Testing the standard model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gordon, H.; Marciano, W.; Williams, H.H.

1982-01-01

We summarize here the results of the standard model group which has studied the ways in which different facilities may be used to test in detail what we now call the standard model, that is SU/sub c/(3) x SU(2) x U(1). The topics considered are: W +- , Z 0 mass, width; sin 2 theta/sub W/ and neutral current couplings; W + W - , Wγ; Higgs; QCD; toponium and naked quarks; glueballs; mixing angles; and heavy ions

Standardized Testing and the Construction of Governable Persons

Science.gov (United States)

Graham, Cameron; Neu, Dean

2004-01-01

While debates over standardized testing are ubiquitous, there has been relatively little consideration of how today's standardized testing practices have arisen. The current study provides a chronology of standardized testing within Alberta, Canada. Starting from prior work by Foucault and others on "governmentality", we propose that the…

Comparison of test protocols for standard room/corner tests

Science.gov (United States)

R. H. White; M. A. Dietenberger; H. Tran; O. Grexa; L. Richardson; K. Sumathipala; M. Janssens

1998-01-01

As part of international efforts to evaluate alternative reaction-to-fire tests, several series of room/comer tests have been conducted. This paper reviews the overall results of related projects in which different test protocols for standard room/corner tests were used. Differences in the test protocols involved two options for the ignition burner scenario and whether...

Blood gas and serum biochemical RIs for healthy newborn Murrah buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis).

Science.gov (United States)

Santana, André M; Silva, Daniela G; Clemente, Virna; Pizauro, Lucas J L; Bernardes, Priscila A; Santana, Clarissa H; Eckersall, Peter D; Fagliari, José J

2018-03-01

There is a lack of published work on RIs for newborn buffaloes. Establishing blood gas and serum biochemical RIs for newborn buffaloes is important for monitoring health. This study establishes blood gas and serum biochemical RIs of newborn buffaloes. Twenty-eight newborn buffaloes, 10-30 days old, were selected. Thirty blood biochemical variables were analyzed. The Anderson-Darling test was used to assess the normality of the distribution. The Dixon test and the Tukey test were used to identify outliers. The RI and 90% CI were determined using standard and robust methods and the Box-Cox transformation. A total of 30 RIs for healthy buffalo calves have been reported in this study. RIs for blood gas variables were reported for pH, partial pressure of oxygen (pO 2 ), partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO 2 ), saturation of O 2 (SO 2 ), bicarbonate (cHCO 3 - ), base excess (BE), total carbon dioxide (ctCO 2 ), and anion gap (AG). RIs for serum biochemical variables were reported for glucose (GLU), direct bilirubin (DB), total bilirubin (TB), AST, ALP, GGT, CK, LDH, creatinine (CREA), urea, cholesterol (CHOL), triglycerides (TG), Ca, P, Mg, Na, K, iCa, Cl, iron, total protein (TP), and albumin (ALB). This is the first reported study covering complete serum chemistry and blood gas RIs for healthy 1-month-old Murrah buffaloes. © 2018 American Society for Veterinary Clinical Pathology.

Biochemical markers in the follow-up of medullary thyroid cancer

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Groot, Jan Willem B.; Kema, Ido P.; Breukelman, Henk; van der Veer, Eveline; Wiggers, Theo; Plukker, John T. M.; Wolffenbuttel, Bruce H. R.; Links, Thera P.

2006-01-01

Medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) shares biochemical features with other neuroendocrine tumors but the particular characteristics are largely unexplored. We investigated the biochemical neuroendocrine profile of MTC and whether specific markers could be useful in follow-up. In addition to the standard

Standard test method for guided bend test for ductility of welds

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2002-01-01

1.1 This test method covers a guided bend test for the determination of soundness and ductility of welds in ferrous and nonferrous products. Defects, not shown by X rays, may appear in the surface of a specimen when it is subjected to progressive localized overstressing. This guided bend test has been developed primarily for plates and is not intended to be substituted for other methods of bend testing. 1.2 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded as standard. The values given in parentheses are mathematical conversions to SI units that are provided for information only and are not considered standard. Note 1—For additional information see Terminology E 6, and American Welding Society Standard D 1.1. 1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

Standard test method for drop-weight tear tests of ferritic steels

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2003-01-01

1.1 This test method covers drop-weight tear tests (DWTT) on ferritic steels with thicknesses between 3.18 and 19.1 mm. 1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard. 1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

Standard test methods for rockwell hardness of metallic materials

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2008-01-01

1.1 These test methods cover the determination of the Rockwell hardness and the Rockwell superficial hardness of metallic materials by the Rockwell indentation hardness principle. This standard provides the requirements for Rockwell hardness machines and the procedures for performing Rockwell hardness tests. 1.2 This standard includes additional requirements in annexes: Verification of Rockwell Hardness Testing Machines Annex A1 Rockwell Hardness Standardizing Machines Annex A2 Standardization of Rockwell Indenters Annex A3 Standardization of Rockwell Hardness Test Blocks Annex A4 Guidelines for Determining the Minimum Thickness of a Test Piece Annex A5 Hardness Value Corrections When Testing on Convex Cylindrical Surfaces Annex A6 1.3 This standard includes nonmandatory information in appendixes which relates to the Rockwell hardness test. List of ASTM Standards Giving Hardness Values Corresponding to Tensile Strength Appendix X1 Examples of Procedures for Determining Rockwell Hardness Uncertainty Appendix X...

Standard test methods for rockwell hardness of metallic materials

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2011-01-01

1.1 These test methods cover the determination of the Rockwell hardness and the Rockwell superficial hardness of metallic materials by the Rockwell indentation hardness principle. This standard provides the requirements for Rockwell hardness machines and the procedures for performing Rockwell hardness tests. 1.2 This standard includes additional requirements in annexes: Verification of Rockwell Hardness Testing Machines Annex A1 Rockwell Hardness Standardizing Machines Annex A2 Standardization of Rockwell Indenters Annex A3 Standardization of Rockwell Hardness Test Blocks Annex A4 Guidelines for Determining the Minimum Thickness of a Test Piece Annex A5 Hardness Value Corrections When Testing on Convex Cylindrical Surfaces Annex A6 1.3 This standard includes nonmandatory information in appendixes which relates to the Rockwell hardness test. List of ASTM Standards Giving Hardness Values Corresponding to Tensile Strength Appendix X1 Examples of Procedures for Determining Rockwell Hardness Uncertainty Appendix X...

Experimental Investigation Of Microbially Induced Corrosion Of Test Samples And Effect Of Self-assembled Hydrophobic Monolayers. Exposure Of Test Samples To Continuous Microbial Cultures, Chemical Analysis, And Biochemical Studies

CERN Document Server

Laurinavichius, K S

1998-01-01

Experimental Investigation Of Microbially Induced Corrosion Of Test Samples And Effect Of Self-assembled Hydrophobic Monolayers. Exposure Of Test Samples To Continuous Microbial Cultures, Chemical Analysis, And Biochemical Studies

Standard Test Methods for Wet Insulation Integrity Testing of Photovoltaic Modules

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2007-01-01

1.1 These test methods provide procedures to determine the insulation resistance of a photovoltaic (PV) module, i.e. the electrical resistance between the module's internal electrical components and its exposed, electrically conductive, non-current carrying parts and surfaces. 1.2 The insulation integrity procedures are a combination of wet insulation resistance and wet dielectric voltage withstand test procedures. 1.3 These procedures are similar to and reference the insulation integrity test procedures described in Test Methods E 1462, with the difference being that the photovoltaic module under test is immersed in a wetting solution during the procedures. 1.4 These test methods do not establish pass or fail levels. The determination of acceptable or unacceptable results is beyond the scope of these test methods. 1.5 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. 1.6 There is no similar or equivalent ISO standard. 1.7 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety conce...

A standard for test reliability in group research.

Science.gov (United States)

Ellis, Jules L

2013-03-01

Many authors adhere to the rule that test reliabilities should be at least .70 or .80 in group research. This article introduces a new standard according to which reliabilities can be evaluated. This standard is based on the costs or time of the experiment and of administering the test. For example, if test administration costs are 7 % of the total experimental costs, the efficient value of the reliability is .93. If the actual reliability of a test is equal to this efficient reliability, the test size maximizes the statistical power of the experiment, given the costs. As a standard in experimental research, it is proposed that the reliability of the dependent variable be close to the efficient reliability. Adhering to this standard will enhance the statistical power and reduce the costs of experiments.

Persistent negative illness perceptions despite long-term biochemical control of acromegaly: novel application of the drawing test

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tiemensma, Jitske; Pereira, Alberto M.; Romijn, Johannes A.; Broadbent, Elizabeth; Biermasz, Nienke R.; Kaptein, Adrian A.

2015-01-01

Context and objective: Patients with acromegaly have persistent complaints despite long-term biochemical control. Drawings can be used to assess patients' perceptions about their disease. We aimed to explore the utility of the drawing test and its relation to illness perceptions and quality of life

Assessing the variability of outcome for patients treated with localized prostate irradiation using different definitions of biochemical control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Horwitz, Eric; Ziaja, Ellen; Vicini, Frank; Dmuchowski, Carl; Gonzalez, Jose; Stromberg, Jannifer; Brabbins, Donald; Hollander, Jay; Chen, Peter; Martinez, Alvaro

1995-01-01

control. All local recurrences were biopsy proven. Depending upon the definition used, substantial differences in the rates of biochemical control were observed. The differences in rates of biochemical control between all 4 groups ranged from 5 to 53% (P < .001). The Mantel Haenszel log rank test was used to evaluate the significance of pretx PSA for predicting biochemical control. Conclusion: When different definitions of biochemical control are used in assessing treatment outcome, significantly different rates of biochemical control are noted. Until a standardized definition of biochemical control is adopted, differences in treatment outcome cannot be accurately compared

Standard Test Method for Wet Insulation Integrity Testing of Photovoltaic Arrays

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2010-01-01

1.1 This test method covers a procedure to determine the insulation resistance of a photovoltaic (PV) array (or its component strings), that is, the electrical resistance between the array's internal electrical components and is exposed, electrically conductive, non-current carrying parts and surfaces of the array. 1.2 This test method does not establish pass or fail levels. The determination of acceptable or unacceptable results is beyond the scope of this test method. 1.3 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard. 1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

Non-destructive testing. The current state of standards and qualification and certification for leak testing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tamura, Yoshikazu

2011-01-01

Domestic standards of the leak testing are enacted as one of Japan Industrial Standards. The conformity is advanced between these domestic standards and ISO (International Organization for Standardization) standard. ISO9712 (Non-destructive testing-Qualification and certification of personnel) was revised to include the leak testing of qualification and certification in 2005. The preparation working group of qualification and certification for leak testing is planning start aiming at the system in one and a half years. (author)

Standard Test Method for Testing Nonmetallic Seal Materials by Immersion in a Simulated Geothermal Test Fluid

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

1985-01-01

1.1 This test method covers a procedure for a laboratory test for performing an initial evaluation (screening) of nonmetallic seal materials by immersion in a simulated geothermal test fluid. 1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard. 1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use. For specific precautionary statements, see Section 6 and 11.7.

Coagulation Tests and Selected Biochemical Analytes in Dairy Cows with Hepatic Lipidosis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Padilla-Arellanes

2007-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to determine the values and changes in conventional and optimised clotting tests, as well as in selected biochemical analytes during hepatic lipidosis in postpartum dairy cows. Ten healthy and ten Holstein cows with hepatic lipidosis were selected based upon clinical history, clinical examination, liver biopsy, flotation test and histological analysis of hepatic tissue. Prothrombin time (PT and partial thromboplastin time (PTT were determined in non-diluted and diluted blood plasma samples. Clotting times determined in diluted plasma samples were prolonged in cows with hepatic lipidosis and there was a difference in the PT value at both 50% and 25% plasma dilutions between both groups of animals (P = 0.004 and P = 0.001. Significant differences between healthy animals and cows with hepatic lipidosis were observed in blood serum values for free fatty acids (FFA, aspartate aminotransferase (AST and triacyglycerols (P = 0.001, P = 0.007 and P = 0.044, respectively. FFA and liver biopsy are better diagnostic indicators for hepatic lipidosis than coagulation tests. The optimised PT is prolonged in cows with hepatic lipidosis and can detect this alteration that cannot be appreciated using conventional PT test.

Standard Test Method for Hydrophobic Surface Films by the Atomizer Test

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

1965-01-01

1.1 This test method covers the detection of the presence of hydrophobic (nonwetting) films on surfaces and the presence of hydrophobic organic materials in processing ambients. When properly conducted, the test will enable detection of fractional molecular layers of hydrophobic organic contaminants. On very rough or porous surfaces the sensitivity of the test may be significantly decreased. 1.2 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded as the standard. The values given in parentheses are for information only. 1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

Standard test method for tension testing of structural alloys in liquid helium

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2009-01-01

1.1 This test method describes procedures for the tension testing of structural alloys in liquid helium. The format is similar to that of other ASTM tension test standards, but the contents include modifications for cryogenic testing which requires special apparatus, smaller specimens, and concern for serrated yielding, adiabatic heating, and strain-rate effects. 1.2 To conduct a tension test by this standard, the specimen in a cryostat is fully submerged in normal liquid helium (He I) and tested using crosshead displacement control at a nominal strain rate of 10−3 s−1 or less. Tests using force control or high strain rates are not considered. 1.3 This standard specifies methods for the measurement of yield strength, tensile strength, elongation, and reduction of area. The determination of the elastic modulus is treated in Test Method E 111. Note 1—The boiling point of normal liquid helium (He I) at sea level is 4.2 K (−269°C or −452.1°F or 7.6°R). It decreases with geographic elevation and is...

Standard practice for modified salt spray (fog) testing

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2009-01-01

1.1 This practice covers and sets forth conditions for five modifications in salt spray (fog) testing for specification purposes. These are in chronological order of their development: 1.1.1 Annex A1, acetic acid-salt spray test, continuous. 1.1.2 Annex A2, cyclic acidified salt spray test. 1.1.3 Annex A3, seawater acidified test, cyclic (SWAAT). 1.1.4 Annex A4, SO2 salt spray test, cyclic. 1.1.5 Annex A5, dilute electrolyte cyclic fog dry test. 1.2 This practice does not prescribe the type of modification, test specimen or exposure periods to be used for a specific product, nor the interpretation to be given to the results. 1.3 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard. 1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to consult and establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicabilit...

Standards for educational and psychological testing

CERN Document Server

2014-01-01

Developed jointly by the American Educational Research Association, American Psychological Association, and the National Council on Measurement in Education, Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing (Revised 2014) addresses professional and technical issues of test development and use in education, psychology, and employment. It includes changes in federal law and measurement trends affecting validity, testing individuals with disabilities or different linguistic backgrounds, and new types of tests, as well as new uses of existing tests.

The skin prick test – European standards

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Heinzerling Lucie

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Skin prick testing is an essential test procedure to confirm sensitization in IgE-mediated allergic disease in subjects with rhinoconjunctivitis, asthma, urticaria, anapylaxis, atopic eczema and food and drug allergy. This manuscript reviews the available evidence including Medline and Embase searches, abstracts of international allergy meetings and position papers from the world allergy literature. The recommended method of prick testing includes the appropriate use of specific allergen extracts, positive and negative controls, interpretation of the tests after 15 – 20 minutes of application, with a positive result defined as a wheal ≥3 mm diameter. A standard prick test panel for Europe for inhalants is proposed and includes hazel (Corylus avellana, alder (Alnus incana, birch (Betula alba, plane (Platanus vulgaris, cypress (Cupressus sempervirens, grass mix (Poa pratensis, Dactilis glomerata, Lolium perenne, Phleum pratense, Festuca pratensis, Helictotrichon pretense, Olive (Olea europaea, mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris, ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia, Alternaria alternata (tenuis, Cladosporium herbarum, Aspergillus fumigatus, Parietaria, cat, dog, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, Dermatophagoides farinae, and cockroach (Blatella germanica. Standardization of the skin test procedures and standard panels for different geographic locations are encouraged worldwide to permit better comparisons for diagnostic, clinical and research purposes.

eQuilibrator--the biochemical thermodynamics calculator.

Science.gov (United States)

Flamholz, Avi; Noor, Elad; Bar-Even, Arren; Milo, Ron

2012-01-01

The laws of thermodynamics constrain the action of biochemical systems. However, thermodynamic data on biochemical compounds can be difficult to find and is cumbersome to perform calculations with manually. Even simple thermodynamic questions like 'how much Gibbs energy is released by ATP hydrolysis at pH 5?' are complicated excessively by the search for accurate data. To address this problem, eQuilibrator couples a comprehensive and accurate database of thermodynamic properties of biochemical compounds and reactions with a simple and powerful online search and calculation interface. The web interface to eQuilibrator (http://equilibrator.weizmann.ac.il) enables easy calculation of Gibbs energies of compounds and reactions given arbitrary pH, ionic strength and metabolite concentrations. The eQuilibrator code is open-source and all thermodynamic source data are freely downloadable in standard formats. Here we describe the database characteristics and implementation and demonstrate its use.

eQuilibrator—the biochemical thermodynamics calculator

Science.gov (United States)

Flamholz, Avi; Noor, Elad; Bar-Even, Arren; Milo, Ron

2012-01-01

The laws of thermodynamics constrain the action of biochemical systems. However, thermodynamic data on biochemical compounds can be difficult to find and is cumbersome to perform calculations with manually. Even simple thermodynamic questions like ‘how much Gibbs energy is released by ATP hydrolysis at pH 5?’ are complicated excessively by the search for accurate data. To address this problem, eQuilibrator couples a comprehensive and accurate database of thermodynamic properties of biochemical compounds and reactions with a simple and powerful online search and calculation interface. The web interface to eQuilibrator (http://equilibrator.weizmann.ac.il) enables easy calculation of Gibbs energies of compounds and reactions given arbitrary pH, ionic strength and metabolite concentrations. The eQuilibrator code is open-source and all thermodynamic source data are freely downloadable in standard formats. Here we describe the database characteristics and implementation and demonstrate its use. PMID:22064852

Standard specification for agencies performing nondestructive testing

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2009-01-01

1.1 This specification covers minimum requirements for agencies performing nondestructive testing (NDT). 1.2 When using this specification to assess the capability of, or to accredit NDT agencies, Guide E 1359 shall be used as a basis for the survey. It can be supplemented as necessary with more detail in order to meet the auditor's specific needs. 1.3 This specification can be used as a basis to evaluate testing or inspection agencies, or both, and is intended for use for the qualifying or accrediting, or both, of testing or inspection agencies, public or private. 1.4 The use of SI or inch-pound units, or combination thereof, will be the responsibility of the technical committee whose standards are referred to in this standard. 1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to...

Standard test methods for elevated temperature tension tests of metallic materials

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2009-01-01

1.1 These test methods cover procedure and equipment for the determination of tensile strength, yield strength, elongation, and reduction of area of metallic materials at elevated temperatures. 1.2 Determination of modulus of elasticity and proportional limit are not included. 1.3 Tension tests under conditions of rapid heating or rapid strain rates are not included. 1.4 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded as standard. The values given in parentheses are mathematical conversions to SI units that are provided for information only and are not considered standard. 1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

International survey on D-dimer test reporting: a call for standardization.

Science.gov (United States)

Lippi, Giuseppe; Tripodi, Armando; Simundic, Ana-Maria; Favaloro, Emmanuel J

2015-04-01

D-dimer is the biochemical gold standard for diagnosing a variety of thrombotic disorders, but result reporting is heterogeneous in clinical laboratories. A specific five-item questionnaire was developed to gain a clear picture of the current standardization of D-dimer test results. The questionnaire was opened online (December 24, 2014-February 10, 2015) on the platform "Google Drive (Google Inc., Mountain View; CA)," and widely disseminated worldwide by newsletters and alerts. A total of 409 responses were obtained during the period of data capture, the largest of which were from Italy (136; 33%), Australia (55; 22%), Croatia (29; 7%), Serbia (26; 6%), and the United States (21; 5%). Most respondents belonged to laboratories in general hospitals (208; 51%), followed by laboratories in university hospitals (104; 26%), and the private sector (94; 23%). The majority of respondents (i.e., 246; 60%) indicated the use of fibrinogen equivalent unit for expressing D-dimer results, with significant heterogeneities across countries and health care settings. The highest prevalence of laboratories indicated they were using "ng/mL" (139; 34%), followed by "mg/L" (136; 33%), and "µg/L" (73; 18%), with significant heterogeneity across countries but not among different health care settings. Expectedly, the vast majority of laboratories (379; 93%) declared to be using a fixed cutoff rather than an age-adjusted threshold, with no significant heterogeneity across countries and health care settings. The results of this survey attest that at least 28 different combinations of measurement units are currently used to report D-dimer results worldwide, and this evidence underscores the urgent need for more effective international joined efforts aimed to promote a worldwide standardization of D-dimer results reporting. Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

Is the standard model really tested?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takasugi, E.

1989-01-01

It is discussed how the standard model is really tested. Among various tests, I concentrate on the CP violation phenomena in K and B meson system. Especially, the resent hope to overcome the theoretical uncertainty in the evaluation on the CP violation of K meson system is discussed. (author)

Standard Ship Test and Inspection Plan, Procedures and Database

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

1999-01-01

... construction schedules and increased cost is the area of test and inspection. This project investigates existing rules and regulations for testing and inspection of commercial ships and identifies differences and similarities within the requirements. The results include comparison matrices, a standard test plan, a set of standard test procedures, and a sample test database developed for a typical commercial ship.

Standard test method for galling resistance of material couples

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2008-01-01

1.1 This test method covers a laboratory test that ranks the galling resistance of material couples using a quantitative measure. Bare metals, alloys, nonmetallic materials, coatings, and surface modified materials may be evaluated by this test method. 1.2 This test method is not designed for evaluating the galling resistance of material couples sliding under lubricated conditions, because galling usually will not occur under lubricated sliding conditions using this test method. 1.3 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard. 1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

Standard test methods for characterizing duplex grain sizes

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2002-01-01

1.1 These test methods provide simple guidelines for deciding whether a duplex grain size exists. The test methods separate duplex grain sizes into one of two distinct classes, then into specific types within those classes, and provide systems for grain size characterization of each type. 1.2 Units—The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard. 1.3 This standard may involve hazardous materials, operations, and equipment. This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to consult appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to its use.

Pad-weighing test performed with standardized bladder volume

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lose, G; Rosenkilde, P; Gammelgaard, J

1988-01-01

The result of the one-hour pad-weighing test proposed by the International Continence Society has been demonstrated to depend on the urine load during the test. To increase reproducibility of the pad-weighing test by minimizing the influence of variation in urine load the test was done with a sta...... to +/- 24 g between two tests. It is concluded that this setup (i.e., standardized bladder volume) of the one-hour pad-weighing test allows for a more reliable assessment of urinary incontinence for quantitative purposes....... with a standardized bladder volume (50% of the cystometric bladder capacity). Twenty-five female patients with stress or mixed incontinence underwent two separate tests. Test-retest results were highly correlated (r = 0.97, p less than 0.001). Nonetheless, analysis of test-retest differences revealed a variation up...

Standard Test Method for Hydrophobic Surface Films by the Water-Break Test

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2002-01-01

1.1 This test method covers the detection of the presence of hydrophobic (nonwetting) films on surfaces and the presence of hydrophobic organic materials in processing ambients. When properly conducted, the test will enable detection of molecular layers of hydrophobic organic contaminants. On very rough or porous surfaces, the sensitivity of the test may be significantly decreased. 1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The inch-pound values given in parentheses are for information only. 1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

42 CFR 493.1281 - Standard: Comparison of test results.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Standard: Comparison of test results. 493.1281 Section 493.1281 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN... Testing Analytic Systems § 493.1281 Standard: Comparison of test results. (a) If a laboratory performs the...

Anthropometric and Biochemical Profiles of Black South African ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Rev Dr Olaleye

Anthropometric and biochemical profiles were determined according to standard methods. From the ... Email: bejufemi@yahoo.co.uk ... 995 plots, Pahameng 1 711, Joe Slovo 1 359, and. Botchabela 2 ...... York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Steyn K ...

Standard leach tests for nuclear waste materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Strachan, D.M.; Barnes, B.O.; Turcotte, R.P.

1980-01-01

Five leach tests were conducted to study time-dependent leaching of waste forms (glass). The first four tests include temperature as a variable and the use of three standard leachants. Three of the tests are static and two are dynamic (flow). This paper discusses the waste-form leach tests and presents some representative data. 4 figures

Cognitive Fatigue Influences Students’ Performance on Standardized Tests

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sievertsen, Hans Henrik; Gino, Francesca; Piovesan, Marco

2016-01-01

We identify one potential source of bias that influences children’s performance on standardized tests and that is predictable based on psychological theory: the time at which students take the test. Using test data for all children attending Danish public schools between school years 2009....../10 and 2012/13, we find that, for every hour later in the day, test scores decrease by 0.9% of an SD. In addition, a 20- to 30-minute break improves average test scores. Time of day affects students’ test performance because, over the course of a regular day, students’ mental resources get taxed. Thus......, as the day wears on, students become increasingly fatigued and consequently more likely to underperform on a standardized test....

The Standardization of Tests: Criteria and Criticisms

Science.gov (United States)

Weiner, Paul S.; Hoock, William C.

1973-01-01

Following a review of the procedures involved in the establishment of norms for standardized tests, the specific procedures used to establish norms for three tests commonly used in speech and language pathology are critically examined. (LS)

Standard test method for wear testing with a pin-on-disk apparatus

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2005-01-01

1.1 This test method covers a laboratory procedure for determining the wear of materials during sliding using a pin-on-disk apparatus. Materials are tested in pairs under nominally non-abrasive conditions. The principal areas of experimental attention in using this type of apparatus to measure wear are described. The coefficient of friction may also be determined. 1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard. 1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

76 FR 74078 - Standard Mail Market Test

Science.gov (United States)

2011-11-30

... POSTAL REGULATORY COMMISSION [Docket No. MT2011-3; Order No. 998] Standard Mail Market Test AGENCY... Service application for an exemption from the annual revenue limitation that applies to market tests of... limitation in any year during the test of an experimental market dominant product.\\1\\ Pursuant to 39 U.S.C...

Standardization of waste acceptance test methods by the Materials Characterization Center

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Slate, S.C.

1985-01-01

This paper describes the role of standardized test methods in demonstrating the acceptability of high-level waste (HLW) forms for disposal. Key waste acceptance tests are standardized by the Materials Characterization Center (MCC), which the US Department of Energy (DOE) has established as the central agency in the United States for the standardization of test methods for nuclear waste materials. This paper describes the basic three-step process that is used to show that waste is acceptable for disposal and discusses how standardized tests are used in this process. Several of the key test methods and their areas of application are described. Finally, future plans are discussed for using standardized tests to show waste acceptance. 9 refs., 1 tab

The Analysis of the Psychological Tests Using In Educational Institutions According To the Testing Standards

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ezgi MOR DİRLİK

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this research is to analyze four psychological tests which are frequently used in the Guidance and Research Centers and in the guidance services of the schools according to the standards for educational and psychological testing of APA (American Psychological Association and test adaption standards of ITC (International Testing Commission. The tests were determined based on the goal- oriented sample selecting method and were selected from the most frequently used psychological tests in Guidance and Research Centers and school’s guidance centers. These tests are: Scale of Academic Self-Concept (Akademik Benlik Kavramı Ölçeği-ABKÖ, Evaluation of Early Childhood Development Tool (Gazi Erken Çocukluk Gelişimi Değerlendirme Aracı-GEÇDA, Primary Mental Abilities 7-11 (TKT 7-11, and Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children Revised Form (WISC-R. In this research, the chapters related to the validity, reliability and test development and revision of “Standards For Educational And Psychological Testing” (APA, 1999 and the adaptation standards developed by ITC were translated into Turkish and a checklist was created by using these documents. The checklist has got two forms as short and long form. The tests were analyzed according to the short form of the checklist by researcher. In order to examine the reliability of these analyses, the analyses were repeated in three weeks’ time. Data of these analyses were exported to the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS 20.0 and descriptive analysis was perfomed. As a result of this research, the meeting levels of the psychological tests to the test standards in the checklist and the features of the tests which should be improved according to the validity, reliability, test development and revision and test adaptation were determined. In conclusion, the standards analyzed have not been met satisfactorily by ABKÖ and GEÇDA, and according to the analyses of the realibility

Study on the testing standards of quality assurance for CT image

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Jingxin; Yang Haishan; Liu Gang; Wang Liyun

2000-01-01

Objective: To establish national testing standards of quality assurance for CT image. Methods: 104 sets of CT system were tested using quality assurance test phantoms and devices including American RMI 461A, RMI 463, MDH 1015 C with ION Chamber, Sweden UNF 9004 kvp meter. These CT were made from different manufacturers including out of date of CT and state-of-art spiral CT system. Thirteen kinds of standards on CT from different countries and 87 sets of technical specifications of CT were collected. The results of the test were compared using phantoms of RMI, Victoreen, Catphan on the same CT system (Siemens HQS). Results: Based on the test results of this study, with reference to the foreign standards and some of regulations in China, CT test items should include high contrast resolution, low contrast resolution, noise, uniformity, mean CT unit, dose slice thickness, localization light, positioning of patient support and gantry tilt. Standards including acceptance test, status test, and constancy test were made in specification. Among them, constancy test equals to IEC 122-2-6; items and results in acceptance test are stricter than in the status test; and low contrast resolution, uniformity, localization light accuracy and positioning of patient support in the acceptance test are even stricter than that in foreign standards. Conclusion: The testing standards of quality assurance for CT developed in this study shows practical and useful in China, which supplemented to the existing international standards

49 CFR 219.701 - Standards for drug and alcohol testing.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Standards for drug and alcohol testing. 219.701... ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION CONTROL OF ALCOHOL AND DRUG USE Drug and Alcohol Testing Procedures § 219.701 Standards for drug and alcohol testing. (a) Drug testing required or authorized by subparts B...

Standards for radiation protection instrumentation: design of safety standards and testing procedures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meissner, Frank

2008-01-01

This paper describes by means of examples the role of safety standards for radiation protection and the testing and qualification procedures. The development and qualification of radiation protection instrumentation is a significant part of the work of TUV NORD SysTec, an independent expert organisation in Germany. The German Nuclear Safety Standards Commission (KTA) establishes regulations in the field of nuclear safety. The examples presented may be of importance for governments and nuclear safety authorities, for nuclear operators and for manufacturers worldwide. They demonstrate the advantage of standards in the design of radiation protection instrumentation for new power plants, in the upgrade of existing instrumentation to nuclear safety standards or in the application of safety standards to newly developed equipment. Furthermore, they show how authorities may proceed when safety standards for radiation protection instrumentation are not yet established or require actualization. (author)

Slovak Office of Standards, Metrology and Testing. Annual Report 2001

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-01-01

A brief account of activities carried out by the Slovak Office of Standards, Metrology and Testing of the Slovak Republic in 2001 is presented. These activities are reported under the headings: (1) Introduction by the President of the Slovak Office of Standards, Metrology and Testing; (2) The Vice-president's Unit Standardization and Quality; (3) The President's Office; (4) Chief Inspector Department; (5) Legislative-juridical Department; (6) Department of Economy; (7) Department of International Co-operation; (8) Department of European Integration; (9) Department of Metrology; (10) Department of Testing; (11) Department of the Cyclotron Centre SR; (12) Slovak Institute of Metrology; (13) Slovak Standards Institution; (14) Slovak Metrology Inspectorate; (15) Slovak Legal Metrology; (16) Measuring Techniques - Technocentre - MTT; Abbreviations; (17) Technical Testing Institute Piestany; (18) Testing Institute of Transport and Earthmoving Machinery - SUDST

Radioactive material package test standards and performance requirements - public perception

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pope, R.B.; Shappert, L.B.; Rawl, R.R.

1992-01-01

This paper addresses issues related to the public perception of the regulatory test standards and performance requirements for packaging and transporting radioactive material. Specifically, it addresses the adequacy of the package performance standards and testing for Type B packages, which are those packages designed for transporting the most hazardous quantities and forms of radioactive material. Type B packages are designed to withstand accident conditions in transport. To improve public perception, the public needs to better understand: (a) the regulatory standards and requirements themselves, (b) the extensive history underlying their development, and (c) the soundness of the technical foundation. The public needs to be fully informed on studies, tests, and analyses that have been carried out worldwide and form the basis of the regulatory standards and requirements. This paper provides specific information aimed at improving the public perception of packages test standards

Interpreting Results from the Standardized UXO Test Sites

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

May, Michael; Tuley, Michael

2007-01-01

...) and the Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESCTP) to complete a detailed analysis of the results of testing carried out at the Standardized Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) Test Sites...

Standard test method for isotopic analysis of uranium hexafluoride by double standard single-collector gas mass spectrometer method

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2010-01-01

1.1 This is a quantitative test method applicable to determining the mass percent of uranium isotopes in uranium hexafluoride (UF6) samples with 235U concentrations between 0.1 and 5.0 mass %. 1.2 This test method may be applicable for the entire range of 235U concentrations for which adequate standards are available. 1.3 This test method is for analysis by a gas magnetic sector mass spectrometer with a single collector using interpolation to determine the isotopic concentration of an unknown sample between two characterized UF6 standards. 1.4 This test method is to replace the existing test method currently published in Test Methods C761 and is used in the nuclear fuel cycle for UF6 isotopic analyses. 1.5 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard. 1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro...

Biochemical Network Stochastic Simulator (BioNetS: software for stochastic modeling of biochemical networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elston Timothy C

2004-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Intrinsic fluctuations due to the stochastic nature of biochemical reactions can have large effects on the response of biochemical networks. This is particularly true for pathways that involve transcriptional regulation, where generally there are two copies of each gene and the number of messenger RNA (mRNA molecules can be small. Therefore, there is a need for computational tools for developing and investigating stochastic models of biochemical networks. Results We have developed the software package Biochemical Network Stochastic Simulator (BioNetS for efficientlyand accurately simulating stochastic models of biochemical networks. BioNetS has a graphical user interface that allows models to be entered in a straightforward manner, and allows the user to specify the type of random variable (discrete or continuous for each chemical species in the network. The discrete variables are simulated using an efficient implementation of the Gillespie algorithm. For the continuous random variables, BioNetS constructs and numerically solvesthe appropriate chemical Langevin equations. The software package has been developed to scale efficiently with network size, thereby allowing large systems to be studied. BioNetS runs as a BioSpice agent and can be downloaded from http://www.biospice.org. BioNetS also can be run as a stand alone package. All the required files are accessible from http://x.amath.unc.edu/BioNetS. Conclusions We have developed BioNetS to be a reliable tool for studying the stochastic dynamics of large biochemical networks. Important features of BioNetS are its ability to handle hybrid models that consist of both continuous and discrete random variables and its ability to model cell growth and division. We have verified the accuracy and efficiency of the numerical methods by considering several test systems.

DOE standard: Quality assurance inspection and testing of HEPA filters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1999-02-01

This standard establishes essential elements for the quality assurance inspection and testing of HEPA filters by US Department of Energy (DOE)-accepted Filter Test Facilities (FTF). The standard specifies HEPA filter quality assurance inspection and testing practices established in DOE-STD-3022-98, DOE HEPA Filter Test Program, and provides a basis for the preparation of written operating procedures for primary FTF functions

Framework for a Comparative Accelerated Testing Standard for PV Modules: Preprint

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kurtz, S.; Wohlgemuth, J.; Yamamichi, M.; Sample, T.; Miller, D.; Meakin, D.; Monokroussos, C.; TamizhMani, M.; Kempe, M.; Jordan, D.; Bosco, N.; Hacke, P.; Bermudez, V.; Kondo, M.

2013-08-01

As the photovoltaic industry has grown, the interest in comparative accelerated testing has also grown. Private test labs offer testing services that apply greater stress than the standard qualification tests as tools for differentiating products and for gaining increased confidence in long-term PV investments. While the value of a single international standard for comparative accelerated testing is widely acknowledged, the development of a consensus is difficult. This paper strives to identify a technical basis for a comparative standard.

Standardized waste form test methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Slate, S.C.

1984-01-01

The Materials Characterization Center (MCC) is developing standard tests to characterize nuclear waste forms. Development of the first thirteen tests was originally initiated to provide data to compare different high-level waste (HLW) forms and to characterize their basic performance. The current status of the first thirteen MCC tests and some sample test results are presented: the radiation stability tests (MCC-6 and 12) and the tensile-strength test (MCC-11) are approved; the static leach tests (MCC-1, 2, and 3) are being reviewed for full approval; the thermal stability (MCC-7) and microstructure evaluation (MCC-13) methods are being considered for the first time; and the flowing leach test methods (MCC-4 and 5), the gas generation methods (MCC-8 and 9), and the brittle fracture method (MCC-10) are indefinitely delayed. Sample static leach test data on the ARM-1 approved reference material are presented. Established tests and proposed new tests will be used to meet new testing needs. For waste form production, tests on stability and composition measurement are needed to provide data to ensure waste form quality. In transporation, data are needed to evaluate the effects of accidents on canisterized waste forms. The new MCC-15 accident test method and some data are presented. Compliance testing needs required by the recent draft repository waste acceptance specifications are described. These specifications will control waste form contents, processing, and performance

Standardized waste form test methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Slate, S.C.

1984-11-01

The Materials Characterization Center (MCC) is developing standard tests to characterize nuclear waste forms. Development of the first thirteen tests was originally initiated to provide data to compare different high-level waste (HLW) forms and to characterize their basic performance. The current status of the first thirteen MCC tests and some sample test results is presented: The radiation stability tests (MCC-6 and 12) and the tensile-strength test (MCC-11) are approved; the static leach tests (MCC-1, 2, and 3) are being reviewed for full approval; the thermal stability (MCC-7) and microstructure evaluation (MCC-13) methods are being considered for the first time; and the flowing leach tests methods (MCC-4 and 5), the gas generation methods (MCC-8 and 9), and the brittle fracture method (MCC-10) are indefinitely delayed. Sample static leach test data on the ARM-1 approved reference material are presented. Established tests and proposed new tests will be used to meet new testing needs. For waste form production, tests on stability and composition measurement are needed to provide data to ensure waste form quality. In transportation, data are needed to evaluate the effects of accidents on canisterized waste forms. The new MCC-15 accident test method and some data are presented. Compliance testing needs required by the recent draft repository waste acceptance specifications are described. These specifications will control waste form contents, processing, and performance. 2 references, 2 figures

Patch testing with Indian standard series

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Narendra G

2002-01-01

Full Text Available Hundred patients (61 males, 39 females suspected to have allergic contact dermatitis were patch tested with Indian standard series (ISS. Forty four showed one or more positive reactions. The frequent sensitizers observed were nickel sulphate-12 (15%, potassium dichromate-11 (13.75%, cobalt chloride and colophony-7 (8.75% each, fragrance mix and thiuram mix-6 (7.5% each. The ISS differs from the European Standard Series by inclusion of propylene glycol, nitrofurazone, gentamicin, chlorocresol, PEG-400 and ethylenediamine chloride where assesquiterpene lactone mix and primin allergens are excluded.

Standard guide for conducting exfoliation corrosion tests in aluminum alloys

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

1992-01-01

1.1 This guide differs from the usual ASTM standard in that it does not address a specific test. Rather, it is an introductory guide for new users of other standard exfoliation test methods, (see Terminology G 15 for definition of exfoliation). 1.2 This guide covers aspects of specimen preparation, exposure, inspection, and evaluation for conducting exfoliation tests on aluminum alloys in both laboratory accelerated environments and in natural, outdoor atmospheres. The intent is to clarify any gaps in existent test methods. 1.3 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The inch-pound units given in parentheses are for information only. 1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

Stress Optical Coefficient, Test Methodology, and Glass Standard Evaluation

Science.gov (United States)

2016-05-01

ARL-TN-0756 ● MAY 2016 US Army Research Laboratory Stress Optical Coefficient, Test Methodology , and Glass Standard Evaluation...Stress Optical Coefficient, Test Methodology , and Glass Standard Evaluation by Clayton M Weiss Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education...ORISE), Belcamp, MD Parimal J Patel Weapons and Materials Research Directorate, ARL Approved for public release; distribution is

Standard Operating Procedure for Accelerated Corrosion Testing at ARL

Science.gov (United States)

2017-11-01

ARL-TN-0855 ● NOV 2017 US Army Research Laboratory Standard Operating Procedure for Accelerated Corrosion Testing at ARL by... Corrosion Testing at ARL by Thomas A Considine Weapons and Materials Research Directorate, ARL Approved for public...November 2017 2. REPORT TYPE Technical Note 3. DATES COVERED (From - To) 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Standard Operating Procedure for Accelerated

Standard Test Method for Oxyacetylene Ablation Testing of Thermal Insulation Materials

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2008-01-01

1.1 This test method covers the screening of ablative materials to determine the relative thermal insulation effectiveness when tested as a flat panel in an environment of a steady flow of hot gas provided by an oxyacetylene burner. 1.2 This test method should be used to measure and describe the properties of materials, products, or assemblies in response to heat and flame under controlled laboratory conditions and should not be used to describe or appraise the fire hazard of materials, products, or assemblies under actual fire conditions. However, results of this test method may be used as elements of a fire risk assessment which takes into account all of the factors which are pertinent to an assessment of the fire hazard of a particular end use. 1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limi...

Biochemical characterization of cholesterol-reducing Eubacterium.

OpenAIRE

Mott, G E; Brinkley, A W; Mersinger, C L

1980-01-01

We characterized two isolates of cholesterol-reducing Eubacterium by conducting conventional biochemical tests and by testing various sterols and glycerolipids as potential growth factors. In media containing cholesterol and plasmenylethanolamine, the tests for nitrate reduction, indole production, and gelatin and starch hydrolyses were negative, and no acid was produced from any of 22 carbohydrates. Both isolates hydrolyzed esculin to esculetin, indicating beta-glycosidase activity. In addit...

