocols involving hysterectomy versus radiotherapy or chemotherapy, or both, in women with advanced stage (IB2 to III) cervical cancer presenting for the first time. We assessed study eligibility independently, extracted data and assessed risk of bias. Where possible, overall and progression or disease-free survival outcomes were synthesised

Vaginal progesterone combined with cervical pessary: A chance for pregnancies at risk for preterm birth?

Science.gov (United States)

Stricker, Nathanael; Timmesfeld, Nina; Kyvernitakis, Ioannis; Goerges, Janina; Arabin, Birgit

2016-06-01

Precocious cervical ripening, as defined by cervical shortening on transvaginal sonography, has prompted a broad evaluation of secondary strategies (such as cerclage, vaginal progesterone, or a cervical pessary) to prevent preterm delivery. However, there is still a lack of direct comparisons between individual treatments or their combinations. We sought to compare at-risk patients and screening patients who had been treated with cervical pessary alone with patients who had been treated with pessary plus vaginal progesterone. This is a pre- and postintervention cohort study from a preterm labor clinic where placement of a cervical pessary has been the standard treatment since 2008 for at-risk women defined by (1) a history of spontaneous preterm birth at suppositories) was prescribed in addition to the pessary. Both at-risk patients (n = 55) and screening patients (n = 51) were treated at the time of diagnosis. The primary outcome was the rate of preterm deliveries at <34 weeks of gestation. Secondary outcomes included deliveries at <28, <32, and <37 weeks of gestation, the days from start of therapy until delivery, a composite index of neonatal outcome, and the number of days in the neonatal intensive care unit. Primary and secondary outcomes were compared between groups with the use of multivariable models to adjust for possible confounders. Delivery at <34 weeks of gestation occurred in 17 of 53 patients (32.1%) who were treated with pessary plus progesterone, compared with 13 of 53 patients (24.5%) who were treated with pessary alone (P = .57). Similarly, there was no difference in the rate of preterm delivery at <28, <32, or <37 weeks of gestation. The composite poor neonatal outcome was 15.1% in the pessary group vs 18.9% in the combined group (P = .96). The mean duration of stay in the neonatal intensive care unit was 46.5 days (range, 9-130 days) in the combined vs 52.0 days (range, 3-151 days) in the pessary group (P < .001). In this cohort study

Nuclear reactor spring strip grid spacer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patterson, J.F.; Flora, B.S.

1978-01-01

A bimetallic grid spacer is described comprising a grid structure of zircaloy formed by intersecting striplike members which define fuel element openings for receiving fuel elements and spring strips made of Inconel positioned within the grid structure for cooperating with the fuel elements to maintain them in their desired position. A plurality of these spring strips extend longitudinally between sides of the grid structure, being locked in position by the grid retaining strips. The fuel rods, which are disposed in the fuel openings formed in the grid structure, are positioned by means of the springs associated with the spring strips and a plurality of dimples which extend from the zircaloy grid structure into the openings. In one embodiment the strips are disposed in a plurality of arrays with those spring strip arrays situated in opposing diagonal quadrants of the grid structure extending in the same direction and adjacent spring strip arrays in each half of the spacer extending in relatively perpendicular directions. Other variations of the spring strip arrangements for a particular fuel design are disclosed herein

A study on the characteristics of the spacer spring by finite element method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Sung Keun; Kim, Hyung Kyu; Kim, Kyu Tae [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Taejon (Korea, Republic of)

1995-06-01

The mechanical integrity of spacer springs in KOFA was certified through the mechanical tests by KWU. In this report, the spacer spring characteristics were obtained by using a commercial FEM code ANSYS, and the calculated results were compared with the mechanical test results. It has been found that the analytical results from ANSYS were in good agreement with the test results in the actual working range of the spacer springs even though some errors occurred in the range of initial spring deflection. The errors were thought to occur due to the simplified boundary conditions and the nominal dimensions which are used in calculations rather than the as-fabricated dimensions. Though the results from ANSYS are not fully satisfied, the analytical method in this report has been verified to be used as a method for investigating the characteristic of spacer springs roughly before conducting mechanical tests. 8 tabs., 25 figs (Author) .new.

Feasibility Analysis and Simulation of a Stand-Alone Photovoltaic Energy System for Electricity Generation and Environmental Sustainability – Equivalent to 650VA Fuel-Powered Generator – Popularly Known as “I Pass My Neighbour”

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ani, Vincent Anayochukwu

2015-01-01

Photovoltaic (PV) power system can be used to replace wholly 650VA generator for electricity generation for household use in Nigeria. This paper presented the feasibility analysis of load data and simulation study of a stand-alone PV power system that produced the electrical needs of a household. This study is based on designing of PV energy system for household use. The patterns of load consumption within the household were studied and suitably modeled for simulation. The simulation study indicates that energy requirements to provide electricity, which is equivalent to 650VA generator for household use in Nigeria, can be accomplished by 520 W solar PV array, 2312 Ah nominal capacity battery, and a 1 kW DC/AC inverter. This would be suitable for deployment of 100% clean energy for environmental sustainability and uninterruptable power performance in the household. The results of this research show that, with a low-power consuming appliances, it is possible to meet the entire annual electricity demand of a single household solely through a stand-alone PV energy supply. Installing solar panels by most Nigerian home can significantly reduce home reliance on government power thereby reduce the strain on the current capacity of our power generation infrastructure. A detailed design and description of the system were presented in this paper.

Feasibility Analysis and Simulation of a Stand-Alone Photovoltaic Energy System for Electricity Generation and Environmental Sustainability – Equivalent to 650VA Fuel-Powered Generator – Popularly Known as “I Pass My Neighbour”

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ani, Vincent Anayochukwu, E-mail: vincent_ani@yahoo.com [Department of Electronic Engineering, University of Nigeria Nsukka, Nsukka (Nigeria)

2015-09-11

Photovoltaic (PV) power system can be used to replace wholly 650VA generator for electricity generation for household use in Nigeria. This paper presented the feasibility analysis of load data and simulation study of a stand-alone PV power system that produced the electrical needs of a household. This study is based on designing of PV energy system for household use. The patterns of load consumption within the household were studied and suitably modeled for simulation. The simulation study indicates that energy requirements to provide electricity, which is equivalent to 650VA generator for household use in Nigeria, can be accomplished by 520 W solar PV array, 2312 Ah nominal capacity battery, and a 1 kW DC/AC inverter. This would be suitable for deployment of 100% clean energy for environmental sustainability and uninterruptable power performance in the household. The results of this research show that, with a low-power consuming appliances, it is possible to meet the entire annual electricity demand of a single household solely through a stand-alone PV energy supply. Installing solar panels by most Nigerian home can significantly reduce home reliance on government power thereby reduce the strain on the current capacity of our power generation infrastructure. A detailed design and description of the system were presented in this paper.

Avaliação do tratamento da discopatia degenerativa cervical pela artrodese via anterior utilizando placas associadas a cages ou cages em peek isoladamente Evaluación del tratamiento de la enfermedad degenerativa del disco cervical por la artrodesis anterior utilizando placas asociadas con jaulas o jaulas en peec, aisladamente Evaluation of cervical degenerative disc disease treatment by anterior arthrodesis using plates associated with cages or cages in peek alone

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

André Rafael Hübner

2011-01-01

por el método de fijación con placas asociadas a jaulas - Grupo I - y 35 con las jaulas en PEEK, aisladamente - Grupo II. Se recolectarondatos de historial clínico, examen físico, puntuaciones de dolor (escala visual y analógica del dolor-EVA y función (criterios de Odom, SF-36, Índice de Discapacidad Cervical del pre y posoperatorio y exámenes de imagen. RESULTADOS: Se encontró un predominio de pacientes de sexo femenino en ambos grupos, con una edad promediode 55 años en el Grupo I y de 47 en el Grupo II. Ambos grupos mostraron una distribución similar en el número de niveles operados, así como de las complicaciones encontradas y de las puntuaciones de dolor, índice de discapacidad cervical y SF36 para el pre y posoperatorio. Hubo 97,1% para la fusión y 94,3% de buenos resultados en el Grupo I y el 100% de fusión, con 97% de buenos resultados en el Grupo II. CONCLUSIONES: El estudio comparativo de la utilización de placas con jaulas y estas en PEEK, aisladamente, presentó resultados similares y satisfactorios para los grupos estudiados, sin mostrar superioridad o inferioridad de un método sobre otro.OBJECTIVES: To comparatively evaluate the treatment of cervical degenerative disc disease by anterior approach using plates associated or cages and PEEK device alone. METHODS: A retrospective study comparing two groups of patients treated by anterior arthrodesis was performed. Seventy patients were randomly selected, 35 operated using plates associated with cages - Group I - and 35 with cages in PEEK alone - Group II. Medical history was obtained as well as physical examination, pain scores (pain visual analogue score and function scores (Odom's criteria, SF-36, Neck Disability Index and the pre and postoperative imaging studies. RESULTS: There was a predominance of female patients in both groups, with a mean age of 55 years in Group I and 47 in Group II. Both groups showed a similar distribution of the number of levels operated, as well as the

[Cervical screening: toward a new paradigm?].