Standard practice for conducting atmospheric corrosion tests on metals

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2010-01-01

1.1 This practice covers and defines conditions for exposure of metals and alloys to the weather. It sets forth the general procedures that should be followed in any atmospheric test. It is presented as an aid in conducting atmospheric corrosion tests so that some of the pitfalls of such testing may be avoided. As such, it is concerned mainly with panel exposures to obtain data for comparison purposes. 1.2 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded as standard. The values given in parentheses are mathematical conversions to SI units that are provided for information only and are not considered standard. 1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of whoever uses this standard to consult and establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

Standard Guide for Conducting Corrosion Tests in Field Applications

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2008-01-01

1.1 This guide covers procedures for conducting corrosion tests in plant equipment or systems under operating conditions to evaluate the corrosion resistance of engineering materials. It does not cover electrochemical methods for determining corrosion rates. 1.1.1 While intended primarily for immersion tests, general guidelines provided can be applicable for exposure of test specimens in plant atmospheres, provided that placement and orientation of the test specimens is non-restrictive to air circulation. 1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The values given in parentheses are for information only. 1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use. See also 10.4.2.

Standardized Definitions for Code Verification Test Problems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Doebling, Scott William [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2017-09-14

This document contains standardized definitions for several commonly used code verification test problems. These definitions are intended to contain sufficient information to set up the test problem in a computational physics code. These definitions are intended to be used in conjunction with exact solutions to these problems generated using Exact- Pack, www.github.com/lanl/exactpack.

DOE standard: Filter test facility quality program plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1999-02-01

This standard was developed primarily for application in US Department of Energy programs. It contains specific direction for HEPA filter testing performed at a DOE-accepted HEPA Filter Test Facility (FTF). Beneficial comments (recommendations, additions, deletions) and any pertinent data that may improve this document should be sent to the Office of Nuclear Safety Policy and Standards (EH-31), US Department of Energy, Washington, DC 20585, by letter or by using the self-addressed Document Improvement Proposal form (DOE F 1300.3) appearing at the end of this document

Precision tests of the Standard Model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ol'shevskij, A.G.

1996-01-01

The present status of the precision measurements of electroweak observables is discussed with the special emphasis on the results obtained recently. All together these measurements provide the basis for the stringent test of the Standard Model and determination of the SM parameters. 22 refs., 23 figs., 11 tabs

Biochemical evaluation of phenylketonuria (PKU: from diagnosis to treatment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leticia Belmont-Martínez

2014-07-01

Besides periodical Phe and Tyr testing, biochemical follow-up includes the measurement of necessary elements that guarantee normal physical and intellectual development such as selenium, zinc, B12 vitamin, folates, iron and long chain fatty acids. Clinical context is as important as biochemical status so periodic evaluation of nutritional, medical, social and psychological aspects should be included.

Standard test method for determination of surface lubrication on flexible webs

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

1999-01-01

1.1 This test method has been used since 1988 as an ANSI/ISO standard test for determination of lubrication on processed photographic films. Its purpose was to determine the presence of process-surviving lubricants on photographic films. It is the purpose of this test method to expand the applicability of this test method to other flexible webs that may need lubrication for suitable performance. This test measures the breakaway (static) coefficient of friction of a metal rider on the web by the inclined plane method. The objectives of the test is to determine if a web surface has a lubricant present or not. It is not intended to assign a friction coefficient to a material. It is not intended to rank lubricants. 1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard. 1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish ...

Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing, 2014 Edition

Science.gov (United States)

American Educational Research Association (AERA), 2014

2014-01-01

Developed jointly by the American Educational Research Association, American Psychological Association, and the National Council on Measurement in Education, "Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing" (Revised 2014) addresses professional and technical issues of test development and use in education, psychology, and…

USL/DBMS NASA/PC R and D project system testing standards

Science.gov (United States)

Dominick, Wayne D. (Editor); Kavi, Srinu; Moreau, Dennis R.; Yan, Lin

1984-01-01

A set of system testing standards to be used in the development of all C software within the NASA/PC Research and Development Project is established. Testing will be considered in two phases: the program testing phase and the system testing phase. The objective of these standards is to provide guidelines for the planning and conduct of program and software system testing.

Experimentally testing the standard cosmological model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schramm, D.N. (Chicago Univ., IL (USA) Fermi National Accelerator Lab., Batavia, IL (USA))

1990-11-01

The standard model of cosmology, the big bang, is now being tested and confirmed to remarkable accuracy. Recent high precision measurements relate to the microwave background; and big bang nucleosynthesis. This paper focuses on the latter since that relates more directly to high energy experiments. In particular, the recent LEP (and SLC) results on the number of neutrinos are discussed as a positive laboratory test of the standard cosmology scenario. Discussion is presented on the improved light element observational data as well as the improved neutron lifetime data. alternate nucleosynthesis scenarios of decaying matter or of quark-hadron induced inhomogeneities are discussed. It is shown that when these scenarios are made to fit the observed abundances accurately, the resulting conclusions on the baryonic density relative to the critical density, {Omega}{sub b}, remain approximately the same as in the standard homogeneous case, thus, adding to the robustness of the standard model conclusion that {Omega}{sub b} {approximately} 0.06. This latter point is the deriving force behind the need for non-baryonic dark matter (assuming {Omega}{sub total} = 1) and the need for dark baryonic matter, since {Omega}{sub visible} < {Omega}{sub b}. Recent accelerator constraints on non-baryonic matter are discussed, showing that any massive cold dark matter candidate must now have a mass M{sub x} {approx gt} 20 GeV and an interaction weaker than the Z{sup 0} coupling to a neutrino. It is also noted that recent hints regarding the solar neutrino experiments coupled with the see-saw model for {nu}-masses may imply that the {nu}{sub {tau}} is a good hot dark matter candidate. 73 refs., 5 figs.

Experimentally testing the standard cosmological model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schramm, D.N.

1990-11-01

The standard model of cosmology, the big bang, is now being tested and confirmed to remarkable accuracy. Recent high precision measurements relate to the microwave background; and big bang nucleosynthesis. This paper focuses on the latter since that relates more directly to high energy experiments. In particular, the recent LEP (and SLC) results on the number of neutrinos are discussed as a positive laboratory test of the standard cosmology scenario. Discussion is presented on the improved light element observational data as well as the improved neutron lifetime data. alternate nucleosynthesis scenarios of decaying matter or of quark-hadron induced inhomogeneities are discussed. It is shown that when these scenarios are made to fit the observed abundances accurately, the resulting conclusions on the baryonic density relative to the critical density, Ω b , remain approximately the same as in the standard homogeneous case, thus, adding to the robustness of the standard model conclusion that Ω b ∼ 0.06. This latter point is the deriving force behind the need for non-baryonic dark matter (assuming Ω total = 1) and the need for dark baryonic matter, since Ω visible b . Recent accelerator constraints on non-baryonic matter are discussed, showing that any massive cold dark matter candidate must now have a mass M x approx-gt 20 GeV and an interaction weaker than the Z 0 coupling to a neutrino. It is also noted that recent hints regarding the solar neutrino experiments coupled with the see-saw model for ν-masses may imply that the ν τ is a good hot dark matter candidate. 73 refs., 5 figs

Comparison of Size Modulation Standard Automated Perimetry and Conventional Standard Automated Perimetry with a 10-2 Test Program in Glaucoma Patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Hirasawa, Kazunori; Takahashi, Natsumi; Satou, Tsukasa; Kasahara, Masayuki; Matsumura, Kazuhiro; Shoji, Nobuyuki

2017-08-01

This prospective observational study compared the performance of size modulation standard automated perimetry with the Octopus 600 10-2 test program, with stimulus size modulation during testing, based on stimulus intensity and conventional standard automated perimetry, with that of the Humphrey 10-2 test program in glaucoma patients. Eighty-seven eyes of 87 glaucoma patients underwent size modulation standard automated perimetry with Dynamic strategy and conventional standard automated perimetry using the SITA standard strategy. The main outcome measures were global indices, point-wise threshold, visual defect size and depth, reliability indices, and test duration; these were compared between size modulation standard automated perimetry and conventional standard automated perimetry. Global indices and point-wise threshold values between size modulation standard automated perimetry and conventional standard automated perimetry were moderately to strongly correlated (p 33.40, p modulation standard automated perimetry than with conventional standard automated perimetry, but the visual-field defect size was smaller (p modulation-standard automated perimetry than on conventional standard automated perimetry. The reliability indices, particularly the false-negative response, of size modulation standard automated perimetry were worse than those of conventional standard automated perimetry (p modulation standard automated perimetry than with conventional standard automated perimetry (p = 0.02). Global indices and the point-wise threshold value of the two testing modalities correlated well. However, the potential of a large stimulus presented at an area with a decreased sensitivity with size modulation standard automated perimetry could underestimate the actual threshold in the 10-2 test protocol, as compared with conventional standard automated perimetry.

Development of a new first-aid biochemical detector

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Jingfei; Liao, Haiyang; Su, Shilin; Ding, Hao; Liu, Suquan

2016-10-01

The traditional biochemical detector exhibits poor adaptability, inconvenient carrying and slow detection, which can't meet the needs of first-aid under field condition like natural or man-made disasters etc. Therefore a scheme of first-aid biochemical detector based on MOMES Micro Spectrometer, UV LED and Photodiode was proposed. An optical detection structure combined continuous spectrum sweep with fixed wavelength measurement was designed, which adopted mobile detection optical path consisting of Micro Spectrometer and Halogen Lamp to detect Chloride (Cl-), Creatinine (Cre), Glucose (Glu), Hemoglobin (Hb). The UV LED and Photodiode were designed to detect Potassium (K-), Carbon dioxide (CO2), Sodium (Na+). According to the field diagnosis and treatment requirements, we designed the embedded control hardware circuit and software system, the prototype of first-aid biochemical detector was developed and the clinical trials were conducted. Experimental results show that the sample's absorbance repeatability is less than 2%, the max coefficient of variation (CV) in the batch repeatability test of all 7 biochemical parameters in blood samples is 4.68%, less than the clinical requirements 10%, the correlation coefficient (R2) in the clinical contrast test with AU5800 is almost greater than 0.97. To sum up, the prototype meets the requirements of clinical application.

Annual meeting 1996 'Nondestructive materials testing'. German, Austrian and Swiss nondestructive materials testing standards as mirrored by international standardization. Vol. 1. Lectures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-01-01

The volume contains 45 lectures which were given at the annual meeting of the German Society for Nondestructive Testing on May 13-15, 1996 at Lindau. The main subjects were: Standardization of nondestructive testing, irradiation testing, ultrasonic testing and electromagnetic processes. 13 individual articles were included in the ENERGY database. (MM) [de

Annual meeting 1996 'Nondestructive material testing'. German, Austrian and Swiss nondestructive materials testing standards as mirrored by international standardization. Vol. 2. Posters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-01-01

The volume contains 49 poster articles which were presented at the Annual Meeting of the German Society for Nondestructive Testing at Lindau on May 13-15, 1996. The main subjects were: Standardization of nondestructive testing, irradiation testing, ultrasonic testing and electromagnetic processes. 16 individual articles were included in the ENERGY databank. (MM) [de

Standard test method for measuring pH of soil for use in corrosion testing

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

1995-01-01

1.1 This test method covers a procedure for determining the pH of a soil in corrosion testing. The principle use of the test is to supplement soil resistivity measurements and thereby identify conditions under which the corrosion of metals in soil may be accentuated (see G 57 - 78 (1984)). 1.2 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

46 CFR 54.10-10 - Standard hydrostatic test (modifies UG-99).

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Standard hydrostatic test (modifies UG-99). 54.10-10... PRESSURE VESSELS Inspection, Reports, and Stamping § 54.10-10 Standard hydrostatic test (modifies UG-99). (a) All pressure vessels shall satisfactorily pass the hydrostatic test prescribed by this section...

Nondestructive testing standards and the ASME code

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spanner, J.C.

1991-04-01

Nondestructive testing (NDT) requirements and standards are an important part of the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code. In this paper, the evolution of these requirements and standards is reviewed in the context of the unique technical and legal stature of the ASME Code. The coherent and consistent manner by which the ASME Code rules are organized is described, and the interrelationship between the various ASME Code sections, the piping codes, and the ASTM Standards is discussed. Significant changes occurred in ASME Sections 5 and 11 during the 1980s, and these are highlighted along with projections and comments regarding future trends and changes in these important documents. 4 refs., 8 tabs

Biochemical response of ouda sheep to water contaminated with ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Also, biochemical examinations of fasting blood glucose(FBGL), total serum protein(TSP), serum albumin(S.ALB), blood urea nitrogen(BUN), serum creatinine(S.CREAT.), serum phosphate(S.PO4), aspartate ... hours of the experiment following standard procedures. The result showed that all the parameters measured were ...

Standard practice for conducting and evaluating laboratory corrosions tests in soils

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

1999-01-01

1.1 This practice covers procedures for conducting laboratory corrosion tests in soils to evaluate the corrosive attack on engineering materials. 1.2 This practice covers specimen selection and preparation, test environments, and evaluation of test results. 1.3 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard. 1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

Standard practice for conducting moist SO2 tests

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2002-01-01

1.1 This practice covers the apparatus and procedure to be used in conducting qualitative assessment tests in accordance with the requirements of material or product specifications by means of specimen exposure to condensed moisture containing sulfur dioxide. 1.2 The exposure conditions may be varied to suit particular requirements and this practice includes provisions for use of different concentrations of sulfur dioxide and for tests either running continuously or in cycles of alternate exposure to the sulfur dioxide containing atmosphere and to the ambient atmosphere. 1.3 The variant of the test to be used, the exposure period required, the type of test specimen, and the criteria of failure are not prescribed by this practice. Such details are provided in appropriate material and product purchase specifications. 1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The values given in parentheses are for information only. 1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety c...

Renewable Biochemical Methane Potential through Anaerobic Co-digestion from Selective Feed Stocks

Science.gov (United States)

Thara, K.; Navis Karthika, Ignatius; Dheenadayalan, M. S., Dr

2017-08-01

Biochemical Methane Potential (BMP) analysis provides a measure of the anaerobic biodegradability of a given substrate. BMP test is also used to evaluate the potential biogas (methane) production between various Co-digestion substrates. This test is also used to determine the amount of organic carbon in a given material that can be an aerobically converted to methane-Biogas. Studies were carried out for the production of biogas from the leather solid waste. Co-digestion (simultaneous digestion of two or more substrates) studies were carried out in batch reactor using the fleshing (a solid waste generated during the processing of raw hides or skins into finished leather) along with the fruit and vegetable waste at mesophilic condition 35° C). The anaerobic methanogenic seed sludge prepared separately followed by standard BMP test, which was used as the seed inoculums. Recent research on this topic is reviewed in this current paper.

Balancing standardized testing with personalized training in surgery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmed A

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Aadil Ahmed, Muhammad Abbas Abid, Nasir I Bhatti Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA Abstract: Students pursuing a medical career in the US are subject to standardized testing at regular intervals. These standardized tests not only quantify the milestones students have already achieved, but also define the path for future achievements. The purpose of these examinations is to help students become self-directed, lifelong learners – an essential attribute of a medical professional. However, whether preparing for these examinations actually makes students such disciplined learners needs to be examined. Especially during residency training with its limited time and unpredictable exposure, trainees must learn in the most efficient way for their learning styles, and thus develop attributes that will be helpful to them in their medical career. In this review, we propose that a personalized, learner-centered approach tailored to residents’ educational needs and preferences can not only fulfill learning interests and objectives but also serve as a time-efficient and cost-effective approach for graduate medical education. Keywords: standardized testing, personalized training, surgery

Does standard deviation matter? Using "standard deviation" to quantify security of multistage testing.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Chun; Zheng, Yi; Chang, Hua-Hua

2014-01-01

With the advent of web-based technology, online testing is becoming a mainstream mode in large-scale educational assessments. Most online tests are administered continuously in a testing window, which may post test security problems because examinees who take the test earlier may share information with those who take the test later. Researchers have proposed various statistical indices to assess the test security, and one most often used index is the average test-overlap rate, which was further generalized to the item pooling index (Chang & Zhang, 2002, 2003). These indices, however, are all defined as the means (that is, the expected proportion of common items among examinees) and they were originally proposed for computerized adaptive testing (CAT). Recently, multistage testing (MST) has become a popular alternative to CAT. The unique features of MST make it important to report not only the mean, but also the standard deviation (SD) of test overlap rate, as we advocate in this paper. The standard deviation of test overlap rate adds important information to the test security profile, because for the same mean, a large SD reflects that certain groups of examinees share more common items than other groups. In this study, we analytically derived the lower bounds of the SD under MST, with the results under CAT as a benchmark. It is shown that when the mean overlap rate is the same between MST and CAT, the SD of test overlap tends to be larger in MST. A simulation study was conducted to provide empirical evidence. We also compared the security of MST under the single-pool versus the multiple-pool designs; both analytical and simulation studies show that the non-overlapping multiple-pool design will slightly increase the security risk.

Agreement between gastrointestinal panel testing and standard microbiology methods for detecting pathogens in suspected infectious gastroenteritis: Test evaluation and meta-analysis in the absence of a reference standard.

Science.gov (United States)

Freeman, Karoline; Tsertsvadze, Alexander; Taylor-Phillips, Sian; McCarthy, Noel; Mistry, Hema; Manuel, Rohini; Mason, James

2017-01-01

Multiplex gastrointestinal pathogen panel (GPP) tests simultaneously identify bacterial, viral and parasitic pathogens from the stool samples of patients with suspected infectious gastroenteritis presenting in hospital or the community. We undertook a systematic review to compare the accuracy of GPP tests with standard microbiology techniques. Searches in Medline, Embase, Web of Science and the Cochrane library were undertaken from inception to January 2016. Eligible studies compared GPP tests with standard microbiology techniques in patients with suspected gastroenteritis. Quality assessment of included studies used tailored QUADAS-2. In the absence of a reference standard we analysed test performance taking GPP tests and standard microbiology techniques in turn as the benchmark test, using random effects meta-analysis of proportions. No study provided an adequate reference standard with which to compare the test accuracy of GPP and conventional tests. Ten studies informed a meta-analysis of positive and negative agreement. Positive agreement across all pathogens was 0.93 (95% CI 0.90 to 0.96) when conventional methods were the benchmark and 0.68 (95% CI: 0.58 to 0.77) when GPP provided the benchmark. Negative agreement was high in both instances due to the high proportion of negative cases. GPP testing produced a greater number of pathogen-positive findings than conventional testing. It is unclear whether these additional 'positives' are clinically important. GPP testing has the potential to simplify testing and accelerate reporting when compared to conventional microbiology methods. However the impact of GPP testing upon the management, treatment and outcome of patients is poorly understood and further studies are needed to evaluate the health economic impact of GPP testing compared with standard methods. The review protocol is registered with PROSPERO as CRD42016033320.

Private Pilot Practical Test Standards for Airplane (SEL, MEL, SES, MES)

Science.gov (United States)

1995-05-01

The Private Pilot - Airplane Practical Test Standards book has been : published by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to establish the : standards for the private pilot certification practical tests for the airplane : category and the single-e...

A proposed standard round compact specimen for plane strain fracture toughness testing

Science.gov (United States)

Underwood, J. H.; Newman, J. C., Jr.; Seeley, R. R.

1980-01-01

A round, disk-shaped specimen is proposed as a standard test specimen for addition to ASTM Test for Plane-Strain Fracture Toughness of Metallic Materials (E 399-78A). The specimen is diametrically cracked, and loaded in the same way as the existing standard compact specimen. Tests and analyses were performed to verify that the proposed round compact specimen and associated stress intensity factor K solution are appropriate for a standard plane strain fracture toughness test. The use of the round compact specimen for other fracture tests is described.

Definitions of biochemical failure in prostate cancer following radiation therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taylor, Jeremy M.G.; Griffith, Kent A.; Sandler, Howard M.

2001-01-01

Purpose: The American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) published a consensus panel definition of biochemical failure following radiation therapy for prostate cancer. In this paper, we develop a series of alternative definitions of biochemical failure. Using data from 688 patients, we evaluated the sensitivity and specificity of the various definitions, with respect to a defined 'clinically meaningful' outcome. Methods and Materials: The ASTRO definition of biochemical failure requires 3 consecutive rises in prostate-specific antigen (PSA). We considered several modifications to the standard definition: to require PSA rises of a certain magnitude, to consider 2 instead of 3 rises, to require the final PSA value to be greater than a fixed cutoff level, and to define biochemical failure based on the slope of PSA over 1, 1.5, or 2 years. A clinically meaningful failure is defined as local recurrence, distant metastases, initiation of unplanned hormonal therapy, unplanned radical prostatectomy, or a PSA>25 later than 6 months after radiation. Results: Requiring the final PSA in a series of consecutive rises to be larger than 1.5 ng/mL increased the specificity of biochemical failure. For a fixed specificity, defining biochemical failure based on 2 consecutive rises, or the slope over the last year, could increase the sensitivity by up to approximately 20%, compared to the ASTRO definition. Using a rule based on the slope over the previous year or 2 rises leads to a slightly earlier detection of biochemical failure than does the ASTRO definition. Even with the best rule, only approximately 20% of true failures are biochemically detected more than 1 year before the clinically meaningful event time. Conclusion: There is potential for improvement in the ASTRO consensus definition of biochemical failure. Further research is needed, in studies with long follow-up times, to evaluate the relationship between various definitions of biochemical failure and

Simulating carbon dioxide exchange rates of deciduous tree species: evidence for a general pattern in biochemical changes and water stress response.

Science.gov (United States)

Reynolds, Robert F; Bauerle, William L; Wang, Ying

2009-09-01

Deciduous trees have a seasonal carbon dioxide exchange pattern that is attributed to changes in leaf biochemical properties. However, it is not known if the pattern in leaf biochemical properties - maximum Rubisco carboxylation (V(cmax)) and electron transport (J(max)) - differ between species. This study explored whether a general pattern of changes in V(cmax), J(max), and a standardized soil moisture response accounted for carbon dioxide exchange of deciduous trees throughout the growing season. The model MAESTRA was used to examine V(cmax) and J(max) of leaves of five deciduous trees, Acer rubrum 'Summer Red', Betula nigra, Quercus nuttallii, Quercus phellos and Paulownia elongata, and their response to soil moisture. MAESTRA was parameterized using data from in situ measurements on organs. Linking the changes in biochemical properties of leaves to the whole tree, MAESTRA integrated the general pattern in V(cmax) and J(max) from gas exchange parameters of leaves with a standardized soil moisture response to describe carbon dioxide exchange throughout the growing season. The model estimates were tested against measurements made on the five species under both irrigated and water-stressed conditions. Measurements and modelling demonstrate that the seasonal pattern of biochemical activity in leaves and soil moisture response can be parameterized with straightforward general relationships. Over the course of the season, differences in carbon exchange between measured and modelled values were within 6-12 % under well-watered conditions and 2-25 % under water stress conditions. Hence, a generalized seasonal pattern in the leaf-level physiological change of V(cmax) and J(max), and a standardized response to soil moisture was sufficient to parameterize carbon dioxide exchange for large-scale evaluations. Simplification in parameterization of the seasonal pattern of leaf biochemical activity and soil moisture response of deciduous forest species is demonstrated. This

Result of standard patch test in patients suspected of having allergic contact dermatitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Wongpiyabovorn, Jongkonnee; Puvabanditsin, Porntip

2005-09-01

Contact dermatitis is a common skin disease. Disease was diagnosed by a history of contact substance together with geographic distribution of lesion. Up till now, standard patch test is one of the most reliable test to identify and confirm causative agent of allergic contact dermatitis. To determine the rate of positive standard patch test and to identify the common allergen of contact dermatitis in Thailand, we performed the standard patch test in 129 patients, suspected having allergic contact dermatitis at Department of Dermatology, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Thailand from June 1, 2003 to September 1, 2004. The rate of positive standard patch test is 59.7% (n = 77/129). The most 3 common positive allergens were nickel sulfate (18.60%), cobalt chloride (17.05%) and fragrance mix (14.73%), respectively. The chance of positive standard patch test significantly correlated with sex (woman), initial diagnosis as contact dermatitis and history of house-worker (p = 0.017, p = 0.005 and p = 0.023, respectively). Whereas, there were no significant correlation between the chance of positive standard patch test and age of patient, location of lesion, history of recurrence, history of atopy, history of drug and food allergy. In addition, history of metal allergy significantly correlated with the chance of positive nickel sulfate or cobalt chloride in standard patch test (p = 0.017). In conclusion, this study demonstrated the prevalence of causative allergen of contact dermatitis in Thai patients using that standard patch test. Moreover, our data shown that the chance positive standard patch test was greater in patient, who were women or initial diagnosed as contact dermatitis or had history of houseworker or history of metal allergy.

The Comparison of Biochemical and Sequencing 16S rDNA Gene Methods to Identify Nontuberculous Mycobacteria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shafipour1, M.

2014-11-01

Full Text Available The identification of Mycobacteria in the species level has great medical importance. Biochemical tests are laborious and time-consuming, so new techniques could be used to identify the species. This research aimed to the comparison of biochemical and sequencing 16S rDNA gene methods to identify nontuberculous Mycobacteria in patients suspected to tuberculosis in Golestan province which is the most prevalent region of tuberculosis in Iran. Among 3336 patients suspected to tuberculosis referred to hospitals and health care centres in Golestan province during 2010-2011, 319 (9.56% culture positive cases were collected. Identification of species by using biochemical tests was done. On the samples recognized as nontuberculous Mycobacteria, after DNA extraction by boiling, 16S rDNA PCR was done and their sequencing were identified by NCBI BLAST. Of the 319 positive samples in Golestan Province, 300 cases were M.tuberculosis and 19 cases (5.01% were identified as nontuberculous Mycobacteria by biochemical tests. 15 out of 19 nontuberculous Mycobacteria were identified by PCR and sequencing method as similar by biochemical methods (similarity rate: 78.9%. But after PCR, 1 case known as M.simiae by biochemical test was identified as M. lentiflavum and 3 other cases were identified as Nocardia. Biochemical methods corresponded to the 16S rDNA PCR and sequencing in 78.9% of cases. However, in identification of M. lentiflavum and Nocaria sp. the molecular method is better than biochemical methods.

Development of standard testing methods for nuclear-waste forms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mendel, J.E.; Nelson, R.D.

1981-11-01

Standard test methods for waste package component development and design, safety analyses, and licensing are being developed for the Nuclear Waste Materials Handbook. This paper describes mainly the testing methods for obtaining waste form materials data

Biochemical response of normal albino rats to the addition of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Experiments were conducted to determine the biochemical effect of Hibiscus cannabinus and Murraya koenigii extracts on normal albino rats using standard methods. Analyses carried out indicated that the aqueous leaf extract of H. cannabinus and M. koenigii exhibited significant hypolipideamic activity in normal rats.

Standard test method for liquid impingement erosion using rotating apparatus

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2010-01-01

1.1 This test method covers tests in which solid specimens are eroded or otherwise damaged by repeated discrete impacts of liquid drops or jets. Among the collateral forms of damage considered are degradation of optical properties of window materials, and penetration, separation, or destruction of coatings. The objective of the tests may be to determine the resistance to erosion or other damage of the materials or coatings under test, or to investigate the damage mechanisms and the effect of test variables. Because of the specialized nature of these tests and the desire in many cases to simulate to some degree the expected service environment, the specification of a standard apparatus is not deemed practicable. This test method gives guidance in setting up a test, and specifies test and analysis procedures and reporting requirements that can be followed even with quite widely differing materials, test facilities, and test conditions. It also provides a standardized scale of erosion resistance numbers applicab...

Standard practice for instrumented indentation testing

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2007-01-01

1.1 This practice defines the basic steps of Instrumented Indentation Testing (IIT) and establishes the requirements, accuracies, and capabilities needed by an instrument to successfully perform the test and produce the data that can be used for the determination of indentation hardness and other material characteristics. IIT is a mechanical test that measures the response of a material to the imposed stress and strain of a shaped indenter by forcing the indenter into a material and monitoring the force on, and displacement of, the indenter as a function of time during the full loading-unloading test cycle. 1.2 The operational features of an IIT instrument, as well as requirements for Instrument Verification Annex A1), Standardized Reference Blocks (Annex A2) and Indenter Requirements (Annex A3) are defined. This practice is not intended to be a complete purchase specification for an IIT instrument. 1.3 With the exception of the non-mandatory Appendix X4, this practice does not define the analysis necessary...

Assessing cultural validity in standardized tests in stem education

Science.gov (United States)

Gassant, Lunes

This quantitative ex post facto study examined how race and gender, as elements of culture, influence the development of common misconceptions among STEM students. Primary data came from a standardized test: the Digital Logic Concept Inventory (DLCI) developed by Drs. Geoffrey L. Herman, Michael C. Louis, and Craig Zilles from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The sample consisted of a cohort of 82 STEM students recruited from three universities in Northern Louisiana. Microsoft Excel and the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) were used for data computation. Two key concepts, several sub concepts, and 19 misconceptions were tested through 11 items in the DLCI. Statistical analyses based on both the Classical Test Theory (Spearman, 1904) and the Item Response Theory (Lord, 1952) yielded similar results: some misconceptions in the DLCI can reliably be predicted by the Race or the Gender of the test taker. The research is significant because it has shown that some misconceptions in a STEM discipline attracted students with similar ethnic backgrounds differently; thus, leading to the existence of some cultural bias in the standardized test. Therefore the study encourages further research in cultural validity in standardized tests. With culturally valid tests, it will be possible to increase the effectiveness of targeted teaching and learning strategies for STEM students from diverse ethnic backgrounds. To some extent, this dissertation has contributed to understanding, better, the gap between high enrollment rates and low graduation rates among African American students and also among other minority students in STEM disciplines.

Biochemical correlates in an animal model of depression

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnson, J.O.

1986-01-01

A valid animal model of depression was used to explore specific adrenergic receptor differences between rats exhibiting aberrant behavior and control groups. Preliminary experiments revealed a distinct upregulation of hippocampal beta-receptors (as compared to other brain regions) in those animals acquiring a response deficit as a result of exposure to inescapable footshock. Concurrent studies using standard receptor binding techniques showed no large changes in the density of alpha-adrenergic, serotonergic, or dopaminergic receptor densities. This led to the hypothesis that the hippocampal beta-receptor in responses deficient animals could be correlated with the behavioral changes seen after exposure to the aversive stimulus. Normalization of the behavior through the administration of antidepressants could be expected to reverse the biochemical changes if these are related to the mechanism of action of antidepressant drugs. This study makes three important points: (1) there is a relevant biochemical change in the hippocampus of response deficient rats which occurs in parallel to a well-defined behavior, (2) the biochemical and behavioral changes are normalized by antidepressant treatments exhibiting both serotonergic and adrenergic mechanisms of action, and (3) the mode of action of antidepressants in this model is probably a combination of serotonergic and adrenergic influences modulating the hippocampal beta-receptor. These results are discussed in relation to anatomical and biochemical aspects of antidepressant action

Standard Test Method for Determining the Linearity of a Photovoltaic Device Parameter with Respect To a Test Parameter

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2005-01-01

1.1 This test method determines the degree of linearity of a photovoltaic device parameter with respect to a test parameter, for example, short-circuit current with respect to irradiance. 1.2 The linearity determined by this test method applies only at the time of testing, and implies no past or future performance level. 1.3 This test method applies only to non-concentrator terrestrial photovoltaic devices. 1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard. 1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

Standard guide for conducting and evaluating galvanic corrosion tests in electrolytes

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

1981-01-01

1.1 This guide covers conducting and evaluating galvanic corrosion tests to characterize the behavior of two dissimilar metals in electrical contact in an electrolyte under low-flow conditions. It can be adapted to wrought or cast metals and alloys. 1.2 This guide covers the selection of materials, specimen preparation, test environment, method of exposure, and method for evaluating the results to characterize the behavior of galvanic couples in an electrolyte. Note 1—Additional information on galvanic corrosion testing and examples of the conduct and evaluation of galvanic corrosion tests in electrolytes are given in Refs (1) through (7). 1.3 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard. 1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicabil...

IEEE C37.98-1987: IEEE standard seismic testing of relays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1992-01-01

This standard specifies the procedures to be used in the seismic testing of relays used in power system facilities. The standard is concerned with the determination of the seismic fragility level of relays and also gives recommendations for proof testing. The purpose of this standard is to establish procedures for determining the seismic capabilities of protective and auxiliary relays. These procedures employ what has been called fragility testing in IEEE Std 344-1987. To define the conditions for fragility testing of relays, parameters in three separate areas must be specified. In general, they are (1) the electrical settings and inputs to the relay, and other information to define its conditions during the test; (2) the change in state, deviation in operating characteristics or tolerances, or other change of performance of the relay that constitutes failure; (3) the seismic vibration environment to be imposed during the test. Since it is not possible to define the conditions for every conceivable application for all relays, those parameters, which in practice encompass the majority of applications, have been specified in this standard. When the application of the relay is other than as specified under any of (1), (2), and (3), or if it is not practical to apply existing results of fragility tests to that new application, then proof testing must be performed for that new case

The Weighted Airman Promotion System: Standardizing Test Scores

Science.gov (United States)

2008-01-01

u th o ri ze d Top 3/E6 ratio, inventory 1401206040 100 70 130 5R 2F 2G 3N 2M 2A 4J 4C 4P 4T 4B 1W 2T 3P 1T 4A 2S 5J 1A 1S1C 6F 4N 7S 4R 4E 1N 3A 3V...System: Standardizing Test Scores AFHRL convened a panel to identify the relevant factors to consider, and then sit as a promotion board and rank...Costs If the Air Force decided to standardize test scores, there would be three basic types of costs: implementation costs, marketing costs, and

Standardization of Tests for Advanced Composites

OpenAIRE

石川, 隆司; ISHIKAWA, Takashi; 野口, 義男; NOGUCHI, Yoshio; 濱口, 泰正; HAMAGUCHI, Yasumasa

2003-01-01

Advanced composites are essentially the only feasible materials for the construction of newly developed aerospace vehicle. However, the path to be followed for the validation, evaluation and certification of composite aircraft structures is quite different from that of traditional metallic aircraft structures, and the importance of a composites database is now well recognized. A key issue in constructing a fully descriptive composites database is to establish standard composite test methods, ...

Standardization of penetrating radiation testing system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wiley, P.A.; Aronson, H.L.

1979-01-01

Standardization is provided to control system gain of a penetrating radiation testing system by periodically inspecting a reference object in the same manner as the product samples so as to generate a stabilization signal which is compared to a reference signal. The difference, if any, between the stabilization signal and the reference signal is integrated and the integrated signal is used to correct the gain of the system

[A study of biomechanical method for urine test based on color difference estimation].

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Chunhong; Zhou, Yue; Zhao, Hongxia; Zhou, Fengkun

2008-02-01

The biochemical analysis of urine is an important inspection and diagnosis method in hospitals. The conventional method of urine analysis covers mainly colorimetric visual appraisement and automation detection, in which the colorimetric visual appraisement technique has been superseded basically, and the automation detection method is adopted in hospital; moreover, the price of urine biochemical analyzer on market is around twenty thousand RMB yuan (Y), which is hard to enter into ordinary families. It is known that computer vision system is not subject to the physiological and psychological influence of person, its appraisement standard is objective and steady. Therefore, according to the color theory, we have established a computer vision system, which can carry through collection, management, display, and appraisement of color difference between the color of standard threshold value and the color of urine test paper after reaction with urine liquid, and then the level of an illness can be judged accurately. In this paper, we introduce the Urine Test Biochemical Analysis method, which is new and can be popularized in families. Experimental result shows that this test method is easy-to-use and cost-effective. It can realize the monitoring of a whole course and can find extensive applications.

Political Judgement, Freedom of Thought, and Standardized Testing: A Critical Enquiry

Science.gov (United States)

Schuler, Matthew Edward

2012-01-01

The practice of "standardized" testing has been embedded in United States federal education policy since at least the passage of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. The roots of standardized testing in American education, grounded in Kantian "Modern Thought," can be traced to the U.S. Military Academy at…

Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy as a novel approach to providing effect-based endpoints in duckweed toxicity testing.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Li-Xin; Ying, Guang-Guo; Chen, Xiao-Wen; Huang, Guo-Yong; Liu, You-Sheng; Jiang, Yu-Xia; Pan, Chang-Gui; Tian, Fei; Martin, Francis L

2017-02-01

Traditional duckweed toxicity tests only measure plant growth inhibition as an endpoint, with limited effects-based data. The present study aimed to investigate whether Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy could enhance the duckweed (Lemna minor L.) toxicity test. Four chemicals (Cu, Cd, atrazine, and acetochlor) and 4 metal-containing industrial wastewater samples were tested. After exposure of duckweed to the chemicals, standard toxicity endpoints (frond number and chlorophyll content) were determined; the fronds were also interrogated using FTIR spectroscopy under optimized test conditions. Biochemical alterations associated with each treatment were assessed and further analyzed by multivariate analysis. The results showed that comparable x% of effective concentration (ECx) values could be achieved based on FTIR spectroscopy in comparison with those based on traditional toxicity endpoints. Biochemical alterations associated with different doses of toxicant were mainly attributed to lipid, protein, nucleic acid, and carbohydrate structural changes, which helped to explain toxic mechanisms. With the help of multivariate analysis, separation of clusters related to different exposure doses could be achieved. The present study is the first to show successful application of FTIR spectroscopy in standard duckweed toxicity tests with biochemical alterations as new endpoints. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:346-353. © 2016 SETAC. © 2016 SETAC.

BioCluster: Tool for Identification and Clustering of Enterobacteriaceae Based on Biochemical Data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmed Abdullah

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Presumptive identification of different Enterobacteriaceae species is routinely achieved based on biochemical properties. Traditional practice includes manual comparison of each biochemical property of the unknown sample with known reference samples and inference of its identity based on the maximum similarity pattern with the known samples. This process is labor-intensive, time-consuming, error-prone, and subjective. Therefore, automation of sorting and similarity in calculation would be advantageous. Here we present a MATLAB-based graphical user interface (GUI tool named BioCluster. This tool was designed for automated clustering and identification of Enterobacteriaceae based on biochemical test results. In this tool, we used two types of algorithms, i.e., traditional hierarchical clustering (HC and the Improved Hierarchical Clustering (IHC, a modified algorithm that was developed specifically for the clustering and identification of Enterobacteriaceae species. IHC takes into account the variability in result of 1–47 biochemical tests within this Enterobacteriaceae family. This tool also provides different options to optimize the clustering in a user-friendly way. Using computer-generated synthetic data and some real data, we have demonstrated that BioCluster has high accuracy in clustering and identifying enterobacterial species based on biochemical test data. This tool can be freely downloaded at http://microbialgen.du.ac.bd/biocluster/.

IEEE C37.98-1978: IEEE standard seismic testing of relays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1992-01-01

This standard specifies the procedures to be used in the seismic testing of relays used in power system facilities. The standard is concerned with the determination of the seismic fragility level of relays and also gives recommendations for proof testing. The purpose of this standard is to establish procedures for determining the seismic capabilities of protective and auxiliary relays. These procedures employ what has been called fragility testing in ANSI/IEEE Std 344-1975, Recommended Practices for Seismic Qualification of Class 1E Equipment for Nuclear Power Generating Stations. In order to define the conditions for fragility testing of relays, parameters in three separate areas must be specified. In general they are: (1) the electrical settings and inputs to the relay, and other information to define its conditions during the test; (2) the change in state, deviation in operating characteristics or tolerances, or other change of performance of the relay which constitutes failure; (3) the seismic vibration environment to be imposed during the test. Since it is not possible to define the conditions for every conceivable application for all relays, those parameters, which in practice encompass the majority of applications, have been specified in this standard. When the application of the relay is other than as specified under any of (1), (2), and (3), or if it is not practical to apply existing results of fragility tests to that new case

Specificity of the Acute Tryptophan and Tyrosine Plus Phenylalanine Depletion and Loading Tests I. Review of Biochemical Aspects and Poor Specificity of Current Amino Acid Formulations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abdulla A.-B. Badawy

2010-06-01

Full Text Available The acute tryptophan or tyrosine plus phenylalanine depletion and loading tests are powerful tools for studying the roles of serotonin, dopamine and noradrenaline in normal subjects and those with behavioural disorders. The current amino acid formulations for these tests, however, are associated with undesirable decreases in ratios of tryptophan or tyrosine plus phenylalanine to competing amino acids resulting in loss of specificity. This could confound biochemical and behavioural findings. Compositions of current formulations are reviewed, the biochemical principles underpinning the tests are revisited and examples of unintended changes in the above ratios and their impact on monoamine function and behaviour will be demonstrated from data in the literature. The presence of excessive amounts of the 3 branched-chain amino acids Leu, Ile and Val is responsible for these unintended decreases and the consequent loss of specificity. Strategies for enhancing the specificity of the different formulations are proposed.

Specificity of the Acute Tryptophan and Tyrosine plus Phenylalanine Depletion and Loading Tests I. Review of Biochemical Aspects and Poor Specificity of Current Amino Acid Formulations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abdulla A.-B. Badawy

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The acute tryptophan or tyrosine plus phenylalanine depletion and loading tests are powerful tools for studying the roles of serotonin, dopamine and noradrenaline in normal subjects and those with behavioural disorders. The current amino acid formulations for these tests, however, are associated with undesirable decreases in ratios of tryptophan or tyrosine plus phenylalanine to competing amino acids resulting in loss of specificity. This could confound biochemical and behavioural findings. Compositions of current formulations are reviewed, the biochemical principles underpinning the tests are revisited and examples of unintended changes in the above ratios and their impact on monoamine function and behaviour will be demonstrated from data in the literature. The presence of excessive amounts of the 3 branched-chain amino acids Leu, Ile and Val is responsible for these unintended decreases and the consequent loss of specificity. Strategies for enhancing the specificity of the different formulations are proposed.

Performance testing of HEPA filters: Progress towards a European standard procedure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dyment, J.

1997-08-01

Proposals for a future European testing procedure for {open_quotes}High Efficiency Particulate Air Filters (HEPA and ULPA){close_quotes} are being developed by CEN (Comite Europeen de Normalisation). The new standard will be given the status of national standard in participating countries, conflicting national standards being withdrawn. The standard will comprise 5 parts covering the grouping and classification of HEPA and ULPA filters according to their efficiency, fundamental principles of testing, marking etc (in part 1). Part 2 will cover aerosol production, measurement principles, counting equipment and statistics. Parts 3-5 will cover testing flat sheet media, leak testing of filter elements and the efficiency testing of filter elements respectively. The efficiency test methods allow the use of either homogeneous monodisperse or polydisperse aerosols for the determination of particulate filtration efficiencies as a function of particle size. The particle size at which maximum penetration occurs is first determined in flat sheet media tests; tests on filter elements (constructed using the same filter medium) may be carried out using either a homogeneous monodisperse aerosol of the size at which maximum penetration occurs (MPPS) or a polydisperse aerosol whose median size is close to the MPPS. Tests with monodisperse aerosols may be conducted using condensation nucleus counting equipment; tests using polydisperse test aerosols require the use of optical sizing particle counters. When determining the efficiency of filter elements the downstream aerosol concentrations may be determined from air samples obtained using either an overall method (single point sampling after mixing) or a scan method. The scan method also allows {open_quotes}local{close_quotes} efficiency values to be determined. 1 ref., 1 fig., 1 tab.

Biochemical activity of fullerenes and related derivatives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huczko, A.; Lange, H.; Calko, E.

1999-01-01

An astonishing scientific interest, embodied in over 15000 research articles so far, has been encountered since 1985 when fullerenes were discovered. From new superconductors to a rich electrochemistry and reaction chemistry, fullerene nanostructures continue to excite the scientific world, and new findings continue at record pace. This review presents many examples of the biochemical activities of fullerenes and derivatives, e. g. cytotoxic activity, selective DNA cleavage and antiviral activity against HIV. We also present some results of our testing which show that, despite its chemical and biochemical activity, fullerene matter does not present any health hazard directly related to skin irritation and allergic risks. (author)

Comparison of standard and delayed imaging to improve the detection rate of [{sup 68}Ga]PSMA I and T PET/CT in patients with biochemical recurrence or prostate-specific antigen persistence after primary therapy for prostate cancer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schmuck, Sebastian; Nordlohne, Stefan; Sohns, Jan M.; Ross, Tobias L.; Bengel, Frank M.; Derlin, Thorsten [Hannover Medical School, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Hannover (Germany); Klot, Christoph A. von [Hannover Medical School, Department of Urology and Urologic Oncology, Hannover (Germany); Henkenberens, Christoph; Christiansen, Hans [Hannover Medical School, Department of Radiation Oncology, Hannover (Germany); Wester, Hans-Juergen [Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Pharmaceutical Radiochemistry, Garching (Germany)

2017-06-15

The aim of this study was to assess the value of dual-time point imaging in PET/CT for detection of biochemically recurrent or persistent prostate cancer, using the prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) ligand [{sup 68}Ga]PSMA I and T. 240 patients who underwent a [{sup 68}Ga]PSMA I and T PET/CT in the context of biochemical relapse of prostate cancer were included in this retrospective analysis. Imaging consisted of a standard whole-body PET/CT (1 h p.i.), followed by delayed (3 h p.i.) imaging of the abdomen. PSA-stratified proportions of positive PET/CT results, standardized uptake values and target-to-background ratios were analyzed, and compared between standard and delayed imaging. The overall detection rates of [{sup 68}Ga]PSMA I and T PET/CT were 94.2, 71.8, 58.6, 55.9 and 38.9% for PSA levels of ≥2, 1 to <2, 0.5 to <1, >0.2 to <0.5, and 0.01 to 0.2 ng/mL, respectively. Although the target-to-background ratio improved significantly over time (P < 0.0001), the majority (96.6%) of all lesions suggestive of recurrent disease could already be detected in standard imaging. Delayed imaging at 3 h p.i. exclusively identified pathologic findings in 5.4% (10/184) of abnormal [{sup 68}Ga]PSMA I and T PET/CT scans, and exclusively detected 3.4% (38/1134) of all lesions suggestive of recurrent disease. [{sup 68}Ga]PSMA I and T PET/CT shows high detection rates in patients with prostate-specific antigen persistence or biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer. Delayed imaging can detect lesions with improved contrast compared to standard imaging. However, the impact on detection rates was limited in this study. (orig.)

Comparison of standard and delayed imaging to improve the detection rate of ["6"8Ga]PSMA I and T PET/CT in patients with biochemical recurrence or prostate-specific antigen persistence after primary therapy for prostate cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schmuck, Sebastian; Nordlohne, Stefan; Sohns, Jan M.; Ross, Tobias L.; Bengel, Frank M.; Derlin, Thorsten; Klot, Christoph A. von; Henkenberens, Christoph; Christiansen, Hans; Wester, Hans-Juergen

2017-01-01

The aim of this study was to assess the value of dual-time point imaging in PET/CT for detection of biochemically recurrent or persistent prostate cancer, using the prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) ligand ["6"8Ga]PSMA I and T. 240 patients who underwent a ["6"8Ga]PSMA I and T PET/CT in the context of biochemical relapse of prostate cancer were included in this retrospective analysis. Imaging consisted of a standard whole-body PET/CT (1 h p.i.), followed by delayed (3 h p.i.) imaging of the abdomen. PSA-stratified proportions of positive PET/CT results, standardized uptake values and target-to-background ratios were analyzed, and compared between standard and delayed imaging. The overall detection rates of ["6"8Ga]PSMA I and T PET/CT were 94.2, 71.8, 58.6, 55.9 and 38.9% for PSA levels of ≥2, 1 to 0.2 to <0.5, and 0.01 to 0.2 ng/mL, respectively. Although the target-to-background ratio improved significantly over time (P < 0.0001), the majority (96.6%) of all lesions suggestive of recurrent disease could already be detected in standard imaging. Delayed imaging at 3 h p.i. exclusively identified pathologic findings in 5.4% (10/184) of abnormal ["6"8Ga]PSMA I and T PET/CT scans, and exclusively detected 3.4% (38/1134) of all lesions suggestive of recurrent disease. ["6"8Ga]PSMA I and T PET/CT shows high detection rates in patients with prostate-specific antigen persistence or biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer. Delayed imaging can detect lesions with improved contrast compared to standard imaging. However, the impact on detection rates was limited in this study. (orig.)

Standard Specification for Steel Blades Used with the Photovoltaic Module Surface Cut Test

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2009-01-01

1.1 This specification specifies the recommended physical characteristics of the steel blades required for the surface cut test described in ANSI/UL 1703 (Section 24) and IEC 61730-2 (Paragraph 10.3). 1.2 ANSI/UL 1703 and IEC 61730-2 are standards for photovoltaic module safety testing. 1.3 This standard provides additional fabrication details for the surface cut test blades that are not provided in ANSI/UL 1703 or IEC 61730-2. Surface cut test blades that have out-of-tolerance corner radii or burrs are known to cause erroneous test results, either passes or failures. 1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard. 1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety problems, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

Standard operation procedures for conducting the on-the-road driving test, and measurement of the standard deviation of lateral position (SDLP).

Science.gov (United States)

Verster, Joris C; Roth, Thomas

2011-01-01

This review discusses the methodology of the standardized on-the-road driving test and standard operation procedures to conduct the test and analyze the data. The on-the-road driving test has proven to be a sensitive and reliable method to examine driving ability after administration of central nervous system (CNS) drugs. The test is performed on a public highway in normal traffic. Subjects are instructed to drive with a steady lateral position and constant speed. Its primary parameter, the standard deviation of lateral position (SDLP), ie, an index of 'weaving', is a stable measure of driving performance with high test-retest reliability. SDLP differences from placebo are dose-dependent, and do not depend on the subject's baseline driving skills (placebo SDLP). It is important that standard operation procedures are applied to conduct the test and analyze the data in order to allow comparisons between studies from different sites.

Standard test method for measurement of web/roller friction characteristics

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2003-01-01

1.1 This test method covers the simulation of a roller/web transport tribosystem and the measurement of the static and kinetic coefficient of friction of the web/roller couple when sliding occurs between the two. The objective of this test method is to provide users with web/roller friction information that can be used for process control, design calculations, and for any other function where web/roller friction needs to be known. 1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard. 1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

Standard Test Method for Abrasive Wear Resistance of Cemented

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2005-01-01

1.1 This test method covers the determination of abrasive wear resistance of cemented carbides. 1.2 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded as the standard. The SI equivalents of inch-pound units are in parentheses and may be approximate. 1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

[Physiological and biochemical effects of intermittent fasting combined with hunger-resistant food on mice].

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Xiao-Dong; Hua, Wei-Guo; Chu, Wei-Zhong; Xu, Feng; Wang, Yu-Ying; Chen, Hui-Ju

2006-11-01

To observe the physiological and biochemical effects of intermittent fasting combined with hunger-resistant food on mice, and to evaluate the safety and beneficial effects of this regimen. One hundred and forty-four adult ICR mice were divided into 4 groups: standard feed AL group (ad libitum intake of standard feed), hunger-resistant food AL group (ad libitum intake of hunger-resistant food), standard feed IF group (feeding standard feed and fasting on alternate days), and hunger-resistant food IF group (feeding hunger-resistant food and fasting on alternate days). The experiment lasted for 4-8 weeks and all mice drank water freely. The quality of life, body weight, fasting blood glucose, serum lipid, blood routine test, liver and kidney functions as well as the viscera indexes were examined. Compared to the standard feed AL group, the caloric taking and the increment of body-weight were reduced (Pfasting blood glucose were reduced in standard feed IF group and hunger-resistant food IF group (Pintermittent fasting combined with hunger-resistant food is safe and beneficial to metabolic regulation, such as controlling body-weight and adjusting blood glucose and serum lipid. It is expected that development of this regimen will be helpful to the control of obesity and diabetes, etc.

Diagnosis Of Inherited Neurometabolic Disorders : A Biochemical Approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christopher R

1999-01-01

Full Text Available The past two decades have witnessed a rapid increase in the knowledge of the inherited neurometabolic disorders. The precise diagnosis of these disorders which is a challenge to the physician can be best accomplished by biochemical methods. Screening of clinically selected patients with simple chemical urine tests and routine blood chemistry investigations followed by measurement of specific metabolites and assay of the relevant enzymes confirms the diagnosis in most cases. Biochemical diagnosis of inherited neurometabolic disorders although expensive is rapid and confirmatory and therefore aids in treatment and further prevention of these rare disorders.

42 CFR 493.1252 - Standard: Test systems, equipment, instruments, reagents, materials, and supplies.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Standard: Test systems, equipment, instruments... SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) STANDARDS AND CERTIFICATION LABORATORY... storage of reagents and specimens, accurate and reliable test system operation, and test result reporting...

78 FR 17875 - Commercial Driver's License Testing and Commercial Learner's Permit Standards

Science.gov (United States)

2013-03-25

... [Docket No. FMCSA-2007-27659] RIN 2126-AB59 Commercial Driver's License Testing and Commercial Learner's.... The 2011 final rule amended the commercial driver's license (CDL) knowledge and skills testing standards and established new minimum Federal standards for States to issue the commercial learner's permit...

Hydrogen Field Test Standard: Laboratory and Field Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Pope, Jodie G.; Wright, John D.

2015-01-01

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) developed a prototype field test standard (FTS) that incorporates three test methods that could be used by state weights and measures inspectors to periodically verify the accuracy of retail hydrogen dispensers, much as gasoline dispensers are tested today. The three field test methods are: 1) gravimetric, 2) Pressure, Volume, Temperature (PVT), and 3) master meter. The FTS was tested in NIST's Transient Flow Facility with helium gas and in the field at a hydrogen dispenser location. All three methods agree within 0.57 % and 1.53 % for all test drafts of helium gas in the laboratory setting and of hydrogen gas in the field, respectively. The time required to perform six test drafts is similar for all three methods, ranging from 6 h for the gravimetric and master meter methods to 8 h for the PVT method. The laboratory tests show that 1) it is critical to wait for thermal equilibrium to achieve density measurements in the FTS that meet the desired uncertainty requirements for the PVT and master meter methods; in general, we found a wait time of 20 minutes introduces errors methods, respectively and 2) buoyancy corrections are important for the lowest uncertainty gravimetric measurements. The field tests show that sensor drift can become a largest component of uncertainty that is not present in the laboratory setting. The scale was calibrated after it was set up at the field location. Checks of the calibration throughout testing showed drift of 0.031 %. Calibration of the master meter and the pressure sensors prior to travel to the field location and upon return showed significant drifts in their calibrations; 0.14 % and up to 1.7 %, respectively. This highlights the need for better sensor selection and/or more robust sensor testing prior to putting into field service. All three test methods are capable of being successfully performed in the field and give equivalent answers if proper sensors without drift are

Standard test method for plutonium assay by plutonium (III) diode array spectrophotometry

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2002-01-01

1.1 This test method describes the determination of total plutonium as plutonium(III) in nitrate and chloride solutions. The technique is applicable to solutions of plutonium dioxide powders and pellets (Test Methods C 697), nuclear grade mixed oxides (Test Methods C 698), plutonium metal (Test Methods C 758), and plutonium nitrate solutions (Test Methods C 759). Solid samples are dissolved using the appropriate dissolution techniques described in Practice C 1168. The use of this technique for other plutonium-bearing materials has been reported (1-5), but final determination of applicability must be made by the user. The applicable concentration range for plutonium sample solutions is 10–200 g Pu/L. 1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard. 1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropria...

Standard test method for conducting drop-weight test to determine nil-ductility transition temperature of ferritic steels

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2006-01-01

1.1 This test method covers the determination of the nil-ductility transition (NDT) temperature of ferritic steels, 5/8 in. (15.9 mm) and thicker. 1.2 This test method may be used whenever the inquiry, contract, order, or specification states that the steels are subject to fracture toughness requirements as determined by the drop-weight test. 1.3 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded as the standard. 1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

Experimental test of the renormalizability consequences of the standard electroweak theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bardin, D.Yu.

1984-01-01

The present status of the one-loop radiative corrections calculations in the standard electroweak theory is discussed. The possibilities of experimental tests of the higher order predictions of the standard theory is analysed in view of recent data, inclu-ing CERN p anti pcolcider data on Msub(W) and Msub(Z) measurement. The perspectives of these tests in the near future experiments are discussed

Consistency test of the standard model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pawlowski, M.; Raczka, R.

1997-01-01

If the 'Higgs mass' is not the physical mass of a real particle but rather an effective ultraviolet cutoff then a process energy dependence of this cutoff must be admitted. Precision data from at least two energy scale experimental points are necessary to test this hypothesis. The first set of precision data is provided by the Z-boson peak experiments. We argue that the second set can be given by 10-20 GeV e + e - colliders. We pay attention to the special role of tau polarization experiments that can be sensitive to the 'Higgs mass' for a sample of ∼ 10 8 produced tau pairs. We argue that such a study may be regarded as a negative selfconsistency test of the Standard Model and of most of its extensions

Standard Test Method for Testing Polymeric Seal Materials for Geothermal and/or High Temperature Service Under Sealing Stress

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

1985-01-01

1.1 This test method covers the initial evaluation of (screening) polymeric materials for seals under static sealing stress and at elevated temperatures. 1.2 This test method applies to geothermal service only if used in conjunction with Test Method E 1068. 1.3 The test fluid is distilled water. 1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The values in parentheses are for information only. 1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

Standard Guide for Testing Materials for Aerospace Plastic Transparent Enclosures

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2008-01-01

1.1 This guide is intended to summarize the standard test methods available on individual and composite materials utilized in fabrication of aerospace plastic transparent enclosures. As such, it is intended to specifically include transparent thermoplastics, transparent elastomers, and reinforced plastics, whether thermoplastic or thermosetting. 1.2 This guide is intended as an aid in the search for test methods pertinent to Aerospace Plastic Transparent Enclosures. It should be understood that all methods listed may not apply to all enclosures. 1.3 The standards included refer to the properties or aspects listed in Table 1. The properties or aspects are listed in alphabetical order and the descriptions used are intended to facilitate the search. 1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limi...

A standardization of the physical tests for external irradiation measuring detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1977-05-01

This report is the result of a standardization work, realized within the Radioprotection Services of the A.E.C., of the physical tests for dectors measuring external irradiations. Among the various tests mentionned, calibration and the establishment of the relative spectral response are treated in details. As far as calibration is concerned, the standardization refers to: the reference detector, the reference radiation source, the installation and calibration procedure. As for the relative spectral response the standardization refers to: the reference detector, the radiation sources to be used. High flux detectors and those for pulse electromagnetic radiations are also dealt with [fr

77 FR 26989 - Commercial Driver's License Testing and Commercial Learner's Permit Standards

Science.gov (United States)

2012-05-08

... [Docket No. FMCSA-2007-27659] RIN 2126-AB02 Commercial Driver's License Testing and Commercial Learner's... effective on July 8, 2011. That final rule amended the commercial driver's license (CDL) knowledge and skills testing standards and established new minimum Federal standards for States to issue the commercial...

Discordant results between biochemical and molecular transthyretin

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Discordant results between biochemical and molecular transthyretin assays: lessons learned from a unique testing algorithm at the Mayo Clinic. Honey V. Reddi Brittany C. Thomas Kurt S. Willkomm Matthew J. Ferber Kandelaria M. Rumilla Kimiyo M. Raymond John F. O'Brien W. Edward Highsmith. Research Note Volume ...

An inspection standard of fuel for the high temperature engineering test reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kobayashi, Fumiaki; Shiozawa, Shusaku; Sawa, Kazuhiro; Sato, Sadao; Hayashi, Kimio; Fukuda, Kosaku; Kaneko, Mitsunobu; Sato, Tsutomu.

1992-06-01

The High Temperature Engineering Test Reactor (HTTR) uses the fuel comprising coated fuel particles. A general inspection standard for the coated particle fuel, however, has not been established in Japan. Therefore, it has been necessary to prescribe the inspection standard of the fuel for HTTR. Under these circumstances, a fuel inspection standard of HTTR has been established under cooperation of fuel specialists both inside and outside of JAERI on referring to the inspection methods adopted in USA, Germany and Japan for HTGR fuels. Since a large number of coated fuel particle samples is needed to inspect the HTTR fuel, the sampling inspection standard has also been established considering the inspection efficiency. This report presents the inspection and the sampling standards together with an explanation of these standards. These standards will be applied to the HTTR fuel acceptance tests. (author)

NedWind 25 Blade Testing at NREL for the European Standards Measurement and Testing Program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Larwood, S.; Musial, W.; Freebury, G.; Beattie, A.G.

2001-04-19

In the mid-90s the European community initiated the Standards, Measurements, and Testing (SMT) program to harmonize testing and measurement procedures in several industries. Within the program, a project was carried out called the European Wind Turbine Testing Procedure Development. The second part of that project, called Blade Test Methods and Techniques, included the United States and was devised to help blade-testing laboratories harmonize their testing methods. This report provides the results of those tests conducted by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

Biochemical methane potential (BMP) of solid organic materials

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Raposo, Francisco; Fernández-Cegrí, V.; De la Rubia, M.A.

2010-01-01

This paper describes the results obtained for different participating research groups in an interlaboratory study related to the biochemical methane potential (BMP). In this research work, the full experimental conditions influencing the test such as inoculum, substrate characteristics and experi...

Microbiological testing of pharmaceuticals and cosmetics in Egypt.

Science.gov (United States)

Zeitoun, Hend; Kassem, Mervat; Raafat, Dina; AbouShlieb, Hamida; Fanaki, Nourhan

2015-12-09

Microbial contamination of pharmaceuticals poses a great problem to the pharmaceutical manufacturing process, especially from a medical as well as an economic point of view. Depending upon the product and its intended use, the identification of isolates should not merely be limited to the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) indicator organisms. Eighty-five pre-used non-sterile pharmaceuticals collected from random consumers in Egypt were examined for the eventual presence of bacterial contaminants. Forty-one bacterial contaminants were isolated from 31 of the tested preparations. These isolates were subjected to biochemical identification by both conventional tests as well as API kits, which were sufficient for the accurate identification of only 11 out of the 41 bacterial contaminants (26.8%) to the species level. The remaining isolates were inconclusively identified or showed contradictory results after using both biochemical methods. Using molecular methods, 24 isolates (58.5%) were successfully identified to the species level. Moreover, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays were compared to standard biochemical methods in the detection of pharmacopoeial bacterial indicators in artificially-contaminated pharmaceutical samples. PCR-based methods proved to be superior regarding speed, cost-effectiveness and sensitivity. Therefore, pharmaceutical manufacturers would be advised to adopt PCR-based methods in the microbiological quality testing of pharmaceuticals in the future.

Standard test method for calibration of surface/stress measuring devices

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

1997-01-01

Return to Contents page 1.1 This test method covers calibration or verification of calibration, or both, of surface-stress measuring devices used to measure stress in annealed and heat-strengthened or tempered glass using polariscopic or refractometry based principles. 1.2 This test method is nondestructive. 1.3 This test method uses transmitted light, and therefore, is applicable to light-transmitting glasses. 1.4 This test method is not applicable to chemically tempered glass. 1.5 Using the procedure described, surface stresses can be measured only on the “tin” side of float glass. 1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

Craniometaphyseal dysplasia with obvious biochemical abnormality and rickets-like features.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Bo; Jiang, Yan; Wang, Ou; Li, Mei; Xing, Xiao-Ping; Xia, Wei-Bo

2016-05-01

Craniometaphyseal dysplasia (CMD) is a rare genetic disorder that is characterized by progressive sclerosis of the craniofacial bones and metaphyseal widening of long bones, and biochemical indexes were mostly normal. To further the understanding of the disease from a biochemical perspective, we reported a CMD case with obviously abnormal biochemical indexes. A 1-year-old boy was referred to our clinic. Biochemical test showed obviously increased alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and parathyroid hormone (PTH), mild hypocalcemia and hypophosphatemia. Moreover, significant elevated receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand (RANKL) level, but normal β-C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (β-CTX) concentration were revealed. He was initially suspected of rickets, because the radiological examination also showed broadened epiphysis in his long bones. Supplementation with calcium and calcitriol alleviated biochemical abnormality. However, the patient gradually developed osteosclerosis which was inconformity with rickets. Considering that he was also presented with facial paralysis and nasal obstruction symptom, the diagnosis of craniometaphyseal dysplasia was suspected, and then was confirmed by the mutation analysis of ANKH of the proband and his family, which showed a de novo heterozygous mutation (C1124-1126delCCT) on exon 9. Our study revealed that obvious biochemical abnormality and rickets-like features might present as uncommon characteristics in CMD patients, and the calcium and calcitriol supplementation could alleviate biochemical abnormalities. Furthermore, although early osteoclast differentiation factor was excited in CMD patient, activity of osteoclast was still inert. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Similar tests and the standardized log likelihood ratio statistic

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Jens Ledet

1986-01-01

When testing an affine hypothesis in an exponential family the 'ideal' procedure is to calculate the exact similar test, or an approximation to this, based on the conditional distribution given the minimal sufficient statistic under the null hypothesis. By contrast to this there is a 'primitive......' approach in which the marginal distribution of a test statistic considered and any nuisance parameter appearing in the test statistic is replaced by an estimate. We show here that when using standardized likelihood ratio statistics the 'primitive' procedure is in fact an 'ideal' procedure to order O(n -3...

Standard Test Method for Gel Time of Carbon Fiber-Epoxy Prepreg

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

1999-01-01

1.1 This test method covers the determination of gel time of carbon fiber-epoxy tape and sheet. The test method is suitable for the measurement of gel time of resin systems having either high or low viscosity. 1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. The values in parentheses are for reference only. 1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

Pilot test of ANSI draft standard N13.29 environmental dosimetry -- Performance criteria for testing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klemic, G.; Shebell, P.; Monetti, M.; Raccah, F.; Sengupta, S.

1998-09-01

American National Standards Institute Draft N13.29 describes performance tests for environmental radiation dosimetry providers. If approved it would be the first step toward applying the types of performance testing now required in personnel dosimetry to environmental radiation monitoring. The objective of this study was to pilot test the draft standard, before it undergoes final balloting, on a small group of dosimetry providers that were selected to provide a mix of facility types, thermoluminescent dosimeter designs and monitoring program applications. The first phase of the pilot test involved exposing dosimeters to laboratory photon, beta, and x-ray sources at routine and accident dose levels. In the second phase, dosimeters were subjected to ninety days of simulated environmental conditions in an environmental chamber that cycled through extremes of temperature and humidity. Two out of seven participants passed all categories of the laboratory testing phase, and all seven passed the environmental test phase. While some relatively minor deficiencies were uncovered in the course of the pilot test, the results show that draft N13.29 describes useful tests that could be appropriate for environmental dosimetry providers. An appendix to this report contains recommendations that should be addressed by the N13.29 working group before draft N13.29 is submitted for balloting

Legal standard of care: a shift from the traditional Bolam test.

Science.gov (United States)

Samanta, Ash; Samanta, Jo

2003-01-01

An essential component of an action in negligence against a doctor is proof that the doctor failed to provide the required standard of care under the circumstances. Traditionally the standard of care in law has been determined according to the Bolam test. This is based on the principle that a doctor does not breach the legal standard of care, and is therefore not negligent, if the practice is supported by a responsible body of similar professionals. The Bolam principle, however, has been perceived as being excessively reliant upon medical testimony supporting the defendant. The judgment given by the House of Lords in the recent case of Bolitho imposes a requirement that the standard proclaimed must be justified on a logical basis and must have considered the risks and benefits of competing options. The effect of Bolitho is that the court will take a more enquiring stance to test the medical evidence offered by both parties in litigation, in order to reach its own conclusions. Recent case law shows how the court has applied the Bolitho approach in determining the standard of care in cases of clinical negligence. An understanding of this approach and of the shift from the traditional Bolam test is relevant to all medical practitioners, particularly in a climate that is increasingly litigious.

Standardized Testing Practices: Effect on Graduation and NCLEX® Pass Rates.

Science.gov (United States)

Randolph, Pamela K

The use standardized testing in pre-licensure nursing programs has been accompanied by conflicting reports of effective practices. The purpose of this project was to describe standardized testing practices in one states' nursing programs and discover if the use of a cut score or oversight of remediation had any effect on (a) first time NCLEX® pass rates, (b) on-time graduation (OTG) or (c) the combination of (a) and (b). Administrators of 38 nursing programs in one Southwest state were sent surveys; surveys were returned by 34 programs (89%). Survey responses were compared to each program's NCLEX pass rate and on-time graduation rate; t-tests were conducted for significant differences associated with a required minimum score (cut score) and oversight of remediation. There were no significant differences in NCLEX pass or on-time graduation rates related to establishment of a cut score. There was a significant difference when the NCLEX pass rate and on-time graduation rate were combined (Outcome Index "OI") with significantly higher program outcomes (P=.02.) for programs without cut-scores. There were no differences associated with faculty oversight of remediation. The results of this study do not support establishment of a cut-score when implementing a standardized testing. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

78 FR 34423 - Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee (ARAC) Airman Testing Standards and Training Working Group...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-06-07

... the relevance, reliability, validity, and effectiveness of the FAA's aeronautical testing and training... Rulemaking Advisory Committee (ARAC) Airman Testing Standards and Training Working Group (ATSTWG) AGENCY... Certification Standards (ACS) documents developed by the Airman Testing Standards and Training WG for the...

An evaluation of the Oxoid Biochemical Identification System Campy rapid screening test for Campylobacteraceae and Helicobacter spp.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoosain, N; Lastovica, A J

2009-06-01

To evaluate the Oxoid Biochemical Identification System (OBIS) Campy test (ID0800M) against Campylobacter; Arcobacter; and other micro-organisms, with similar colonial morphology, for the detection of l-alanine aminopeptidase (l-ALA). The KOH and l-ALA (OBIS and Fluka) tests were carried out on every isolate. The procedures were followed as indicated in the OBIS and Fluka kit instructions. A total of 146 strains of 19 species of Campylobacter, seven strains of Arcobacter butzleri, four Arcobacter butzleri-like strains, 42 strains of 10 species of Helicobacter, 96 Gram-negative and 49 Gram-positive clinical isolates were tested. As expected, Campylobacter and Arcobacter strains were negative, while other Gram-negative bacteria were positive for the l-ALA test. An unexpected finding was that Helicobacter strains, although Gram-negative, were all negative for the l-ALA tests suggesting the absence of l-ALA within this genus. This is a novel finding. The absence of l-ALA was confirmed upon comparison with the available full genomic sequences of Helicobacter on the NCBI database. The OBIS Campy (ID0800M) test kit proved to be rapid and accurate for the presumptive characterization of Campylobacter and Arcobacter. A novel finding was that Helicobacter species also did not have the l-ALA enzyme. The OBIS kit will be useful in diagnostic laboratories for the presumptive diagnosis of Campylobacter, Arcobacter and Helicobacter strains.

Standard test method for measuring waste glass or glass ceramic durability by vapor hydration test

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2009-01-01

1.1 The vapor hydration test method can be used to study the corrosion of a waste forms such as glasses and glass ceramics upon exposure to water vapor at elevated temperatures. In addition, the alteration phases that form can be used as indicators of those phases that may form under repository conditions. These tests; which allow altering of glass at high surface area to solution volume ratio; provide useful information regarding the alteration phases that are formed, the disposition of radioactive and hazardous components, and the alteration kinetics under the specific test conditions. This information may be used in performance assessment (McGrail et al, 2002 (1) for example). 1.2 This test method must be performed in accordance with all quality assurance requirements for acceptance of the data. 1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practice...

Analysis of standard problem six (Semiscale test S-02-6) data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cartmill, C.E.

1977-08-01

Test S-02-6 of the Semiscale Mod-1 blowdown heat transfer test series was conducted to supply data for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Standard Problem Six. To determine the credibility of the data and thus establish the validity of Standard Problem Six, an analysis of the results of Test S-02-6 was performed and is presented. This analysis consisted of investigations of system hydraulic and core thermal data. The credibility of the system hydraulic data was investigated through comparisons of the data with data and calculations from related sources (Test S-02-4) and, when necessary, through assessment of physical events. The credibility of the core thermal data was based on a thorough analysis of physical events. The results of these investigations substantiate the validity of Test S-02-6 data

The Vise/Vice of Standardized Testing: National Depreciation by Quantification.

Science.gov (United States)

Farrell, Edmund J.

Current uses of standardized English tests are adversely affecting students, misleading lay people, and having a pernicious effect on the English profession. These tests are severely limited, incapable of assessing speaking skill and effectiveness, reading interests, appreciation of literature, listening skill, understanding and appreciation of…

Ultrasonic transverse velocity calibration of standard blocks for use in non-destructive testing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silva, C E R; Braz, D S; Maggi, L E; Felix, R P B Costa

2015-01-01

Standard blocks are employed in the verification of the equipment used in Ultrasound Non-Destructive Testing. To assure the metrology reliability of all the measurement process, it is necessary to calibrate or certify these Standard blocks. In this work, the transverse wave velocity and main dimensions were assessed according to the specifications ISO Standards. For transverse wave velocity measurement, a 5 MHz transverse wave transducer, a waveform generator, an oscilloscope and a computer with a program developed in LabVIEW TM were used. Concerning the transverse wave velocity calibration, only two Standard blocks of the 4 tested is in accordance with the standard

Do School-Based Tutoring Programs Significantly Improve Student Performance on Standardized Tests?

Science.gov (United States)

Rothman, Terri; Henderson, Mary

2011-01-01

This study used a pre-post, nonequivalent control group design to examine the impact of an in-district, after-school tutoring program on eighth grade students' standardized test scores in language arts and mathematics. Students who had scored in the near-passing range on either the language arts or mathematics aspect of a standardized test at the…

Fabrication and Testing of Pyramidal X- Band Standard Horn Antenna

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hasan F. Khazaal

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Standard horn antennas are an important device to evaluate many types of antennas, since they are used as a reference to any type of antennas within the microwave frequency bands. In this project the fabrication process and tests of standard horn antenna operating at X-band frequencies have been proposed. The fabricated antenna passed through multi stages of processing of its parts until assembling the final product. These stages are (milling, bending, fitting and welding. The assembled antenna subjected to two types of tests to evaluate its performance. The first one is the test by two port network analyzer to point out S & Z parameters, input resistance, and the voltage standing wave ratio of the horn, while the second test was done using un-echoic chamber to measure the gain, side lobes level and the half power beam width. The results of testing come nearly as a theoretical value of the most important of antenna parameters, like; gain, side lobe level, -3 dB beam width, return loss and voltage standing wave ratio "VSWR", input Impedance.

Standard Test Method for Normal Spectral Emittance at Elevated Temperatures

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

1972-01-01

1.1 This test method describes a highly accurate technique for measuring the normal spectral emittance of electrically conducting materials or materials with electrically conducting substrates, in the temperature range from 600 to 1400 K, and at wavelengths from 1 to 35 μm. 1.2 The test method requires expensive equipment and rather elaborate precautions, but produces data that are accurate to within a few percent. It is suitable for research laboratories where the highest precision and accuracy are desired, but is not recommended for routine production or acceptance testing. However, because of its high accuracy this test method can be used as a referee method to be applied to production and acceptance testing in cases of dispute. 1.3 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The values in parentheses are for information only. 1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this stan...

Biochemical thermodynamics: applications of Mathematica.

Science.gov (United States)

Alberty, Robert A

2006-01-01

The most efficient way to store thermodynamic data on enzyme-catalyzed reactions is to use matrices of species properties. Since equilibrium in enzyme-catalyzed reactions is reached at specified pH values, the thermodynamics of the reactions is discussed in terms of transformed thermodynamic properties. These transformed thermodynamic properties are complicated functions of temperature, pH, and ionic strength that can be calculated from the matrices of species values. The most important of these transformed thermodynamic properties is the standard transformed Gibbs energy of formation of a reactant (sum of species). It is the most important because when this function of temperature, pH, and ionic strength is known, all the other standard transformed properties can be calculated by taking partial derivatives. The species database in this package contains data matrices for 199 reactants. For 94 of these reactants, standard enthalpies of formation of species are known, and so standard transformed Gibbs energies, standard transformed enthalpies, standard transformed entropies, and average numbers of hydrogen atoms can be calculated as functions of temperature, pH, and ionic strength. For reactions between these 94 reactants, the changes in these properties can be calculated over a range of temperatures, pHs, and ionic strengths, and so can apparent equilibrium constants. For the other 105 reactants, only standard transformed Gibbs energies of formation and average numbers of hydrogen atoms at 298.15 K can be calculated. The loading of this package provides functions of pH and ionic strength at 298.15 K for standard transformed Gibbs energies of formation and average numbers of hydrogen atoms for 199 reactants. It also provides functions of temperature, pH, and ionic strength for the standard transformed Gibbs energies of formation, standard transformed enthalpies of formation, standard transformed entropies of formation, and average numbers of hydrogen atoms for 94

Testing an extrapolation chamber in computed tomography standard beams

Science.gov (United States)

Castro, M. C.; Silva, N. F.; Caldas, L. V. E.

2018-03-01

The computed tomography (CT) is responsible for the highest dose values to the patients. Therefore, the radiation doses in this procedure must be accurate. However, there is no primary standard system for this kind of radiation beam yet. In order to search for a CT primary standard, an extrapolation ionization chamber built at the Calibration Laboratory (LCI) of the Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares (IPEN), was tested in this work. The results showed to be within the international recommended limits.

Towards eliminating systematic errors caused by the experimental conditions in Biochemical Methane Potential (BMP) tests

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Strömberg, Sten, E-mail: sten.stromberg@biotek.lu.se [Department of Biotechnology, Lund University, Getingevägen 60, 221 00 Lund (Sweden); Nistor, Mihaela, E-mail: mn@bioprocesscontrol.com [Bioprocess Control, Scheelevägen 22, 223 63 Lund (Sweden); Liu, Jing, E-mail: jing.liu@biotek.lu.se [Department of Biotechnology, Lund University, Getingevägen 60, 221 00 Lund (Sweden); Bioprocess Control, Scheelevägen 22, 223 63 Lund (Sweden)

2014-11-15

Highlights: • The evaluated factors introduce significant systematic errors (10–38%) in BMP tests. • Ambient temperature (T) has the most substantial impact (∼10%) at low altitude. • Ambient pressure (p) has the most substantial impact (∼68%) at high altitude. • Continuous monitoring of T and p is not necessary for kinetic calculations. - Abstract: The Biochemical Methane Potential (BMP) test is increasingly recognised as a tool for selecting and pricing biomass material for production of biogas. However, the results for the same substrate often differ between laboratories and much work to standardise such tests is still needed. In the current study, the effects from four environmental factors (i.e. ambient temperature and pressure, water vapour content and initial gas composition of the reactor headspace) on the degradation kinetics and the determined methane potential were evaluated with a 2{sup 4} full factorial design. Four substrates, with different biodegradation profiles, were investigated and the ambient temperature was found to be the most significant contributor to errors in the methane potential. Concerning the kinetics of the process, the environmental factors’ impact on the calculated rate constants was negligible. The impact of the environmental factors on the kinetic parameters and methane potential from performing a BMP test at different geographical locations around the world was simulated by adjusting the data according to the ambient temperature and pressure of some chosen model sites. The largest effect on the methane potential was registered from tests performed at high altitudes due to a low ambient pressure. The results from this study illustrate the importance of considering the environmental factors’ influence on volumetric gas measurement in BMP tests. This is essential to achieve trustworthy and standardised results that can be used by researchers and end users from all over the world.

Towards eliminating systematic errors caused by the experimental conditions in Biochemical Methane Potential (BMP) tests

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Strömberg, Sten; Nistor, Mihaela; Liu, Jing

2014-01-01

Highlights: • The evaluated factors introduce significant systematic errors (10–38%) in BMP tests. • Ambient temperature (T) has the most substantial impact (∼10%) at low altitude. • Ambient pressure (p) has the most substantial impact (∼68%) at high altitude. • Continuous monitoring of T and p is not necessary for kinetic calculations. - Abstract: The Biochemical Methane Potential (BMP) test is increasingly recognised as a tool for selecting and pricing biomass material for production of biogas. However, the results for the same substrate often differ between laboratories and much work to standardise such tests is still needed. In the current study, the effects from four environmental factors (i.e. ambient temperature and pressure, water vapour content and initial gas composition of the reactor headspace) on the degradation kinetics and the determined methane potential were evaluated with a 2 4 full factorial design. Four substrates, with different biodegradation profiles, were investigated and the ambient temperature was found to be the most significant contributor to errors in the methane potential. Concerning the kinetics of the process, the environmental factors’ impact on the calculated rate constants was negligible. The impact of the environmental factors on the kinetic parameters and methane potential from performing a BMP test at different geographical locations around the world was simulated by adjusting the data according to the ambient temperature and pressure of some chosen model sites. The largest effect on the methane potential was registered from tests performed at high altitudes due to a low ambient pressure. The results from this study illustrate the importance of considering the environmental factors’ influence on volumetric gas measurement in BMP tests. This is essential to achieve trustworthy and standardised results that can be used by researchers and end users from all over the world

Standard Waste Box Lid Screw Removal Option Testing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anast, Kurt Roy

2016-01-01

This report provides results from test work conducted to resolve the removal of screws securing the standard waste box (SWB) lids that hold the remediated nitrate salt (RNS) drums. The test work evaluated equipment and process alternatives for removing the 42 screws that hold the SWB lid in place. The screws were secured with a red Loctite thread locker that makes removal very difficult because the rivets that the screw threads into would slip before the screw could be freed from the rivet, making it impossible to remove the screw and therefore the SWB lid.

Standard Waste Box Lid Screw Removal Option Testing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anast, Kurt Roy [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2016-03-11

This report provides results from test work conducted to resolve the removal of screws securing the standard waste box (SWB) lids that hold the remediated nitrate salt (RNS) drums. The test work evaluated equipment and process alternatives for removing the 42 screws that hold the SWB lid in place. The screws were secured with a red Loctite thread locker that makes removal very difficult because the rivets that the screw threads into would slip before the screw could be freed from the rivet, making it impossible to remove the screw and therefore the SWB lid.

The Standard-Model Extension and Gravitational Tests

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jay D. Tasson

2016-10-01

Full Text Available The Standard-Model Extension (SME provides a comprehensive effective field-theory framework for the study of CPT and Lorentz symmetry. This work reviews the structure and philosophy of the SME and provides some intuitive examples of symmetry violation. The results of recent gravitational tests performed within the SME are summarized including analysis of results from the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO, sensitivities achieved in short-range gravity experiments, constraints from cosmic-ray data, and results achieved by studying planetary ephemerids. Some proposals and ongoing efforts will also be considered including gravimeter tests, tests of the Weak Equivalence Principle, and antimatter experiments. Our review of the above topics is augmented by several original extensions of the relevant work. We present new examples of symmetry violation in the SME and use the cosmic-ray analysis to place first-ever constraints on 81 additional operators.