Science.gov (United States)

Lavoué, V; Bergeron, C; Riethmuller, D; Daraï, E; Mergui, J-L; Baldauf, J-J; Gondry, J; Douvier, S; Lopès, P; de Reilhac, P; Quéreux, C; Letombe, B; Marchetta, J; Boulanger, J-C; Levêque, J

2010-04-01

Analysis of the trials which compare the virologic testing (HPV testing) and the cytology in the cervical screening. The MedLine database was consulted using the Keywords: "cervical screening", "pap smear", "liquid based cytology", "HPV testing", "adults", "adolescents", "cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN)", "uterine cervix cancer". Articles were selected according their concern about the debate of the uterine cervix cancer screening in France. The HPV testing seems interesting allowing a decreasing delay in the diagnosis of CIN (more diagnosis of CIN2+ in the first round and less during the second one). But, when the two rounds are added, the number of CIN2+ are identical in the two arms (cytology and HPV testing) in all the trials (except the Italian NTCC trial). A negative HPV testing protects the women much longer than cytology can do: a delay of five years between two rounds seems ideal. The HPV testing alone increases the detection rate of cervical lesions, which could regress spontaneously and may induce an overtreatment, especially in the youngest population: a triage is necessary and the cytology appears to be the best way to select the candidates for colposcopy in case of positive HPV testing and cytology. The HPV infection presents some particularities in adolescent females: for this reason, the HPV testing should not be used in this special population. In vaccinated women, a consensus for the screening is necessary. The health care providers in France have to understand the characteristics of the HPV testing: its advantages compared to the cytologic screening are only evident in case of an organization of the screening in France and even in Europe. (c) 2010 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Nuclear reactor spring strip grid spacer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patterson, J.F.; Flora, B.S.

1980-01-01

An improved and novel grid spacer for maintaining the fuel rods of a nuclear reactor fuel assembly in substantially parallel array is described. The invention provides for spring strips to maintain the fuel elements in their desired orientation which have more positive alignment than previous types while allowing greater flexibility to counterbalance the effects of differential thermal expansion. (UK)

Lateral Pectoral Nerve Injury Mimicking Cervical Radiculopathy.

Science.gov (United States)

Aktas, Ilknur; Palamar, Deniz; Akgun, Kenan

2015-07-01

The lateral pectoral nerve (LPN) is commonly injured along with the brachial plexus, but its isolated lesions are rare. Here, we present a case of an isolated LPN lesion confused with cervical radiculopathy. A 41-year-old man was admitted to our clinic because of weakness in his right arm. Previous magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination revealed right posterolateral protrusion at the C6-7 level. At the initial assessment, atrophy of the right pectoralis major muscle was evident, and mild weakness of the right shoulder adductor, internal rotator, and flexor muscles was observed. Therefore, electrodiagnostic evaluation was performed, and a diagnosis of isolated LPN injury was made. Nerve injury was thought to have been caused by weightlifting exercises and traction injury. Lateral pectoral nerve injury can mimic cervical radiculopathy, and MRI examination alone may lead to misdiagnosis. Repeated physical examinations during the evaluation and treatment phase will identify the muscle atrophy that occurs 1 or more months after the injury.

Predicting the impact of feed spacer modification on biofouling by hydraulic characterization and biofouling studies in membrane fouling simulators

KAUST Repository

Siddiqui, Amber

2016-12-22

Feed spacers are an essential part of spiral-wound reverse osmosis (RO) and nanofiltration (NF) membrane modules. Geometric modification of feed spacers is a potential option to reduce the impact of biofouling on the performance of membrane systems. The objective of this study was to evaluate the biofouling potential of two commercially available reference feed spacers and four modified feed spacers. The spacers were compared on hydraulic characterization and in biofouling studies with membrane fouling simulators (MFSs). The virgin feed spacer was characterized hydraulically by their resistance, measured in terms of feed channel pressure drop, performed by operating MFSs at varying feed water flow rates. Short-term (9 days) biofouling studies were carried out with nutrient dosage to the MFS feed water to accelerate the biofouling rate. Long-term (96 days) biofouling studies were done without nutrient dosage to the MFS feed water. Feed channel pressure drop was monitored and accumulation of active biomass was quantified by adenosine tri phosphate (ATP) determination. The six feed spacers were ranked on pressure drop (hydraulic characterization) and on biofouling impact (biofouling studies). Significantly different trends in hydraulic resistance and biofouling impact for the six feed spacers were observed. The same ranking for biofouling impact on the feed spacers was found for the (i) short-term biofouling study with nutrient dosage and the (ii) long-term biofouling study without nutrient dosage. The ranking for hydraulic resistance for six virgin feed spacers differed significantly from the ranking of the biofouling impact, indicating that hydraulic resistance of clean feed spacers does not predict the hydraulic resistance of biofouled feed spacers. Better geometric design of feed spacers can be a suitable approach to minimize impact of biofouling in spiral wound membrane systems.

A review of three stand-alone topical thrombins for surgical hemostasis.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Christine M; Meyer-Massetti, Carla; Kayser, Steven R

2009-01-01

Topical thrombins are active hemostatic agents that can be used to minimize blood loss during surgery. Before 2007, the only topical thrombins available were derived from bovine plasma. Antibody formation to bovine thrombin and/or factor V, with subsequent risk of cross-reactivity with human factor V, and hemorrhagic complications associated with human factor-V deficiencies have been described in case reports of surgeries in which bovine thrombins were used. This risk is now included in the boxed warning section of the bovine thrombin prescribing information. In 2007 and 2008, 2 new topical thrombins from nonbovine sources received approval for use from the US Food and Drug Administration. The 3 active topical thrombins that are currently marketed are bovine plasma-derived thrombin, human plasma-derived thrombin, and human recombinant thrombin. The purpose of this review was to evaluate the literature on the efficacy and safety of topical thrombins and discuss the pharmacoeconomic considerations associated with their use. PubMed, EMBASE, and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts were searched for relevant papers published in English through October 10,2008, using the terms thrombin, human recombinant thrombin, bovine thrombin, plasma derived thrombin, and topical thrombin. Manufacturer-provided materials were also reviewed. Abstracts and unpublished data, as well as evaluations of sealants, adhesives, glues, and other hemostats that contain thrombin mixed with fibrinogen and other clotting factors, were excluded. Four randomized, double-blind studies involving the active, stand-alone topical thrombins were found. The bovine thrombin involved in these studies was the predecessor to the currently marketed, highly purified bovine formulation. No studies comparing the human products, studies involving the highly purified bovine preparation, or placebo-controlled studies involving bovine thrombin were found. In a Phase III comparison of human recombinant thrombin and

On the Origin of Reverse Transcriptase-Using CRISPR-Cas Systems and Their Hyperdiverse, Enigmatic Spacer Repertoires

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sukrit Silas

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Cas1 integrase is the key enzyme of the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR-Cas adaptation module that mediates acquisition of spacers derived from foreign DNA by CRISPR arrays. In diverse bacteria, the cas1 gene is fused (or adjacent to a gene encoding a reverse transcriptase (RT related to group II intron RTs. An RT-Cas1 fusion protein has been recently shown to enable acquisition of CRISPR spacers from RNA. Phylogenetic analysis of the CRISPR-associated RTs demonstrates monophyly of the RT-Cas1 fusion, and coevolution of the RT and Cas1 domains. Nearly all such RTs are present within type III CRISPR-Cas loci, but their phylogeny does not parallel the CRISPR-Cas type classification, indicating that RT-Cas1 is an autonomous functional module that is disseminated by horizontal gene transfer and can function with diverse type III systems. To compare the sequence pools sampled by RT-Cas1-associated and RT-lacking CRISPR-Cas systems, we obtained samples of a commercially grown cyanobacterium—Arthrospira platensis. Sequencing of the CRISPR arrays uncovered a highly diverse population of spacers. Spacer diversity was particularly striking for the RT-Cas1-containing type III-B system, where no saturation was evident even with millions of sequences analyzed. In contrast, analysis of the RT-lacking type III-D system yielded a highly diverse pool but reached a point where fewer novel spacers were recovered as sequencing depth was increased. Matches could be identified for a small fraction of the non-RT-Cas1-associated spacers, and for only a single RT-Cas1-associated spacer. Thus, the principal source(s of the spacers, particularly the hypervariable spacer repertoire of the RT-associated arrays, remains unknown.

Cervical spinal canal narrowing and cervical neurologi-cal injuries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

ZHANG Ling

2012-04-01

Full Text Available 【Abstract】Cervical spinal canal narrowing can lead to injury of the spinal cord and neurological symptoms in-cluding neck pain, headache, weakness and parasthesisas. According to previous and recent clinical researches, we investigated the geometric parameters of normal cervical spinal canal including the sagittal and transverse diameters as well as Torg ratio. The mean sagittal diameter of cervical spinal canal at C 1 to C 7 ranges from 15.33 mm to 20.46 mm, the mean transverse diameter at the same levels ranges from 24.45 mm to 27.00 mm and the mean value of Torg ratio is 0.96. With respect to narrow cervical spinal canal, the following charaterstics are found: firstly, extension of the cervical spine results in statistically significant stenosis as compared with the flexed or neutral positions; secondly, females sustain cervical spinal canal narrowing more easily than males; finally, the consistent narrowest cervical canal level is at C 4 for all ethnicity, but there is a slight variation in the sagittal diameter of cervical spinal stenosis (≤14 mm in Whites, ≤ 12 mm in Japanese, ≤13.7 mm in Chinese. Narrow sagittal cervical canal diameter brings about an increased risk of neurological injuries in traumatic, degenerative and inflam-matory conditions and is related with extension of cervical spine, gender, as well as ethnicity. It is hoped that this re-view will be helpful in diagnosing spinal cord and neuro-logical injuries with the geometric parameters of cervical spine in the future. Key words: Spinal cord injuries; Spinal stenosis; Trauma, nervous system

USE OF ANTIBIOTIC CEMENT SPACERS/BEADS IN TREATMENT ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

ABSTRACT. Background: Chronic musculoskeletal infection involving bone present a big challenge to orthopaedic surgeons. ... Current data has demonstrated that the use of .... Antibiotic spacers are effective and add value in the treament of ...

Alternative technique of cervical spinal stabilization employing lateral mass plate and screw and intra-articular spacer fixation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Atul Goel

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Aim: The author discusses an alternative technique of segmental cervical spinal fixation. Material and Methods: The subtleties of the technique are discussed on the basis of experience with 3 cases with a follow-up of between 30 and 36 months. Technique: The technique involves debridement of facetal articular cartilage, distraction of facets, jamming of ′Goel spacer′ into the articular cavity and fortification of the fixation by lateral mass plate and screw fixation. The ′double-insurance′ method of fixation is safe for vertebral artery, nerve roots and spinal neural structures and the fixation is strong. Conclusions: The discussed technique is safe and provides a strong fixation and a ground for ultimate arthrodesis.

Ion therapy of prostate cancer: daily rectal dose reduction by application of spacer gel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rucinski, Antoni; Brons, Stephan; Richter, Daniel; Habl, Gregor; Debus, Jürgen; Bert, Christoph; Haberer, Thomas; Jäkel, Oliver

2015-01-01

Ion beam therapy represents a promising approach to treat prostate cancer, mainly due to its high conformity and radiobiological effectiveness. However, the presence of prostate motion, patient positioning and range uncertainties may deteriorate target dose and increase exposure of organs at risk. Spacer gel injected between prostate and rectum may increase the safety of prostate cancer (PC) radiation therapy by separating the rectum from the target dose field. The dosimetric impact of the application of spacer gel for scanned carbon ion therapy of PC has been analyzed at Heidelberg Ion-Beam Therapy Center (HIT). The robustness of ion therapy treatment plans was investigated by comparison of two data sets of patients treated with and without spacer gel. A research treatment planning system for ion therapy was used for treatment plan optimization and calculation of daily dose distributions on 2 to 9 Computed Tomography (CT) studies available for each of the 19 patients. Planning and daily dose distributions were analyzed with respect to target coverage, maximal dose to the rectum (excluding 1 ml of the greatest dose; Dmax-1 ml) and the rectal volume receiving dose greater than 90% of prescribed target dose (V90 Rectum ), respectively. The application of spacer gel did substantially diminish rectum dose. Dmax-1 ml on the treatment planning CT was on average reduced from 100.0 ± 1.0% to 90.2 ± 4.8%, when spacer gel was applied. The robustness analysis performed with daily CT studies demonstrated for all analyzed patient cases that application of spacer gel results in a decrease of the daily V90 Rectum index, which calculated over all patient cases and CT studies was 10.2 ± 10.4 [ml] and 1.1 ± 2.1 [ml] for patients without and with spacer gel, respectively. The dosimetric benefit of increasing the distance between prostate and rectum using spacer gel for PC treatment with carbon ion beams has been quantified. Application of spacer gel substantially reduced rectal

Functional cervical myelography with iohexol

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakstad, P.; Aaserud, O.; Nyberg-Hansen, R.; Ganes, T.

1985-01-01

Thirty patients underwent functional cervical myelography, i.e. radiographs in the lateral view were obtained in extension as well as in flexion of the neck. Sagittal tomography was performed in both positions. Narrowing of the subarachnoid space and increased sagittal diameter of the spinal cord due to shortening were demonstrated in the lateral view in extension. In flexion a widening of the subarachnoid space was seen in almost all. In some cases with advanced narrowing or spinal block in extension, such widening in flexion resulted in better diagnostic images by providing passage of the contrast medium caudally. Although iohexol (Omnipaque, Nyegaard and Co., Oslo) was regularly forced into the posterior cranial fossa by the movements, the frequency of side effects was approximately the same as in our former trials with iohexol in conventional cervical myelography. EEG changes occurred in two patients (7%). A sitting position for 3-4 min after the examination followed by an elevated head end of the bed was probably important for preventing side effects from the contrast medium. Specific questioning revealed twice as many subjective side effects as reported after general questions alone. (orig.)

Stand-alone photovoltaic (PV) integrated with earth to air heat exchanger (EAHE) for space heating/cooling of adobe house in New Delhi (India)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chel, Arvind; Tiwari, G.N.

2010-01-01

This paper deals with an experimental outdoor annual performance evaluation of 2.32 kW P photovoltaic (PV) power system located at solar energy park in New Delhi composite climatic conditions. This PV system operates the daily electrical load nearly 10 kW h/day which comprises of various applications such as electric air blower of an earth to air heat exchanger (EAHE) used for heating/cooling of adobe house, ceiling fan, fluorescent tube-light, computer, submersible water pump, etc. The outdoor efficiencies, power generated and lost in PV system components were determined using hourly experimental measured data for 1 year on typical clear day in each month. These realistic data are useful for design engineers for outdoor assessment of PV system components. The energy conservation, mitigation of CO 2 emission and carbon credit potential of the existing PV integrated EAHE system is presented in this paper. Also, the energy payback time (EPBT) and unit cost of electricity were determined for both stand-alone PV (SAPV) and building roof integrated PV (BIPV) systems.