Department of Energy standard for the performance testing of personnel dosimetry systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1986-12-01

This standard is intended to be used in the Department of Energy Laboratory Accreditation Program (DOELAP) for personnel dosimetry systems. It is based on the American National Standards Institute's (ANSI) ''Criteria for Testing Personnel Dosimetry Performance,'' ANSI N13.11-1983, recommendations made to DOE in ''Guidelines for the Calibration of Personnel Dosimeters,'' Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL)-4515 and comments received during peer review by DOE and DOE contractor personnel. The recommendations contained in PNL-4515 were based on an evaluation of ANSI N13.11 conducted for the Office of Nuclear Safety, DOE, by PNL. Parts of ANSI N13.11 that did not require modification were used essentially intact in this standard to maintain consistency with nationally recognized standards. Modifications to this standard have resulted from several DOE/DOE contractor reviews and a pilot testing session. An initial peer review by selected DOE and DOE contractor representatives on technical content was conducted in 1983. A review by DOE field offices, program offices, and contractors was conducted in mid-1984. A pilot performance testing session sponsored by the Office of Nuclear Safety was conducted in early 1985 by the Radiological and Environmental Sciences Laboratory, Idaho Falls. Results of the pilot test were reviewed in late 1985 by a DOE and DOE contractor committee. 11 refs., 4 tabs

Preliminary results of testing bioassay analytical performance standards

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fisher, D.R.; Robinson, A.V.; Hadley, R.T.

1983-08-01

The analytical performance of both in vivo and in vitro bioassay laboratories is being studied to determine the capability of these laboratories to meet the minimum criteria for accuracy and precision specified in the draft ANSI Standard N13.30, Performance Criteria for Radiobioassay. This paper presents preliminary results of the first round of testing

A single standard for in-place testing of DOE HEPA filters - not

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mokler, B.V. [Los Alamos National Laboratory, NM (United States)

1995-02-01

This article is a review of arguments against the use of a single standard for in-place testing of DOE HEPA filters. The author feels that the term `standard` entails mandatory compliance. Additionally, the author feels that the variety of DOE HEPA systems requiring in-place testing is such that the guidance for testing must be written in a permissive fashion, allowing options and alternatives. With this in mind, it is not possible to write a single document entailing mandatory compliance for all DOE facilities.

Relationship between obesity and biochemical markers in Brazilian adolescents

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexandre Romero

2014-03-01

The aim of this study was to describe the prevalence of biochemical markers and associate with obesity in Brazilian adolescents enrolled in public schools in a rural area. The sample consisted of 199 adolescents between 10 to 14 years old from Piracicaba, Brazil. The obesity was measured by body mass index (BMI and according to the World Health Organization curves. We collected blood for biochemical markers analysis (total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein, low density lipoprotein, triacylglycerol, insulin and glycemia. Mann Whitney test was used to compare continuous variables between sexes. Chi-square test was used to compare proportions. To investigate the association between the independent variables and biochemical markers a multiple logistic regression model was performed. Among 199 adolescents, 23.1% was obese and 65.8% were insufficiently active. A high prevalence of dyslipidemia (71.4% was observed, whereas the low levels of high density lipoprotein (40.7% were the most prevalent. An association between obesity and undesirable values for high density lipoprotein, triacylglycerol and insulin resistance was found. Obese adolescents were less likely to present a desirable value for high density lipoprotein. It is understood that obesity is detrimental to metabolic profile and should be prevented and treated even in adolescence.

Some biochemical studies on thyroid immunity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shoush, M.A.M.

1980-01-01

The present study was carried out to investigate the effect of induced immunological environment on: a - Carbohydrate metabolism as reflected by immunoreactive insulin and blood sugar levels. b - Biochemical parameters, namely total protein, albumin, globulin, alkaline phosphatase and transaminases, reflecting liver function. c - Radioimmunological tests reflecting thyroid function. The study comprised 36 male rabbits, boscate strain of six months age assigned randomly to : control, albumin immunized and thyroglobulin immunized groups

Assessing the variability of outcome for patients treated with localized prostate irradiation using different definitions of biochemical control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Horwitz, Eric M.; Vicini, Frank A.; Ziaja, Ellen L.; Gonzalez, Jose; Dmuchowski, Carl F.; Stromberg, Jannifer S.; Brabbins, Donald S.; Hollander, Jay; Chen, Peter Y.; Martinez, Alvaro A.

1996-01-01

Purpose: Biochemical control using serial posttreatment serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels is being increasingly used to assess treatment efficacy for localized prostate cancer. However, no standardized definition of biochemical control has been established. We reviewed our experience treating patients with localized prostate cancer and applied three different commonly used definitions of biochemical control to determine if differences in therapeutic outcome would be observed. Methods and Materials: Between January 1987 and December 1991, 480 patients with clinically localized prostate cancer received external beam irradiation (RT) using localized prostate fields at William Beaumont Hospital. The median dose to the prostate was 66.6 Gy (range 58-70.4) using a four-field or arc technique. Pretreatment and posttreatment serum PSA levels were recorded. Over 86% (414 of 480) of patients had a pretreatment PSA level available. Three different definitions of biochemical control were used: (a) PSA nadir 20), and 5-year actuarial rates of biochemical control were calculated using the three biochemical control and one clinical local control definitions. For Group 1, 5-year actuarial rates of biochemical control were 84%, 90%, and 96% for Definitions 1-3 and clinical local control, respectively. For Group 2, 5-year actuarial control rates were 45%, 54%, 74%, and 92% for the four definitions, respectively. For Group 3, 5-year actuarial control rates were 26%, 31%, 63%, and 100% for the four definitions, respectively. For Group 4, 5-year actuarial control rates were 24%, 24%, 50%, and 100% for the four definitions, respectively. Finally, for Group 5, 5-year actuarial control rates were 5%, 14%, 15%, and 89% for the four definitions, respectively. Depending on the definition used, statistically significant differences overall in outcome rates were observed. Differences between all four definitions for all pairwise comparisons ranged from 5 to 53% (p < 0

BISEN: Biochemical simulation environment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vanlier, J.; Wu, F.; Qi, F.; Vinnakota, K.C.; Han, Y.; Dash, R.K.; Yang, F.; Beard, D.A.

2009-01-01

The Biochemical Simulation Environment (BISEN) is a suite of tools for generating equations and associated computer programs for simulating biochemical systems in the MATLAB® computing environment. This is the first package that can generate appropriate systems of differential equations for

Educators Questioning Timing of State Tests Reflecting Standards

Science.gov (United States)

Gewertz, Catherine

2013-01-01

New York is ahead of most states in its work to design detailed curricula and professional development for the common core and to build brand-new tests to reflect them. What's unfolding in the Empire State as a result of that work illustrates the way the common standards can pressure changes in the education landscape, and torque the tensions…

Standardization of food allergen extracts for skin prick test

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Skamstrup Hansen, K; Bindslev-Jensen, C; Skov, P S

2001-01-01

The aim of the study was to standardize and evaluate technically optimized food allergen extracts for use in skin prick test (SPT). The standardization procedure comprised 36 allergic histories in 32 food allergic patients with 21 healthy, non-atopic individuals serving as controls. The patients...... had a history of allergic symptoms upon ingestion of either cow's milk (n=3), hen's egg (n=9), wheat (n=4), hazelnut (n=14) or cod (n=6). They also had specific IgE in serum to the food in question and a positive SPT with a fresh preparation of the food. The diagnosis had been confirmed by a double......-blind, placebo-controlled food challenge, except for the hazelnut-allergic patients. The controls were subjected to an open food challenge with all the foods to ensure tolerance. The standardization was performed by means of titrated SPT in accordance with the guidelines on biological standardization from...

Standard test method for compressive (crushing) strength of fired whiteware materials

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2006-01-01

1.1 This test method covers two test procedures (A and B) for the determination of the compressive strength of fired whiteware materials. 1.2 Procedure A is generally applicable to whiteware products of low- to moderately high-strength levels (up to 150 000 psi or 1030 MPa). 1.3 Procedure B is specifically devised for testing of high-strength ceramics (over 100 000 psi or 690 MPa). 1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

A Step Towards Electric Propulsion Testing Standards: Pressure Measurements and Effective Pumping Speeds

Science.gov (United States)

Dankanich, John W.; Swiatek, Michael W.; Yim, John T.

2012-01-01

The electric propulsion community has been implored to establish and implement a set of universally applicable test standards during the research, development, and qualification of electric propulsion systems. Existing practices are fallible and result in testing variations which leads to suspicious results, large margins in application, or aversion to mission infusion. Performance measurements and life testing under appropriate conditions can be costly and lengthy. Measurement practices must be consistent, accurate, and repeatable. Additionally, the measurements must be universally transportable across facilities throughout the development, qualification, spacecraft integration and on-orbit performance. A preliminary step to progress towards universally applicable testing standards is outlined for facility pressure measurements and effective pumping speed calculations. The standard has been applied to multiple facilities at the NASA Glenn Research Center. Test results and analyses of universality of measurements are presented herein.

Standard Reference Test Method for Making Potentiostatic and Potentiodynamic Anodic Polarization Measurements

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2004-01-01

1.1 This test method covers an experimental procedure for checking experimental technique and instrumentation. If followed, this test method will provide repeatable potentiostatic and potentiodynamic anodic polarization measurements that will reproduce data determined by others at other times and in other laboratories provided all laboratories are testing reference samples from the same lot of Type 430 stainless steel. 1.2 Values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. Inch-pound units given in parentheses are for information only. 1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

New Standards for the Validation of EMC Test Sites particularly above 1 GHz

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Battermann

2005-01-01

Full Text Available Standards for the validation of alternative test sites with conducting groundplane exist for the frequency range 30-1000 MHz since the end of the eighties. Recently the procedure for fully anechoic rooms (FAR has been included in CISPR 16 after more than 10 years intensive discussion in standards committees (CENELEC, 2002; CISPR, 2004. But there are no standards available for the validation of alternative test sites above 1 GHz. The responsible working group (WG1 in CISPR/A has drawn up the 7th common draft (CD. A CDV will be published in spring 2005. The German standards committee VDE AK 767.4.1 participates in the drafting of the standard. All suggested measurement procedures proposed in the last CDs have been investigated by measurements and theoretical analysis. This contribution describes the basic ideas and problems of the validation procedure of the test site. Furthermore measurement results and numerical calculations will be presented especially for the use of omni-directional antennas.

Stress-testing the Standard Model at the LHC

CERN Document Server

2016-01-01

With the high-energy run of the LHC now underway, and clear manifestations of beyond-Standard-Model physics not yet seen in data from the previous run, the search for new physics at the LHC may be a quest for small deviations with big consequences. If clear signals are present, precise predictions and measurements will again be crucial for extracting the maximum information from the data, as in the case of the Higgs boson. Precision will therefore remain a key theme for particle physics research in the coming years. The conference will provide a forum for experimentalists and theorists to identify the challenges and refine the tools for high-precision tests of the Standard Model and searches for signals of new physics at Run II of the LHC. Topics to be discussed include: pinning down Standard Model corrections to key LHC processes; combining fixed-order QCD calculations with all-order resummations and parton showers; new developments in jet physics concerning jet substructure, associated jets and boosted je...

Difficulties Using Standardized Tests to Identify the Receptive Expressive Gap in Bilingual Children's Vocabularies.

Science.gov (United States)

Gibson, Todd A; Oller, D Kimbrough; Jarmulowicz, Linda

2018-03-01

Receptive standardized vocabulary scores have been found to be much higher than expressive standardized vocabulary scores in children with Spanish as L1, learning L2 (English) in school (Gibson et al., 2012). Here we present evidence suggesting the receptive-expressive gap may be harder to evaluate than previously thought because widely-used standardized tests may not offer comparable normed scores. Furthermore monolingual Spanish-speaking children tested in Mexico and monolingual English-speaking children in the US showed other, yet different statistically significant discrepancies between receptive and expressive scores. Results suggest comparisons across widely used standardized tests in attempts to assess a receptive-expressive gap are precarious.

Improved biochemical preservation of heart slices during cold storage.

Science.gov (United States)

Bull, D A; Reid, B B; Connors, R C; Albanil, A; Stringham, J C; Karwande, S V

2000-01-01

Development of myocardial preservation solutions requires the use of whole organ models which are animal and labor intensive. These models rely on physiologic rather than biochemical endpoints, making accurate comparison of the relative efficacy of individual solution components difficult. We hypothesized that myocardial slices could be used to assess preservation of biochemical function during cold storage. Whole rat hearts were precision cut into slices with a thickness of 200 microm and preserved at 4 degrees C in one of the following solutions: Columbia University (CU), University of Wisconsin (UW), D5 0.2% normal saline with 20 meq/l KCL (QNS), normal saline (NS), or a novel cardiac preservation solution (NPS) developed using this model. Myocardial biochemical function was assessed by ATP content (etamoles ATP/mg wet weight) and capacity for protein synthesis (counts per minute (cpm)/mg protein) immediately following slicing (0 hours), and at 6, 12, 18, and 24 hours of cold storage. Six slices were assayed at each time point for each solution. The data were analyzed using analysis of variance and are presented as the mean +/- standard deviation. ATP content was higher in the heart slices stored in the NPS compared to all other solutions at 6, 12, 18 and 24 hours of cold storage (p cold storage (p cold storage.

Biochemical evaluation of Gmelina arborea fruit meal as a swine ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Dr. J. T. Ekanem

Division of Nutritional Biochemistry, Department of Animal Production,. University of Ilorin ... certain biochemical parameters including blood enzyme profile of wean pigs. 16-piglets ..... 1992) who reported similar results in guinea fowls fed test ...

A MULTILAYER BIOCHEMICAL DRY DEPOSITION MODEL 2. MODEL EVALUATION

Science.gov (United States)

The multilayer biochemical dry deposition model (MLBC) described in the accompanying paper was tested against half-hourly eddy correlation data from six field sites under a wide range of climate conditions with various plant types. Modeled CO2, O3, SO2<...

Yeast identification by sequencing, biochemical kits, MALDI-TOF MS and rep-PCR DNA fingerprinting.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Ying; Tsang, Chi-Ching; Xiao, Meng; Chan, Jasper F W; Lau, Susanna K P; Kong, Fanrong; Xu, Yingchun; Woo, Patrick C Y

2017-12-08

No study has comprehensively evaluated the performance of 28S nrDNA and ITS sequencing, commercial biochemical test kits, MALDI-TOF MS platforms, and the emerging rep-PCR DNA fingerprinting technology using a cohort of yeast strains collected from a clinical microbiology laboratory. In this study, using 71 clinically important yeast isolates (excluding Candida albicans) collected from a single centre, we determined the concordance of 28S nrDNA and ITS sequencing and evaluated the performance of two commercial test kits, two MALDI-TOF MS platforms, and rep-PCR DNA fingerprinting. 28S nrDNA and ITS sequencing showed complete agreement on the identities of the 71 isolates. Using sequencing results as the standard, 78.9% and 71.8% isolates were correctly identified using the API 20C AUX and Vitek 2 YST ID Card systems, respectively; and 90.1% and 80.3% isolates were correctly identified using the Bruker and Vitek MALDI-TOF MS platforms, respectively. Of the 18 strains belonging to the Candida parapsilosis species complex tested by DiversiLab automated rep-PCR DNA fingerprinting, all were identified only as Candida parapsilosis with similarities ≥93.2%, indicating the misidentification of Candida metapsilosis and Candida orthopsilosis. However, hierarchical cluster analysis of the rep-PCR DNA fingerprints of these three species within this species complex formed three different discrete clusters, indicating that this technology can potentially differentiate the three species. To achieve higher accuracies of identification, the databases of commercial biochemical test kits, MALDI-TOF MS platforms, and DiversiLab automated rep-PCR DNA fingerprinting needs further enrichment, particularly for uncommonly encountered yeast species. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The International Society for Human and Animal Mycology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Recent progress on test evidence, standardization and design of protection for exterior openings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Strøm Ruth Astrid

2016-01-01

A number of different fire scenarios that elements in vented facades/constructions can be exposed to have been studied. New test standards have been developed for the last few years and are explained. Finally, this paper evaluate how different fire stop products perform in different fire scenarios and which test standards are applicable.

Standard Test Method for Thermal Oxidative Resistance of Carbon Fibers

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

1982-01-01

1.1 This test method covers the apparatus and procedure for the determination of the weight loss of carbon fibers, exposed to ambient hot air, as a means of characterizing their oxidative resistance. 1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. The values given in parentheses are mathematical conversions to inch-pound units which are provided for information only and are not considered standard. 1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use. For specific hazard information, see Section 8.

Corporate Schooling Meets Corporate Media: Standards, Testing, and Technophilia

Science.gov (United States)

Saltman, Kenneth J.

2016-01-01

Educational publishing corporations and media corporations in the United States have been converging, especially through the promotion of standardization, testing, and for-profit educational technologies. Media and technology companies--including News Corp, Apple, and Microsoft--have significantly expanded their presence in public schools to sell…

Standard software for automated testing of infrared imagers, IRWindows, in practical applications

Science.gov (United States)

Irwin, Alan; Nicklin, Robert L.

1998-08-01

In the past, ad-hoc and manual testing of infrared images hasn't been a deterrent to the characterization of these systems due to the low volume of production and high ratio of skilled personnel to the quantity of units under test. However, with higher volume production, increasing numbers of development labs in emerging markets, and the push towards less expensive, faster development cycles, there is a strong need for standardized testing that is quickly configurable by test engineers, which can be run by less experienced test technicians, and which produce repeatable, accurate results. The IRWindowsTM system addresses these needs using a standard computing platform and existing automated IR test equipment. This paper looks at the general capabilities of the IRWindowsTM system, and then examines the specific results from its application in the PalmIR and Automotive IR production environments.

CADLIVE toolbox for MATLAB: automatic dynamic modeling of biochemical networks with comprehensive system analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Inoue, Kentaro; Maeda, Kazuhiro; Miyabe, Takaaki; Matsuoka, Yu; Kurata, Hiroyuki

2014-09-01

Mathematical modeling has become a standard technique to understand the dynamics of complex biochemical systems. To promote the modeling, we had developed the CADLIVE dynamic simulator that automatically converted a biochemical map into its associated mathematical model, simulated its dynamic behaviors and analyzed its robustness. To enhance the feasibility by CADLIVE and extend its functions, we propose the CADLIVE toolbox available for MATLAB, which implements not only the existing functions of the CADLIVE dynamic simulator, but also the latest tools including global parameter search methods with robustness analysis. The seamless, bottom-up processes consisting of biochemical network construction, automatic construction of its dynamic model, simulation, optimization, and S-system analysis greatly facilitate dynamic modeling, contributing to the research of systems biology and synthetic biology. This application can be freely downloaded from http://www.cadlive.jp/CADLIVE_MATLAB/ together with an instruction.

Chapter A7. Section 7.0. Five-Day Biochemical Oxygen Demand

Science.gov (United States)

Delzer, Gregory C.; McKenzie, Stuart W.

1999-01-01

The presence of a sufficient concentration of dissolved oxygen is critical to maintaining the aquatic life and aesthetic quality of streams and lakes. Determinng how organic matter affects the concentration of dissolved oxygen (DO) in a stream or lake is integral to water-quality management. The decay of organic matter in water is measured as biochemical or chemical oxygen demand. This report describes the field protocols used by U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) personnel to determine the five-day test for biochemical oxygen demand.

Standardization Efforts for Mechanical Testing and Design of Advanced Ceramic Materials and Components

Science.gov (United States)

Salem, Jonathan A.; Jenkins, Michael G.

2003-01-01

Advanced aerospace systems occasionally require the use of very brittle materials such as sapphire and ultra-high temperature ceramics. Although great progress has been made in the development of methods and standards for machining, testing and design of component from these materials, additional development and dissemination of standard practices is needed. ASTM Committee C28 on Advanced Ceramics and ISO TC 206 have taken a lead role in the standardization of testing for ceramics, and recent efforts and needs in standards development by Committee C28 on Advanced Ceramics will be summarized. In some cases, the engineers, etc. involved are unaware of the latest developments, and traditional approaches applicable to other material systems are applied. Two examples of flight hardware failures that might have been prevented via education and standardization will be presented.

The Influence of Biochemical Modification on the Properties of Adhesive Compounds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anna Rudawska

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The main objective of this study was to determine the effect of biochemical modification of epoxy adhesive compounds on the mechanical properties of a cured adhesive exposed to various climatic factors. The epoxy adhesive was modified by lyophilized fungal metabolites and prepared by three methods. Additionally, the adhesive compound specimens were seasoned for two months at a temperature of 50 °C and 50% humidity in a climate test chamber, Espec SH 661. The tensile strength tests of the adhesive compounds were performed using a Zwick/Roell Z150 testing machine in compliance with the DIN EN ISO 527-1 standard. The examination of the adhesive specimens was performed using two microscopes: a LEO 912AB transmission electron microscope equipped with Quantax 200 for EDS X-ray spectroscopy and a Zeiss 510 META confocal microscope coupled to an AxioVert 200M. The experiments involved the use of a CT Skyscan 1172 tomograph. The results revealed that some mechanical properties of the modified adhesives were significantly affected by both the method of preparation of the adhesive compound and the content of the modifying agent. In addition, it was found that seasoning of the modified adhesives does not lead to a decrease in some of their mechanical properties.

The Determination of the Biochemical Properties of Some Monofloral Honey Samples Produced across Turkey

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aziz Gül

2016-12-01

Full Text Available This study was conducted in 2013 to determine the biochemical properties of 10 different monofloral honey types produced across Turkey. For the study, honey samples were obtained from beekeepers and the identity and relative percentage of dominant pollen types in samples was determined through microscopic analysis. Pollen analysis revealed that honey types chaste tree (Vitex agnus-castus and sunflower (Helianthus annuus contained high proportions of each respective pollen type. These proportions reached as high as 86%, while other honey types such as Anason had low Anasom pollen content, occurring at 45% in whole honey samples. Biochemical analysis revealed that the average honey sample quality characteristics were as followings: ash 0.37±0.04, electricity conductivity 0.79±0.07 mS/cm, moisture 19.15±0.09%, pH 3.97±0.02, acidity 29.07±0.39 meq/kg, hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF, 6.17±0.76 mg/kg, diastase 22.05±0.00, invert sugar 69.72±0.49% and sucrose 2.90±0.30%. These analyses confirmed that honey samples met standards outlined by the Turkish Food Codex Honey Standard, European Union Honey Standard and Codex Standards respectively.

The impact of atrazine on several biochemical properties of chernozem soil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

LJ. RADIVOJEVIC

2008-10-01

Full Text Available The impact of the pesticide atrazine on biochemical processes in soil was investigated. Atrazine loadings of 8.0, 40.0 and 80.0 mg/kg soil were laboratory tested in an experiment set up on a clay loam soil. Dehydrogenase activity, change in biomass carbon, soil respiration and metabolic coefficient were examined. The samples were collected for analysis 1, 7, 14, 21, 30 and 60 days after atrazine application. The acquired data indicated that the effect of atrazine on the biochemical activity of the soil depended on its application rate and duration of activity, and the effect was either stimulating or inhibiting. However, the detected changes were found to be transient, indicating that there is no real risk of the compound disrupting the balance of biochemical processes in soil.

Standard test method for electrochemical critical pitting temperature testing of stainless steels

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

1999-01-01

1.1 This test method covers a procedure for the evaluation of the resistance of stainless steel and related alloys to pitting corrosion based on the concept of the determination of a potential independent critical pitting temperature (CPT). 1.2 This test methods applies to wrought and cast products including but not restricted to plate, sheet, tubing, bar, forgings, and welds, (see Note 1). Note 1—Examples of CPT measurements on sheet, plate, tubing, and welded specimens for various stainless steels can be found in Ref (1). See the research reports (Section 14). 1.3 The standard parameters recommended in this test method are suitable for characterizing the CPT of austenitic stainless steels and other related alloys with a corrosion resistance ranging from that corresponding to solution annealed UNS S31600 (Type 316 stainless steel) to solution annealed UNS S31254 (6 % Mo stainless steel). 1.4 This test method may be extended to stainless steels and other alloys related to stainless steel that have a CPT...

Standard Test Method for Solar Transmittance (Terrestrial) of Sheet Materials Using Sunlight

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

1986-01-01

1.1 This test method covers the measurement of solar transmittance (terrestrial) of materials in sheet form by using a pyranometer, an enclosure, and the sun as the energy source. 1.2 This test method also allows measurement of solar transmittance at angles other than normal incidence. 1.3 This test method is applicable to sheet materials that are transparent, translucent, textured, or patterned. 1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

Towards reporting standards for neuropsychological study results: A proposal to minimize communication errors with standardized qualitative descriptors for normalized test scores.

Science.gov (United States)

Schoenberg, Mike R; Rum, Ruba S

2017-11-01

Rapid, clear and efficient communication of neuropsychological results is essential to benefit patient care. Errors in communication are a lead cause of medical errors; nevertheless, there remains a lack of consistency in how neuropsychological scores are communicated. A major limitation in the communication of neuropsychological results is the inconsistent use of qualitative descriptors for standardized test scores and the use of vague terminology. PubMed search from 1 Jan 2007 to 1 Aug 2016 to identify guidelines or consensus statements for the description and reporting of qualitative terms to communicate neuropsychological test scores was conducted. The review found the use of confusing and overlapping terms to describe various ranges of percentile standardized test scores. In response, we propose a simplified set of qualitative descriptors for normalized test scores (Q-Simple) as a means to reduce errors in communicating test results. The Q-Simple qualitative terms are: 'very superior', 'superior', 'high average', 'average', 'low average', 'borderline' and 'abnormal/impaired'. A case example illustrates the proposed Q-Simple qualitative classification system to communicate neuropsychological results for neurosurgical planning. The Q-Simple qualitative descriptor system is aimed as a means to improve and standardize communication of standardized neuropsychological test scores. Research are needed to further evaluate neuropsychological communication errors. Conveying the clinical implications of neuropsychological results in a manner that minimizes risk for communication errors is a quintessential component of evidence-based practice. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Standard Test Method for Solar Photometric Transmittance of Sheet Materials Using Sunlight

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

1996-01-01

1.1 This test method covers the measurement of solar photometric transmittance of materials in sheet form. Solar photometric transmittance is measured using a photometer (illuminance meter) in an enclosure with the sun and sky as the source of radiation. The enclosure and method of test is specified in Test Method E 1175 (or Test Method E 1084). 1.2 The purpose of this test method is to specify a photometric sensor to be used with the procedure for measuring the solar photometric transmittance of sheet materials containing inhomogeneities in their optical properties. This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

A primary standard for the calibration of sniffer test leak devices

Science.gov (United States)

Jousten, Karl; Becker, Ute

2009-10-01

Test leaks with a gas flow to atmospheric pressure are often called sniffer test leaks. They are used to calibrate leak detectors for sniffing applications. Sniffer test leaks need calibration against a standard. A primary standard for the calibration of sniffer test leaks with relatively low measurement uncertainties is described. It is assured that the measurement result is traceable to the relevant SI units and that there is a well-known and complete measurement uncertainty budget. The measurement range of the system is from 4 × 10-11 mol s-1 (corresponding to 10-4 Pa l s-1 at 23 °C) to 4 × 10-9 mol s-1 (10-2 Pa l s-1 at 23 °C), which is the most often needed range in industry of around 1 g loss per year of the cooling agent R134a. The temperature where the calibration can be carried out may vary from 18 °C to 30 °C. The flow rate of any test gas not condensing in this temperature range can be measured.

Standard test method for exfoliation corrosion susceptibility in 2XXX and 7XXX Series Aluminum Alloys (EXCO Test)

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2007-01-01

1.1 This test method covers a procedure for constant immersion exfoliation corrosion (EXCO) testing of high-strength 2XXX and 7XXX series aluminum alloys. Note 1—This test method was originally developed for research and development purposes; however, it is referenced, in specific material specifications, as applicable for evaluating production material (refer to Section 14 on Precision and Bias). 1.2 This test method applies to all wrought products such as sheet, plate, extrusions, and forgings produced from conventional ingot metallurgy process. 1.3 This test method can be used with any form of specimen or part that can be immersed in the test solution. 1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

Standard test method for measurement of oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) of soil

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2009-01-01

1.1 This test method covers a procedure and related test equipment for measuring oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) of soil samples removed from the ground. 1.2 The procedure in Section 9 is appropriate for field and laboratory measurements. 1.3 Accurate measurement of oxidation-reduction potential aids in the analysis of soil corrosivity and its impact on buried metallic structure corrosion rates. 1.4 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded as standard. The values given in parentheses are mathematical conversions to SI units that are provided for information only and are not considered standard. 1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

Study on the alteration of bubaline blood biochemical composition ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Bubaline blood biochemistry as affected by slaughter was the agenda for this work. Blood samples were collected from 30 buffaloes from abattoirs before and at slaughter. After biochemical and statistical analysis (mean was compared with t-test), it was observed that the albumin, lactate dehydrogenase and creatine kinase ...

Ethnic identity, school connectedness, and achievement in standardized tests among Mexican-origin youth.

Science.gov (United States)

Santos, Carlos E; Collins, Mary Ann

2016-07-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the association between school connectedness and performance in standardized test scores and whether this association was moderated by ethnic private regard. The study combines self-report data with school district reported data on standardized test scores in reading and math and free and reduced lunch status. Participants included 436 Mexican-origin youth attending a middle school in a southwestern U.S. state. Participants were on average 12.34 years of age (SD = .95) and 51.8% female and 48.2% male. After controlling for age, gender, free and reduced lunch status, and generational status, school connectedness and ethnic private regard were both positive predictors of standardized test scores in reading and math. Results also revealed a significant interaction between school connectedness and ethnic private regard in predicting standardized test scores in reading, such that participants who were low on ethnic private regard and low on school connectedness reported lower levels of achievement compared to participants who were low on ethnic private regard but high on school connectedness. At high levels of ethnic private regard, high or low levels of school connectedness were not associated with higher or lower standardized test scores in reading. The findings in this study provide support for the protective role that ethnic private regard plays in the educational experiences of Mexican-origin youth and highlights how the local school context may play a role in shaping this finding. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Standardized extract of Lactuca sativa Linn. and its fractions abrogates scopolamine-induced amnesia in mice: A possible cholinergic and antioxidant mechanism.

Science.gov (United States)

Malik, Jai; Kaur, Jagpreet; Choudhary, Sunayna

2018-06-01

The present study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of Lactuca sativa (LS) Linn. (Asteraceae) against scopolamine-induced amnesia and to validate its traditional claim as memory enhancer. Ethanol extract of fresh LS leaves (LSEE), standardized on the basis of quercetin content, was successively partitioned using various solvents viz., hexane, ethyl acetate, and n-butanol in increasing order of polarity. LSEE (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg) and its various fractions (at a dose equivalent to dose of LSEE exhibiting maximum activity), administered orally for 14 days, were evaluated for their memory enhancing effect against scopolamine-induced (1 mg/kg, i.p.) amnesia in 3-4 months old male Laca mice (n = 6 in each group). The memory enhancing effect was evaluated using behavioural (elevated plus maze, novel object recognition and Morris water maze tests) and biochemical parameters (acetylcholinesterase activity, malonaldehyde, superoxide dismutase, nitrite, catalase, and reduced gultathione content). The results of the test substances were compared with both scopolamine and donepezil that was used as a standard memory enhancer and acetylcholinesterase inhibitor. Scopolamine elicit marked deterioration of memory and alteration in biochemical parameters in comparison to the control group. LSEE and its n-butanol and aqueous fractions significantly (P < 0.05) attenuated the scopolamine-induced amnesia that was evident in all the behavioural and biochemical test parameters. LSEE (200 mg/kg) and n-butanol fraction (15 mg/kg) exhibited maximum anti-amnesic effect among various tested dose levels. The results exhibited that LS prophylaxis attenuated scopolamine-induced memory impairment through its acetylcholinesterase inhibitory and antioxidant activity validating its traditional claim.

Standard Test Method for Bond Strength of Ceramic Tile to Portland Cement Paste

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2002-01-01

1.1 This test method covers the determination of the ability of glazed ceramic wall tile, ceramic mosaic tile, quarry tile, and pavers to be bonded to portland cement paste. This test method includes both face-mounted and back-mounted tile. 1.2 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded as standard. The values given in parentheses are mathematical conversions to SI units that are provided for information only and are not considered standard. 1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

Non-prescription medicines: a process for standards development and testing in community pharmacy.

Science.gov (United States)

Benrimoj, Shalom Charlie I; Gilbert, Andrew; Quintrell, Neil; Neto, Abilio C de Almeida

2007-08-01

The objective of the study was to develop and test standards of practice for handling non-prescription medicines. In consultation with pharmacy registering authorities, key professional and consumer groups and selected community pharmacists, standards of practice were developed in the areas of Resource Management; Professional Practice; Pharmacy Design and Environment; and Rights and Needs of Customers. These standards defined and described minimum professional activities required in the provision of non-prescription medicines at a consistent and measurable level of practice. Seven standards were described and further defined by 20 criteria, including practice indicators. The Standards were tested in 40 community pharmacies in two States and after further adaptation, endorsed by all Australian pharmacy registering authorities and major Australian pharmacy and consumer organisations. The consultation process effectively engaged practicing pharmacists in developing standards to enable community pharmacists meet their legislative and professional responsibilities. Community pharmacies were audited against a set of standards of practice for handling non-prescription medicines developed in this project. Pharmacies were audited on the Standards at baseline, mid-intervention and post-intervention. Behavior of community pharmacists and their staff in relation to these standards was measured by conducting pseudo-patron visits to participating pharmacies. The testing process demonstrated a significant improvement in the quality of service delivered by staff in community pharmacies in the management of requests involving non-prescription medicines. The use of pseudo-patron visits, as a training tool with immediate feedback, was an acceptable and effective method of achieving changes in practice. Feedback from staff in the pharmacies regarding the pseudo-patron visits was very positive. Results demonstrated the methodology employed was effective in increasing overall

Standard test method for radiochemical determination of plutonium in Soil by alpha spectroscopy

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2011-01-01

1.1 This test method covers the determination of plutonium in soils at levels of detection dependent on count time, sample size, detector, background, and tracer yield. This test method describes one acceptable approach to the determination of plutonium in soil. 1.2 This test method is designed for 10 g of soil, previously collected and treated as described in Practices C998 and C999, but sample sizes up to 50 g may be analyzed by this test method. This test method may not be able to completely dissolve all forms of plutonium in the soil matrix. 1.3 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. The values given in parentheses are for information only. 1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use. Specific hazard statements are given in Section 9.

Standard Test Method for Preparing Aircraft Cleaning Compounds, Liquid Type, Water Base, for Storage Stability Testing

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2002-01-01

1.1 This test method covers the determination of the stability in storage, of liquid, water-base chemical cleaning compounds, used to clean the exterior surfaces of aircraft. 1.2 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

Standard practice for torque calibration of testing machines and devices

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2009-01-01

1.1 This practice covers procedures and requirements for the calibration of torque for static and quasi-static torque capable testing machines or devices. These may, or may not, have torque indicating systems and include those devices used for the calibration of hand torque tools. Testing machines may be calibrated by one of the three following methods or combination thereof: 1.1.1 Use of standard weights and lever arms. 1.1.2 Use of elastic torque measuring devices. 1.1.3 Use of elastic force measuring devices and lever arms. 1.1.4 Any of the methods require a specific uncertainty of measurement and a traceability derived from national standards of mass and length. 1.2 The procedures of 1.1.1, 1.1.2, and 1.1.3 apply to the calibration of the torque-indicating systems associated with the testing machine, such as a scale, dial, marked or unmarked recorder chart, digital display, etc. In all cases the buyer/owner/user must designate the torque-indicating system(s) to be calibrated and included in the repor...

Biochemical Predictors of Low Bone Mineral Density and Fracture Susceptibility in Maltese Postmenopausal Women.

Science.gov (United States)

Formosa, Melissa M; Xuereb-Anastasi, Angela

2016-01-01

Osteoporosis and fractures are complex conditions influenced by an interplay of genetic and environmental factors. The aim of the study was to investigate three biochemical parameters including total serum calcium, total serum alkaline phosphatase (sALP) and albumin in relation to bone mineral density (BMD) at the lumbar spine and femoral neck (FN), and with all-type of low-trauma fractures in Maltese postmenopausal women. Levels were also correlated with age and physical activity. A case-control study of 1045 women was performed. Women who suffered a fracture were classified as cases whereas women without a fracture history were included as controls subdivided into normal, osteopenic, or osteoporotic according to their BMD measurements. Blood specimens were collected following good standard practice and testing was performed by spectrophotometry. Calcium and sALP levels were weakly correlated with FN BMD levels (calcium: r = -0.111, p = 0.002; sALP: r = 0.089, p = 0.013). Fracture cases had the lowest serum levels of calcium, sALP and albumin relative to all other control groups, which decreased with increasing age, possibly increasing fracture risk. Biochemical levels were lowest in women who sustained a hip fracture and more than one fracture. Biochemical parameters decreased with reduced physical activity; however, this was most evident for fracture cases. Reduced physical activity was associated with lower BMD levels at the hip, and to a lower extent at the spine. In conclusion, results suggest that levels of serum calcium and albumin could be indicative of fracture risk, whereas calcium levels and to lower extent sALP levels could be indicators of hip BMD.

Standard Test Method for Half-Cell Potentials of Uncoated Reinforcing Steel in Concrete

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2009-01-01

1.1 This test method covers the estimation of the electrical corrosion potential of uncoated reinforcing steel in field and laboratory concrete, for the purpose of determining the corrosion activity of the reinforcing steel. 1.2 This test method is limited by electrical circuitry. Concrete surface in building interiors and desert environments lose sufficient moisture so that the concrete resistivity becomes so high that special testing techniques not covered in this test method may be required (see 5.1.4.1). Concrete surfaces that are coated or treated with sealers may not provide an acceptable electrical circuit. The basic configuration of the electrical circuit is shown in Fig. 1. 1.3 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded as standard. The values given in parentheses are mathematical conversions to SI units that are provided for information only and are not considered standard. 1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It ...

Standard Test Method for Gravimetric Determination of Nonvolatile Residue from Cleanroom Gloves

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2011-01-01

1.1 This test method covers the determination of solvent extractable nonvolatile residue (NVR) from gloves used in cleanrooms where spacecraft are assembled, cleaned, or tested. 1.2 The NVR of interest is that which can be extracted from gloves using a specified solvent that has been selected for its extracting qualities, or because it is representative of solvents used in the particular facility. Alternative solvents may be used, but since their use may result in different values being generated, they must be identified in the procedure data sheet. 1.3 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard. 1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

Standard Test Method for Gravimetric Determination of Nonvolatile Residue From Cleanroom Wipers

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2006-01-01

1.1 This test method covers the determination of solvent extractable nonvolatile residue (NVR) from wipers used in assembly, cleaning, or testing of spacecraft, but not from those used for analytical surface sampling of hardware. 1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard. 1.3 The NVR of interest is that which can be extracted from cleanroom wipers using a specified solvent that has been selected for its extractive qualities. Alternative solvents may be selected, but since their use may result in different values being generated, they must be identified in the procedure data sheet. This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

Development of ASTM Standard for SiC-SiC Joint Testing Final Scientific/Technical Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jacobsen, George [General Atomics, San Diego, CA (United States); Back, Christina [General Atomics, San Diego, CA (United States)

2015-10-30

As the nuclear industry moves to advanced ceramic based materials for cladding and core structural materials for a variety of advanced reactors, new standards and test methods are required for material development and licensing purposes. For example, General Atomics (GA) is actively developing silicon carbide (SiC) based composite cladding (SiC-SiC) for its Energy Multiplier Module (EM2), a high efficiency gas cooled fast reactor. Through DOE funding via the advanced reactor concept program, GA developed a new test method for the nominal joint strength of an endplug sealed to advanced ceramic tubes, Fig. 1-1, at ambient and elevated temperatures called the endplug pushout (EPPO) test. This test utilizes widely available universal mechanical testers coupled with clam shell heaters, and specimen size is relatively small, making it a viable post irradiation test method. The culmination of this effort was a draft of an ASTM test standard that will be submitted for approval to the ASTM C28 ceramic committee. Once the standard has been vetted by the ceramics test community, an industry wide standard methodology to test joined tubular ceramic components will be available for the entire nuclear materials community.

Identification of biochemical features of defective Coffea arabica L. beans.

Science.gov (United States)

Casas, María I; Vaughan, Michael J; Bonello, Pierluigi; McSpadden Gardener, Brian; Grotewold, Erich; Alonso, Ana P

2017-05-01

Coffee organoleptic properties are based in part on the quality and chemical composition of coffee beans. The presence of defective beans during processing and roasting contribute to off flavors and reduce overall cup quality. A multipronged approach was undertaken to identify specific biochemical markers for defective beans. To this end, beans were split into defective and non-defective fractions and biochemically profiled in both green and roasted states. A set of 17 compounds in green beans, including organic acids, amino acids and reducing sugars; and 35 compounds in roasted beans, dominated by volatile compounds, organic acids, sugars and sugar alcohols, were sufficient to separate the defective and non-defective fractions. Unsorted coffee was examined for the presence of the biochemical markers to test their utility in detecting defective beans. Although the green coffee marker compounds were found in all fractions, three of the roasted coffee marker compounds (1-methylpyrrole, 5-methyl- 2-furfurylfuran, and 2-methylfuran) were uniquely present in defective fractions. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Dynamic changes in biochemical markers of renal function with ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Thyroid dysfunction is known to cause significant changes in glomerular filtration rate. The present cross-sectional study was performed to evaluate the changes in biochemical markers of renal function in hypothyroid subjects before and after treatment. Thyroid function tests (T3, T4 and TSH levels) were assayed in 385 ...

Impact of parathion exposure on some biochemical parameters in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Nagat Aly

2014-09-16

Sep 16, 2014 ... developing field aims to reveal environmental threats before obvious toxic effects such as ... followed by the Student–Newman–Keuls test to determine sig- nificance between ..... open-field activity in chicks. Toxicol Lett 2007 ... ical and serum biochemical changes in mice and protective effect · of vitamin C. J ...

International standardization of instruments for neutron irradiation tests

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanimoto, Masataka; Shibata, Akira; Nakamura, Jinichi; Tsuchiya, Kunihiko; Cho, M.; Lee, C.; Park, S.; Choo, K.

2012-01-01

The JMTR in JAEA and HANARO in KAERI are the foremost testing/research reactors in the world and these are expected to contribute to many nuclear fields. As a part of instrument development in irradiation field, information exchange of instruments started from 2010 under the cooperation agreements between KAERI and JAEA. The instruments developed in JMTR and HANARO are introduced and cooperation experiments as future plan are discussed for international standardization. (author)

Precision tests of quantum chromodynamics and the standard model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brodsky, S.J.; Lu, H.J.

1995-06-01

The authors discuss three topics relevant to testing the Standard Model to high precision: commensurate scale relations, which relate observables to each other in perturbation theory without renormalization scale or scheme ambiguity, the relationship of compositeness to anomalous moments, and new methods for measuring the anomalous magnetic and quadrupole moments of the W and Z

Standardized Testing and School Segregation: Like Tinder for Fire?

Science.gov (United States)

Knoester, Matthew; Au, Wayne

2017-01-01

Recent research suggests that high-stakes standardized testing has played a negative role in the segregation of children by race and class in schools. In this article we review research on the overall effects of segregation, the positive and negative aspects of how desegregation plans were carried out following the 1954 Supreme Court decision…

Seminar on standards, standardization, quality control and interlaboratory test programmes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

de Bievre, P. [Central Bureau for Nuclear Measurements, Geel (Belgium)

1978-12-15

The author gives a resume on the proper use of standards and standardization of measurement procedures. Results of measurements obtained on the same instrument and on the same series of standards of different isotopic compositions are displayed.

The status of ANSI N13.11 - The dosimeter performance test standard

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sims, C.S.

1991-01-01

The standard designated ANSI N13.11 was issued in 1983 and is the basis for the dosimeter performance test associated with the National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP). The standard is important because the Nuclear Regulatory Commission requires that all licensees use personnel dosimeters processed by NVLAP-accredited processors. The standard has undergone review and modifications have been recommended. Historical information concerning the development and utilization of the present standard, ANSI N13.11-1983, is presented. Details associated with the review of the standard (e.g., policy, group selection) are then given. Finally, the modifications recommended by the review group are discussed

Effects of blood lead level on biochemical and hematological parameters in children with neurological diseases of Western Maharashtra, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Pratinidhi, Shilpa A; Patil, Arun J; Behera, Manaskumar; Patil, Maya; Ghadage, Dnyaneshwari P; Pratinidhi, Asha K

2014-05-01

Lead is found in small but appreciable quantities in air, soil, drinking water, and food. Exposure to such amounts of lead does not lead to acute lead toxicity but produces subtle effects particularly in children. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of blood lead level on biochemical and hematological parameters in children with neurological diseases in Western Maharashtra, India, and to estimate the blood lead level by liver and kidney function tests and hematological parameters in children with neurological disorders admitted to the pediatric ward and compare them with healthy controls. In this study, 30 children with various neurological disorders admitted to the pediatric ward of Smt. Kashibai Navale Medical College and General Hospital, Pune, Maharashtra, India, were compared with 30 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Four milliliters of venous blood was collected for estimation of blood lead level, and biochemical and hematological parameters were determined using standard methods. Blood lead level was significantly increased in the study group (plead levels, there was a significant difference between the groups. All other biochemical and hematological parameters were not significantly altered in the study group as compared to the control group. Neurologically challenged children are more vulnerable to lead intoxication. It is imperative for the parents to take extra care of their children's food habits and limit hand-to-mouth activities to prevent lead intoxication.

Standards for Radiation Effects Testing: Ensuring Scientific Rigor in the Face of Budget Realities and Modern Device Challenges

Science.gov (United States)

Lauenstein, J M.

2015-01-01

An overview is presented of the space radiation environment and its effects on electrical, electronic, and electromechanical parts. Relevant test standards and guidelines are listed. Test standards and guidelines are necessary to ensure best practices, minimize and bound systematic and random errors, and to ensure comparable results from different testers and vendors. Test standards are by their nature static but exist in a dynamic environment of advancing technology and radiation effects research. New technologies, failure mechanisms, and advancement in our understanding of known failure mechanisms drive the revision or development of test standards. Changes to standards must be weighed against their impact on cost and existing part qualifications. There must be consensus on new best practices. The complexity of some new technologies exceeds the scope of existing test standards and may require development of a guideline specific to the technology. Examples are given to illuminate the value and limitations of key radiation test standards as well as the challenges in keeping these standards up to date.

Ameliorative effects of rutin against metabolic, biochemical and hormonal disturbances in polycystic ovary syndrome in rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Jahan, Sarwat; Munir, Faryal; Razak, Suhail; Mehboob, Anam; Ain, Qurat Ul; Ullah, Hizb; Afsar, Tayyaba; Shaheen, Ghazala; Almajwal, Ali

2016-12-07

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most prevalent endocrinopathy in women of reproductive age. The study was commenced to assess the favorable effects of Rutin against metabolic, biochemical, histological, and androgenic aspects of polycystic ovary syndrome in rats. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were administered letrozole (1 mg/kg) per orally (p.o) for a period of 21 days for the induction of PCOS, followed by dose of rutin (100 mg/kg and 150 mg/kg, p.o) for 15 days using 0.5% w/v CMC as vehicle. Metformin was also given as a standard control to one of the rat groups. Serum estradiol, progesterone, testosterone, serum lipid parameters, CRP and glucose levels were evaluated. Furthermore, antioxidant activity was tested using superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione per-oxidase and reactive-oxygen species level. Rutin flavonoid had a dose-dependent effect on androgenic levels depicting more recovery in the rutin-I treated group, while rutin-II treated groups showed better antioxidant and lipid profiles as compared with PCOS groups. A decrease in the value of C reactive protein (CRP) and a restoration in the proportion of estrous phase smears were observed in the rutin treated groups. Histopathological examination of ovary revealed a significant decrease in the number of cystic follicles in post treated groups. The effects observed with rutin were moderately similar to that with standard metformin, a widely used treatment drug for PCOS. The study provides evidence for the potential ameliorative effects of rutin against clinical and biochemical features of PCOS.

ENZYMOCHEMICAL AND BIOCHEMICAL CHANGES IN THE LIVER OF RATS INDUCED BY FURFURAL

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dragana Veličković

2011-06-01

Full Text Available In today's industrial expansion of the chemical products, the liver is becoming increasingly important. Furfural (C4C3OCHO is a colorless liquid with pleasant aroma and it is partially soluble in water (8, 3% of weight. The elimination of furfural is done slowly through the kidneys and lungs, while the liver oxidizes it into pyromucic acid (C4C3OCOOH. Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD is a multi-component system of gluconeogenesis. Biochemical parameters (AST, ALT, glucose, γ-GT and alkaline phosphatase are important markers of liver damage.The aim of our study was to analyze the function of hepatocytes using biochemical parameters and to show the dynamics and topography in the development of changes in enzyme activity.The experiment was conducted on Wistar rats aged 6 weeks. The animals were divided into three groups. The control group received pure drinking water, the second group received a 50 mg/kg body weight (BW dose of furfural for seven days and in the third group the dose was progressively increased after which the animals were sacrificed. Biochemical methods were used to determine the parameters of liver damage. Enzyme-histochemical tests were performed on 8nm WKF 1150 cryostat cross sections which were stained according to Pearse (1968. The results are presented tables and graphs.The amount of enzymes and biochemical parameters in the control group were normal. In the group treated for 7 days, the activity of the enzymes was diffusely decreased while the biochemical parameters were increased. In the group of rats treated for 90 days, the periportal G6PD was constantly preserved. Biochemical parameters were different. The differences in all parameters were statistically significant (p<0.05 both in the group treated for 7 days and the group treated for 90 days. The same goes for the control group and the group treated for 7 days.Acute treatment with furfural causes damage to liver functions. The synthetic liver function is

Overburden Stress Normalization and Rod Length Corrections for the Standard Penetration Test (SPT)

OpenAIRE

Deger, Tonguc Tolga

2014-01-01

The Standard Penetration Test (SPT) has been a staple of geotechnical engineering practice for more than 70 years. Empirical correlations based on in situ SPT data provide an important basis for assessment of a broad range of engineering parameters, and for empirically based analysis and design methods spanning a significant number of areas of geotechnical practice. Despite this longstanding record of usage, the test itself is relatively poorly standardized with regard to the allowable variab...

Practical issues for testing thin film PV modules at standard test conditions.

OpenAIRE

Marín González, Omar; Raga Arroyo, Manuela Pilar; Alonso Garcia, M. Carmen; Muñoz-García, Miguel Angel

2013-01-01

Thin film photovoltaic (TF) modules have gained importance in the photovoltaic (PV) market. New PV plants increasingly use TF technologies. In order to have a reliable sample of a PV module population, a huge number of modules must be measured. There is a big variety of materials used in TF technology. Some of these modules are made of amorphous or microcrystalline silicon. Other are made of CIS or CdTe. Not all these materials respond the same under standard test conditions (STC) of power...

Standard Test Method for Resin Flow of Carbon Fiber-Epoxy Prepreg

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

1999-01-01

1.1 This test method covers the determination of the amount of resin flow that will take place from prepreg tape or sheet under given conditions of temperature and pressure. 1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. The values in parentheses are for reference only. 1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

Standard Test Methods for Insulation Integrity and Ground Path Continuity of Photovoltaic Modules

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2000-01-01

1.1 These test methods cover procedures for (1) testing for current leakage between the electrical circuit of a photovoltaic module and its external components while a user-specified voltage is applied and (2) for testing for possible module insulation breakdown (dielectric voltage withstand test). 1.2 A procedure is described for measuring the insulation resistance between the electrical circuit of a photovoltaic module and its external components (insulation resistance test). 1.3 A procedure is provided for verifying that electrical continuity exists between the exposed external conductive surfaces of the module, such as the frame, structural members, or edge closures, and its grounding point (ground path continuity test). 1.4 This test method does not establish pass or fail levels. The determination of acceptable or unacceptable results is beyond the scope of this test method. 1.5 There is no similar or equivalent ISO standard. This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if a...

Problems in Standardization of Orthodontic Shear Bond Strength Tests; A Brief Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M.S. A. Akhoundi

2005-03-01

Full Text Available Bonding brackets to the enamel surface has gained much popularity today. New adhesive systems have been introduced and marketed and a considerable increase in research regarding bond strength has been published. A considerable amount of these studies deal with shear bond strength of adhesives designed for orthodontic purpose.Previous studies have used variety of test designs. This diversity in test design is due to the fact that there is no standard method for evaluating shear bond strength in orthodontics. Therefore comparison of data obtained from different study is almost impossible.This article tries to briefly discuss the developments occurred in the process of shear bond strength measurement of orthodontic adhesives with an emphasis on the type of test set up and load application.Although the test designs for measuring shear bond strength in orthodontics are still far from ideal, attempts must be made to standardize these tests especially in order to makecomparison of different data easier. It is recommended that test designs be set up in such a manner that better matches with the purpose of the study.

Standard test method for damage to contacting solid surfaces under fretting conditions

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2010-01-01

1.1 This test method covers the studying or ranking the susceptibility of candidate materials to fretting corrosion or fretting wear for the purposes of material selection for applications where fretting corrosion or fretting wear can limit serviceability. 1.2 This test method uses a tribological bench test apparatus with a mechanism or device that will produce the necessary relative motion between a contacting hemispherical rider and a flat counterface. The rider is pressed against the flat counterface with a loading mass. The test method is intended for use in room temperature air, but future editions could include fretting in the presence of lubricants or other environments. 1.3 The purpose of this test method is to rub two solid surfaces together under controlled fretting conditions and to quantify the damage to both surfaces in units of volume loss for the test method. 1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard. 1.5...

Corporate Testing: Standards, Profits, and the Demise of the Public Sphere

Science.gov (United States)

Leistyna, Pepi

2007-01-01

This article examines the standardized high-stakes testing in the wake of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) movement. It focuses on the political economy of the testing industry; that is, a look into the ownership, intent, and regulation of the private forces that produce, provide materials, prep sessions, and tutorials for and evaluate, report on,…

Standard Specification for Solar Simulation for Terrestrial Photovoltaic Testing

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2010-01-01

1.1 This specification provides means for classifying solar simulators intended for indoor testing of photovoltaic devices (solar cells or modules), according to their spectral match to a reference spectral irradiance, non-uniformity of spatial irradiance, and temporal instability of irradiance. 1.2 Testing of photovoltaic devices may require the use of solar simulators. Test Methods that require specific classification of simulators as defined in this specification include Test Methods E948, E1036, and E1362. 1.3 This standard is applicable to both pulsed and steady state simulators and includes recommended test requirements used for classifying such simulators. 1.4 A solar simulator usually consists of three major components: (1) light source(s) and associated power supply; (2) any optics and filters required to modify the output beam to meet the classification requirements in Section 4; and (3) the necessary controls to operate the simulator, adjust irradiance, etc. 1.5 A light source that does not mee...

Standard testing procedures for optical fiber and unshielded twisted pair at Sandia National Laboratories

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Adams, R.L.

1993-11-01

This document will establish a working standard for testing optical fiber and unshielded twisted pair cables included in the Lab-wide telecommunications cabling system. The purpose of these standard testing procedures is to deliver to all Sandians a reliable, low-maintenance, state-of-the-art, ubiquitous telecommunications cabling infrastructure capable of satisfying all current and future telecommunication needs.

Standard test method for radiochemical determination of uranium isotopes in urine by alpha spectrometry

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2011-01-01

1.1 This test method is applicable to the determination of uranium in urine at levels of detection dependent on sample size, count time, detector background, and tracer yield. It is designed as a screening tool for detection of possible exposure of occupational workers. 1.2 This test method is designed for 50 mL of urine. This test method does not address the sampling protocol or sample preservation methods associated with its use. 1.3 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard. 1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

Influence of Natural Honey on Biochemical and Hematological Variables in AIDS: A case study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Noori S. Al-Waili

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Honey lowers prostaglandins and elevates nitric oxide (NO in various biological fluids in normal persons. NO and prostaglandin play a role in pathogenesis of AIDS. The study was designed to assess the effect of natural honey on prostaglandins and NO levels, blood indices and biochemical tests in a 40 year-old woman with AIDS. This presentation is a case story of a 40 year-old women with a long history of AIDS treated with 80g of natural honey. Plasma and urinary prostaglandin F2 alpha and thromboxane B2 levels, plasma, urine and saliva content of NO-end product (total nitrite and hematological tests were estimated before and 3 hours after oral consumption of 80g of natural honey. These variables, in addition to biochemical tests, were re-estimated after 21 days of daily consumption of 80g of natural honey. Results showed that prostaglandins level compared with normal subjects were elevated in patient with AIDS. Natural honey decreased prostaglandins levels, and elevated NO-end product, percentage of lymphocytes, platelet count, and serum protein, albumin and copper levels. It might be concluded that natural honey decreased prostaglandins level, elevated NO production and improved hematological and biochemical tests in a patient with a long history of AIDS.

78 FR 70324 - Thy Hydrostatic Testing Provision of the Portable Fire Extinguishers Standard; Extension of the...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-11-25

... Hydrostatic Testing Provision of the Portable Fire Extinguishers Standard; Extension of the Office of...) approval of the information collection requirements contained in the Hydrostatic Testing provision of the... Hydrostatic Testing Provision of the Portable Fire Extinguishers Standard are necessary to reduce workers...

45 CFR 170.455 - Testing and certification to newer versions of certain standards.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY STANDARDS, IMPLEMENTATION SPECIFICATIONS, AND CERTIFICATION CRITERIA AND CERTIFICATION PROGRAMS FOR HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Temporary Certification Program for HIT § 170.455 Testing and certification to newer versions of certain standards. (a) ONC-ATCBs...

Standard Test Method for Measuring Heat Flux Using a Water-Cooled Calorimeter

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2005-01-01

1.1 This test method covers the measurement of a steady heat flux to a given water-cooled surface by means of a system energy balance. 1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard. 1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

Linear analysis near a steady-state of biochemical networks: control analysis, correlation metrics and circuit theory

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qian Hong

2008-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background: Several approaches, including metabolic control analysis (MCA, flux balance analysis (FBA, correlation metric construction (CMC, and biochemical circuit theory (BCT, have been developed for the quantitative analysis of complex biochemical networks. Here, we present a comprehensive theory of linear analysis for nonequilibrium steady-state (NESS biochemical reaction networks that unites these disparate approaches in a common mathematical framework and thermodynamic basis. Results: In this theory a number of relationships between key matrices are introduced: the matrix A obtained in the standard, linear-dynamic-stability analysis of the steady-state can be decomposed as A = SRT where R and S are directly related to the elasticity-coefficient matrix for the fluxes and chemical potentials in MCA, respectively; the control-coefficients for the fluxes and chemical potentials can be written in terms of RT BS and ST BS respectively where matrix B is the inverse of A; the matrix S is precisely the stoichiometric matrix in FBA; and the matrix eAt plays a central role in CMC. Conclusion: One key finding that emerges from this analysis is that the well-known summation theorems in MCA take different forms depending on whether metabolic steady-state is maintained by flux injection or concentration clamping. We demonstrate that if rate-limiting steps exist in a biochemical pathway, they are the steps with smallest biochemical conductances and largest flux control-coefficients. We hypothesize that biochemical networks for cellular signaling have a different strategy for minimizing energy waste and being efficient than do biochemical networks for biosynthesis. We also discuss the intimate relationship between MCA and biochemical systems analysis (BSA.

Evaluation of a draft standard on performance specifications for health physics instrumentation: results for environmental tests

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kenoyer, J.L.; Swinth, K.L.; Mashburn, K.R.; Selby, J.M.

1984-06-01

Draft ANSI Standard N42.17 on performance specifications for health physics instrumentation is currently being evaluated by the Pacific Northwest Laboratory. Evaluation is performed by testing a cross-section of currently available instruments with testing procedures based on specifications of the standard and then determining the degree of conformance to the various elements of the proposed standard. Data will be presented on the performance of a cross-section of beta-gamma survey instruments under various environmental tests. Test results that will be presented include temperature effects, humidity effects, radio frequency (r.f.) susceptibility, ambient pressure effects, vibration effects, and shock effects. Tests performed to date show that most instruments will meet the temperature, humidity, and ambient pressure tests. A large variability is noted among instruments from the same or different vendors. Preliminary r.f. susceptibility tests have shown large artificial responses at some frequencies for specific instruments. The presentation will also include a discussion of procedures used in the testing and weaknesses identified in the proposed standard

Achieving Innovation and Affordability Through Standardization of Materials Development and Testing

Science.gov (United States)

Bray, M. H.; Zook, L. M.; Raley, R. E.; Chapman, C.

2011-01-01

The successful expansion of development, innovation, and production within the aeronautics industry during the 20th century was facilitated by collaboration of government agencies with the commercial aviation companies. One of the initial products conceived from the collaboration was the ANC-5 Bulletin, first published in 1937. The ANC-5 Bulletin had intended to standardize the requirements of various government agencies in the design of aircraft structure. The national space policy shift in priority for NASA with an emphasis on transferring the travel to low earth orbit to commercial space providers highlights an opportunity and a need for the national and global space industries. The same collaboration and standardization that is documented and maintained by the industry within MIL-HDBK-5 (MMPDS-01) and MIL-HBDK-17 (nonmetallic mechanical properties) can also be exploited to standardize the thermal performance properties, processing methods, test methods, and analytical methods for use in aircraft and spacecraft design and associated propulsion systems. In addition to the definition of thermal performance description and standardization, the standardization for test methods and analysis for extreme environments (high temperature, cryogenics, deep space radiation, etc) would also be highly valuable to the industry. Its subsequent revisions and conversion to MIL-HDBK-5 and then MMPDS-01 established and then expanded to contain standardized mechanical property design values and other related design information for metallic materials used in aircraft, missiles, and space vehicles. It also includes guidance on standardization of composition, processing, and analytical methods for presentation and inclusion into the handbook. This standardization enabled an expansion of the technologies to provide efficiency and reliability to the consumers. It can be established that many individual programs within the government agencies have been overcome with development costs

Persistent negative illness perceptions despite long-term biochemical control of acromegaly: novel application of the drawing test.

Science.gov (United States)

Tiemensma, Jitske; Pereira, Alberto M; Romijn, Johannes A; Broadbent, Elizabeth; Biermasz, Nienke R; Kaptein, Adrian A

2015-05-01

Patients with acromegaly have persistent complaints despite long-term biochemical control. Drawings can be used to assess patients' perceptions about their disease. We aimed to explore the utility of the drawing test and its relation to illness perceptions and quality of life (QoL) in patients after long-term remission of acromegaly. A cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate the utility of the drawing test. A total of 50 patients after long-term remission (mean±s.e.m., 16±1.2 years) of acromegaly were included in this study. Patients completed the drawing test (two retrospective drawings of their body perception before acromegaly and during the active phase of acromegaly, and one drawing on the current condition after long-term remission), Illness Perception Questionnaire-Revised, Physical Symptom Checklist, EuroQoL-5D, and AcroQoL. Patients perceived a dramatic change in body size during the active state of the disease compared with the healthy state before the awareness of acromegaly. Patients reported that their body did not completely return to the original proportions after long-term remission. In addition, larger drawings indicated more negative consequences (Pdrawings also indicated more impaired QoL, especially disease-specific QoL (all Pdrawing test, illness perceptions, and QoL. The drawing test appears to be a novel and relatively easy tool to assess the perception of patients after long-term remission of acromegaly. The assessment of drawings may enable health care providers to appreciate the perceptions of patients with long-term remission of acromegaly, and enable discussion of symptoms and remission. © 2015 European Society of Endocrinology.

Integration of electrochemistry in micro-total analysis systems for biochemical assays: recent developments.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Xiaoli; Zhang, Song; Chen, Hui; Kong, Jilie

2009-11-15

Micro-total analysis systems (microTAS) integrate different analytical operations like sample preparation, separation and detection into a single microfabricated device. With the outstanding advantages of low cost, satisfactory analytical efficiency and flexibility in design, highly integrated and miniaturized devices from the concept of microTAS have gained widespread applications, especially in biochemical assays. Electrochemistry is shown to be quite compatible with microanalytical systems for biochemical assays, because of its attractive merits such as simplicity, rapidity, high sensitivity, reduced power consumption, and sample/reagent economy. This review presents recent developments in the integration of electrochemistry in microdevices for biochemical assays. Ingenious microelectrode design and fabrication methods, and versatility of electrochemical techniques are involved. Practical applications of such integrated microsystem in biochemical assays are focused on in situ analysis, point-of-care testing and portable devices. Electrochemical techniques are apparently suited to microsystems, since easy microfabrication of electrochemical elements and a high degree of integration with multi-analytical functions can be achieved at low cost. Such integrated microsystems will play an increasingly important role for analysis of small volume biochemical samples. Work is in progress toward new microdevice design and applications.

Standard Test Method for Water Absorption of Core Materials for Structural Sandwich Constructions

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2001-01-01

1.1 This test method covers the determination of the relative amount of water absorption by various types of structural core materials when immersed or in a high relative humidity environment. This test method is intended to apply to only structural core materials; honeycomb, foam, and balsa wood. 1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The inch-pound units given may be approximate. This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

A clinical and biochemical profile of biopsy-proven non-alcoholic fatty liver disease subjects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khurram, M.; Mushraf, M.

2007-01-01

To describe clinical and biochemical features of patients with biopsy-proven non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Fifty patients of either and of all ages were included, who had ultrasound evidence of fatty liver, deranged liver enzymes, and negative history of alcohol uptake. Serological/biochemical tests/markers of other liver diseases were negative. Each subject underwent liver biopsy reported by a single histopathologist. Clinical (symptoms, hypertension, hepatomegaly, and obesity) and biochemical evaluation (for diabetes, lipid abnormalities, and aspartate to alanine aminotransferase ratio (AST/ALT)) of each subject was done. Chi-square and t-tests were used for p-value calculation for finding significant difference between fatty liver and non-alcoholic steato-hepatitis groups. Thirty three (66%) patients were female and 34% were male. Mean age was 45.50+-11.50 years. Histopathologically, 62% subjects had fatty liver alone, while 38% had nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Fatigue (100%), hypertriglyceridemia (80%), hepatomegaly (72%), AST/ALT ratio <1 (72%), and obesity/overweight (54%) were common NAFLD-related features. Except for hypertriglycedemia (p-value 0.008), no statistically significant association was noted between these features and histopathological subtypes of NAFLD. NAFLD-related clinical and biochemical features included fatigue, obesity, hepatomegaly, AST/ALT ratio <1, and hypertriglycedemia. Significant relationship existed between hypertriglyceridemia and NASH. (author)

Standard-E hydrogen monitoring system shop acceptance test procedure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schneider, T.C.

1997-10-02

The purpose of this report is to document that the Standard-E Hydrogen Monitoring Systems (SHMS-E), fabricated by Mid-Columbia Engineering (MCE) for installation on the Waste Tank Farms in the Hanford 200 Areas, are constructed as intended by the design. The ATP performance will verify proper system fabrication.

Standard-E hydrogen monitoring system shop acceptance test report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schneider, T.C.

1997-01-01

The purpose of this report is to document that the Standard-E Hydrogen Monitoring Systems (SHMS-E), fabricated by Mid-Columbia Engineering (MCE) for installation on the Waste Tank Farms in the Hanford 200 Areas, are constructed as intended by the design. The ATP performance will verify proper system fabrication

Studies on blood and plasma biochemical characteristics of the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The rats were fed on commercial grower mash and water provided ad libitum. Two separate blood samples were collected from the jugular veins of eight rats at 4th, 8th and 12th month stages of the experiment. One group of the samples was used for haematological studies and the other for biochemical tests. Data collected

Standard test method for measurement of corrosion potentials of Aluminum alloys

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

1997-01-01

1.1 This test method covers a procedure for measurement of the corrosion potential (see Note 1) of an aluminum alloy in an aqueous solution of sodium chloride with enough hydrogen peroxide added to provide an ample supply of cathodic reactant. Note 1—The corrosion potential is sometimes referred to as the open-circuit solution or rest potential. 1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard. 1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

Standard practice for preparing, cleaning, and evaluating corrosion test specimens

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2003-01-01

1.1 This practice covers suggested procedures for preparing bare, solid metal specimens for tests, for removing corrosion products after the test has been completed, and for evaluating the corrosion damage that has occurred. Emphasis is placed on procedures related to the evaluation of corrosion by mass loss and pitting measurements. (Warning—In many cases the corrosion product on the reactive metals titanium and zirconium is a hard and tightly bonded oxide that defies removal by chemical or ordinary mechanical means. In many such cases, corrosion rates are established by mass gain rather than mass loss.) 1.2 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use. For specific precautionary statements, see 1 and 7.2.

A multicenter nationwide reference intervals study for common biochemical analytes in Turkey using Abbott analyzers.

Science.gov (United States)

Ozarda, Yesim; Ichihara, Kiyoshi; Aslan, Diler; Aybek, Hulya; Ari, Zeki; Taneli, Fatma; Coker, Canan; Akan, Pinar; Sisman, Ali Riza; Bahceci, Onur; Sezgin, Nurzen; Demir, Meltem; Yucel, Gultekin; Akbas, Halide; Ozdem, Sebahat; Polat, Gurbuz; Erbagci, Ayse Binnur; Orkmez, Mustafa; Mete, Nuriye; Evliyaoglu, Osman; Kiyici, Aysel; Vatansev, Husamettin; Ozturk, Bahadir; Yucel, Dogan; Kayaalp, Damla; Dogan, Kubra; Pinar, Asli; Gurbilek, Mehmet; Cetinkaya, Cigdem Damla; Akin, Okhan; Serdar, Muhittin; Kurt, Ismail; Erdinc, Selda; Kadicesme, Ozgur; Ilhan, Necip; Atali, Dilek Sadak; Bakan, Ebubekir; Polat, Harun; Noyan, Tevfik; Can, Murat; Bedir, Abdulkerim; Okuyucu, Ali; Deger, Orhan; Agac, Suret; Ademoglu, Evin; Kaya, Ayşem; Nogay, Turkan; Eren, Nezaket; Dirican, Melahat; Tuncer, GulOzlem; Aykus, Mehmet; Gunes, Yeliz; Ozmen, Sevda Unalli; Kawano, Reo; Tezcan, Sehavet; Demirpence, Ozlem; Degirmen, Elif

2014-12-01

A nationwide multicenter study was organized to establish reference intervals (RIs) in the Turkish population for 25 commonly tested biochemical analytes and to explore sources of variation in reference values, including regionality. Blood samples were collected nationwide in 28 laboratories from the seven regions (≥400 samples/region, 3066 in all). The sera were collectively analyzed in Uludag University in Bursa using Abbott reagents and analyzer. Reference materials were used for standardization of test results. After secondary exclusion using the latent abnormal values exclusion method, RIs were derived by a parametric method employing the modified Box-Cox formula and compared with the RIs by the non-parametric method. Three-level nested ANOVA was used to evaluate variations among sexes, ages and regions. Associations between test results and age, body mass index (BMI) and region were determined by multiple regression analysis (MRA). By ANOVA, differences of reference values among seven regions were significant in none of the 25 analytes. Significant sex-related and age-related differences were observed for 10 and seven analytes, respectively. MRA revealed BMI-related changes in results for uric acid, glucose, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol, alanine aminotransferase, and γ-glutamyltransferase. Their RIs were thus derived by applying stricter criteria excluding individuals with BMI >28 kg/m2. Ranges of RIs by non-parametric method were wider than those by parametric method especially for those analytes affected by BMI. With the lack of regional differences and the well-standardized status of test results, the RIs derived from this nationwide study can be used for the entire Turkish population.

[Procedure of seed quality testing and seed grading standard of Prunus humilis].

Science.gov (United States)

Wen, Hao; Ren, Guang-Xi; Gao, Ya; Luo, Jun; Liu, Chun-Sheng; Li, Wei-Dong

2014-11-01

So far there exists no corresponding quality test procedures and grading standards for the seed of Prunus humilis, which is one of the important source of base of semen pruni. Therefor we set up test procedures that are adapt to characteristics of the P. humilis seed through the study of the test of sampling, seed purity, thousand-grain weight, seed moisture, seed viability and germination percentage. 50 cases of seed specimens of P. humilis tested. The related data were analyzed by cluster analysis. Through this research, the seed quality test procedure was developed, and the seed quality grading standard was formulated. The seed quality of each grade should meet the following requirements: for first grade seeds, germination percentage ≥ 68%, thousand-grain weight 383 g, purity ≥ 93%, seed moisture ≤ 5%; for second grade seeds, germination percentage ≥ 26%, thousand-grain weight ≥ 266 g, purity ≥ 73%, seed moisture ≤9%; for third grade seeds, germination percentage ≥ 10%, purity ≥ 50%, thousand-grain weight ≥ 08 g, seed moisture ≤ 13%.

The dynamics of blood biochemical parameters in cosmonauts during long-term space flights

Science.gov (United States)

Markin, Andrei; Strogonova, Lubov; Balashov, Oleg; Polyakov, Valery; Tigner, Timoty

Most of the previously obtained data on cosmonauts' metabolic state concerned certain stages of the postflight period. In this connection, all conclusions, as to metabolism peculiarities during the space flight, were to a large extent probabilistic. The purpose of this work was study of metabolism characteristics in cosmonauts directly during long-term space flights. In the capillary blood samples taken from a finger, by "Reflotron IV" biochemical analyzer, "Boehringer Mannheim" GmbH, Germany, adapted to weightlessness environments, the activity of GOT, GPT, CK, gamma-GT, total and pancreatic amylase, as well as concentration of hemoglobin, glucose, total bilirubin, uric acid, urea, creatinine, total, HDL- and LDL cholesterol, triglycerides had been determined. HDL/LDL-cholesterol ratio also was computed. The crewmembers of 6 main missions to the "Mir" orbital station, a total of 17 cosmonauts, were examined. Biochemical tests were carryed out 30-60 days before lounch, and in the flights different stages between the 25-th and the 423-rd days of flights. In cosmonauts during space flight had been found tendency to increase, in compare with basal level, GOT, GPT, total amylase activity, glucose and total cholesterol concentration, and tendency to decrease of CK activity, hemoglobin, HDL-cholesterol concentration, and HDL/LDL — cholesterol ratio. Some definite trends in variations of other determined biochemical parameters had not been found. The same trends of mentioned biochemical parameters alterations observed in majority of tested cosmonauts, allows to suppose existence of connection between noted metabolic alterations with influence of space flight conditions upon cosmonaut's body. Variations of other studied blood biochemical parameters depends on, probably, pure individual causes.

Biochemical liver function test parameter levels in relation to treatment response in liver metastatic colorectal patients treated with FOLFOX4 with or without bevacizumab

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Denić Kristina

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. Combined use of bevacizumab and conventional anticancer drugs leads to a significant improvement of treatment response in patients with metastatic colorectal carcinoma (CRC. Conventional treatment protocols exert undesired effects on the liver tissue. Hepatotoxic effects are manifested as a disturbance of liver function test parameters. The relation between clinical outcome and disorder of biochemical parameters has not been completely evaluated. Objective. The objective of our study was to examine whether clinical outcome in patients with liver metastatic CRC correlates with the level of liver function test parameters. Methods. The study included 96 patients with untreated liver metastatic CRC who received FOLFOX4 protocol with or without bevacizumab. Biochemical liver parameters were performed before and after the treatment completion. Treatment response was evaluated as disease regression, stable disease, and disease progression. The patients were divided into three groups according to the accomplished treatment response. Results. In the group of patients with disease regression the post-treatment levels of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and bilirubin were statistically significantly increased. In contrast to this, gamma-glutamyltransferase and protein post-treatment values were significantly lower in relation to initial values. In patients with stable disease, difference was found only in the level of proteins being lower after the treatment. In patients with disease progression, values of aspartate aminotransferase and bilirubin were significantly increased after completed treatment. Conclusion. Treatment responses are not completely associated with the level of liver function test parameters. The only parameter which correlated with treatment response is gamma-glutamyltransferase. Its decrease is accompanied with disease regression.

Choose of standard materials in the method of β-testing new materials' mass thickness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Zhong

2007-01-01

To make sure of the standard mass thickness in beta radials testing mass thickness, this paper calculate using M. C. method and get the result of the relations between the beta radials' transmission rate of different energies and mass thickness in different materials. This result prove that in method of beta test mass thickness choosing materials whose elements are close as standard materials are viable. (authors)

Clinical and pathologic factors predictive of biochemical control following post-prostatectomy irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stromberg, Jannifer S.; Ziaja, Ellen L.; Horwitz, Eric M.; Vicini, Frank A.; Brabbins, Donald S.; Dmuchowski, Carl F.; Gonzalez, Jose; Martinez, Alvaro A.

1996-01-01

Purpose/Objective: Indications for post-prostatectomy radiation therapy are not well defined. We reviewed our experience treating post-prostatectomy patients with external beam irradiation to assess clinical and pathologic factors predictive of biochemical control. Materials and Methods: Between 1/87 and 3/93, 61 patients received post-operative tumor bed irradiation with a median dose of 59.4 Gy (50.4 - 68 Gy). Median follow-up was 4.1 years (7.6 months - 8.3 years) from irradiation. Patients were treated for the following reasons: 1) adjuvantly, within 6 months of surgery for extracapsular extension, seminal vesicle involvement, or positive surgical margins (n=38); 2) persistently elevated PSA post-operatively (n=2); 3) rising PSA >6 months after surgery (n=9); and 4) biopsy proven local recurrence (n=12). No patients had known nodal or metastatic disease. All patients had post-radiation PSA data available. Biochemical control was the endpoint studied using Kaplan-Meier life table analysis. Biochemical control was defined as the ability to maintain an undetectable PSA ( 4 and ≤1 0, >10 and ≤20, and > 20 ng/ml. The 3 year actuarial rates of biochemical control were 100% for group 1, 66.7% for group 2, 61.5% for group 3, and 28.6% for group 4. Pre-RT PSA values were also evaluated. Univariate Cox models indicated lower presurgical and pre-RT PSA values were predictive of biochemical control (p=0.017, p 6 months after surgery (group 3), the 3 year actuarial rate of biochemical control was 55.6%. The 3 year actuarial rate of biochemical control for patients treated for a biopsy proven recurrence (group 4) was 8.3%. By pair-wise log rank test, the rates of biochemical control were significantly different between groups 1 and 3 (p=0.036), groups 1 and 4 (p<0.001), and groups 3 and 4 (p=0.009). Conclusion: Biochemical control was achieved in approximately half of the patients treated with post-operative prostatic fossa irradiation. Elevated presurgical and pre

Standard Test Method for Measuring Heat-Transfer Rate Using a Thermal Capacitance (Slug) Calorimeter

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2008-01-01

1.1 This test method describes the measurement of heat transfer rate using a thermal capacitance-type calorimeter which assumes one-dimensional heat conduction into a cylindrical piece of material (slug) with known physical properties. 1.2 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use. 1.3 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard. Note 1—For information see Test Methods E 285, E 422, E 458, E 459, and E 511.

A studentized permutation test for three-arm trials in the 'gold standard' design.

Science.gov (United States)

Mütze, Tobias; Konietschke, Frank; Munk, Axel; Friede, Tim

2017-03-15

The 'gold standard' design for three-arm trials refers to trials with an active control and a placebo control in addition to the experimental treatment group. This trial design is recommended when being ethically justifiable and it allows the simultaneous comparison of experimental treatment, active control, and placebo. Parametric testing methods have been studied plentifully over the past years. However, these methods often tend to be liberal or conservative when distributional assumptions are not met particularly with small sample sizes. In this article, we introduce a studentized permutation test for testing non-inferiority and superiority of the experimental treatment compared with the active control in three-arm trials in the 'gold standard' design. The performance of the studentized permutation test for finite sample sizes is assessed in a Monte Carlo simulation study under various parameter constellations. Emphasis is put on whether the studentized permutation test meets the target significance level. For comparison purposes, commonly used Wald-type tests, which do not make any distributional assumptions, are included in the simulation study. The simulation study shows that the presented studentized permutation test for assessing non-inferiority in three-arm trials in the 'gold standard' design outperforms its competitors, for instance the test based on a quasi-Poisson model, for count data. The methods discussed in this paper are implemented in the R package ThreeArmedTrials which is available on the comprehensive R archive network (CRAN). Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

An improved standard total dose test for CMOS space electronics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fleetwood, D.M.; Winokur, P.S.; Riewe, L.C.; Pease, R.L.

1989-01-01

The postirradiation response of hardened and commercial CMOS devices is investigated as a function of total dose, dose rate, and annealing time and temperature. Cobalt-60 irradiation at ≅ 200 rad(SiO 2 )/s followed by a 1-week 100 degrees C biased anneal and testing is shown to be an effective screen of hardened devices for space use. However, a similar screen and single-point test performed after Co-60 irradiation and elevated temperature anneal cannot be generally defined for commercial devices. In the absence of detailed knowledge about device and circuit radiation response, a two-point standard test is proposed to ensure space surviability of CMOS circuits: a Co-60 irradiation and test to screen against oxide-trapped charge related failures, and an additional rebound test to screen against interface-trap related failures. Testing implications for bipolar technologies are also discussed

Juvenile food limitation in standard tests: a warning to ecotoxicologists.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zimmer, E.I.; Jager, T.; Ducrot, V.; Kooijman, S.A.L.M.

2012-01-01

Standard ecotoxicological tests are as simple as possible and food sources are mainly chosen for practical reasons. Since some organisms change their food preferences during the life-cycle, they might be food limited at some stage if we do not account for such a switch. As organisms tend to respond

Standard Test Method for Measuring Optical Angular Deviation of Transparent Parts

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

1996-01-01

1.1 This test method covers measuring the angular deviation of a light ray imposed by transparent parts such as aircraft windscreens and canopies. The results are uncontaminated by the effects of lateral displacement, and the procedure may be performed in a relatively short optical path length. This is not intended as a referee standard. It is one convenient method for measuring angular deviations through transparent windows. 1.2 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

Usage of Latent Class Analysis in Diagnostic Microbiology in the Absence of Gold Standard Test

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gul Bayram Abiha

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The evaluation of performance of various tests diagnostic tests in the absence of gold standard is an important problem. Latent class analysis (LCA is a statistical analysis method known for many years, especially in the absence of a gold standard for evaluation of diagnostic tests so that LCA has found its wide application area. During the last decade, LCA method has widely used in for determining sensivity and specifity of different microbiological tests. It has investigated in the diagnosis of mycobacterium tuberculosis, mycobacterium bovis, human papilloma virus, bordetella pertussis, influenza viruses, hepatitis E virus (HEV, hepatitis C virus (HCV and other various viral infections. Researchers have compared several diagnostic tests for the diagnosis of different pathogens with LCA. We aimed to evaluate performance of latent class analysis method used microbiological diagnosis in various diseases in several researches. When we took into account all of these tests' results, we suppose that LCA is a good statistical analysis method to assess different test performances in the absence of gold standard. [Archives Medical Review Journal 2016; 25(4.000: 467-488

A Multi-Year Plan for Research, Development, and Prototype Testing of Standard Modular Hydropower Technology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Smith, Brennan T. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Welch, Tim [U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Washington, DC (United States).Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE); Witt, Adam M. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Stewart, Kevin M. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Lee, Kyutae [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); DeNeale, Scott T. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Bevelhimer, Mark S. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Burress, Timothy A. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Pracheil, Brenda M. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Pries, Jason L. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); O' Connor, Patrick W. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Curd, Shelaine L. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Ekici, Kivanc [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States); Papanicolaou, Thanos [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States); Tsakiris, Achilleas [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States); Kutz, Benjamin [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States); Bishop, Norm [Knight Piesold, Denver, CO (United States); McKeown, Alisha [McKeown and Associates, Moberly, MO (United States); Rabon, Daniel [U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Washington, DC (United States).Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE); Zimmerman, Gregory P. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Uria Martinez, Rocio [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); McManamay, Ryan A. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

2017-02-01

The Multi-Year Plan for Research, Development, and Prototype Testing of Standard Modular Hydropower Technology (MYRP) presents a strategy for specifying, designing, testing, and demonstrating the efficacy of standard modular hydropower (SMH) as an environmentally compatible and cost-optimized renewable electricity generation technology. The MYRP provides the context, background, and vision for testing the SMH hypothesis: if standardization, modularity, and preservation of stream functionality become essential and fully realized features of hydropower technology, project design, and regulatory processes, they will enable previously unrealized levels of new project development with increased acceptance, reduced costs, increased predictability of outcomes, and increased value to stakeholders. To achieve success in this effort, the MYRP outlines a framework of stakeholder-validated criteria, models, design tools, testing facilities, and assessment protocols that will facilitate the development of next-generation hydropower technologies.