The effect of endoskeleton on antibiotic impregnated cement spacer for treating deep hip infection

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Hsu Wei-Hsiu

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Backgrounds A two-stage revision arthroplasty was suggested optimal treatment for deep infections in hip joint. The effect of endoskeleton of cement spacers on the interim function and infection control remains unclear. Methods From Jan. 2004 to Dec. 2007, we collected a prospective cohort of consecutive 34 patients who treated with two-stage revision total hip arthroplasty for deep infection of hip joint. In group 1, fifteen patients were treated by a novel design augmented with hip compression screw while nineteen patients were treated by traditional design in group 2. Results No fracture of cement spacer occurred in group 1 while 6 cases developed spacer failure in group 2. (p Conclusions Patients being treated for deep infection of hip joint using cement spacer augmented with stronger endoskeleton have lower pain levels and better joint function between stages.

Cervical Cancer

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts

2007-03-06

Did you know that cervical cancer rates differ by race/ethnicity and region? Or that cervical cancer can usually be prevented if precancerous cervical lesions are found by a Pap test and treated? Find out how getting regular Pap tests can save a woman's life.  Created: 3/6/2007 by National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program.   Date Released: 4/25/2007.

Development and characterization of 3D-printed feed spacers for spiral wound membrane systems

KAUST Repository

Siddiqui, Amber; Farhat, Nadia; Bucs, Szilard; Valladares Linares, Rodrigo; Picioreanu, Cristian; Kruithof, Joop C.; van Loosdrecht, Mark C.M.; Kidwell, James; Vrouwenvelder, Johannes S.

2016-01-01

suggested that the impact of spacers on hydraulics and biofouling can be improved. A good agreement was found for the modeled and measured relationship between linear flow velocity and pressure drop for feed spacers with the same geometry, indicating

Relative Performance of HPV and Cytology Components of Cotesting in Cervical Screening.

Science.gov (United States)

Schiffman, Mark; Kinney, Walter K; Cheung, Li C; Gage, Julia C; Fetterman, Barbara; Poitras, Nancy E; Lorey, Thomas S; Wentzensen, Nicolas; Befano, Brian; Schussler, John; Katki, Hormuzd A; Castle, Philip E

2018-05-01

The main goal of cervical screening programs is to detect and treat precancer before cancer develops. Human papillomavirus (HPV) testing is more sensitive than cytology for detecting precancer. However, reports of rare HPV-negative, cytology-positive cancers are motivating continued use of both tests (cotesting) despite increased testing costs. We quantified the detection of cervical precancer and cancer by cotesting compared with HPV testing alone at Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC), where 1 208 710 women age 30 years and older have undergone triennial cervical cotesting since 2003. Screening histories preceding cervical cancers (n = 623) and precancers (n = 5369) were examined to assess the relative contribution of the cytology and HPV test components in identifying cases. The performances of HPV testing and cytology were compared using contingency table methods, general estimating equation models, and nonparametric statistics; all statistical tests were two-sided. HPV testing identified more women subsequently diagnosed with cancer (P < .001) and precancer (P < .001) than cytology. HPV testing was statistically significantly more likely to be positive for cancer at any time point (P < .001), except within 12 months (P = .10). HPV-negative/cytology-positive results preceded only small fractions of cases of precancer (3.5%) and cancer (5.9%); these cancers were more likely to be regional or distant stage with squamous histopathology than other cases. Given the rarity of cancers among screened women, the contribution of cytology to screening translated to earlier detection of at most five cases per million women per year. Two-thirds (67.9%) of women found to have cancer during 10 years of follow-up at KPNC were detected by the first cotest performed. The added sensitivity of cotesting vs HPV alone for detection of treatable cancer affected extremely few women.

Biofouling Control in Spiral-Wound Membrane Systems: Impact of Feed Spacer Modification and Biocides

KAUST Repository

Siddiqui, Amber

2016-01-01

was developed. The combination of modeling and experimental testing of 3D printed spacers is a promising strategy to develop advanced spacers aiming to reduce the impact of biofilm formation on membrane performance and to improve the cleanability of spiral

Simulation study of transfer characteristics for spacer-filled membrane distillation desalination modules

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, Hsuan; Hsu, Jian-An; Chang, Cheng-Liang; Ho, Chii-Dong; Cheng, Tung-Wen

2017-01-01

Highlights: • A 3D CFD model takes in transmembrane heat and mass transfer developed. • DCMD modules using spacer-filled and empty channels for desalination simulated. • Fluid flow, heat transfer and mass transfer profiles revealed. • Correlations of friction factor and Nusselt number developed. - Abstract: Membrane distillation (MD) is an emerging and promising membrane separation process, which can directly utilize renewable thermal energy or low-grade waste heat, for applications in water or wastewater treatment and food industry. However, a major drawback of MD process is its low energy efficiency. Spacer is the most suggested and studied eddy promoter to enhance the heat and mass transfer, which further improves both the separation and the energy utilization performance, of MD processes. This paper presents the results of a 3D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation of DCMD (direct contact membrane distillation) modules using channels with and without spacers for desalination application. The model employs permeable wall boundary condition to take into account the transmembrane heat and mass transfer and simulates the entire module length. The simulation reveals similar fluctuating distributions of temperature polarization coefficient, transmembrane heat and mass fluxes as well as the shear stress on the membrane surface along the entire module length. Correlations have been developed for friction factor and average Nusselt number. These correlations are useful for the analysis and design of DCMD modules. The extent of heat transfer enhancement by spacers depends on the geometry of spacers and the Reynolds number of fluid.

Does rehabilitation of cervical lordosis influence sagittal cervical spine flexion extension kinematics in cervical spondylotic radiculopathy subjects?

Science.gov (United States)

Moustafa, Ibrahim Moustafa; Diab, Aliaa Attiah Mohamed; Hegazy, Fatma A; Harrison, Deed E

2017-01-01

To test the hypothesis that improvement of cervical lordosis in cervical spondylotic radiculopathy (CSR) will improve cervical spine flexion and extension end range of motion kinematics in a population suffering from CSR. Thirty chronic lower CSR patients with cervical lordosis lordosis (p lordosis in the study group was associated with significant improvement in the translational and rotational motions of the lower cervical spine. This finding provides objective evidence that cervical flexion/extension is partially dependent on the posture and sagittal curve orientation. These findings are in agreement with several other reports in the literature; whereas ours is the first post treatment analysis identifying this relationship.

Analysis of patients ≥65 with predominant cervical spine fractures: Issues of disposition and dysphagia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lisa M Poole

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Cervical spine fractures occur in 2.6% to 4.7% of trauma patients aged 65 years or older. Mortality rates in this population ranges from 19% to 24%. A few studies have specifically looked at dysphagia in elderly patients with cervical spine injury. Aims: The aim of this study is to evaluate dysphagia, disposition, and mortality in elderly patients with cervical spine injury. Settings and Design: Retrospective review at an the American College of Surgeons-verified level 1 trauma center. Methods: Patients 65 years or older with cervical spine fracture, either isolated or in association with other minor injuries were included in the study. Data included demographics, injury details, neurologic deficits, dysphagia evaluation and treatment, hospitalization details, and outcomes. Statistical Analysis: Categorical and continuous data were analyzed using Chi-square analysis and one-way analysis of variance, respectively. Results: Of 136 patients in this study, 2 (1.5% had a sensory deficit alone, 4 (2.9% had a motor deficit alone, and 4 (2.9% had a combined sensory and motor deficit. Nearly one-third of patients (n = 43, 31.6% underwent formal swallow evaluation, and 4 (2.9% had a nasogastric tube or Dobhoff tube placed for enteral nutrition, whereas eight others (5.9% had a gastrostomy tube or percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube placed. Most patients were discharged to a skilled nursing unit (n = 50, 36.8%, or to home or home with home health (n = 48, 35.3%. Seven patients (5.1% died in the hospital, and eight more (5.9% were transferred to hospice. Conclusion: Cervical spine injury in the elderly patient can lead to significant consequences, including dysphagia and need for skilled nursing care at discharge.