Hemagglutinin Typing as an Aid in Identification of Biochemically Atypical Escherichia coli Strains

OpenAIRE

Crichton, Pamela B.; Ip, S. M.; Old, D. C.

1981-01-01

Tests for the presence of mannose-sensitive and mannose-resistant, eluting hemagglutinins and fimbriae were helpful in indicating whether biochemically atypical strains of the tribe Escherichieae might be escherichiae or shigellae.

BARTTest: Community-Standard Atmospheric Radiative-Transfer and Retrieval Tests

Science.gov (United States)

Harrington, Joseph; Himes, Michael D.; Cubillos, Patricio E.; Blecic, Jasmina; Challener, Ryan C.

2018-01-01

Atmospheric radiative transfer (RT) codes are used both to predict planetary and brown-dwarf spectra and in retrieval algorithms to infer atmospheric chemistry, clouds, and thermal structure from observations. Observational plans, theoretical models, and scientific results depend on the correctness of these calculations. Yet, the calculations are complex and the codes implementing them are often written without modern software-verification techniques. The community needs a suite of test calculations with analytically, numerically, or at least community-verified results. We therefore present the Bayesian Atmospheric Radiative Transfer Test Suite, or BARTTest. BARTTest has four categories of tests: analytically verified RT tests of simple atmospheres (single line in single layer, line blends, saturation, isothermal, multiple line-list combination, etc.), community-verified RT tests of complex atmospheres, synthetic retrieval tests on simulated data with known answers, and community-verified real-data retrieval tests.BARTTest is open-source software intended for community use and further development. It is available at https://github.com/ExOSPORTS/BARTTest. We propose this test suite as a standard for verifying atmospheric RT and retrieval codes, analogous to the Held-Suarez test for general circulation models. This work was supported by NASA Planetary Atmospheres grant NX12AI69G, NASA Astrophysics Data Analysis Program grant NNX13AF38G, and NASA Exoplanets Research Program grant NNX17AB62G.

Developing a Standard Method of Test for Packaged, Solid-Desiccant Based Dehumidification Systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sand, J.R.

2001-01-01

A draft Method of Test (MOT) has been proposed for packaged, air-to-air, desiccant-based dehumidifier systems that incorporate a thermally-regenerated desiccant material for dehumidification. This MOT is intended to function as the ''system'' testing and rating compliment to the desiccant ''component'' (desiccant wheels and/or cassettes) MOT (ASHRAE 1998) and rating standard (ARI 1998) already adopted by industry. This draft standard applies to ''packaged systems'' that: Use desiccants for dehumidification of conditioned air for buildings; Use heated air for regeneration of the desiccant material; Include fans for moving process and regeneration air; May include other system components for filtering, pre-cooling, post-cooling, or heating conditioned air; and May include other components for humidification of conditioned air. The proposed draft applies to four different system operating modes depending on whether outdoor or indoor air is used for process air and regeneration air streams . Only the ''ventilation'' mode which uses outdoor air for both process and regeneration inlets is evaluated in this paper. Performance of the dehumidification system is presented in terms that would be most familiar and useful to designers of building HVAC systems to facilitate integration of desiccant equipment with more conventional hardware. Parametric performance results from a modified, commercial desiccant dehumidifier undergoing laboratory testing were used as data input to evaluate the draft standard. Performance results calculated from this experimental input, results from an error-checking/heat-balance verification test built into the standard, and estimated comparisons between desiccant and similarly performing conventional dehumidification equipment are calculated and presented. Some variations in test procedures are suggested to aid in analytical assessment of individual component performance

Standard test method for plutonium by Iron (II)/Chromium (VI) amperometric titration

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2002-01-01

1.1 This test method covers the determination of plutonium in unirradiated nuclear-grade plutonium dioxide, uranium-plutonium mixed oxides with uranium (U)/plutonium (Pu) ratios up to 21, plutonium metal, and plutonium nitrate solutions. Optimum quantities of plutonium to measure are 7 to 15 mg. 1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard. 1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

Toward a Qualitative Analysis of Standardized Tests Using an Information Processing Model.

Science.gov (United States)

Armour-Thomas, Eleanor

The use of standardized tests and test data to detect and address differences in cognitive styles is advocated here. To this end, the paper describes the componential theory of intelligence addressed by Sternberg et. al. This theory defines the components of intelligence by function and level of generality, including: (1) metacomponents: higher…

Standard Test Method for Electrical Performance of Photovoltaic Cells Using Reference Cells Under Simulated Sunlight

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2009-01-01

1.1 This test method covers the determination of the electrical performance of a photovoltaic cell under simulated sunlight by means of a calibrated reference cell procedure. 1.2 Electrical performance measurements are reported with respect to a select set of standard reporting conditions (SRC) (see Table 1) or to user-specified conditions. 1.2.1 The SRC or user-specified conditions include the cell temperature, the total irradiance, and the reference spectral irradiance distribution. 1.3 This test method is applicable only to photovoltaic cells with a linear response over the range of interest. 1.4 The cell parameters determined by this test method apply only at the time of test, and imply no past or future performance level. 1.5 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard. 1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this s...

Standard-B auto grab sampler hydrogen monitoring system, Acceptance Test Report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lott, D.T.

1995-01-01

Project W-369, Watch List Tank Hydrogen Monitors, installed a Standard-C Hydrogen Monitoring System (SHMS) on the Flammable gas waste tank AN-104. General Support Projects (8K510) was support by Test Engineering (7CH30) in the performance of the Acceptance Test Procedures (ATP) to qualify the SHMS cabinets on the waste tank. The ATP's performance was controlled by Tank Farm work package. This completed ATP is transmitted by EDT-601748 as an Acceptance Test Report (ATR) in accordance with WHC-6-1, EP 4.2 and EP 1.12

Experimental tests of the standard model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nodulman, L.

1998-01-01

The title implies an impossibly broad field, as the Standard Model includes the fermion matter states, as well as the forces and fields of SU(3) x SU(2) x U(1). For practical purposes, I will confine myself to electroweak unification, as discussed in the lectures of M. Herrero. Quarks and mixing were discussed in the lectures of R. Aleksan, and leptons and mixing were discussed in the lectures of K. Nakamura. I will essentially assume universality, that is flavor independence, rather than discussing tests of it. I will not pursue tests of QED beyond noting the consistency and precision of measurements of α EM in various processes including the Lamb shift, the anomalous magnetic moment (g-2) of the electron, and the quantum Hall effect. The fantastic precision and agreement of these predictions and measurements is something that convinces people that there may be something to this science enterprise. Also impressive is the success of the ''Universal Fermi Interaction'' description of beta decay processes, or in more modern parlance, weak charged current interactions. With one coupling constant G F , most precisely determined in muon decay, a huge number of nuclear instabilities are described. The slightly slow rate for neutron beta decay was one of the initial pieces of evidence for Cabbibo mixing, now generalized so that all charged current decays of any flavor are covered

Effect of toxoplasmosis and brucellosis on some biochemical parameters in ewes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. A. J. Al- Hussary

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of infection of ewes with toxoplasmosis and/or brucellosis on someserum biochemical parameters. Ninety six samples of blood were collected from aborted ewes at different stages of gestation,suspected to be infected with toxoplasmosis and /or brucellosis from different regions in Nineveh governorate. The percentageof toxoplasma and brucella infection depending on Latex Agglutination Test (LAT and Rose Bengal Test were 21.88% and23.96% respectively. The results of biochemical analysis showed that infection with toxoplasma caused significant elevation ofserum activities of aspartate aminotransferase (AST, alanine aminotransferase (ALT and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH. Aswell as the concentrations of glucose, total protein and copper. Where as the activity of alkaline phosphatase (ALP and theconcentration of calcium and zinc were reduced. Infection with brucellosis caused a significant increased in serum AST, ALTand LDH, ALP and creatin phosphokinase (CPK activities, and glucose, zinc and cholesterol concentrations. While serumcalcium and total protein concentration were decreased. Association of toxoplasma and brucella infection induced significantelevation of serum AST, ALT and LDH and CPK activities and the concentrations of glucose and copper with significant reduction in serum ALP activity and both calcium and zinc concentrations. It was concluded from this study that infection ofewes with toxoplasma and/or brucella caused changes in some biochemical parameters in the serum.

Adaption and Standardization of the Test of Visual-Motor Skills Revised

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mozhgan Farahbod

2004-06-01

Full Text Available Objective: This research has been carried out with the aim of adaptation, standardization and finding the validity and reliability of Visual-Motor Skills-revised Test for children. Materials & Methods: A multi-stage sampling from the children of the city of Tehran resulted in a sample of 1281 subjects, ages 2,11 through 13,11.the test consisted of 23 geometric designs and each of the designs was assessed through a definite criteria and was scored as errors(weakness and accuracies(strength.For adaptation and standardization of this test, at first step the examiner`s manual and the test items were translated into Farsi. The final form of the test was obtained after performing the pre-tryout and tryout stages, and doing the data analysis by classic model of reliability. Internal consistency coefficients of the subtests were obtained by Cronbach`s Alpha time consistency of the subtests and compound scores were obtained by test-retest. Alpha coefficients for the compound scores were obtained by Guilford formula, which is designed for estimating the compound scores. To obtain the content validity, criterion-related validity and construct validity of the subtests and compound scores, appropriate methods were used. Results: The results obtained ensure the applicability of this test for the evaluation of visual-motor skills of children of Tehran. Conclusion: According to the findings, this test can be used for the disorders in eye-hand coordination, the identification of children with disorders in visual – motor skills. It can also be used for the documentation of the development of fine – motor skills specially in visual – motor skills in 3-14 years – old children.

Opium and heroin alter biochemical parameters of human's serum.

Science.gov (United States)

Kouros, Divsalar; Tahereh, Haghpanah; Mohammadreza, Afarinesh; Minoo, Mahmoudi Zarandi

2010-05-01

Iran is a significant consumer of opium, and, generally, of opioids, in the world. Addiction is one of the important issues of the 21st century and is an imperative issue in Iran. Long-term consumption of opioids affects homeostasis. To determine the effects of opium and heroin consumption on serum biochemical parameters. In a cross-sectional study, subjects who had consumed heroin (n = 35) or opium (n = 42) for more than two years and 35 nonaddict volunteers as the control group were compared in regard to various biochemical parameters such as fasting blood sugar (FBS), Na(+), K(+), Ca(2+), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), uric acid (UA), triglyceride (TG), cholesterol, creatinine, and total protein. Chromatography was used to confirm opioid consumption, and the concentration of biochemical parameters was determined by laboratory diagnostic tests on serum. No significant differences were found in Na(+), Ca(2+), BUN, UA, TG, creatinine, and total protein concentrations among the three groups. FBS, K(+), and UA levels were significantly lower in opium addicts compared to the control group. Serum Ca(2+) concentration of heroin addicts showed a significant decrease compared to that of the control group. Both addict groups showed a significant decrease in serum cholesterol levels. Chronic use of opium and heroin can change serum FBS, K(+), Ca(2+), UA, and cholesterol. This study, one of few on the effects of opium on serum biochemical parameters in human subjects, has the potential to contribute to the investigation of new approaches for further basic studies.

Standard Practice for Quality Management Systems for Nondestructive Testing Agencies

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2009-01-01

1.1 This practice covers general requirements for the establishment and maintenance of a quality management system for agencies engaged in nondestructive testing (NDT). 1.2 This practice utilizes criteria contained in Practice E 543. 1.3 This practice utilizes criteria contained in American National Standard ANSI/ISO/ASQ Q9001–2000, Quality management systems—Requirements. 1.4 This practice recognizes the importance of establishing minimum safety criteria. 1.5 The use of SI or inch-pound units, or combinations thereof, will be the responsibility of the technical committee whose standards are referred to in this standard. 1.6 This practice does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this practice to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

RMBNToolbox: random models for biochemical networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Niemi Jari

2007-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background There is an increasing interest to model biochemical and cell biological networks, as well as to the computational analysis of these models. The development of analysis methodologies and related software is rapid in the field. However, the number of available models is still relatively small and the model sizes remain limited. The lack of kinetic information is usually the limiting factor for the construction of detailed simulation models. Results We present a computational toolbox for generating random biochemical network models which mimic real biochemical networks. The toolbox is called Random Models for Biochemical Networks. The toolbox works in the Matlab environment, and it makes it possible to generate various network structures, stoichiometries, kinetic laws for reactions, and parameters therein. The generation can be based on statistical rules and distributions, and more detailed information of real biochemical networks can be used in situations where it is known. The toolbox can be easily extended. The resulting network models can be exported in the format of Systems Biology Markup Language. Conclusion While more information is accumulating on biochemical networks, random networks can be used as an intermediate step towards their better understanding. Random networks make it possible to study the effects of various network characteristics to the overall behavior of the network. Moreover, the construction of artificial network models provides the ground truth data needed in the validation of various computational methods in the fields of parameter estimation and data analysis.

Standard test method for determining nodularity and nodule count in ductile iron using image analysis

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2011-01-01

1.1 This test method is used to determine the percent nodularity and the nodule count per unit area (that is, number of nodules per mm2) using a light microscopical image of graphite in nodular cast iron. Images generated by other devices, such as a scanning electron microscope, are not specifically addressed, but can be utilized if the system is calibrated in both x and y directions. 1.2 Measurement of secondary or temper carbon in other types of cast iron, for example, malleable cast iron or in graphitic tool steels, is not specifically included in this standard because of the different graphite shapes and sizes inherent to such grades 1.3 This standard deals only with the recommended test method and nothing in it should be construed as defining or establishing limits of acceptability or fitness for purpose of the material tested. 1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard. 1.5 This standard does not purport to address al...

Diagnostic tests for Helicobacter pylori : A prospective evaluation of their accuracy, without selecting a single test as the gold standard

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Thijs, J C; van Zwet, A A; Thijs, W J; Oey, H B; Karrenbeld, A; Stellaard, F; Luijt, D S; Meyer, B C; Kleibeuker, J H

1996-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To assess the accuracy of six commonly used diagnostic tests for Helicobacter pylori in a prospective study without using any specific test as the gold standard (the patient was regarded as H. pylori-infected if two or more tests, whatever their nature, were positive). METHODS: In 105

Standard-Chinese Lexical Neighborhood Test in normal-hearing young children.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Chang; Liu, Sha; Zhang, Ning; Yang, Yilin; Kong, Ying; Zhang, Luo

2011-06-01

The purposes of the present study were to establish the Standard-Chinese version of Lexical Neighborhood Test (LNT) and to examine the lexical and age effects on spoken-word recognition in normal-hearing children. Six lists of monosyllabic and six lists of disyllabic words (20 words/list) were selected from the database of daily speech materials for normal-hearing (NH) children of ages 3-5 years. The lists were further divided into "easy" and "hard" halves according to the word frequency and neighborhood density in the database based on the theory of Neighborhood Activation Model (NAM). Ninety-six NH children (age ranged between 4.0 and 7.0 years) were divided into three different age groups of 1-year intervals. Speech-perception tests were conducted using the Standard-Chinese monosyllabic and disyllabic LNT. The inter-list performance was found to be equivalent and inter-rater reliability was high with 92.5-95% consistency. Results of word-recognition scores showed that the lexical effects were all significant. Children scored higher with disyllabic words than with monosyllabic words. "Easy" words scored higher than "hard" words. The word-recognition performance also increased with age in each lexical category. A multiple linear regression analysis showed that neighborhood density, age, and word frequency appeared to have increasingly more contributions to Chinese word recognition. The results of the present study indicated that performances of Chinese word recognition were influenced by word frequency, age, and neighborhood density, with word frequency playing a major role. These results were consistent with those in other languages, supporting the application of NAM in the Chinese language. The development of Standard-Chinese version of LNT and the establishment of a database of children of 4-6 years old can provide a reliable means for spoken-word recognition test in children with hearing impairment. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hemagglutinin Typing as an Aid in Identification of Biochemically Atypical Escherichia coli Strains

Science.gov (United States)

Crichton, Pamela B.; Ip, S. M.; Old, D. C.

1981-01-01

Tests for the presence of mannose-sensitive and mannose-resistant, eluting hemagglutinins and fimbriae were helpful in indicating whether biochemically atypical strains of the tribe Escherichieae might be escherichiae or shigellae. PMID:7334072

Vehicle to Grid Communication Standards Development, Testing and Validation - Status Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gowri, Krishnan; Pratt, Richard M.; Tuffner, Francis K.; Kintner-Meyer, Michael CW

2011-09-01

In the US, more than 10,000 electric vehicles (EV) have been delivered to consumers during the first three quarters of 2011. A large majority of these vehicles are battery electric, often requiring 220 volt charging. Though the vehicle manufacturers and charging station manufacturers have provided consumers options for charging preferences, there are no existing communications between consumers and the utilities to manage the charging demand. There is also wide variation between manufacturers in their approach to support vehicle charging. There are in-vehicle networks, charging station networks, utility networks each using either cellular, Wi-Fi, ZigBee or other proprietary communication technology with no standards currently available for interoperability. The current situation of ad-hoc solutions is a major barrier to the wide adoption of electric vehicles. SAE, the International Standards Organization/International Electrotechnical Commission (ISO/IEC), ANSI, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and several industrial organizations are working towards the development of interoperability standards. PNNL has participated in the development and testing of these standards in an effort to accelerate the adoption and development of communication modules.

Asymmetric dark matter annihilation as a test of non-standard cosmologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gelmini, Graciela B.; Huh, Ji-Haeng; Rehagen, Thomas

2013-01-01

We show that the relic abundance of the minority component of asymmetric dark matter can be very sensitive to the expansion rate of the Universe and the temperature of transition between a non-standard pre-Big Bang Nucleosynthesis cosmological phase and the standard radiation dominated phase, if chemical decoupling happens before this transition. In particular, because the annihilation cross section of asymmetric dark matter is typically larger than that of symmetric dark matter in the standard cosmology, the decrease in relic density of the minority component in non-standard cosmologies with respect to the majority component may be compensated by the increase in annihilation cross section, so that the annihilation rate at present of asymmetric dark matter, contrary to general belief, could be larger than that of symmetric dark matter in the standard cosmology. Thus, if the annihilation cross section of the asymmetric dark matter candidate is known, the annihilation rate at present, if detectable, could be used to test the Universe before Big Bang Nucleosynthesis, an epoch from which we do not yet have any data

Standard practice for preparation and use of direct tension stress-corrosion test specimens

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

1985-01-01

1.1 This practice covers procedures for designing, preparing, and using ASTM standard tension test specimens for investigating susceptibility to stress-corrosion cracking. Axially loaded specimens may be stressed quantitatively with equipment for application of either a constant load, constant strain, or with a continuously increasing strain. 1.2 Tension test specimens are adaptable for testing a wide variety of product forms as well as parts joined by welding, riveting, or various other methods. 1.3 The exposure of specimens in a corrosive environment is treated only briefly because other standards are being prepared to deal with this aspect. Meanwhile, the investigator is referred to Practices G35, G36, G37, and G44, and to ASTM Special Technical Publication 425 (1).

Standard Test Methods for Properties of Continuous Filament Carbon and Graphite Fiber Tows

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

1999-01-01

1.1 These test methods cover the preparation and tensile testing of resin-impregnated and consolidated test specimens made from continuous filament carbon and graphite yarns, rovings, and tows to determine their tensile properties. 1.2 These test methods also cover the determination of the density and mass per unit length of the yarn, roving, or tow to provide supplementary data for tensile property calculation. 1.3 These test methods include a procedure for sizing removal to provide the preferred desized fiber samples for density measurement. This procedure may also be used to determine the weight percent sizing. 1.4 These test methods include a procedure for determining the weight percent moisture adsorption of carbon or graphite fiber. 1.5 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The values in parentheses are for information only. 1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of t...

Biochemical characterization of cholesterol-reducing Eubacterium.

Science.gov (United States)

Mott, G E; Brinkley, A W; Mersinger, C L

1980-12-01

We characterized two isolates of cholesterol-reducing Eubacterium by conducting conventional biochemical tests and by testing various sterols and glycerolipids as potential growth factors. In media containing cholesterol and plasmenylethanolamine, the tests for nitrate reduction, indole production, and gelatin and starch hydrolyses were negative, and no acid was produced from any of 22 carbohydrates. Both isolates hydrolyzed esculin to esculetin, indicating beta-glycosidase activity. In addition to plasmenylethanolamine, five other lipids which contain an alkenyl ether residue supported growth of Eubacterium strain 403 in a lecithin-cholesterol base medium. Of six steroids tested, cholesterol, cholest-4-en-3-one, cholest-4-en-3 beta-ol (allocholesterol), and androst-5-en-3 beta-ol-17-one supported growth of Eubacterium strain 403. All four steroids were reduced to the 3 beta-ol, 5 beta-H products. The delta 5 steroids cholest-5-en-3 alpha-ol (epicholesterol) and 22,23-bisnor-5-cholenic acid-3-beta-ol were not reduced and did not support growth of the Eubacterium strain.

Studies on some biochemical parameters in viral hepatitis patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El-Sherbiny, E.M.

2002-01-01

The present investigation deals with studying liver amino transferases (ALT. AST). Cholesterol and triglycerides. As well as testosterone and protection hormones in blood of Egyptian men infected with hepatitis C virus.hepatitis B virus and mixed B and C viruses. These biochemical parameters were evaluated to be used in diagnosis and prognosis of viral hepatitis. Which considered the most important health problem in Egypt and developing countries. Biochemical analysis were performed using spectrophotometric and radioimmunoassay techniques. All data will be subjected to statistical analysis in order to detect the most suitable biochemical analysis that can be used as specific tests for early diagnosis of viral hepatitis and to detect the parameters that show abnormalities among the different groups of infected patients. The data revealed that AST and ALT levels were increased in all patient groups. Concerning the level of triglycerides, it was increased only in the group of mixed viral hepatitis B and C, while cholesterol showed non-significant changes in all viral hepatitis groups. The sex hormone testosterone was decreased in all infected patients while the prolactin level was increased only in case of patients infected with mixed B and C viruses. However, these abnormal values in such sex hormones play a serious role in male sterility

Ultrasonic testing standard of fusion joint for polythylene(PE) pipeline

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Euy Jong; Hur, Sam Suk; Chae, Gug Byeong

2006-01-01

The polyethylene(PE) pipes are widely used to transport city gas worldwide with steel pipes. Generally, Steel pipe are used for high pressure line and PE pipe for low pressure line whose pressure is less than 4 kg/m 2 . The steel pipe line are subject to 100 percent Radiographic Testing(RT) during installation stage, on the contrary, there has been no the established testing method for the welding fusion joint of polyethylene pipes, so all quality control is limited only Visual Testing(VT) or management of Fusion welding equipment. Even though PE pipeline is exposed to lower pressure than steel pipeline, the gas leakage from PE pipe may result in almost the same serious consequence from steel pipeline. So, it is necessary to develop the reliable testing standard for PE pipeline from the point of view of NDT engineers.

A Study on the Improvement of Safety Testing Standards and Methods for Mammography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Seon Hyeong; Jung, Ah Young; Yong, Hwan Seok; Kim, Do Wan; Jang, Gi Won; Cha, Sang Hoon; Jo, Sang Won; Park, Ji Koon

2012-01-01

To establish the improved national safety testing standards and methods for mammography. We investigated and compared the current status of mammographic equipment installation with the national and international safety and quality control programs and methods. We established and verified the draft for safety testing standards and methods. We propose that the investigations of the conductor system, hardware leakage radiation profile, illumination intensity test, comparison between X-ray and light photon exposure, X-ray dose exposure on the chest wall, compression equipment size, timing equipment, and the average effective radiation dose, should all be maintained as they are in the present state without any changes. However, the exposure radiation dose reproducibility, kVp and mAs, and the half value layer tests should be reconsidered and revised. Moreover, compression pressure and autonomic exposure control system (AEC) tests should be included as new criteria. Other parameter controls included in the phantom image analysis which overlap with total quality assurance should be excluded. We recommend that AEC and compression pressure tests should be included as new criteria and the methods for the exposure radiation dose reproducibility, kVp, and mAs, and half value layer tests should be reconsidered and revised.

Testing of camera performance standards at steady and local overloading

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Keszthelyine Landori, S.; Adorjanne Farkas, M.; Csirik, J.

1983-01-01

Camera performance standards are usually given for low count rates and uniform irradiation. A conventional analog gamma camera system (Gamma MB 9100 manufactured under the know-how of Picker DC 4/12 in Hungary) was studied on the basis of the Picker test procedure and the NEMA standard system. Uniformity, linearity, spatial and energy resolution were measured at high count rates and uniform irradiation (steady overloading). Linearity was studied at local overloading. Linearity, spatial and energy resolution were measured by a 1024-channel analyzer-computer system of KFKI, Hungary. The data were evaluated on the basis of NEMA standards, while uniformity was measured by the Gamma data processing system and evaluated by special SEGAMS programs. Performance variations were studied between 7500 cps and 75.000 cps pulse rates. Spatial and energy resolution were influenced strongly, uniformity slightly by pulse rates, while linearity did not change at all. Linearity was not influenced even by local overloading. (author)

Standard test method for measurement of roll wave optical distortion in heat-treated flat glass

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2008-01-01

1.1 This test method is applicable to the determination of the peak-to-valley depth and peak-to-peak distances of the out-of-plane deformation referred to as roll wave which occurs in flat, heat-treated architectural glass substrates processed in a heat processing continuous or oscillating conveyance oven. 1.2 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded as standard. The values given in parentheses are mathematical conversions to SI units that are provided for information only and are not considered standard. 1.3 This test method does not address other flatness issues like edge kink, ream, pocket distortion, bow, or other distortions outside of roll wave as defined in this test method. 1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

Standardization, Validity and Reliability Study of Gülhane Aphasia Test-2 (GAT-2

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

İlknur Maviş

2007-04-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: Gülhane Aphasia Test-2 (GAT-2 has been developed to show the presence of a language disorder ‘aphasia’ and to give the clinician implications for the accompanying speech disorders such as apraxia and dysarthria. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to report standardization, validity and reliability study of GAT-2. METHODS: : 10 healthy individuals were tested initially for the pilot study. 134 healthy individual was included to the standardization study and 30 individuals with aphasia and 11 individuals with right brain injury was included to the validation study. The inter group GAT-2 score differentiations and the effects of age, years of education, sex variances were observed. GAT-2 cut-off scores were calculated by the scores of healthy individuals. GAT-2 test-retest reliability and inter-observer reliability was calculated. RESULTS: Healthy individuals’ GAT-2 scores were significantly different from the GAT-2 scores of aphasic patients, but not from right brain injured patients’. Healthy individuals’ GAT-2 scores were not affected from the sex, age variances but from years of education, so cut-off scores were calculated by this variance. GAT-2 scores of aphasic patients were not affected from age, sex and years of education. Test-retest and inter-observer reliability and internal consistency results showed that GAT-2 is a highly reliable aphasia screening test. CONCLUSION: GAT-2 was found to be a standardized, highly reliable and a valid aphasia test for Turkish stroke patients with aphasia

Toward the establishment of standardized in vitro tests for lipid-based formulations, part 4

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Williams, Hywel D; Sassene, Philip; Kleberg, Karen

2014-01-01

The Lipid Formulation Classification System Consortium looks to develop standardized in vitro tests and to generate much-needed performance criteria for lipid-based formulations (LBFs). This article highlights the value of performing a second, more stressful digestion test to identify LBFs near...... a performance threshold and to facilitate lead formulation selection in instances where several LBF prototypes perform adequately under standard digestion conditions (but where further discrimination is necessary). Stressed digestion tests can be designed based on an understanding of the factors that affect LBF...... development, and facilitate dialogue with the regulatory authorities. This classification system is based on the concept that performance evaluations across three in vitro tests, designed to subject a LBF to progressively more challenging conditions, will enable effective LBF discrimination and performance...

The effect of instructional methodology on high school students natural sciences standardized tests scores

Science.gov (United States)

Powell, P. E.

Educators have recently come to consider inquiry based instruction as a more effective method of instruction than didactic instruction. Experience based learning theory suggests that student performance is linked to teaching method. However, research is limited on inquiry teaching and its effectiveness on preparing students to perform well on standardized tests. The purpose of the study to investigate whether one of these two teaching methodologies was more effective in increasing student performance on standardized science tests. The quasi experimental quantitative study was comprised of two stages. Stage 1 used a survey to identify teaching methods of a convenience sample of 57 teacher participants and determined level of inquiry used in instruction to place participants into instructional groups (the independent variable). Stage 2 used analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) to compare posttest scores on a standardized exam by teaching method. Additional analyses were conducted to examine the differences in science achievement by ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status by teaching methodology. Results demonstrated a statistically significant gain in test scores when taught using inquiry based instruction. Subpopulation analyses indicated all groups showed improved mean standardized test scores except African American students. The findings benefit teachers and students by presenting data supporting a method of content delivery that increases teacher efficacy and produces students with a greater cognition of science content that meets the school's mission and goals.

INVESTIGATIONS ON BIOCHEMICAL PURIFICATION OF GROUND WATER FROM HYDROGEN SULFIDE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu. P. Sedlukho

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The paper considers problems and features of biochemical removal of hydrogen sulfide from ground water. The analysis of existing methods for purification of ground water from hydrogen sulfide has been given in the paper. The paper has established shortcomings of physical and chemical purification of ground water. While using aeration methods for removal of hydrogen sulfide formation of colloidal sulfur that gives muddiness and opalescence to water occurs due to partial chemical air oxidation. In addition to this violation of sulfide-carbonate equilibrium taking place in the process of aeration due to desorption of H2S and CO2, often leads to clogging of degasifier nozzles with formed CaCO3 that causes serious operational problems. Chemical methods require relatively large flow of complex reagent facilities, storage facilities and transportation costs.In terms of hydrogen sulfide ground water purification the greatest interest is given to the biochemical method. Factors deterring widespread application of the biochemical method is its insufficient previous investigation and necessity to execute special research in order to determine optimal process parameters while purifying groundwater of a particular water supply source. Biochemical methods for oxidation of sulfur compounds are based on natural biological processes that ensure natural sulfur cycle. S. Vinogradsky has established a two-stage mechanism for oxidation of hydrogen sulfide with sulfur bacteria (Beggiatoa. The first stage presupposes oxidation of hydrogen sulphide to elemental sulfur which is accumulating in the cytoplasm in the form of globules. During the second stage sulfur bacteria begin to oxidize intracellular sulfur to sulfuric acid due to shortage of hydrogen sulfide.The paper provides the results of technological tests of large-scale pilot plants for biochemical purification of groundwater from hydrogen sulfide in semi-industrial conditions. Dependences of water quality

Mechanical characteristics of historic mortars from tests on small-sample non-standard on small-sample non-standard specimens

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Drdácký, Miloš; Slížková, Zuzana

2008-01-01

Roč. 17, č. 1 (2008), s. 20-29 ISSN 1407-7353 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA103/06/1609 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z20710524 Keywords : small-sample non-standard testing * lime * historic mortar Subject RIV: AL - Art, Architecture, Cultural Heritage

Standard-Model Tests with Superallowed β-Decay: An Important Application of Very Precise Mass Measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hardy, J. C.; Towner, I. S.

2001-01-01

Superallowed β-decay provides a sensitive means for probing the limitations of the Electroweak Standard Model. To date, the strengths (ft-values) of superallowed 0 +→ 0 + β-decay transitions have been determined with high precision from nine different short-lived nuclei, ranging from 10 C to 54 Co. Each result leads to an independent measure for the vector coupling constant G V and collectively the nine values can be used to test the conservation of the weak vector current (CVC). Within current uncertainties, the results support CVC to better than a few parts in 10,000 - a clear success for the Standard Model! However, when the average value of G V , as determined in this way, is combined with data from decays of the muon and kaon to test another prediction of the Standard Model, the result is much more provocative. A test of the unitarity of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix fails by more than two standard deviations. This result can be made more definitive by experiments that require extremely precise mass measurements, in some cases on very short-lived (≤100 ms) nuclei. This talk presents the current status and future prospects for these Standard-Model tests, emphasizing the role of precise mass, or mass-difference measurements. There remains a real challenge to mass-measurement technique with the opportunity for significant new results

Consensus based reporting standards for diagnostic test accuracy studies for paratuberculosis in ruminants.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gardner, I.A.; Nielsen, S.S.; Whittington, R.J.; Collins, M.T.; Bakker, D.; Harris, B.; Sreevatsan, S.; Lombard, J.E.; Sweeney, R.; Smith, D.R.; Gavalchin, J.; Eda, S.

2011-01-01

The Standards for Reporting of Diagnostic Accuracy (STARD) statement (www.stard-statement.org) was developed to encourage complete and transparent reporting of key elements of test accuracy studies in human medicine. The statement was motivated by widespread evidence of bias in test accuracy studies

Standard Practice for Recording Data from Atmospheric Corrosion Tests of Metallic-Coated Steel Specimens

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2010-01-01

1.1 This practice covers a procedure for recording data of atmospheric corrosion tests of metallic-coated steel specimens. Its objective is the assurance of (1) complete identification of materials before testing, (2) objective reporting of material appearance during visual inspections, and (3) adequate photographic, micrographic, and chemical laboratory examinations at specific stages of deterioration, and at the end of the tests. 1.2 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

Standardized procedure for eddy-current testing of stainless steel, thin-walled nuclear fuel element cladding tubes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barat, P; Raj, B; Bhattacharya, D K [Reactor Research Centre, Kalpakkam (India)

1982-10-01

Thin-walled nuclear fuel cladding tubes made of AISI 316 stainless steel have been examined by eddy-current testing. Standardization of the procedures has required investigations on optimizing the test frequency, finding a method to locate a defect with respect to the probe reference end, and the use of standard defects and sequential metallography of natural defects detected by eddy-current testing, to understand the influence of the nature of defects on the impedance output signals. Test frequency and method of locating the defect were optimized by the use of standard defects made by machining in reference cladding tubes. Subsequent metallography of natural defects detected by eddy-current testing revealed mainly clusters of inclusions but also other types of defects. The effect of the distribution of inclusions along the length of the tube on the impedance output is discussed.

[Study on seed quality test and quality standard of Lonicera macranthoides].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Ying; Xu, Jin; Li, Long-Yun; Cui, Guang-Lin; She, Yue-Hui

2016-04-01

Referring to the rules for agricultural seed testing (GB/T 3543-1995) issued by China, the test of sampling, purity, thousand seed weight, moisture, viability, relative conductivity and germination rate had been studied for seed quality test methods of Lonicera macranthoides. The seed quality from 38 different collection areas was measured to establish quality classification standard by K-means clustering. The results showed that at least 7.5 g seeds should be sampled, and passed 20-mesh sieve for purity analysis.The 500-seed method used to measure thousand seed weight. The moisture was determined by crushed seeds dried in high temperature (130±2) ℃ for 3 h.The viability determined by 25 ℃ 0.1% TTC stained 5h in dark. 1.0 g seeds soaked in 50 ml ultra pure water in 25 ℃ for 12 hours to determine the relative conductivity. The seed by 4 ℃stratification for 80 days were cultured on paper at 15 ℃. Quality of the seeds from different areas was divided into three grades. The primary seed quality classification standard was established.The I grade and II grade were recommend use in production. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

On the Adaptive Design Rules of Biochemical Networks in Evolution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bor-Sen Chen

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Biochemical networks are the backbones of physiological systems of organisms. Therefore, a biochemical network should be sufficiently robust (not sensitive to tolerate genetic mutations and environmental changes in the evolutionary process. In this study, based on the robustness and sensitivity criteria of biochemical networks, the adaptive design rules are developed for natural selection in the evolutionary process. This will provide insights into the robust adaptive mechanism of biochemical networks in the evolutionary process. We find that if a mutated biochemical network satisfies the robustness and sensitivity criteria of natural selection, there is a high probability for the biochemical network to prevail during natural selection in the evolutionary process. Since there are various mutated biochemical networks that can satisfy these criteria but have some differences in phenotype, the biochemical networks increase their diversities in the evolutionary process. The robustness of a biochemical network enables co-option so that new phenotypes can be generated in evolution. The proposed robust adaptive design rules of natural selection gain much insight into the evolutionary mechanism and provide a systematic robust biochemical circuit design method of biochemical networks for biotechnological and therapeutic purposes in the future.

Improving Marine Ecosystem Models with Biochemical Tracers

Science.gov (United States)

Pethybridge, Heidi R.; Choy, C. Anela; Polovina, Jeffrey J.; Fulton, Elizabeth A.

2018-01-01

Empirical data on food web dynamics and predator-prey interactions underpin ecosystem models, which are increasingly used to support strategic management of marine resources. These data have traditionally derived from stomach content analysis, but new and complementary forms of ecological data are increasingly available from biochemical tracer techniques. Extensive opportunities exist to improve the empirical robustness of ecosystem models through the incorporation of biochemical tracer data and derived indices, an area that is rapidly expanding because of advances in analytical developments and sophisticated statistical techniques. Here, we explore the trophic information required by ecosystem model frameworks (species, individual, and size based) and match them to the most commonly used biochemical tracers (bulk tissue and compound-specific stable isotopes, fatty acids, and trace elements). Key quantitative parameters derived from biochemical tracers include estimates of diet composition, niche width, and trophic position. Biochemical tracers also provide powerful insight into the spatial and temporal variability of food web structure and the characterization of dominant basal and microbial food web groups. A major challenge in incorporating biochemical tracer data into ecosystem models is scale and data type mismatches, which can be overcome with greater knowledge exchange and numerical approaches that transform, integrate, and visualize data.

Raman spectroscopic biochemical mapping of tissues

Science.gov (United States)

Stone, Nicholas; Hart Prieto, Maria C.; Kendall, Catherine A.; Shetty, Geeta; Barr, Hugh

2006-02-01

Advances in technologies have brought us closer to routine spectroscopic diagnosis of early malignant disease. However, there is still a poor understanding of the carcinogenesis process. For example it is not known whether many cancers follow a logical sequence from dysplasia, to carcinoma in situ, to invasion. Biochemical tissue changes, triggered by genetic mutations, precede morphological and structural changes. These can be probed using Raman or FTIR microspectroscopy and the spectra analysed for biochemical constituents. Local microscopic distribution of various constituents can then be visualised. Raman mapping has been performed on a number of tissues including oesophagus, breast, bladder and prostate. The biochemical constituents have been calculated at each point using basis spectra and least squares analysis. The residual of the least squares fit indicates any unfit spectral components. The biochemical distribution will be compared with the defined histopathological boundaries. The distribution of nucleic acids, glycogen, actin, collagen I, III, IV, lipids and others appear to follow expected patterns.

Simulation studies in biochemical signaling and enzyme reactions

Science.gov (United States)

Nelatury, Sudarshan R.; Vagula, Mary C.

2014-06-01

Biochemical pathways characterize various biochemical reaction schemes that involve a set of species and the manner in which they are connected. Determination of schematics that represent these pathways is an important task in understanding metabolism and signal transduction. Examples of these Pathways are: DNA and protein synthesis, and production of several macro-molecules essential for cell survival. A sustained feedback mechanism arises in gene expression and production of mRNA that lead to protein synthesis if the protein so synthesized serves as a transcription factor and becomes a repressor of the gene expression. The cellular regulations are carried out through biochemical networks consisting of reactions and regulatory proteins. Systems biology is a relatively new area that attempts to describe the biochemical pathways analytically and develop reliable mathematical models for the pathways. A complete understanding of chemical reaction kinetics is prohibitively hard thanks to the nonlinear and highly complex mechanisms that regulate protein formation, but attempting to numerically solve some of the governing differential equations seems to offer significant insight about their biochemical picture. To validate these models, one can perform simple experiments in the lab. This paper introduces fundamental ideas in biochemical signaling and attempts to take first steps into the understanding of biochemical oscillations. Initially, the two-pool model of calcium is used to describe the dynamics behind the oscillations. Later we present some elementary results showing biochemical oscillations arising from solving differential equations of Elowitz and Leibler using MATLAB software.

Nuclear reactor pressure vessel surveillance capsule examinations. Application of American Society for Testing and Materials Standards

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perrin, J.S.

1978-01-01

A series of pressure vessel surveillance capsules is installed in each commercial nuclear power plant in the United States. A capsule typically contains neutron dose meters, thermal monitors, tensile specimens, and Charpy V-notch impact specimens. In order to determine property changes of the pressure vessel resulting from irradiation, surveillance capsules are periodically removed during the life of a reactor and examined. There are numerous standards, regulations, and codes governing US pressure vessel surveillance capsule programmes. These are put out by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Boiler and Pressure Vessel Committee of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). A majority of the pertinent ASTM standards are under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee E-10 on Nuclear Applications and Measurements of Radiation Effects. The standards, regulations, and codes pertaining to pressure vessel surveillance play an important role in ensuring reliability of the nuclear pressure vessels. ASTM E 185-73 is the Standard Recommended Practice for Surveillance Tests for Nuclear Reactors. This standard recommends procedures for both the irradiation and subsequent testing of surveillance capsules. ASTM E 185-73 references many additional specialized ASTM standards to be followed in specific areas of a surveillance capsule examination. A key element of surveillance capsule programmes is the Charpy V-notch impact test, used to define curves of fracture behaviour over a range of temperatures. The data from these tests are used to define the adjusted reference temperature used in determining pressure-temperature operating curves for a nuclear power plant. (author)

Feasibility of biochemical verification in a web-based smoking cessation study.

Science.gov (United States)

Cha, Sarah; Ganz, Ollie; Cohn, Amy M; Ehlke, Sarah J; Graham, Amanda L

2017-10-01

Cogent arguments have been made against the need for biochemical verification in population-based studies with low-demand characteristics. Despite this fact, studies involving digital interventions (low-demand) are often required in peer review to report biochemically verified abstinence. To address this discrepancy, we examined the feasibility and costs of biochemical verification in a web-based study conducted with a national sample. Participants were 600U.S. adult current smokers who registered on a web-based smoking cessation program and completed surveys at baseline and 3months. Saliva sampling kits were sent to participants who reported 7-day abstinence at 3months, and analyzed for cotinine. The response rate at 3-months was 41.2% (n=247): 93 participants reported 7-day abstinence (38%) and were mailed a saliva kit (71% returned). The discordance rate was 36.4%. Participants with discordant responses were more likely to report 3-month use of nicotine replacement therapy or e-cigarettes than those with concordant responses (79.2% vs. 45.2%, p=0.007). The total cost of saliva sampling was $8280 ($125/sample). Biochemical verification was both time- and cost-intensive, and yielded a relatively small number of samples due to low response rates and use of other nicotine products during the follow-up period. There was a high rate of discordance of self-reported abstinence and saliva testing. Costs for data collection may be prohibitive for studies with large sample sizes or limited budgets. Our findings echo previous statements that biochemical verification is not necessary in population-based studies, and add evidence specific to technology-based studies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

SEU testing of a novel hardened register implemented using standard CMOS technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Monnier, T.; Roche, F.M.; Cosculluela, J.; Velazco, R.

1999-01-01

A novel memory structure, designed to tolerate SEU perturbations, has been implemented in registers and tested. The design was completed using a standard submicron nonradiation hardened CMOS technology. This paper presents the results of heavy ions tests which evidence the noticeable improvement of the SEU-robustness with an increased LET threshold and reduced cross-section, without significant impact to die real estate, write time, or power consumption

Standard test method for initial screening of corrosion inhibiting admixtures for steel in concrete

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2007-01-01

1.1 This test method covers a procedure for determining the effects of chemical admixtures on the corrosion of metals in concrete. This test method can be used to evaluate materials intended to inhibit chloride-induced corrosion of steel in concrete. It can also be used to evaluate the corrosivity of admixtures by themselves or in a chloride environment. This test is not applicable for emulsions. 1.2 &solely-SI-units; 1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

The Development and Validation of the Test Of Astronomy STandards (TOAST)

Science.gov (United States)

Slater, Stephanie J.

2014-01-01

The Test Of Astronomy STandards (TOAST) is a comprehensive assessment instrument designed to measure students' general astronomy content knowledge. Built upon the research embedded within a generation of astronomy assessments designed to measure single concepts, the TOAST is appropriate to measure across an entire astronomy course. The TOAST's…

Standard test method for ranking resistance of materials to sliding wear using block-on-ring wear test

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2005-01-01

1.1 This test method covers laboratory procedures for determining the resistance of materials to sliding wear. The test utilizes a block-on-ring friction and wear testing machine to rank pairs of materials according to their sliding wear characteristics under various conditions. 1.2 An important attribute of this test is that it is very flexible. Any material that can be fabricated into, or applied to, blocks and rings can be tested. Thus, the potential materials combinations are endless. However, the interlaboratory testing has been limited to metals. In addition, the test can be run with various lubricants, liquids, or gaseous atmospheres, as desired, to simulate service conditions. Rotational speed and load can also be varied to better correspond to service requirements. 1.3 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The values given in parentheses are for information only. Wear test results are reported as the volume loss in cubic millimetres for both the block and ring. Materials...

SDT: The Brazilian Standardization of the Silver Drawing Test of Cognition and Emotion.

Science.gov (United States)

Allessandrini, Cristina Dias; Duarte, Jose Luclano Miranda; Bianco, Marisa Fernandes; Dupas, Margarida Azevedo

1998-01-01

The Silver Drawing Test of Cognition and Emotion was standardized for Brazilian children (N=2,000). ANOVA results are presented for age and education groups from early grades on, including distinguishing adult education levels; results are compared for U.S. and Brazilian populations. Growth in test scores, emotional content responses, and…

[Precautions of physical performance requirements and test methods during product standard drafting process of medical devices].

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Jin-Zi; Wan, Min; Xu, Hui; Yao, Xiu-Jun; Zhang, Bo; Wang, Jin-Hong

2009-09-01

The major idea of this article is to discuss standardization and normalization for the product standard of medical devices. Analyze the problem related to the physical performance requirements and test methods during product standard drafting process and make corresponding suggestions.

Standard test method for determining the susceptibility to intergranular corrosion of 5XXX series Aluminum alloys by mass loss after exposure to nitric acid (NAMLT Test)

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2004-01-01

1.1 This test method describes a procedure for constant immersion intergranular corrosion testing of 5XXX series aluminum alloys. 1.2 This test method is applicable only to wrought products. 1.3 This test method covers type of specimen, specimen preparation, test environment, and method of exposure. 1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The values given in parentheses are for information only. This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

Standard test method for creep-fatigue testing

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2009-01-01

1.1 This test method covers the determination of mechanical properties pertaining to creep-fatigue deformation or crack formation in nominally homogeneous materials, or both by the use of test specimens subjected to uniaxial forces under isothermal conditions. It concerns fatigue testing at strain rates or with cycles involving sufficiently long hold times to be responsible for the cyclic deformation response and cycles to crack formation to be affected by creep (and oxidation). It is intended as a test method for fatigue testing performed in support of such activities as materials research and development, mechanical design, process and quality control, product performance, and failure analysis. The cyclic conditions responsible for creep-fatigue deformation and cracking vary with material and with temperature for a given material. 1.2 The use of this test method is limited to specimens and does not cover testing of full-scale components, structures, or consumer products. 1.3 This test method is primarily ...

Biochemically enhanced methane production from coal

Science.gov (United States)

Opara, Aleksandra

For many years, biogas was connected mostly with the organic matter decomposition in shallow sediments (e.g., wetlands, landfill gas, etc.). Recently, it has been realized that biogenic methane production is ongoing in many hydrocarbon reservoirs. This research examined microbial methane and carbon dioxide generation from coal. As original contributions methane production from various coal materials was examined in classical and electro-biochemical bench-scale reactors using unique, developed facultative microbial consortia that generate methane under anaerobic conditions. Facultative methanogenic populations are important as all known methanogens are strict anaerobes and their application outside laboratory would be problematic. Additional testing examined the influence of environmental conditions, such as pH, salinity, and nutrient amendments on methane and carbon dioxide generation. In 44-day ex-situ bench-scale batch bioreactor tests, up to 300,000 and 250,000 ppm methane was generated from bituminous coal and bituminous coal waste respectively, a significant improvement over 20-40 ppm methane generated from control samples. Chemical degradation of complex hydrocarbons using environmentally benign reagents, prior to microbial biodegradation and methanogenesis, resulted in dissolution of up to 5% bituminous coal and bituminous coal waste and up to 25% lignite in samples tested. Research results confirm that coal waste may be a significant underutilized resource that could be converted to useful fuel. Rapid acidification of lignite samples resulted in low pH (below 4.0), regardless of chemical pretreatment applied, and did not generate significant methane amounts. These results confirmed the importance of monitoring and adjusting in situ and ex situ environmental conditions during methane production. A patented Electro-Biochemical Reactor technology was used to supply electrons and electron acceptor environments, but appeared to influence methane generation in a

A comparison of approximation techniques for variance-based sensitivity analysis of biochemical reaction systems

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Goutsias John

2010-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Sensitivity analysis is an indispensable tool for the analysis of complex systems. In a recent paper, we have introduced a thermodynamically consistent variance-based sensitivity analysis approach for studying the robustness and fragility properties of biochemical reaction systems under uncertainty in the standard chemical potentials of the activated complexes of the reactions and the standard chemical potentials of the molecular species. In that approach, key sensitivity indices were estimated by Monte Carlo sampling, which is computationally very demanding and impractical for large biochemical reaction systems. Computationally efficient algorithms are needed to make variance-based sensitivity analysis applicable to realistic cellular networks, modeled by biochemical reaction systems that consist of a large number of reactions and molecular species. Results We present four techniques, derivative approximation (DA, polynomial approximation (PA, Gauss-Hermite integration (GHI, and orthonormal Hermite approximation (OHA, for analytically approximating the variance-based sensitivity indices associated with a biochemical reaction system. By using a well-known model of the mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling cascade as a case study, we numerically compare the approximation quality of these techniques against traditional Monte Carlo sampling. Our results indicate that, although DA is computationally the most attractive technique, special care should be exercised when using it for sensitivity analysis, since it may only be accurate at low levels of uncertainty. On the other hand, PA, GHI, and OHA are computationally more demanding than DA but can work well at high levels of uncertainty. GHI results in a slightly better accuracy than PA, but it is more difficult to implement. OHA produces the most accurate approximation results and can be implemented in a straightforward manner. It turns out that the computational cost of the

The Quest for Standard Tests in Prioritizing Water Use Rights in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Moreover, there are problems of depletion, pollution, water grabbing, wastage of water, and water crisis that are attributable to lack of comprehensive regulations, or confusions in putting policy options. The regulatory tools lack clarity and sufficiency with regard to the incorporation of standard tests. There is thus the need for ...

The internal consistency of the standard gamble: tests after adjusting for prospect theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Oliver, Adam

2003-07-01

This article reports a study that tests whether the internal consistency of the standard gamble can be improved upon by incorporating loss weighting and probability transformation parameters in the standard gamble valuation procedure. Five alternatives to the standard EU formulation are considered: (1) probability transformation within an EU framework; and, within a prospect theory framework, (2) loss weighting and full probability transformation, (3) no loss weighting and full probability transformation, (4) loss weighting and no probability transformation, and (5) loss weighting and partial probability transformation. Of the five alternatives, only the prospect theory formulation with loss weighting and no probability transformation offers an improvement in internal consistency over the standard EU valuation procedure.

Inter-rater reliability of three standardized functional tests in patients with low back pain

Science.gov (United States)

Tidstrand, Johan; Horneij, Eva

2009-01-01

Background Of all patients with low back pain, 85% are diagnosed as "non-specific lumbar pain". Lumbar instability has been described as one specific diagnosis which several authors have described as delayed muscular responses, impaired postural control as well as impaired muscular coordination among these patients. This has mostly been measured and evaluated in a laboratory setting. There are few standardized and evaluated functional tests, examining functional muscular coordination which are also applicable in the non-laboratory setting. In ordinary clinical work, tests of functional muscular coordination should be easy to apply. The aim of this present study was to therefore standardize and examine the inter-rater reliability of three functional tests of muscular functional coordination of the lumbar spine in patients with low back pain. Methods Nineteen consecutive individuals, ten men and nine women were included. (Mean age 42 years, SD ± 12 yrs). Two independent examiners assessed three tests: "single limb stance", "sitting on a Bobath ball with one leg lifted" and "unilateral pelvic lift" on the same occasion. The standardization procedure took altered positions of the spine or pelvis and compensatory movements of the free extremities into account. The inter-rater reliability was analyzed by Cohen's kappa coefficient (κ) and by percentage agreement. Results The inter-rater reliability for the right and the left leg respectively was: for the single limb stance very good (κ: 0.88–1.0), for sitting on a Bobath ball good (κ: 0.79) and very good (κ: 0.88) and for the unilateral pelvic lift: good (κ: 0.61) and moderate (κ: 0.47). Conclusion The present study showed good to very good inter-rater reliability for two standardized tests, that is, the single-limb stance and sitting on a Bobath-ball with one leg lifted. Inter-rater reliability for the unilateral pelvic lift test was moderate to good. Validation of the tests in their ability to evaluate lumbar

Inter-rater reliability of three standardized functional tests in patients with low back pain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tidstrand Johan

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Of all patients with low back pain, 85% are diagnosed as "non-specific lumbar pain". Lumbar instability has been described as one specific diagnosis which several authors have described as delayed muscular responses, impaired postural control as well as impaired muscular coordination among these patients. This has mostly been measured and evaluated in a laboratory setting. There are few standardized and evaluated functional tests, examining functional muscular coordination which are also applicable in the non-laboratory setting. In ordinary clinical work, tests of functional muscular coordination should be easy to apply. The aim of this present study was to therefore standardize and examine the inter-rater reliability of three functional tests of muscular functional coordination of the lumbar spine in patients with low back pain. Methods Nineteen consecutive individuals, ten men and nine women were included. (Mean age 42 years, SD ± 12 yrs. Two independent examiners assessed three tests: "single limb stance", "sitting on a Bobath ball with one leg lifted" and "unilateral pelvic lift" on the same occasion. The standardization procedure took altered positions of the spine or pelvis and compensatory movements of the free extremities into account. The inter-rater reliability was analyzed by Cohen's kappa coefficient (κ and by percentage agreement. Results The inter-rater reliability for the right and the left leg respectively was: for the single limb stance very good (κ: 0.88–1.0, for sitting on a Bobath ball good (κ: 0.79 and very good (κ: 0.88 and for the unilateral pelvic lift: good (κ: 0.61 and moderate (κ: 0.47. Conclusion The present study showed good to very good inter-rater reliability for two standardized tests, that is, the single-limb stance and sitting on a Bobath-ball with one leg lifted. Inter-rater reliability for the unilateral pelvic lift test was moderate to good. Validation of the tests in their

Comparison of avian biochemical test results with Abaxis VetScan and Hitachi 911 analyzers.

Science.gov (United States)

Greenacre, Cheryl B; Flatland, Bente; Souza, Marcy J; Fry, Michael M

2008-12-01

To compare results of clinical biochemical analysis using an Abaxis VetScan bench-top analyzer with reagents specifically marketed for avian use and a Hitachi 911 analyzer, plasma (both methods) and whole blood (VetScan method) samples from 20 clinically healthy Hispaniolan Amazon parrots (Amazona ventralis) were analyzed. Correlation between methods was very high (r = 0.9-1.0) for aspartate aminotransferase (AST), calcium, glucose, and uric acid; high (r = 0.7-0.89) for creatine kinase (CK), phosphorus, potassium, and total protein; moderate (r = 0.5-0.69) for globulin; and low (r = 0.3-0.49) for albumin and sodium. VetScan analyzer results for globulin, sodium, and uric acid had a constant negative bias (values below those from the Hitachi method). Based on difference plot analysis, results for AST, calcium, CK, and glucose are comparable. Because 16 of 20 values fell below the lower detection limit of the VetScan analyzer, bile acid data were excluded from analysis. By using a relatively small sample size (0.1 ml whole blood or plasma), the VetScan analyzer offers rapid in-house results, compact size, and ease of operation. For 4 of the most clinically relevant biochemical analytes used in avian medicine (AST, calcium, CK, glucose), it offers reliable values. For an additional 4 analytes (phosphorous, potassium, total protein, uric acid), establishing analyzer-specific reference intervals is recommended. Neither the VetScan nor the Hitachi method is recommended to assess albumin and globulin concentrations.

Standard Test Method for Dust Erosion Resistance of Optical and Infrared Transparent Materials and Coatings

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2005-01-01

1.1 This test method covers the resistance of transparent plastics and coatings used in aerospace windscreens, canopies, and viewports to surface erosion as a result of dust impingement. This test method simulates flight through a defined particle cloud environment by means of independent control of particle size, velocity, impact angle, mass loading, and test duration. 1.2 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

Development of test practice requirements for a standard method on fracture toughness testing in the transition range

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McCabe, D.E.; Zerbst, U.; Heerens, J.

1993-01-01

This report covers the resolution of several issues that are relevant to the ductile to brittle transition range of structural steels. One of this issues was to compare a statistical-based weakest-link method to constraint data adjustment methods for modeling the specimen size effects on fracture toughness. Another was to explore the concept of a universal transition temperature curve shape (Master Curve). Data from a Materials Properties Council round robin activity were used to test the proposals empirically. The findings of this study are inclosed in an activity for the development of a draft standard test procedure ''Test Practice for Fracture Toughness in the Transition Range''. (orig.) [de

Aligning English grammar testing with European language standards

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bodrič Radmila

2015-01-01

Full Text Available In recent years, foreign language testing has gained in significance with the advent of The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (2001 (CEFR, a European language document which set comparable standards for learning, teaching and assessing foreign languages. The CEFR was used to set the research aim of this paper - testing grammar at level B2. The main aim of the research was to determine grammatical competence at level B2 and additional aims included: (a determining which particular areas of grammar need to be learned by students at level B2, (b formulating grammatical descriptors for each individual area of grammar, (c determining the test’s threshold level which would fulfil the criteria for grammatical competence at level B2, and (d determining the extent to which students have mastered the given areas. The pre-testing was followed by the main testing on the sample of 164 students in two secondary schools. The results indicated that the quantity and quality of grammatical competence was lower than expected: 47% of the population failed to fulfil the basic level of grammatical competence. The causes may be attributed to the factors of a subjective and objective nature. Level B2 is demanding qualitatively as well as quantitatively, regarding both the formal and the functional complexity and scope of language use, which requires intensive language production, high levels of motivation and sound working habits in order to master the given grammatical structures.

[Role of angiotensin II receptor type 2 in predicting biochemical recurrence in the treatment of prostate cancer].

Science.gov (United States)

Chibichyan, M B; Kogan, M I; Chernogubova, E A; Pavlenko, I A; Matishov, D G

2016-12-01

To identify markers for predicting aggressive forms of prostate cancer. The study retrospectively evaluated expression of angiotensin II type 2 receptors (AT2-R) in prostate needle biopsy tissue from patients with and without biochemical recurrence after combined hormone and radiation therapy. The study findings showed that low expression of AT2-R in prostate tissue was associated with a high risk of biochemical recurrence. The data on the nature of AT2-R expression in prostate tissue of prostate cancer patients may be considered as a tool for predicting biochemical recurrence after combined hormone and radiation therapy. The test has a sensitivity of 87.5% and specificity of 85.71%.

Standard test method for color and color difference of whitewares by abriged spectrophotometry

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2001-01-01

1.1 This test method describes the instrumental measurement of the reflection properties and color of ceramic glazes and other whitewares by the use of a spectrophotometer or spectrocolorimeter with a hemispherical optical measuring system, such as an integrating sphere. 1.2 The test method is suitable for use with most specimens having an exterior flat surface large enough to cover the spectrophotometer sample port. 1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

Evaluation of a draft standard on performance specifications for health physics instrumentation. Initial results for radiological tests

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Swinth, K.L.; Kenoyer, J.L.; Mileham, A.P.; Kathren, R.L.; Selby, J.M.

1983-06-01

The draft ANSI standard N42.17D2 on performance specifications for health physics instrumentation is currently being evaluated by the Pacific Northwest Laboratory. The primary objective of the project is the evaluation of the applicability and practicality of the proposed standard through testing of a cross-section of currently available commercial instruments to determine how well they conform to the standard. The standard is being tested against instruments such as ionization chambers, G.M. detectors, alpha survey meters, and neutron dose equivalent survey meters. This paper presents results of the preliminary radiological performance tests on ionization chambers and G.M. detectors. This includes both the data generated during the tests and a discussion of procedures developed to perform the testing. Results are reported for response time, accuracy, precision, radiation overloads, and angular dependence. In addition, results are reported for parameters that affect instrument performance including battery lifetime, geotropism and stability. Initial test indicates that some of the instruments will not meet the criteria specified in ANSI N42.17D2. Results cover approximately 40 instruments that have been obtained by direct purchase, by loan from instrument vendors or by loan from others including DOE licensees

ACCESS, Absolute Color Calibration Experiment for Standard Stars: Integration, Test, and Ground Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Kaiser, Mary Elizabeth; Morris, Matthew; Aldoroty, Lauren; Kurucz, Robert; McCandliss, Stephan; Rauscher, Bernard; Kimble, Randy; Kruk, Jeffrey; Wright, Edward L.; Feldman, Paul; Riess, Adam; Gardner, Jonathon; Bohlin, Ralph; Deustua, Susana; Dixon, Van; Sahnow, David J.; Perlmutter, Saul

2018-01-01

Establishing improved spectrophotometric standards is important for a broad range of missions and is relevant to many astrophysical problems. Systematic errors associated with astrophysical data used to probe fundamental astrophysical questions, such as SNeIa observations used to constrain dark energy theories, now exceed the statistical errors associated with merged databases of these measurements. ACCESS, “Absolute Color Calibration Experiment for Standard Stars”, is a series of rocket-borne sub-orbital missions and ground-based experiments designed to enable improvements in the precision of the astrophysical flux scale through the transfer of absolute laboratory detector standards from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to a network of stellar standards with a calibration accuracy of 1% and a spectral resolving power of 500 across the 0.35‑1.7μm bandpass. To achieve this goal ACCESS (1) observes HST/ Calspec stars (2) above the atmosphere to eliminate telluric spectral contaminants (e.g. OH) (3) using a single optical path and (HgCdTe) detector (4) that is calibrated to NIST laboratory standards and (5) monitored on the ground and in-flight using a on-board calibration monitor. The observations are (6) cross-checked and extended through the generation of stellar atmosphere models for the targets. The ACCESS telescope and spectrograph have been designed, fabricated, and integrated. Subsystems have been tested. Performance results for subsystems, operations testing, and the integrated spectrograph will be presented. NASA sounding rocket grant NNX17AC83G supports this work.

Haematological and biochemical reference values for healthy adults in the middle belt of Ghana.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David K Dosoo

Full Text Available Reference values are very important in clinical management of patients, screening participants for enrollment into clinical trials and for monitoring the onset of adverse events during these trials. The aim of this was to establish gender-specific haematological and biochemical reference values for healthy adults in the central part of Ghana.A total of 691 adults between 18 and 59 years resident in the Kintampo North Municipality and South District in the central part of Ghana were randomly selected using the Kintampo Health and Demographic Surveillance System and enrolled in this cross-sectional survey. Out of these, 625 adults made up of 316 males and 309 females were assessed by a clinician to be healthy. Median values and nonparametric 95% reference values for 16 haematology and 22 biochemistry parameters were determined for this population based on the Clinical Laboratory and Standards Institute guidelines. Values established in this study were compared with the Caucasian values being used currently by our laboratory as reference values and also with data from other African and western countries.REFERENCE VALUES ESTABLISHED INCLUDE: haemoglobin 113-164 g/L for males and 88-144 g/L for females; total white blood cell count 3.4-9.2 × 10(9/L; platelet count 88-352 × 10(9/L for males and 89-403 × 10(9/L for females; alanine aminotransferase 8-54 U/L for males and 6-51 U/L for females; creatinine 56-119 µmol/L for males and 53-106 µmol/L for females. Using the haematological reference values based on the package inserts would have screened out up to 53% of potential trial participants and up to 25% of the population using the biochemical parameters.We have established a panel of locally relevant reference parameters for commonly used haematological and biochemical tests. This is important as it will help in the interpretation of laboratory results both for clinical management of patients and safety monitoring during a trial.

Electric Vehicle Communications Standards Testing and Validation - Phase II: SAE J2931/1

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pratt, Richard M. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Gowri, Krishnan [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

2013-01-15

Vehicle to grid communication standards enable interoperability among vehicles, charging stations and utility providers and provide the capability to implement charge management. Several standards initiatives by the Society of Automobile Engineers (SAE), International Standards Organization and International Electrotechnical Commission (ISO/IEC), and ZigBee/HomePlug Alliance are developing requirements for communication messages and protocols. Recent work by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) in collaboration with SAE and automobile manufacturers has identified vehicle to grid communication performance requirements and developed a test plan as part of SAE J2931/1 committee work. This laboratory test plan was approved by the SAE J2931/1 committee and included test configurations, test methods, and performance requirements to verify reliability, robustness, repeatability, maximum communication distance, and authentication features of power line carrier (PLC) communication modules at the internet protocol layer level. The goal of the testing effort was to select a communication technology that would enable automobile manufacturers to begin the development and implementation process. The EPRI/Argonne National Laboratory (ANL)/Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) testing teams divided the testing so that results for each test could be presented by two teams, performing the tests independently. The PNNL team performed narrowband PLC testing including the Texas Instruments (TI) Concerto, Ariane Controls AC-CPM1, and the MAXIM Tahoe 2 evaluation boards. The scope of testing was limited to measuring the vendor systems communication performance between Electric Vehicle Support Equipment (EVSE) and plug-in electric vehicles (PEV). The testing scope did not address PEV’s CAN bus to PLC or PLC to EVSE (Wi-Fi, cellular, PLC Mains, etc.) communication integration. In particular, no evaluation was performed to delineate the effort needed to translate the IPv6

Characterization of some Brucella species from Zimbabwe by biochemical profiling and AMOS-PCR

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Skjerve Eystein

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Bovine brucellosis caused by Brucella abortus is endemic in most large commercial and smallholder cattle farms of Zimbabwe, while brucellosis in other domestic animals is rare. The diagnosis of brucellosis is mainly accomplished using serological tests. However, some Brucella spp. have been isolated from clinical cases in the field and kept in culture collection but their biochemical profiles were not documented. We report biochemical profiling and AMOS-PCR characterization of some of these field isolates of Brucella originating from both commercial and smallholder cattle farming sectors of Zimbabwe. Findings Fourteen isolates of Brucella from culture collection were typed using biochemical profiles, agglutination by monospecific antisera, susceptibility to Brucella-specific bacteriophages and by AMOS-PCR that amplifies species- specific IS711. The results of the biochemical profiles for B. abortus biovar 1 (11 isolates and biovar 2 (2 isolates were consistent with those of reference strains. A single isolate from a goat originating from a smallholder mixed animal farm was identified as B. melitensis biovar 1. The AMOS-PCR produced DNA products of sizes 498 bp and 731 bp for B. abortus (biovar 1 and 2 and B. melitensis biovar 1, respectively. Conclusion We concluded that the biochemical profiles and AMOS-PCR characterization were consistent with their respective species and biovars. B. abortus biovar 1 is likely to be the predominant cause of brucellosis in both commercial and smallholder cattle farms in Zimbabwe.

Biochemical and hematological findings of Khorasan veterans 23 years after sulfur mustard exposure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad Reza Keramati

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Sulfur mustard (SM is an incapacitating chemical warfare agent, which has been widely employed in particular regions including Iran. We investigated and reported delayed biochemical and hematological complications of SM in severely toxic Iranian veterans 23 years after exposure. Materials and Methods : Forty-two Iranian veterans, residents of Khorasan Razavi, poisoned by SM, and suffering from clinical complications were investigated. A total of 30 healthy male volunteers were also selected as a control group. Biochemical and hematological variables were measured for the case and control groups. Data were analyzed using a Student′s t-test by InStat software (GraphPad Inc., San Diego, CA to determine significant differences between the data from the two groups. Results: The percentages of reticulocytes were significantly higher in patients (0.82 ± 0.04, P < 0.05. Total protein and albumin levels were significantly lower in veterans (total protein: 7.58 ± 0.07 g/dL, albumin: 4.97 ± 0.04 g/dL, P < 0.01. In addition, we observed a significant increase in serum cholesterol (226.74 ± 5.23 mg/dL, P < 0.01, triglyceride (173.53 ± 17.05 mg/dL, P < 0.05, and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GTT activity of the patients (44.04 ± 3.35 IU/L, P < 0.05. Conclusion: Results showed that SM can cause long-term effects on some biochemical factors of veterans. As many of the functional tests of liver and kidney between two groups were statistically unchanged, it seems that the observed biochemical changes may be secondary to delayed respiratory complications of the patients.

The Influence of Biochemical Modification on the Properties of Adhesive Compounds

OpenAIRE

Anna Rudawska; Izabela Haniecka; Magdalena Jaszek; Monika Osińska-Jaroszuk

2016-01-01

The main objective of this study was to determine the effect of biochemical modification of epoxy adhesive compounds on the mechanical properties of a cured adhesive exposed to various climatic factors. The epoxy adhesive was modified by lyophilized fungal metabolites and prepared by three methods. Additionally, the adhesive compound specimens were seasoned for two months at a temperature of 50 °C and 50% humidity in a climate test chamber, Espec SH 661. The tensile strength tests of the adh...

Alternate performance standard project: Interpreting the post-construction test

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williamson, A.D.; McDonough, S.E.

1993-01-01

The paper describes the results of a project commissioned by the State of Florida, in cooperation with the US Environmental Protection Agency, as one portion of the Florida Radon Research Program (FRRP). The purpose of the FRRP is to provide technical support for a statewide Building Standard for Radon-Resistant Construction currently in the rulemaking process. In this case the information provides technical background for a post-construction radon test specified as a performance element of the code which accompanies the prescriptive alternative that does not incorporate active radon reduction systems

Biochemical Process Development and Integration | Bioenergy | NREL

Science.gov (United States)

Biochemical Process Development and Integration Biochemical Process Development and Integration Our conversion and separation processes to pilot-scale integrated process development and scale up. We also Publications Accounting for all sugar produced during integrated production of ethanol from lignocellulosic

Hydrogenation of rapeseed oil for production of liquid bio-chemicals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pinto, F.; Martins, S.; Gonçalves, M.; Costa, P.; Gulyurtlu, I.; Alves, A.; Mendes, B.

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Production of renewable liquid hydrocarbons through rapeseed oil hydrogenation. ► Hydrogenation at lower temperature and lower hydrogen pressures. ► Test of a catalyst commonly employed in petrochemical industry. ► Improve of hydrogenation process viability by decreasing operational costs. ► Analysis of hydrogenated product applications as bio-chemicals. -- Abstract: The main objective of rapeseed oil hydrogenation tests was the production of liquid bio-chemicals to be used as renewable raw material for the production of several chemicals and in chemical synthesis to substitute petroleum derived stuff. As, hydrogenation of vegetable oils is already applied for the production of biofuels, the work done focused in producing aromatic compounds, due to their economic value. The effect of experimental conditions on rapeseed oil hydrogenation was studied, namely, reaction temperature and time with the aim of selecting the most favourable conditions to convert rapeseed oil into liquid valuable bio-chemicals. Rapeseed oil was hydrogenated at a hydrogen initial pressure of 1.10 MPa. Reaction temperature varied in the range from 200 °C to 400 °C, while reaction times between 6 and 180 min were tested. The performance of a commercial cobalt and molybdenum catalyst was also studied. The highest hydrocarbons yields were obtained at the highest temperature and reaction times tested. At a temperature of 400 °C and at the reaction time of 120 min hydrocarbons yield was about 92% in catalyst presence, while in the absence of the catalyst this value decreased to 85%. Hydrocarbons yield was even higher when the reaction time of 180 min was used in the presence of catalyst, as the yield of 97% was observed. At these conditions hydrocarbons formed had a high content of aromatic compounds, around 50%. For this reason, the viscosity values of hydrogenated oils were lower than that established by EN590, which together with hydrogenated liquids composition

A standardized procedure for eddy-current testing of stainless steel, thin-walled nuclear fuel element cladding tubes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barat, P.; Raj, B.; Bhattacharya, D.K.

1982-01-01

Thin-walled nuclear fuel cladding tubes made of AISI 316 stainless steel have been examined by eddy-current testing. Standardization of the procedures has required investigations on optimizing the test frequency, finding a method to locate a defect with respect to the probe reference end, and the use of standard defects and sequential metallography of natural defects detected by eddy-current testing, to understand the influence of the nature of defects on the impedance output signals. Test frequency and method of locating the defect were optimized by the use of standard defects made by machining in reference cladding tubes. Subsequent metallography of natural defects detected by eddy-current testing revealed mainly clusters of inclusions but also other types of defects. The effect of the distribution of inclusions along the length of the tube on the impedance output is discussed. (author)

Developing Effective Physical Fitness Testing Standards for Pre Service Physical Educators

Science.gov (United States)

Hill, Kory; Thornburg, Roland

2016-01-01

Physical educators are often held to a higher standard of physical fitness. The ability to effectively convey the importance of physical fitness may depend upon the ability to appear physically fit. The ability to perform at a minimal level of proficiency on fitness tests was deemed important by the faculty of one physical education teacher…

An Evaluation of the Sniffer Global Optimization Algorithm Using Standard Test Functions

Science.gov (United States)

Butler, Roger A. R.; Slaminka, Edward E.

1992-03-01

The performance of Sniffer—a new global optimization algorithm—is compared with that of Simulated Annealing. Using the number of function evaluations as a measure of efficiency, the new algorithm is shown to be significantly better at finding the global minimum of seven standard test functions. Several of the test functions used have many local minima and very steep walls surrounding the global minimum. Such functions are intended to thwart global minimization algorithms.

Biochemical and molecular tools reveal two diverse Xanthomonas groups in bananas

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Adriko, John; Aritua, V.; Mortensen, Carmen Nieves

2016-01-01

Xanthomonas campestris pv. musacearum (Xcm) causing the banana Xanthomonas wilt (BXW) disease has been the main xanthomonad associated with bananas in East and Central Africa based on phenotypic and biochemical characteristics. However, biochemical methods cannot effectively distinguish between...... pathogenic and non-pathogenic xanthomonads. In this study, gram-negative and yellow-pigmented mucoid bacteria were isolated from BXW symptomatic and symptomless bananas collected from different parts of Uganda. Biolog, Xcm-specific (GspDm), Xanthomonas vasicola species-specific (NZ085) and Xanthomonas genus......-specific (X1623) primers in PCR, and sequencing of ITS region were used to identify and characterize the isolates. Biolog tests revealed several isolates as xanthomonads. The GspDm and NZ085 primers accurately identified three isolates from diseased bananas as Xcm and these were pathogenic when re...

Biochemical Effects of Aqueous Extract of Persea americana (Mill) on the Myocardium of Left Ventricle of High Salt-Fed Adult Wistar Rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Olushola, Ayoola I; Aderibigbe, Komolafe O; Stephen, Saka O; Ayodeji, Odukoya S

2017-10-01

The cardioprotective effects of Persea americana extract was investigated on biochemical activities of high salt-fed adult Wistar rats in this study. Forty healthy Wistar rats of both sexes weighing 120 to 150 g were randomly assigned into 8 groups of 5 rats each (groups A, B, C, D, E, F, G, and H). Rats in groups A, F, G, and H were fed with standard laboratory pellets, while groups B, C, D, and E were fed on the high-salt diet for 4 weeks. Concomitantly, daily administration of 50, 100, and 150 mg/kg of the P americana extract were given orally to groups C and F, D and G, and E and H, respectively, while rats in groups A and B were administered distilled water. Blood samples were taken by cardiac puncture; concentration of sodium ion, potassium ion, nitric oxide, and activity of lactate dehydrogenase were determined. One-way analysis of variance was used to analyze data, followed by Student-Newman-Keuls (SNK) test for multiple comparison. Results revealed that concentration of potassium ion and nitric oxide was significantly lower ( P < .05) in high salt-fed groups. Sodium ion concentration and activity of lactate dehydrogenase were higher in high salt-fed group while P americana prevented biochemical perturbations in other experimental groups. In conclusion, high salt-diet induced biochemical alterations which were significantly protected by oral administration of P americana extract.

Spray Drift Reduction Evaluations of Spray Nozzles Using a Standardized Testing Protocol

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

Drop Size Characteristics in a Spray Using Optical Nonimaging Light-Scattering Instruments,” Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol. 14-02, ASTM...Test Method for Determining Liquid Drop Size Characteristics in a Spray Using Optical Non- imaging Light-Scattering Instruments 22. AGDISP Model

Validation of artificial neural network models for predicting biochemical markers associated with male infertility.

Science.gov (United States)

Vickram, A S; Kamini, A Rao; Das, Raja; Pathy, M Ramesh; Parameswari, R; Archana, K; Sridharan, T B

2016-08-01

Seminal fluid is the secretion from many glands comprised of several organic and inorganic compounds including free amino acids, proteins, fructose, glucosidase, zinc, and other scavenging elements like Mg(2+), Ca(2+), K(+), and Na(+). Therefore, in the view of development of novel approaches and proper diagnosis to male infertility, overall understanding of the biochemical and molecular composition and its role in regulation of sperm quality is highly desirable. Perhaps this can be achieved through artificial intelligence. This study was aimed to elucidate and predict various biochemical markers present in human seminal plasma with three different neural network models. A total of 177 semen samples were collected for this research (both fertile and infertile samples) and immediately processed to prepare a semen analysis report, based on the protocol of the World Health Organization (WHO [2010]). The semen samples were then categorized into oligoasthenospermia (n=35), asthenospermia (n=35), azoospermia (n=22), normospermia (n=34), oligospermia (n=34), and control (n=17). The major biochemical parameters like total protein content, fructose, glucosidase, and zinc content were elucidated by standard protocols. All the biochemical markers were predicted by using three different artificial neural network (ANN) models with semen parameters as inputs. Of the three models, the back propagation neural network model (BPNN) yielded the best results with mean absolute error 0.025, -0.080, 0.166, and -0.057 for protein, fructose, glucosidase, and zinc, respectively. This suggests that BPNN can be used to predict biochemical parameters for the proper diagnosis of male infertility in assisted reproductive technology (ART) centres. AAS: absorption spectroscopy; AI: artificial intelligence; ANN: artificial neural networks; ART: assisted reproductive technology; BPNN: back propagation neural network model; DT: decision tress; MLP: multilayer perceptron; PESA: percutaneous

Standard test method for determining atmospheric chloride deposition rate by wet candle method

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2002-01-01

1.1 This test method covers a wet candle device and its use in measuring atmospheric chloride deposition (amount of chloride salts deposited from the atmosphere on a given area per unit time). 1.2 Data on atmospheric chloride deposition can be useful in classifying the corrosivity of a specific area, such as an atmospheric test site. Caution must be exercised, however, to take into consideration the season because airborne chlorides vary widely between seasons. 1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

Clinico-hemato-biochemical profile of dogs with liver cirrhosis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. A. Elhiblu

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the relevant tools in the diagnosis of liver cirrhosis in dogs. Material and Methods: A total of 140 dogs presented at Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana, showing clinical signs of hepatic insufficiency were subjected to clinico-hemato biochemical, urological, ultrasonographic (USG, and USG guided fine-needle biopsy examinations by standard methods. On the basis of these results, 6 dogs out of 140 dogs were found to be suffering from liver cirrhosis. Six clinically healthy dogs constituted the control group. Results: The dogs suffering from liver cirrhosis manifested inappetence, halitosis, abdominal distension, weight loss, melena, icterus, anemia, and neutrophilic leukocytosis with the left shift. Levels of hemoglobin, lymphocytes, packed cell volume, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular Hb (MCH, and platelet count were significantly lower in liver cirrhosis group than control group while total leukocyte count, neutrophils, and MCH concentration were significantly higher. Glucose, total protein, albumin, A/G ratio, and fibrinogen were significantly lower, and creatinine, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, prothrombin time, and APTT were significantly higher than the control values. Ultrasound revealed diffuse increase in echogenicity with rounded and irregular liver margins. Cytological examination of the ascitic fluid and fine-needle aspiration biopsy of liver was not fruitful in the diagnosis of liver cirrhosis. Conclusions: Liver cirrhosis causes clinical and hemo-biochemical alterations, which require special consideration when treating diseased animals. USG, diffuse increase in echogenicity of liver, rounding and irregularity of liver margins and microhepatica were the consistent findings. It is suggested that USG along with hemo-biochemical alterations may be used as a diagnostic tool for

Standard Test Methods for Measurement of Electrical Performance and Spectral Response of Nonconcentrator Multijunction Photovoltaic Cells and Modules

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2010-01-01

1.1 These test methods provide special techniques needed to determine the electrical performance and spectral response of two-terminal, multijunction photovoltaic (PV) devices, both cell and modules. 1.2 These test methods are modifications and extensions of the procedures for single-junction devices defined by Test Methods E948, E1021, and E1036. 1.3 These test methods do not include temperature and irradiance corrections for spectral response and current-voltage (I-V) measurements. Procedures for such corrections are available in Test Methods E948, E1021, and E1036. 1.4 These test methods may be applied to cells and modules intended for concentrator applications. 1.5 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard. 1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and ...

Introducing Vouchers and Standardized Tests for Higher Education in Russia: Expectations and Measurements

OpenAIRE

Osipian, Ararat

2008-01-01

The reform of higher education in Russia, based on standardized tests and educational vouchers, was intended to reduce inequalities in access to higher education. The initiative with the vouchers has failed and by now is already forgotten while the national test is planned to be introduced nationwide in 2009. The national test called to replace the present corrupt system of entry examinations has experienced numerous problems so far and will likely have even more problems in the future. This ...

Standard Test Method for Stress-Corrosion of Titanium Alloys by Aircraft Engine Cleaning Materials

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2006-01-01

1.1 This test method establishes a test procedure for determining the propensity of aircraft turbine engine cleaning and maintenance materials for causing stress corrosion cracking of titanium alloy parts. 1.2 The evaluation is conducted on representative titanium alloys by determining the effect of contact with cleaning and maintenance materials on tendency of prestressed titanium alloys to crack when subsequently heated to elevated temperatures. 1.3 Test conditions are based upon manufacturer's maximum recommended operating solution concentration. This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use. For specific precautionary statements, see and .