Microbiologic Evaluation of Cotton and Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) Tape as Endodontic Spacer Materials in Primary Molars An in Vivo Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Prabhakar, Attiguppe Ramasetty; Dixit, Kratika; Raju, O S

PTFE tape, which is commonly used as plumber's tape is an inorganic, non-fibrous, ribbon like material. The aim of this study was to evaluate PTFE tape as endodontic spacer material and to compare it with commonly used spacer material that is cotton, in primary teeth. Seventeen children undergoing pulpectomy of lower second primary molar bilaterally were included in the study. Cotton and PTFE tape were placed as spacers on each side randomly. Samples were taken from the access cavity at baseline and after seven days to check for microbial leakage. Spacer materials were also checked for microbial contamination. The results revealed that there was a significant increase in the bacterial colony count after seven days in cotton group. The access cavities were also positive for microbial leakage in the cotton group where the spacers showed positive growth. In PTFE group only two samples showed microbial contamination of spacer and out of two only one sample showed contamination of access cavity along with spacer. Within the limitations of this study, it can be concluded that PTFE tape performed better than cotton as endodontic spacer material. Thus, PTFE tape can be recommended as an endodontic spacer material as an alternative to cotton in primary teeth.

Cervical Cap

Science.gov (United States)

... giving birth vaginally, which means the cervical cap may not fit as well. Inconsistent or incorrect use of the cervical cap increases your risk of pregnancy. For example, you may get pregnant when using the cervical cap if: ...

Spacers for fuel rod clusters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jabsen, F.S.

1978-01-01

The proposition deals with the fixing of nuclear fuel element rods in a grid which consists of a number of crossed Zy-plates which form cells. The rectangular cells have projections which serve as spacers for the fuel rods. According to the invention there are additional butt straps which can be moved in such a way that insertion and extraction of the fuel rods can be done without obstruction and they can be spring-loaded hold in their final position. (UWI) [de

Organic light-emitting diodes with a spacer enhanced exciplex emission

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Fei; Chen, Rui; Sun, Handong; Wei Sun, Xiao

2014-04-01

By introducing a spacer molecule into the blended exciplex emissive layer, the performance of the bulk heterojunction exciplex organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) was improved dramatically; the maximum luminous efficiency was enhanced by about 22% from 7.9 cd/A to 9.7 cd/A, and the luminous efficiency drop was reduced by 28% at 400 mA/cm2. Besides the suppressed annihilation of exciton, the time-resolved photoluminescence measurements indicated that the spacer enhanced the delayed fluorescence through increasing the backward intersystem crossing rate from the triplet to singlet exciplex state. This method is useful for developing high performance exciplex OLEDs.

DESIGN OF A SUPERBIKE PADDOCK STAND USING CAD AND CAE TOOLS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M.H. Mohd Noh

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Two people are required to operate current superbike paddock stands in order to elevate the superbike. Lifting the superbike alone using the current design of paddock stand may be impractical and inconvenient for users. To overcome this limitation, a new design of a superbike paddock stand was conceived that could be operated by a single user. CAD and CAE tools using CATIA V5R18 software were utilised in designing this new stand. A 3D CAD model was developed and analysed through finite element analysis (FEA and a prototype fabricated for verification testing of the design. The use of CAD and CAE tools saved much time in the design work and gave the researchers and designers freedom in producing their own design. However, the most important aspect of this design study was to design a superbike paddock stand that is more practical and convenient for operation by a single user.

A randomized controlled trial of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) testing for cervical cancer screening: trial design and preliminary results (HPV FOCAL Trial)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ogilvie, Gina S; Cook, Darrel A; Mei, Wendy; Stuart, Gavin CE; Franco, Eduardo L; Coldman, Andrew J; Niekerk, Dirk J van; Krajden, Mel; Martin, Ruth E; Ehlen, Thomas G; Ceballos, Kathy; Peacock, Stuart J; Smith, Laurie W; Kan, Lisa

2010-01-01

In the HPV FOCAL trial, we will establish the efficacy of hr-HPV DNA testing as a stand-alone screening test followed by liquid based cytology (LBC) triage of hr-HPV-positive women compared to LBC followed by hr-HPV triage with ≥ CIN3 as the outcome. HPV-FOCAL is a randomized, controlled, three-armed study over a four year period conducted in British Columbia. It will recruit 33,000 women aged 25-65 through the province's population based cervical cancer screening program. Control arm: LBC at entry and two years, and combined LBC and hr-HPV at four years among those with initial negative results and hr-HPV triage of ASCUS cases; Two Year Safety Check arm: hr-HPV at entry and LBC at two years in those with initial negative results with LBC triage of hr-HPV positives; Four Year Intervention Arm: hr-HPV at entry and combined hr-HPV and LBC at four years among those with initial negative results with LBC triage of hr-HPV positive cases To date, 6150 participants have a completed sample and epidemiologic questionnaire. Of the 2019 women enrolled in the control arm, 1908 (94.5%) were cytology negative. Women aged 25-29 had the highest rates of HSIL (1.4%). In the safety arm 92.2% of women were hr-HPV negative, with the highest rate of hr-HPV positivity found in 25-29 year old women (23.5%). Similar results were obtained in the intervention arm HPV FOCAL is the first randomized trial in North America to examine hr-HPV testing as the primary screen for cervical cancer within a population-based cervical cancer screening program. International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number Register, ISRCTN79347302

A randomized controlled trial of Human Papillomavirus (HPV testing for cervical cancer screening: trial design and preliminary results (HPV FOCAL Trial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Smith Laurie W

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In the HPV FOCAL trial, we will establish the efficacy of hr-HPV DNA testing as a stand-alone screening test followed by liquid based cytology (LBC triage of hr-HPV-positive women compared to LBC followed by hr-HPV triage with ≥ CIN3 as the outcome. Methods/Design HPV-FOCAL is a randomized, controlled, three-armed study over a four year period conducted in British Columbia. It will recruit 33,000 women aged 25-65 through the province's population based cervical cancer screening program. Control arm: LBC at entry and two years, and combined LBC and hr-HPV at four years among those with initial negative results and hr-HPV triage of ASCUS cases; Two Year Safety Check arm: hr-HPV at entry and LBC at two years in those with initial negative results with LBC triage of hr-HPV positives; Four Year Intervention Arm: hr-HPV at entry and combined hr-HPV and LBC at four years among those with initial negative results with LBC triage of hr-HPV positive cases Discussion To date, 6150 participants have a completed sample and epidemiologic questionnaire. Of the 2019 women enrolled in the control arm, 1908 (94.5% were cytology negative. Women aged 25-29 had the highest rates of HSIL (1.4%. In the safety arm 92.2% of women were hr-HPV negative, with the highest rate of hr-HPV positivity found in 25-29 year old women (23.5%. Similar results were obtained in the intervention arm HPV FOCAL is the first randomized trial in North America to examine hr-HPV testing as the primary screen for cervical cancer within a population-based cervical cancer screening program. Trial Registration International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number Register, ISRCTN79347302

Mechanical Properties Of 3D-Structure Composites Based On Warp-Knitted Spacer Fabrics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chen Si

2015-06-01

Full Text Available In this paper, the mechanical properties (compression and impact behaviours of three-dimension structure (3D-structure composites based on warp-knitted spacer fabrics have been thoroughly investigated. In order to discuss the effect of fabric structural parameters on the mechanical performance of composites, six different types of warp-knitted spacer fabrics having different structural parameters (such as outer layer structure, diameter of spacer yarn, spacer yarn inclination angle and thickness were involved for comparison study. The 3D-structure composites were fabricated based on a flexible polyurethane foam. The produced composites were characterised for compression and impact properties. The findings obtained indicate that the fabric structural parameters have strong influence on the compression and impact responses of 3D-structure composites. Additionally, the impact test carried out on the 3D-structure composites shows that the impact loads do not affect the integrity of composite structure. All the results reveal that the product exhibits promising mechanical performance and its service life can be sustained.

Effect of Weld Properties on the Crush Strength of the PWR Spacer Grid

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kee-nam Song

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Mechanical properties in a weld zone are different from those in the base material because of different microstructures. A spacer grid in PWR fuel is a structural component with an interconnected and welded array of slotted grid straps. Previous research on the strength analyses of the spacer grid was performed using base material properties owing to a lack of mechanical properties in the weld zone. In this study, based on the mechanical properties in the weld zone of the spacer grid recently obtained by an instrumented indentation technique, the strength analyses considering the mechanical properties in the weld zone were performed, and the analysis results were compared with the previous research.

Late intestinal adverse effects of radiotherapy for uterine cervical cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsukada, Seiji; Yamamoto, Yasuaki; Kaneko, Toru; Maruhashi, Toshihiro; Takahashi, Takeshi

1993-01-01

We investigated the incidence and clinical appearance of late adverse intestinal effects in 88 patients treated with postoperative radiotherapy and 46 patients treated with radiotherapy alone for uterine cervical cancer. In the postoperative radiotherapy group, colitis, ileus and bowel fistules were seen in 13 patients (14.8%), 8 (9.1%), and 3 (3.4%) of the patients, respectively. Of these patients, 11 (12.5%) needed to have surgical therapy for these adverse effects. In the radiation alone group, 18 patients (39.1%) had colitis and 2 (4.3%) had ileus; of them, 2 patients (4.3%) needed to have surgical therapy. The higher incidence of so severe adverse effects as to require surgical therapy in the postoperative radiotherapy group indicates that adhesion caused by operation might have caused the occurrence of these adverse effects. Four of a total of 134 patients died of causes which might be attributable to irradiation. In 61 patients treated by radical hysterectomy without postoperative radiotherapy, intestinal adverse effects were not found. These results indicate that late intestinal adverse effects after radiotherapy are likely to occur in some cases very severely; therefore, careful consideration is necessary in the decision to use radiotherpay for uterine cervical cancer. (J.P.N.)

Cervical Myomas

Science.gov (United States)

... Adnexal Torsion Bartholin Gland Cysts Cervical Myomas Cervical Stenosis Endometriomas of the Vulva Inclusion and Epidermal Cysts of the Vulva Noncancerous Ovarian Growths Polyps of the Cervix Skene Duct Cyst Cervical myomas are smooth, benign tumors in the cervix. A myoma may bleed, ...

Barriers and supports to implementation of MDI/spacer use in nine Canadian pediatric emergency departments: a qualitative study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Graham Ian D

2009-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Despite recent research supporting the use of metered dose inhalers with spacer devices (MDI/spacers in pediatric emergency departments (PEDs for acute exacerbations of asthma, uptake of this practice has been slow. The objectives of this study were to determine the barriers and supports to implementing MDI/spacer research and to identify factors associated with early and late adoption of MDI/spacers in Canadian PEDs. Methods Using a comparative case study design, we classified nine tertiary care pediatric hospital PEDs based on their stage of implementation. Data were collected using focus group interviews with physicians, registered nurses (RNs, and respiratory therapists (RTs, and individual interviews with both patient care and medical directors at each site. Initial coding was based on the Ottawa Model of Research Use (OMRU categories of elements known to influence the uptake of innovations. Results One hundred and fifty healthcare professionals from nine different healthcare institutions participated in this study. Lack of leadership in the form of a research champion, a lack of consensus about the benefits of MDI/spacers among staff, perceived resistance from patients/parents, and perceived increased cost and workload associated with MDI/spacer use were the most prevalent barriers to the adoption of the MDI/spacer. Common strategies used by early-adopting sites included the active participation of all professional groups in the adoption process in addition to a well-planned and executed educational component for staff, patients, and families. Early adopter sites were also more likely to have the MDI/spacer included in a clinical protocol/pathway. Conclusion Potential barriers and supports to implementation have been identified that will help EDs adopt MDI/spacer use. Future interventions intended to increase MDI/spacer use in PEDs will need to be sensitive to the barriers identified in this study.

Cervical Spondylosis and Hypertension

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Baogan; Pang, Xiaodong; Li, Duanming; Yang, Hong

2015-01-01

Abstract Cervical spondylosis and hypertension are all common diseases, but the relationship between them has never been studied. Patients with cervical spondylosis are often accompanied with vertigo. Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion is an effective method of treatment for cervical spondylosis with cervical vertigo that is unresponsive to conservative therapy. We report 2 patients of cervical spondylosis with concomitant cervical vertigo and hypertension who were treated successfully with anterior cervical discectomy and fusion. Stimulation of sympathetic nerve fibers in pathologically degenerative disc could produce sympathetic excitation, and induce a sympathetic reflex to cause cervical vertigo and hypertension. In addition, chronic neck pain could contribute to hypertension development through sympathetic arousal and failure of normal homeostatic pain regulatory mechanisms. Cervical spondylosis may be one of the causes of secondary hypertension. Early treatment for resolution of symptoms of cervical spondylosis may have a beneficial impact on cardiovascular disease risk in patients with cervical spondylosis. PMID:25761188

Radiation or chemoradiation: initial utility study of selected therapy for local advanced stadium cervical cancer

Science.gov (United States)

Pramitasari, D. A.; Gondhowiardjo, S.; Nuranna, L.

2017-08-01

This study aimed to compare radiation only or chemo radiation treatment of local advanced cervical cancers by examining the initial response of tumors and acute side effects. An initial assessment employed value based medicine (VBM) by obtaining utility values for both types of therapy. The incidences of acute lower gastrointestinal, genitourinary, and hematology side effects in patients undergoing chemoradiation did not differ significantly from those undergoing radiation alone. Utility values for patients who underwent radiation alone were higher compared to those who underwent chemoradiation. It was concluded that the complete response of patients who underwent chemoradiation did not differ significantly from those who underwent radiation alone.

Cervical Cancer

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts

Did you know that cervical cancer rates differ by race/ethnicity and region? Or that cervical cancer can usually be prevented if precancerous cervical lesions are found by a Pap test and treated? Find out how getting regular Pap tests can save a woman's life.

Cervical Vertigo(Vertigo)

OpenAIRE

本間, 隆夫; Homma, Takao

1992-01-01

Cervical vertigo was reviewed as to its mechanism, diagnosis and treatment, and nine cases which had operation done were briefly presented. Cervical vertigo has been seen occasionaly in the cases of cervical spondylosis, frequently in the cases of traumatic cervical syndrome. The mechanism is attributed to either vertebrobasilar insufficiency caused by compression on vertebral artery or irritation of poterior cervical sympathetic system. The diagnosis consists of reccurent vertigo attack with...

Clearance of the cervical spine in clinically unevaluable trauma patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Halpern, Casey H; Milby, Andrew H; Guo, Wensheng; Schuster, James M; Gracias, Vicente H; Stein, Sherman C

2010-08-15

Meta-analytic costeffectiveness analysis. Our goal was to compare the results of different management strategies for trauma patients in whom the cervical spine was not clinically evaluable due to impaired consciousness, endotracheal intubation, or painful distracting injuries. We performed a structured literature review related to cervical spine trauma, radiographic clearance techniques (plain radiography, flexion/extension, CT, and MRI), and complications associated with semirigid collar use. Meta-analytic techniques were used to pool data from multiple sources to calculate pooled mean estimates of sensitivities and specificities of imaging techniques for cervical spinal clearance, rates of complications from various clearance strategies and from empirical use of semirigid collars. A decision analysis model was used to compare outcomes and costs among these strategies. Slightly more than 7.5% of patients who are clinically unevaluable have cervical spine injuries, and 42% of these injuries are associated with spinal instability. Sensitivity of plain radiography or fluoroscopy for spinal clearance was 57% (95% CI: 57%-60%). Sensitivities for CT and MRI alone were 83% (82%-84%) and 87% (84%-89%), respectively. Complications associated with collar use ranged from 1.3% (2 days) to 7.1% (10 days) but were usually minor and short-lived. Quadriplegia resulting from spinal instability missed by a clearance test had enormous impacts on longevity, quality of life, and costs. These impacts overshadowed the effects of prolonged collar application, even when the incidence of quadriplegia was extremely low. As currently used, neuroimaging studies for cervical spinal clearance in clinically unevaluable patients are not cost-effective compared with empirical immobilization in a semirigid collar.

Prediction of droplet deposition around BWR fuel spacer by FEM flow analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamamoto, Yasushi; Morooka, Shinichi

1997-01-01

The critical power of the BWR fuel assembly has been remarkably increased. That increase mainly depends on the improvement of the spacer which keeps fixed gaps between fuel rods. So far, these improvements have been carried out on the basis of what developers consider to be appropriate and the results of mockup tests of the BWR fuel assembly. However, continued reliance on these approaches for the development of a higher performance fuel assembly will prove time-consuming and costly. Therefore, it is hoped that the spacer effects for the critical power can be investigated by computer simulation, and it is significantly important to develop the critical power prediction method. Direct calculation of the two-phase flow in a BWR fuel channel s still difficult. Accordingly, a new method for predicting the critical power was proposed. Our method consists of CFD (computer fluid dynamics) code based on the single-phase flow analysis method and the subchannel analysis code. To verify our method, the critical power predictions for various spacer geometries were performed. The predicted results of the critical power were compared with the experimental data. The result of the comparison showed a good agreement and the applicability of our method for various spacer geometries. (author)

Cervical Spondylosis and Hypertension

OpenAIRE

Peng, Baogan; Pang, Xiaodong; Li, Duanming; Yang, Hong

2015-01-01

Abstract Cervical spondylosis and hypertension are all common diseases, but the relationship between them has never been studied. Patients with cervical spondylosis are often accompanied with vertigo. Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion is an effective method of treatment for cervical spondylosis with cervical vertigo that is unresponsive to conservative therapy. We report 2 patients of cervical spondylosis with concomitant cervical vertigo and hypertension who were treated successfully w...

An adaptive artificial neural network model for sizing stand-alone photovoltaic systems: Application for isolated sites in Algeria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mellit, A.; Benghanem, M.; Hadj Arab, A.; Guessoum, G.

2004-07-01

In this paper we investigate, by using an adaptive Artificial Neural Network (ANN), in order to find a suitable model for sizing Stand-Alone Photovoltaic (SAPV) systems, based on a minimum of input data. This model combines Radial Basis Function (RBF) network and Infinite Impulse Response (IIR) filter in order to accelerate the convergence of the network. For the sizing of a photovoltaic (PV) system, we need to determine the optimal sizing coefficients (K PV , K B . These coefficients allow us to determine the number of solar panels and storage batteries necessary to satisfy a given consumption, especially in isolated sites where the global solar radiation data is not always available and which are considered the most important parameters for sizing a PV system. Obtained results by classical models (analytical, numerical, analytical- numerical, B-spline function) and new models like feed-forward (MLP), radial basis function (RBF), MLP-IIR and RBF-IIR have been compared with experimental sizing coefficients in order to illustrate the accuracy of the results of the new developed model. This model has been trained by using 200 known optimal sizing coefficients corresponding to 200 locations in Algeria. In this way, the adaptive model was trained to accept and even handle a number of unusual cases, the unknown validation sizing coefficients set produced very set accurate estimation and a correlation coefficient of 98% was obtained between the calculated and that estimated by the RBF-IIR model. This result indicates that the proposed method can be successfully used for the estimation of optimal sizing coefficients of SAPV systems for any locations in Algeria, but the methodology can be generalized using different locations over the world. (author)

Quantitative DNA methylation analysis of candidate genes in cervical cancer.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Erin M Siegel

Full Text Available Aberrant DNA methylation has been observed in cervical cancer; however, most studies have used non-quantitative approaches to measure DNA methylation. The objective of this study was to quantify methylation within a select panel of genes previously identified as targets for epigenetic silencing in cervical cancer and to identify genes with elevated methylation that can distinguish cancer from normal cervical tissues. We identified 49 women with invasive squamous cell cancer of the cervix and 22 women with normal cytology specimens. Bisulfite-modified genomic DNA was amplified and quantitative pyrosequencing completed for 10 genes (APC, CCNA, CDH1, CDH13, WIF1, TIMP3, DAPK1, RARB, FHIT, and SLIT2. A Methylation Index was calculated as the mean percent methylation across all CpG sites analyzed per gene (~4-9 CpG site per sequence. A binary cut-point was defined at >15% methylation. Sensitivity, specificity and area under ROC curve (AUC of methylation in individual genes or a panel was examined. The median methylation index was significantly higher in cases compared to controls in 8 genes, whereas there was no difference in median methylation for 2 genes. Compared to HPV and age, the combination of DNA methylation level of DAPK1, SLIT2, WIF1 and RARB with HPV and age significantly improved the AUC from 0.79 to 0.99 (95% CI: 0.97-1.00, p-value = 0.003. Pyrosequencing analysis confirmed that several genes are common targets for aberrant methylation in cervical cancer and DNA methylation level of four genes appears to increase specificity to identify cancer compared to HPV detection alone. Alterations in DNA methylation of specific genes in cervical cancers, such as DAPK1, RARB, WIF1, and SLIT2, may also occur early in cervical carcinogenesis and should be evaluated.

Cervicitis

Science.gov (United States)

... that does not go away: discharge may be gray, white or yellow in color Painful sexual intercourse ... Names Cervical inflammation; Inflammation - cervix Images Female reproductive anatomy Cervicitis Uterus References Eckert LO, Lentz GM. Infections ...

In Silico Study of Spacer Arm Length Influence on Drug Vectorization by Fullerene C60

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Haifa Khemir

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This work studies theoretically the effect of spacer arm lengths on the characteristics of a fullerene C60-based nanovector. The spacer arm is constituted of a carbon chain including a variable number of methylene groups (n = 2–11. To improve the ability of the fullerene carriage, two arms are presented simultaneously through a malonyl bridge. Then the evolution of selected physicochemical parameters is monitored as a function of the spacer arm length and the angle between the two arms. We show here that while the studied characteristics are almost independent of the spacer arm length or vary monotonically with it, the dipole moment and its orientation vary periodically with the parity of the number of carbon atoms. This periodicity is related to both modules and orientations of dipole moments of the spacer arms. In the field of chemical synthesis, these results highlight the importance of theoretical calculations for the optimization of operating conditions. In the field of drug discovery, they show that theoretical calculations of the chemical properties of a drug candidate can help predict its in vivo behaviour, notably its bioavailability and biodistribution, which are known to be tightly dependent of its polarity.

A high-performance channel engineered charge-plasma-based MOSFET with high-κ spacer

Science.gov (United States)

Shan, Chan; Wang, Ying; Luo, Xin; Bao, Meng-tian; Yu, Cheng-hao; Cao, Fei

2017-12-01

In this paper, the performance of graded channel double-gate MOSFET (GC-DGFET) that utilizes the charge-plasma concept and a high-κ spacer is investigated through 2-D device simulations. The results demonstrate that GC-DGFET with high-κ spacer can effectively improve the ON-state driving current (ION) and reduce the OFF-leakage current (IOFF). We find that reduction of the initial energy barrier between the source and channel is the origin of this ION enhancement. The reason for the IOFF reduction is identified to be the extension of the effective channel length owing to the fringing field via high-κ spacers. Consequently, these devices offer enhanced performance by reducing the total gate-to-gate capacitance (Cgg) and decreasing the intrinsic delay (τ).

Geometric effects of spacer grid in an annulus flow channel during reflooding period

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cho, S.; Chun, S. Y.; Kim, B. D.; Park, J. K.; Yun, Y. J.; Baek, W. P.

2004-01-01

A number of studies on the reflooding phase were actively carried out from the early 70's due to its importance for the safety of the nuclear reactor. (Martini et al., 1973; Henry, 1974; Chung, 1978;) However, few studies have presented the spacer grid effect during the reflooding period. Since the grid is an obstruction in the flow passage, it causes an increased pressure drop due to form and skin friction losses. On the other hand, the spacer grid tends to increase the local wall heat transfer. The present work has been performed in a vertical annulus flow channel with various flow conditions. The objective of this paper is to evaluate the effects of a swirl-vane spacer grid on the rewetting phenomena during the reflooding phase

Lower end fitting debris collector and end cap spacer grid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bryan, W.J.

1990-01-01

This patent describes a nuclear reactor having fuel assemblies including an upper end fitting and spaced nuclear fuel rod spacer grids for supporting and spacing a plurality of elongated nuclear fuel rods. Each includes a hollow active portion of nuclear fuel filled cladding intermediate the rod ends and tapering end cap of solid material with a circumferential groove on the rod end which first encounters reactor coolant flow, a lower end filtering debris collector and end cap spacer grid for capturing and retaining deleterious debris carried by reactor coolant before it enters the active region of a fuel assembly and creates fuel rod cladding damage

Interventional therapy of cervical esophageal malignant obstruction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mao Aiwu; Gao Zhongdu; Li Guofen; Jiang Tinghui; Hu Xuan; Wu Jieru; Yang Renjie; Xiao Xiangsheng

2003-01-01

Objective: To explore the feasibility of microinvasive technique in high level malignant esophageal obstruction and to provide the palliative therapy that can't be dredged by traditional methods. Methods: There were 39 patients suffered from high level esophageal obstruction, involving the segments from esophageal circular pharynx to 12 mm below. Tube-reticular nitinol metal stents woven by single thread were placed in orally to dredge the esophagus under fluoroscopic guidance after repeated tolerant expanding performance through expandable catheter. Interventional chemical therapy were administrated through blood-supply vessels. Results: Thirty nine patients were grafted with 46 high level esophageal stents. 34 patients accepted 156 times of interventional chemical therapy. All patients restored with fine residue diet without showing side-effects except slight pain and tolerant uncomfortable feeling. The survival rate of the patients with both interventional chemical therapy and stents was longer than those with stent therapy alone. Conclusion: Cervical high level segment of esophagus shouldn't be the restricted zone in the management of inner-stents. Interventional chemical therapy showed tumor-inhibiting effect in the cervical malignant diseases

Effect of electrostatic charge in plastic spacers on the lung delivery of HFA-salbutamol in children

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Anhøj, J; Bisgaard, H; Lipworth, B J

1999-01-01

delivered a significantly (Pplastic spacers reduces lung dose in children by more than two-fold. This is clinically significant and the use of potentially electrostatically charged......AIMS: The effect of the electrostatic charge in plastic spacers in vivo on drug delivery to the lung of hydrofluoroalkane (HFA) salbutamol spray was studied in children. METHODS: Five children, aged 7-12 years, were included in a 3-way crossover randomised single-blind trial. Salbutamol HFA spray...... was delivered on 3 different study days from plastic spacers with mouthpiece. Pre-treatment of the spacers differed between study days: (a) Non-electrostatic 350 ml Babyhaler (coated with benzalkonium chloride) (b) New 350 ml Babyhaler (rinsed in water), and (c) New 145 ml AeroChamber (rinsed in water). Plasma...

Spacer Thickness-Dependent Electron Transport Performance of Titanium Dioxide Thick Film for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Reda E. El-Shater

2015-01-01

Full Text Available A titanium dioxide (P25 film was deposited by cast coating as conductive photoelectrode and subsequently immersed in dye solution (N719 to fabricate the photoanode of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs. A plastic spacer was used as a separation and sealant layer between the photoanode and the counter electrode. The effect of the thickness of this spacer on the transfer of electrons in the liquid electrolyte of the DSSCs was studied by means of both IV curves and electrochemical impedance. Using a spacer thickness range of 20 μm to 50 μm, efficiency ranges from 3.73% to 7.22%. The highest efficiency of 7.22% was obtained with an optimal spacer thickness of 40 μm.

Exploring backbone-cation alkyl spacers for multi-cation side chain anion exchange membranes

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Liang; Yu, Xuedi; Hickner, Michael A.

2018-01-01

In order to systematically study how the arrangement of cations on the side chain and length of alkyl spacers between cations impact the performance of multi-cation AEMs for alkaline fuel cells, a series of polyphenylene oxide (PPO)-based AEMs with different cationic side chains were synthesized. This work resulted in samples with two or three cations in a side chain pendant to the PPO backbone. More importantly, the length of the spacer between cations varied from 3 methylene (-CH2-) (C3) groups to 8 methylene (C8) groups. The highest conductivity, up to 99 mS/cm in liquid water at room temperature, was observed for the triple-cation side chain AEM with pentyl (C5) or hexyl (C6) spacers. The multi-cation AEMs were found to have decreased water uptake and ionic conductivity when the spacer chains between cations were lengthened from pentyl (C5) or hexyl (C6) to octyl (C8) linking groups. The triple-cation membranes with pentyl (C5) or hexyl (C6) groups between cations showed greatest stability after immersion in 1 M NaOH at 80 °C for 500 h.

The effect of manipulation plus massage therapy versus massage therapy alone in people with tension-type headache. A randomized controlled clinical trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Espí-López, Gemma V; Zurriaga-Llorens, Rosario; Monzani, Lucas; Falla, Deborah

2016-10-01

Manipulative techniques have shown promising results for relief of tension-type headache (TTH), however prior studies either lacked a control group, or suffered from poor methodological quality. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of spinal manipulation combined with massage versus massage alone on range of motion of the cervical spine, headache frequency, intensity and disability in patients with TTH. Randomized, single-blinded, controlled clinical trial. University clinic. We enrolled 105 subjects with TTH. Participants were divided into two groups: 1) manipulation and massage; 2) massage only (control). Four treatment sessions were applied over four weeks. The Headache Disability Inventory (HDI) and range of upper cervical and cervical motion were evaluated at baseline, immediately after the intervention and at a follow-up, 8 weeks after completing the intervention. Both groups demonstrated a large (ƒ=1.22) improvement on their HDI scores. Those that received manipulation reported a medium-sized reduction (ƒ=0.33) in headache frequency across all data points (Pheadache. Although massage provided relief of headache in TTH sufferers, when combined with cervical manipulation, there was a stronger effect on range of upper cervical spine motion.

Measurement and model development of the droplet diameter in rod bundles with spacer grids in the reactor core

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

No, Hee Cheon; Lee, Eo Hwak; Yoo, Seung Hun; Jin, Hyung Gon; Kim, In Hun [KAIST, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2010-05-15

To understand and to predict the heat transfer between superheated steam and droplets properly during reflood phase of LBLOCA of APR1400, it is very important to measure broken droplet sizes by spacer grids. A study, therefore, has been performed to investigate droplet size in rod bundles with spacer grids and to develop a spacer grid droplet size model for safety analysis codes. Experiments were conducted with liquid droplets (SMD of 300{approx}700 {mu}m) impacting on various spacer grids at air superficial velocity of 10 and 20 m/s based on FLECHT SEASET. The test channel and the grids were heated to 150 .deg. C to prevent the formation of liquid film during tests. The spacer grids were designed refer to the Korean fuel rod bundles (Korean Standard Fuel, Plus 7) of APR1400 with various blockage area ratio and grid geometries (strap thickness, mixing vane) and about 15,000 droplets were measured at upstream and downstream of the grids in 16 tests. As a result, the measurement of broken droplet size by spacer grids with photography method is presented and the droplet size model related to spacer grids as a function of blockage area ratio is suggested in this report

Get Tested for Cervical Cancer

Science.gov (United States)

... Print This Topic En español Get Tested for Cervical Cancer Browse Sections The Basics Overview Cervical Cancer Cervical ... Cervical Cancer 1 of 5 sections The Basics: Cervical Cancer What is cervical cancer? Cervical cancer is cancer ...

Reentrainment of droplet from grid spacer in mist flow portion of LOCA reflood of PWR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, S.L.; Cho, S.K.; Sheen, H.J.

1983-01-01

An investigation is made on the influence of a quenched grid spacer on the greatly enhanced heat transfer from heated fuel rods during the mist flow phase of emergency reflood of loss of coolant accident (LOCA) of a pressurized water reactor (PWR). The situation for the case of a dry grid spacer before its quenching has not been covered in this study. The experimental technique used is a relatively simple optical scheme which combines the reference-mode laser-Doppler anemometry making use of the scattering of a light beam from a droplet. The results reveal that the large droplets in the mist flow, which are intercepted by the grid spacer, are responsible for the creation of a large number of smaller droplets. These small droplets, due to their large surface area to mass ratios, can serve as superb evaporative cooling agents to heat transfer downstream of the grid spacer

Efficient and colour-stable hybrid white organic light-emitting diodes utilizing electron-hole balanced spacers