Standard test method for measurement of soil resistivity using the two-electrode soil box method

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2005-01-01

1.1 This test method covers the equipment and a procedure for the measurement of soil resistivity, for samples removed from the ground, for use in the control of corrosion of buried structures. 1.2 Procedures allow for this test method to be used n the field or in the laboratory. 1.3 The test method procedures are for the resistivity measurement of soil samples in the saturated condition and in the as-received condition. 1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The values given in parentheses are for information only. Soil resistivity values are reported in ohm-centimeter. This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and to determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

Standard Test Method for Effects of Cleaning and Chemical Maintenance Materials on Painted Aircraft Surfaces

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2008-01-01

1.1 This test method covers determination of the effects of cleaning solutions and liquid cleaner concentrates on painted aircraft surfaces (Note 1). Streaking, discoloration, and blistering may be determined visually. Softening is determined with a series of specially prepared pencils wherein determination of the softest pencil to rupture the paint film is made. Note 1—This test method is applicable to any paint film that is exposed to cleaning materials. MIL-PRF-85285 has been selected as a basic example. When other paint finishes are used, refer to the applicable material specification for panel preparation and system curing prior to testing. 1.2 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded as standard. The values given in parentheses are mathematical conversions to SI units that are provided for information only and are not considered standard. 1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user ...

Effects of time-of-day on oxidative stress, cardiovascular parameters, biochemical markers, and hormonal response following level-1 Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test.

Science.gov (United States)

Aloui, K; Abedelmalek, S; Chtourou, H; Wong, D P; Boussetta, N; Souissi, N

2017-03-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of time-of-day on oxidative stress, cardiovascular parameters, muscle damage parameters, and hormonal responses following the level-1 Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test (YYIRT). A total of 11 healthy subjects performed an intermittent test (YYIRT) at two times-of-day (i.e., 07:00 h and 17:00 h), with a recovery period of ≥36 h in-between, in a randomized order. Blood samples were taken at the rest (baseline) and immediately (post-YYIRT) after the YYIRT for measuring oxidative stress, biochemical markers, and hormonal response. Data were statistically analyzed using one-way and two-way repeated measures ANOVA and Bonferroni test at p creatine kinase (p  0.05) were similar for the morning and evening test. In conclusion, our findings suggest that aerobic performance presents diurnal variation with great result observed in the evening accompanied by an improvement of hormonal, metabolic, and oxidative responses. These data may help to guide athletes and coaches and contribute to public health recommendations on exercise and muscle damage particularly in the competitive periods.

Standard Test Method for Measuring Reaction Rates by Radioactivation of Uranium-238

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2008-01-01

1.1 This test method covers procedures for measuring reaction rates by assaying a fission product (F.P.) from the fission reaction 238U(n,f)F.P. 1.2 The reaction is useful for measuring neutrons with energies from approximately 1.5 to 7 MeV and for irradiation times up to 30 to 40 years. 1.3 Equivalent fission neutron fluence rates as defined in Practice E 261 can be determined. 1.4 Detailed procedures for other fast-neutron detectors are referenced in Practice E 261. 1.5 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other unites of measurement are included in this standard. 1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

Standard Test Method for Measuring Reaction Rates by Radioactivation of Neptunium-237

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2008-01-01

1.1 This test method covers procedures for measuring reaction rates by assaying a fission product (F.P.) from the fission reaction 237Np(n,f)F.P. 1.2 The reaction is useful for measuring neutrons with energies from approximately 0.7 to 6 MeV and for irradiation times up to 30 to 40 years. 1.3 Equivalent fission neutron fluence rates as defined in Practice E 261 can be determined. 1.4 Detailed procedures for other fast-neutron detectors are referenced in Practice E 261. 1.5 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard. 1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

Sweat test for cystic fibrosis: Wearable sweat sensor vs. standard laboratory test.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Dong-Hoon; Thaxton, Abigail; Jeong, In Cheol; Kim, Kain; Sosnay, Patrick R; Cutting, Garry R; Searson, Peter C

2018-03-23

Sweat chloride testing for diagnosis of cystic fibrosis (CF) involves sweat induction, collection and handling, and measurement in an analytical lab. We have developed a wearable sensor with an integrated salt bridge for real-time measurement of sweat chloride concentration. Here, in a proof-of-concept study, we compare the performance of the sensor to current clinical practice in CF patients and healthy subjects. Sweat was induced on both forearms of 10 individuals with CF and 10 healthy subjects using pilocarpine iontophoresis. A Macroduct sweat collection device was attached to one arm and sweat was collected for 30 min and then sent for laboratory analysis. A sensor was attached to the other arm and the chloride ion concentration monitored in real time for 30 min using a Bluetooth transceiver and smart phone app. Stable sweat chloride measurements were obtained within 15 min following sweat induction using the wearable sensor. We define the detection time as the time at which the standard deviation of the real-time chloride ion concentration remained below 2 mEq/L for 5 min. The sweat volume for sensor measurements at the detection time was 13.1 ± 11.4 μL (SD), in many cases lower than the minimum sweat volume of 15 μL for conventional testing. The mean difference between sweat chloride concentrations measured by the sensor and the conventional laboratory practice was 6.2 ± 9.5 mEq/L (SD), close to the arm-to-arm variation of about 3 mEq/L. The Pearson correlation coefficient between the two measurements was 0.97 highlighting the excellent agreement between the two methods. A wearable sensor can be used to make real-time measurements of sweat chloride within 15 min following sweat induction, requiring a small sweat volume, and with excellent agreement to standard methods. Copyright © 2018 European Cystic Fibrosis Society. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Review of application code and standards for mechanical and piping design of HANARO fuel test loop

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, J. Y.

1998-02-01

The design and installation of the irradiation test facility for verification test of the fuel performance are very important in connection with maximization of the utilization of HANARO. HANARO fuel test loop was designed in accordance with the same code and standards of nuclear power plant because HANARO FTL will be operated the high pressure and temperature same as nuclear power plant operation conditions. The objective of this study is to confirm the propriety of application code and standards for mechanical and piping of HANARO fuel test loop and to decide the technical specification of FTL systems. (author). 18 refs., 8 tabs., 6 figs.

Changes in the biochemical composition of testes during spermatogenesis in Asterias vulgaris, with emphasis on the role of polyamines in regulating proliferation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, F.F.

1985-01-01

Testes of Asterias vulgaris are potentially useful for investigating mechanisms regulating spermatogenic events because of their structural simplicity and annual spermatogenic cycle. Examination of major biochemical classes during the spermatogenic cycle provides a definition of the changing chemical microenvironment influencing germinal cells and also suggests temporal relationships among successive spermatogenic events. Testes from seastars collected throughout the year were homogenized and lyophilized and aliquots assayed for DNA, RNA, total protein, free amino acids, total lipids, glycogen, and other carbohydrates; spermatogenic stage was determined by examination of paraffin sections. Activity of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), the rate-limiting enzyme of polyamine synthesis, increases during the proliferative phase of spermatogenesis. Testicular ODC activity correlates well with DNA synthetic rate. To test the possible role of polyamines in regulating initiation of spermatogonial mitoses, intact testes near the beginning of the proliferative phase were incubated in vitro with exogenous polyamines. They subsequently showed a significant increase in incorporation of 3 H-thymidine into DNA. These results suggest a direct role for polyamines in the regulation of spermatogenic proliferation in a. vulgaris. Evidence for a regulatory role of polyamines in the initiation of proliferation, together with existing information on the environmental, hormonal, and cytological interactions, facilitates development of a preliminary model for regulation and entrainment of spermatogenesis

Standard Test Method for Measuring Binocular Disparity in Transparent Parts

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2009-01-01

1.1 This test method covers the amount of binocular disparity that is induced by transparent parts such as aircraft windscreens, canopies, HUD combining glasses, visors, or goggles. This test method may be applied to parts of any size, shape, or thickness, individually or in combination, so as to determine the contribution of each transparent part to the overall binocular disparity present in the total “viewing system” being used by a human operator. 1.2 This test method represents one of several techniques that are available for measuring binocular disparity, but is the only technique that yields a quantitative figure of merit that can be related to operator visual performance. 1.3 This test method employs apparatus currently being used in the measurement of optical angular deviation under Method F 801. 1.4 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded as standard. The values given in parentheses are mathematical conversions to SI units that are provided for information only and are not con...

Biochemical basis for the action of radioprotective drugs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Romantsev, E.F.; Blokhina, V.D.; Zhulanova, Z.I.; Koshcheenko, N.N.; Filippovich, I.V.

1977-01-01

The hypothesis of complex biochemical mechanism of action of radioprotective drugs is described. Shortly after injection of radioprotective aminothiols into animals the inhibition of radiosensitive biochemical processes: DNA and RNA synthesis, protein synthesis and oxidative phosphorylation has been observed. The molecular mechanism of these phenomena consists of radioprotectors ability to form adsorption, thioester, amide, and disulphide bonds with appropriate enzymes. The curve reflecting the formation and breakdown of mixed disulphides between radioprotectors and proteins coincides well with that reflecting the radioprotective effect dependence on time. The radiobiological significance of molecular interactions observed may be interpreted as the diminution in ''spoiled'' molecules formation (inhibition of replication) and elevation in repartion rate. The inhibition of biochemical processes has the reversible nature and last for short time. The drugs acting according to so-called oxygen effect protect also by means of biochemical mechanisms. The molecular mechanism is mediated through their ability to bind to receptors, and biologically important molecules and macromolecules. As a result the inhibition of radiosensitive processes occurs, the ''spoiled'' molecules number is diminished and reparation takes place more easily. The idea on the complex biochemical mechanism of action of radioprotectors correlates with the proposal on complex biochemical mechanism responsible for interphase death occured after irradiation

Differentiation of Staphylococcus aureus from freshly slaughtered poultry and strains 'endemic' to processing plants by biochemical and physiological tests.

Science.gov (United States)

Mead, G C; Norris, A P; Bratchell, N

1989-02-01

A comparison was made of 27 'endemic' strains of Staphylococcus aureus and 35 strains from freshly slaughtered birds, isolated at five commercial slaughterhouses processing chickens or turkeys. Of 112 biochemical and physiological tests used, 74 gave results which differed among the strains. Cluster analysis revealed several distinct groupings which were influenced by strain type, processing plant and bird origin; these included a single group at the 72% level of similarity containing most of the 'endemic' strains. In comparison with strains from freshly slaughtered birds, a higher proportion of 'endemic' strains produced fibrinolysin, alpha-glucosidase and urease and were beta-haemolytic on sheep-blood agar. The 'endemic' type also showed a greater tendency to coagulate human but not bovine plasma, and to produce mucoid growth and clumping. The last two properties, relevant to colonization of processing equipment, were less evident in heart infusion broth than in richer media or process water collected during defeathering of the birds.

Diagnosis and management of clinical and subclinical cobalamin deficiencies: why controversies persist in the age of sensitive metabolic testing.

Science.gov (United States)

Carmel, Ralph

2013-05-01

In the past two decades, sensitive biochemical tests have uncovered cobalamin deficiency much more frequently than ever before. Almost all cases involve mild, biochemical changes without clinical manifestations (subclinical cobalamin deficiency; SCCD), whose health impact is unclear. Because the causes of SCCD are most often unknown, nonmalabsorptive, and seldom documented, controversy and confusion surround the diagnostic criteria and, inevitably, consequences and management of SCCD. To complicate matters, our grasp of the rarer clinical deficiency, usually a serious, progressive medical disease rooted in severe malabsorption, has receded as absorption testing has disappeared. Reexamining the accumulation of assumptions and misperceptions about cobalamin deficiency and distinguishing SCCD from clinical deficiency is long overdue. The biology of cobalamin provides an important starting point: cobalamin stores exceed daily losses so greatly and binding proteins regulate absorption so effectively that deficiency typically achieves clinical expression only after years of severe, relentless malabsorption. Dietary insufficiency, mild, partial malabsorption, and other incomplete, intermittent causes can usually produce only SCCD. Thus, the most fundamental difference between the two deficiencies is the relentlessness of the underlying cause, which determines prognosis and health impact. Inattention to absorptive status has exacerbated the limitations of biochemical testing. All the biochemical tests are highly sensitive but specificity is poor, no diagnostic gold standard exists, and diagnostic cutpoints fluctuate excessively. To limit the adverse diagnostic consequences, the diagnosis of SCCD, whose need for treatment is unclear, should be deferred unless at least two tests are abnormal. Indeed, cobalamin biology indicates that the absorption system, while enhancing cobalamin delivery, also sets a strict upper limit on it, which suggests that cobalamin excess is

Biochemical reactions of the organism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fedorova, A.V.

1984-01-01

Effects of mercury, strontium chloride, GMDA, trichlorfon as well as some radionuclides ( 89 Sr, 137 Cs, 203 Hg) were studied on rats. Changes in biochemical parameters (histamine content, activity of cholinesterase and histaminase) are noted. Most noticeable changes were observed in enzymatic activity. Distortion of enzymatic systems and accumulation of intermediate exchange and decay products of tissues in excess quantities affecting other systems can be the reason for changes in the organism. The observed changes in biochemical parameters should be necessarily taken into account at hygienic regulations of harmful effects of enviroment

Analytical interference by contrast agents in biochemical assays

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Otnes, Sigrid; Fogh-Andersen, Niels; Rømsing, Janne

2017-01-01

Objective. To provide a clinically relevant overview of the analytical interference by contrast agents (CA) in laboratory blood test measurements. Materials and Methods. The effects of five CAs, gadobutrol, gadoterate meglumine, gadoxetate disodium, iodixanol, and iomeprol, were studied on the 29...... most frequently performed biochemical assays. One-day-old plasma, serum, and whole blood were spiked with doses of each agent such that the gadolinium agents and the iodine agents reached concentrations of 0.5mMand 12mg iodine/mL, respectively. Subsequently, 12 assays were reexamined using 1/2 and 1...

['Gold standard', not 'golden standard'

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Claassen, J.A.H.R.

2005-01-01

In medical literature, both 'gold standard' and 'golden standard' are employed to describe a reference test used for comparison with a novel method. The term 'gold standard' in its current sense in medical research was coined by Rudd in 1979, in reference to the monetary gold standard. In the same

Age-associated and breed-associated variations in haematological and biochemical variables in young labrador retriever and miniature schnauzer dogs.

Science.gov (United States)

Brenten, Thomas; Morris, Penelope J; Salt, Carina; Raila, Jens; Kohn, Barbara; Schweigert, Florian J; Zentek, Jürgen

2016-01-01

Breed, sex and age effects on haematological and biochemical variables were investigated in 24 labrador retriever and 25 miniature schnauzer dogs during the first year of life. Blood samples were taken regularly between weeks 8 and 52. White blood cell and red blood cell counts, haemoglobin concentration, haematocrit, mean cell volume, mean cell haemoglobin, mean cell haemoglobin concentration, platelet count as well as total protein, albumin, calcium, phosphate, alkaline phosphatase, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, glutamate dehydrogenase, total cholesterol, triglycerides, creatine and urea were evaluated. For all haematological and biochemical parameters, there were significant effects of age on test results. Statistically significant effects for breed and the breed×age interaction on test results were observed for most of the parameters with the exception of haemoglobin. Variations in test results illustrate growth related alterations in body tissue and metabolism leading to dynamic and marked changes in haematological and biochemical parameters, which have to be considered for the interpretation of clinical data obtained from dogs in the first year of life.

A re-assessment of biochemical marker distributions in T21 affected and unaffected twin pregnancies in the first trimester

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Madsen, Helen Nordahl; Ball, Susan; Wright, Dave

2011-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the difference between levels of the two biochemical markers pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) and maternal serum free β-human chorionic gonadotropin (free β-hCG) in twin pregnancies relative to singleton pregnancies and establish an improved screening procedure...... of the biochemical markers were calculated. Detection rates and false-positive rates were estimated for screening tests incorporating nuchal translucency and maternal age, with and without biochemistry. RESULTS: Medians for the two biochemical markers for monochorionic and dichorionic twins in unaffected pregnancies......-trimester screening for chromosomal abnormalities in twins to a level comparable with that in singleton pregnancies....

ASME N511-19XX, Standard for periodic in-service testing of nuclear air treatment, heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1997-08-01

A draft version of the Standard is presented in this document. The Standard covers the requirements for periodic in-service testing of nuclear safety-related air treatment, heating, ventilating, and air conditioning systems in nuclear facilities. The Standard provides a basis for the development of test programs and does not include acceptance criteria, except in cases where the results of one test influence the performance of other tests. The Standard covers general inspection and test requirements, reference values, inspection and test requirements, generic tests, acceptance criteria, in-service test requirements, testing following an abnormal incident, corrective action requirements, and quality assurance. Mandatory appendices provide a visual inspection checklist and four test procedures. Non-mandatory appendices provide additional information and guidance on mounting frame pressure leak test procedure, corrective action, challenge gas substitute selection criteria, and test program development. 8 refs., 10 tabs.

ASME N511-19XX, Standard for periodic in-service testing of nuclear air treatment, heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-01-01

A draft version of the Standard is presented in this document. The Standard covers the requirements for periodic in-service testing of nuclear safety-related air treatment, heating, ventilating, and air conditioning systems in nuclear facilities. The Standard provides a basis for the development of test programs and does not include acceptance criteria, except in cases where the results of one test influence the performance of other tests. The Standard covers general inspection and test requirements, reference values, inspection and test requirements, generic tests, acceptance criteria, in-service test requirements, testing following an abnormal incident, corrective action requirements, and quality assurance. Mandatory appendices provide a visual inspection checklist and four test procedures. Non-mandatory appendices provide additional information and guidance on mounting frame pressure leak test procedure, corrective action, challenge gas substitute selection criteria, and test program development. 8 refs., 10 tabs

Mechanical Testing of Polymeric Composites for Aircraft Applications: Standards, Requirements and Limitations

Science.gov (United States)

Chinchan, Levon; Shevtsov, Sergey; Soloviev, Arcady; Shevtsova, Varvara; Huang, Jiun-Ping

The high-loaded parts of modern aircrafts and helicopters are often produced from polymeric composite materials. Such materials consist of reinforcing fibers, packed by layers with the different angles, and resin, which uniformly distributes the structural stresses between fibers. These composites should have an orthotropic symmetry of mechanical properties to obtain the desirable spatial distribution of elastic moduli consistent to the external loading pattern. Main requirements to the aircraft composite materials are the specified elastic properties (9 for orthotropic composite), long-term strength parameters, high resistance against the environmental influences, low thermal expansion to maintain the shape stability. These properties are ensured by an exact implementation of technological conditions and many testing procedures performed with the fibers, resin, prepregs and ready components. Most important mechanical testing procedures are defined by ASTM, SACMA and other standards. However in each case the wide diversity of components (dimensions and lay-up of fibers, rheological properties of thermosetting resins) requires a specific approach to the sample preparation, testing, and numerical processing of the testing results to obtain the veritable values of tested parameters. We pay the special attention to the cases where the tested specimens are cut not from the plates recommended by standards, but from the ready part manufactured with the specific lay-up, tension forces on the reinforcing fiber at the filament winding, and curing schedule. These tests can provide most useful information both for the composite structural design and to estimate a quality of the ready parts. We consider an influence of relation between specimen dimensions and pattern of the fibers winding (or lay-up) on the results of mechanical testing for determination of longitudinal, transverse and in-plane shear moduli, an original numerical scheme for reconstruction of in-plane shear

The role of biochemical variations and genotype testing in determining the virological response of patients infected with hepatitis C virus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abid Shoukat

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Background: In hepatitis C virus (HCV, infection viral and IL28B genotype along with many clinical and biochemical factors can influence response rates to pegylated interferon plus ribavirin (Peg-IFN-a/R therapy and progression to chronic hepatitis C (CHC. Aims: The present study was conducted to determine the effect of biochemical and risk factors on treatment outcome in CHC patients in relation to their viral and host genotype. Settings and Design: The present study was a prospective Pe- IFN efficacy study consisting of Peg-IFN-a/R therapy for 24–48 weeks including 250 HCV infected patients. Materials and Methods: Biochemical parameters were determined by Beckman Coulter AU680 automated analyzer. HCV and Interleukin 28B (IL28B genotyping were carried out by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism and viral load was determined by quantitative real-time PCR. Results: Wild outnumbered the variant genotypes in rs 12979860, rs 12980275, and rs 8099917 SNP of IL28B gene. Sustained virological response (SVR SVR and viral genotype were significantly associated with age, hepatic steatosis, low-grade varices, and serum aspartate transaminase levels (at the end of treatment (P < 0.05. In addition, SVR was significantly influenced by body mass index (BMI, insulin resistance, serum low-density lipoprotein , and ferritin levels (P < 0.05. Viral genotype 1 infected patients had higher serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels (P < 0.05. Conclusions: Although the IL28B sequence variation is the major factor that can influence response rates to antiviral therapy, viral and biochemical factors also have a definite role to play in the diagnosis, etiology, and treatment outcome in HCV-infected patients.

Tests of local Lorentz invariance violation of gravity in the standard model extension with pulsars.

Science.gov (United States)

Shao, Lijing

2014-03-21

The standard model extension is an effective field theory introducing all possible Lorentz-violating (LV) operators to the standard model and general relativity (GR). In the pure-gravity sector of minimal standard model extension, nine coefficients describe dominant observable deviations from GR. We systematically implemented 27 tests from 13 pulsar systems to tightly constrain eight linear combinations of these coefficients with extensive Monte Carlo simulations. It constitutes the first detailed and systematic test of the pure-gravity sector of minimal standard model extension with the state-of-the-art pulsar observations. No deviation from GR was detected. The limits of LV coefficients are expressed in the canonical Sun-centered celestial-equatorial frame for the convenience of further studies. They are all improved by significant factors of tens to hundreds with existing ones. As a consequence, Einstein's equivalence principle is verified substantially further by pulsar experiments in terms of local Lorentz invariance in gravity.

Biochemical analysis of cerebrospinal fluid in the laboratories of deployed medical treatment facilities: are Multistix 10 SG strip and iSTAT useful?

Science.gov (United States)

Lefrere, Bertrand; Plantamura, J; Renard, C; Ceppa, F; Delacour, H

2017-12-01

During military deployment, the diagnosis and the management of acute bacterial meningitis can be problematic, as deployed Medical Treatment Facilities (MTFs) often have a limited laboratory diagnostic capability. However, French Role 2 and 3 MTFs have point-of-care (POC) testing to perform urinary (Multistix 10 SG strip) and blood (iSTAT handheld analyser) biochemical testing mentioned in AMedP8.5. The purpose of this study was to compare the accuracy of this urine test strip and of the iSTAT CHEM8 and CG4 cartridges with a standard hospital bench top analyser in order to determine if these POC devices have a potential role in the biochemical analysis of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF protein, CSF glucose and CSF lactate, respectively). Agreement between the index methods and the reference methods (suitable kits on the Cobas 6 000 System) was evaluated by parallel testing of 30 CSF samples by both techniques. For CSF protein, agreement between the strip and the reference method was evaluated determining the κ coefficient. For CSF glucose and CSF lactate subgroups, least squares linear regressions were calculated and Bland-Altman analyses were performed. The Multistix 10 SG strip can be used to make a semiquantitative determination of CSF protein. A good agreement between the strip and the reference method was observed (κ coefficient: 0.93 (IC 95 0.82 to 1)). This strip is thus well adapted to demonstrate an elevation of CSF protein level as observed in acute bacterial meningitis. The iSTAT CHEM8 and CG4+ cartridges correlated well with the reference methods for the determination of CSF glucose and CSF lactate, respectively (r 2 >0.98) but exhibited a negative bias (∼ -7% and ∼ -15%, respectively). The combined use of the Multistix 10 SG strip and of the iSTAT system appears to be an attractive solution for the biochemical investigation of CSF in medical treatment facilities with limited laboratory diagnostic capability. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group

Prognostic value of biochemical variables for survival after surgery for metastatic bone disease of the extremities.

Science.gov (United States)

Sørensen, Michala Skovlund; Hovgaard, Thea Bechman; Hindsø, Klaus; Petersen, Michael Mørk

2017-03-01

Prediction of survival in patients having surgery for metastatic bone disease in the extremities (MBDex) has been of interest in more than two decades. Hitherto no consensus on the value of biochemical variables has been achieved. Our purpose was (1) to investigate if standard biochemical variables have independent prognostic value for survival after surgery for MBDex and (2) to identify optimal prognostic cut off values for survival of biochemical variables. In a consecutive cohort of 270 patients having surgery for MBDex, we measured preoperative biochemical variables: hemoglobin, alkaline phosphatase, C-reactive protein and absolute, neutrophil and lymphocyte count. ROC curve analyses were performed to identify optimal cut off levels. Independent prognostic factors for variables were addressed with multiple Cox regression analyses. Optimal cut off levels were identified as: hemoglobin 7.45 mmol/L, absolute lymphocyte count 8.5 × 10 9 /L, neutrophil 5.68 × 10 9 /L, lymphocyte 1.37 × 10 9 /L, C-reactive protein 22.5 mg/L, and alkaline phosphatase 129 U/L. Regression analyses found alkaline phosphatase (HR 2.49) and neutrophil count (HR 2.49) to be independent prognostic factors. We found neutrophil count and alkaline phosphatase to be independent prognostic variables in predicting survival in patients after surgery for MBDex. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Prevalence of biochemical and immunological abnormalities in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Tile prevalence of biochemical and immunological abnormalities was studied in a group of 256 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (104 coloureds, 100 whites and 52 blacks). The most common biochemical abnormalities detected were a reduction in the serum creatinine value (43,4%), raised globulins (39,7%), raised serum ...

[Biochemical diagnostics of fatal opium intoxication].

Science.gov (United States)

Papyshev, I P; Astashkina, O G; Tuchik, E S; Nikolaev, B S; Cherniaev, A L

2013-01-01

Biochemical diagnostics of fatal opium intoxication remains a topical problem in forensic medical science and practice. We investigated materials obtained in the course of forensic medical expertise of the cases of fatal opium intoxication. The study revealed significant differences between myoglobin levels in blood, urine, myocardium, and skeletal muscles. The proposed approach to biochemical diagnostics of fatal opium intoxication enhances the accuracy and the level of evidence of expert conclusions.

The development and standardization of testing methods for genetically modified organisms and their derived products.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Dabing; Guo, Jinchao

2011-07-01

As the worldwide commercialization of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) increases and consumers concern the safety of GMOs, many countries and regions are issuing labeling regulations on GMOs and their products. Analytical methods and their standardization for GM ingredients in foods and feed are essential for the implementation of labeling regulations. To date, the GMO testing methods are mainly based on the inserted DNA sequences and newly produced proteins in GMOs. This paper presents an overview of GMO testing methods as well as their standardization. © 2011 Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Analysis of the qualification test standards for small radioactive material shipping packages

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McClure, J.D.

1978-01-01

The study compares the severity of the existing regulatory standards which are used to license radioactive material (RAM) shipping packages with the severity of transportation accidents. The basic findings of the study indicate that the present regulatory standards provide significantly higher levels of protection for surface transportation modes (truck, rail) than for RAM packages shipped by aircraft. It was also determined that crush can occur in all of the transport modes and is not presently included in existing regulations for accident conditions. Test proposals are included for the surface transport mode (truck, rail) and the air transport mode

Voter Perceptions: Common Core State Standards & Tests

Science.gov (United States)

Achieve, Inc., 2014

2014-01-01

Since June 2010, 46 states and Washington DC have adopted the Common Core State Standards (CCSS)--K-12 standards in mathematics and English language arts/literacy developed through a multi-state initiative led by the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers. Implementation of the standards is underway in all of…

Traditional utilization and biochemical composition of six mollusc shells in Nigeria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ademolu Kehinde O.

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The shells of molluscs protect them from physical damage, predators and dehydration. We studied various local uses of shells and their biochemical properties in Abeokuta, Nigeria. A standard structured questionnaire about use was applied to 100 snail and herb sellers and shells from 120 adult individuals of Archachatina marginata, Achatina achatina, Achatina fulica, Littorina littorea, Meretrix lusoria and Merceneria mercenaria were evaluated for their mineral components (Ca2+, Fe2+, Mg2+, Na+, Zn+, P+, K+ and proximate composition (crude protein, ash, fibre, crude fat and carbohydrate using standard methods. Properties against fungi and bacteria isolates were also tested. These shells are used for bleaching, brushing, abrasion and others. The weight of the shells varied from 0.5g (L. littorea to 25.00g (A. marginata and thickness from 0.46mm in M .lusoria to 5.35mm in M. mercenaria. We found no inhibitory effect against fungi and bacterial isolates. The molluscs are high in carbohydrates (83.54-92.76g/100g and low in protein (0.16-0.38g/100g. The fat content ranged between 0.42g/100g and 0.82g/100g, and ash between 2.14g/100g and 9.45g/100g. Ca2+ was the most abundant (10.25-96.35mg/g while K+ was the least abundant (0.3-0.7mg/g (p<0.05. Active ingredients of these shells can be used in the feed and construction industries.

A review on test procedure, energy efficiency standards and energy labels for room air conditioners and refrigerator-freezers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mahlia, T.M.I.; Saidur, R. [Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)

2010-09-15

Air conditioners and refrigerator-freezers are major energy users in a household environment and hence efficiency improvement of these appliances can be considered as an important step to reduce their energy consumption along with environmental pollution prevention. Energy efficiency standards and labels are commonly used tools to reduce the energy uses for household appliances for many countries around the world. The first step towards adopting energy efficiency standards is to establish a test procedure for rating and testing of an appliance. It may be mentioned that an energy test procedure is the technical foundation for energy efficiency standards, energy labels, and other related programs. This paper reviews requirements and specifications of various international test standards for testing and rating of room air conditioners and refrigerators. A review on the development of the energy efficiency standards has been provided as well. Finally, energy labels that provide some useful information for identifying energy efficient products have been reviewed for these appliances. It may be stated that the review will be useful for the developing countries who wish to develop these energy savings strategies. It is also expected to be useful to revise the existing strategies for a few selected countries who already implemented these strategies earlier. (author)

Toxicological Study of Ocimum sanctum Linn Leaves: Hematological, Biochemical, and Histopathological Studies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. K. Gautam

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The present study was aimed to study the acute and subacute toxicity studies with orally administered 50% ethanolic leaves extract of Ocimum sanctum Linn (OSE. In acute toxicity tests, four groups of mice (n=6/group/sex were orally treated with doses of 200, 600, and 2000 mg/kg, and general behavior, adverse effects, and mortality were recorded for up to 14 days. In subacute toxicity study, rats received OSE by gavage at the doses of 200, 400, and 800 mg/kg/day (n=6/group/sex for 28 days, and biochemical, hematological, and histopathological changes in tissues (liver, kidney, spleen, heart, and testis/ovary were determined. OSE did not produce any hazardous symptoms or death and CNS and ANS toxicities in the acute toxicity test. Subacute treatment with OSE did not show any change in body weight, food and water consumption, and hematological and biochemical profiles. In addition, no change was observed both in macroscopic and microscopic aspects of vital organs in rats. Our result showed that Ocimum sanctum extract could be safe for human use.

Modelling biochemical reaction systems by stochastic differential equations with reflection.

Science.gov (United States)

Niu, Yuanling; Burrage, Kevin; Chen, Luonan

2016-05-07

In this paper, we gave a new framework for modelling and simulating biochemical reaction systems by stochastic differential equations with reflection not in a heuristic way but in a mathematical way. The model is computationally efficient compared with the discrete-state Markov chain approach, and it ensures that both analytic and numerical solutions remain in a biologically plausible region. Specifically, our model mathematically ensures that species numbers lie in the domain D, which is a physical constraint for biochemical reactions, in contrast to the previous models. The domain D is actually obtained according to the structure of the corresponding chemical Langevin equations, i.e., the boundary is inherent in the biochemical reaction system. A variant of projection method was employed to solve the reflected stochastic differential equation model, and it includes three simple steps, i.e., Euler-Maruyama method was applied to the equations first, and then check whether or not the point lies within the domain D, and if not perform an orthogonal projection. It is found that the projection onto the closure D¯ is the solution to a convex quadratic programming problem. Thus, existing methods for the convex quadratic programming problem can be employed for the orthogonal projection map. Numerical tests on several important problems in biological systems confirmed the efficiency and accuracy of this approach. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Filtration: Novel Absorber Evaluation Club aims at standardized testing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1990-01-01

In the past few years a number of novel absorber materials, both organic and inorganic, have appeared on the market - some claiming to achieve very large decontamination factors for metal ions, including those having radioactive isotopes. Several of these materials have been tested by individual companies in the nuclear industry and some have shown promise as decontaminants for radioactive waste streams. Unfortunately, the results obtained for the treatment of a particular waste stream cannot be applied directly to the many and diverse waste streams generated throughout the nuclear industry. A unified and standardized testing programme making use of available expertise is necessary to provide a fair and meaningful comparison. In November 1988, representatives of the United Kingdom nuclear industry agreed to form the Novel Absorber Evaluation Club to assess absorber materials and to undertake the necessary work to identify the extent and rate of adsorption of radionuclides by such materials from a set of typical reference waste streams. (author)

Biochemical characterization of MLH3 missense mutations does not reveal an apparent role of MLH3 in Lynch syndrome

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ou, Jianghua; Rasmussen, Merete; Westers, Helga

2009-01-01

for eight of these MLH3 UVs identified in suspected Lynch syndrome patients, we performed several biochemical tests. We determined the protein expression and stability, protein localization and interaction of the mutant MLH3 proteins with wildtype MLH1. All eight MLH3 UVs gave protein expression levels...... comparable with wildtype MLH3. Furthermore, the UV-containing proteins, in contrast to previous studies, were all localized normally in the nucleus and they interacted normally with wildtype MLH1. Our different biochemical assays yielded no evidence that the eight MLH3 UVs tested are the cause of hereditary...

CDIO Projects in DTU’s Chemical and Biochemical B.Eng. Study Program

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Clement, Karsten; Harris, Pernille; Agersø, Yvonne

2011-01-01

The aim of this paper is to describe how the CDIO standards [1] have influenced the cross-disciplinary projects that are part of the study plan for the Chemical and Biochemical B.Eng. program. Four projects are described: The 1st semester design-build project on cleaning of waste water from a power...... plant, the 2nd semester laboratory project concerning antimicrobial resistant E. coli bacteria in retail meats, the 3rd semester project on unit operations in enzyme production, the 4th semester project on the fermentation and purification part of enzyme production....

An audit of the contribution to post-mortem examination diagnosis of individual analyte results obtained from biochemical analysis of the vitreous.

Science.gov (United States)

Mitchell, Rebecca; Charlwood, Cheryl; Thomas, Sunethra Devika; Bellis, Maria; Langlois, Neil E I

2013-12-01

Biochemical analysis of the vitreous humor from the eye is an accepted accessory test for post-mortem investigation of cause of death. Modern biochemical analyzers allow testing of a range of analytes from a sample. However, it is not clear which analytes should be requested in order to prevent unnecessary testing (and expense). The means and standard deviation of the values obtained from analysis of the vitreous humor for sodium, potassium, chloride, osmolality, glucose, ketones (β-hydroxybutyrate), creatinine, urea, calcium, lactate, and ammonia were calculated from which the contribution of each analyte was reviewed in the context of post-mortem findings and final cause of death. For sodium 32 cases were regarded as high (more than one standard deviation above the mean), from which 9 contributed to post-mortem diagnosis [drowning (4), heat related death (2), diabetic hyperglycemia (2), and dehydration (1)], but 25 low values (greater than one standard deviation below the mean) made no contribution. For chloride 29 high values contributed to 4 cases--3 drowning and 1 heat-related, but these were all previously identified by a high sodium level. There were 29 high and 35 low potassium values, none of which contributed to determining the final cause of death. Of 22 high values of creatinine, 12 contributed to a diagnosis of renal failure. From 32 high values of urea, 18 contributed to 16 cases of renal failure (2 associated with diabetic hyperglycemia), 1 heat-related death, and one case with dehydration. Osmolarity contributed to 12 cases (5 heat-related, 4 diabetes, 2 renal failure, and 1 dehydration) from 36 high values. There was no contribution from 32 high values and 19 low values of calcium and there was no contribution from 4 high and 2 low values of ammonia. There were 11 high values of glucose, which contributed to the diagnosis of 6 cases of diabetic hyperglycemia and 21 high ketone levels contributed to 8 cases: 4 diabetic ketosis, 3 hypothermia, 3

Evaluation of physiological and biochemical responses in different seasons in Surti buffaloes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sandhya S. Chaudhary

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Aim: This study was conducted to evaluate the impact of hot dry, hot humid and comfortable season on physiological, hematological, biochemical, and oxidative stress parameters in Surti buffaloes. Materials and Methods: Ten lactating Surti buffaloes of similar physiological status were selected. Based on the temperature-humidity index (THI, their natural exposure to the environment was categorized as hot dry (THI1, hot humid (THI2 and moderate winter/comfort season (THI3. Blood/serum samples were collected and analyzed for physiological, hematological, biochemical, and oxidative stress parameters. The results were analyzed using standard statistical methods. Results: With increase in THI, significant rise in physiological parameters such as respiration rate (RR, hematological parameters such as red blood cell (RBC, hematocrit, hemoglobin (Hb and mean cell Hb concentration (MCHC, biochemical parameters such as alanine aminotransferase (ALT, Na, K, creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, Mn, Cu and Zn, hormones such as cortisol and oxidative stress parameters such as glutathione peroxidase (GPx, superoxide dismutase (SOD, lipid peroxide (LPO and total antioxidant status (TAS and significant decline in glucose, cholesterol and triiodothyronine (T3 was observed. Conclusion: It was concluded that THI is a sensitive indicator of heat stress and is impacted by ambient temperature more than the relative humidity in buffaloes. Higher THI is associated with significantly increased RR, total RBC count, Hb, hematocrit, MCHC, ALT, urea, sodium, creatinine, triiodothyronine, SOD, GPx, LPO and TAS and with significant decrease in glucose, cholesterol and triiodothyronine (T3.

75 FR 48728 - The Hydrostatic Testing Provision of the Portable Fire Extinguishers Standard; Extension of the...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-08-11

... Hydrostatic Testing Provision of the Portable Fire Extinguishers Standard; Extension of the Office of... the information collection requirements contained in the Hydrostatic Testing provision of the Portable... 48729

Development of a New Army Standardized Physical Readiness Test: January 2012 through December 2013

Science.gov (United States)

2015-06-30

children, infants, elderly, or disabled/ill persons were excluded, as were animal, in vivo, or theoretical biomechanical or engineering studies...against a single standard. This includes the current 2-mile run and push-ups. For other tests (e.g., sit ups or proposed tests such as rowing or sprints...Force PT Assessment – evaluation of (7) Predictive Fitness Tests: pushups, grip strength, grip endurance, static squat, static row , wall sit

Standard Test Method for Sizing and Counting Particulate Contaminant In and On Clean Room Garments

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2000-01-01

1.1 This test method covers the determination of detachable particulate contaminant 5 m or larger, in and on the fabric of clean room garments. 1.2 This test method does not apply to nonporous fabrics such as Tyvek or Gortex. It only applies to fabrics that are porous such as cotton or polyester. 1.3 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The inch-pound values given in parentheses are for information only. 1.4 This test method provides not only the traditional optical microscopic analysis but also a size distribution and surface obscuration analysis for particles on a fine-textured membrane filter or in a tape lift sample. It utilizes transmitted illumination to render all particles darker than the background for gray level detection. Particles collected on opaque plates must be transferred to a suitable membrane filter. This standard may involve hazardous materials, operations, and equipment. This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associat...

Standard Test Method for Gravimetric Determination of Nonvolatile Residue (NVR) in Environmentally Controlled Areas for Spacecraft

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2008-01-01

1.1 This test method covers the determination of nonvolatile residue (NVR) fallout in environmentally controlled areas used for the assembly, testing, and processing of spacecraft. 1.2 The NVR of interest is that which is deposited on sampling plate surfaces at room temperature: it is left to the user to infer the relationship between the NVR found on the sampling plate surface and that found on any other surfaces. 1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use. 1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.

Comparison of seasonal effects on some hematological and biochemical parameters between ewes with subclinical mastitis and healthy ewes

OpenAIRE

R.N. Sani; M. Moezifar

2016-01-01

This study was conducted to compare the effects of season on some hematological and biochemical parameters in ewes with subclinical mastitis and healthy ewes. A total of 1192 milk and blood samples were collected from ewes between February and April (791 samples in spring), August and October (401 samples in summer). California Mastitis Test (CMT), milk culture, hematologic and serum biochemical parameters were obtained from the medical records. Samples which were positive by bacterial cultur...

Factors That Influence Standard Automated Perimetry Test Results in Glaucoma : Test Reliability, Technician Experience, Time of Day, and Season

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Montolio, Francisco G. Junoy; Wesselink, Christiaan; Gordijn, Marijke; Jansonius, Nomdo M.

2012-01-01

PURPOSE. To determine the influence of several factors on standard automated perimetry test results in glaucoma. METHODS. Longitudinal Humphrey field analyzer 30-2 Swedish interactive threshold algorithm data from 160 eyes of 160 glaucoma patients were used. The influence of technician experience,

Factors that influence standard automated perimetry test results in glaucoma: Test reliability, technician experience, time of day, and season

NARCIS (Netherlands)

F.G.J. Montolio (Francisco G. Junoy); C. Wesselink (Christiaan); M.C.M. Gordijn (Marijke); N.M. Jansonius (Nomdo)

2012-01-01

textabstractPURPOSE. To determine the influence of several factors on standard automated perimetry test results in glaucoma. METHODS. Longitudinal Humphrey field analyzer 30-2 Swedish interactive threshold algorithm data from 160 eyes of 160 glaucoma patients were used. The influence of technician

Standardized Test Results: KEEP and Control Students. 1975-1976, Technical Report #69.

Science.gov (United States)

Antill, Ellen; Speidel, Gisela E.

This report presents the results of various standardized measures administered to Kamehameha Early Education Program (KEEP) students and control students in the school year 1975-1976. In contrast to previous comparisons, KEEP employed more rigorous procedures for the selection of the control students and for the conditions of test administration.…

Biochemical changes in diabetic retinopathy triggered by hyperglycaemia: A review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Solani D. Mathebula

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM is now a global health problem which will lead to increasing incidence of macrovascular and microvascular complications that contribute to morbidity, mortality and premature deaths. Diabetic retinopathy (DR is a serious complication of DM, and its prevalence is increasing worldwide. Diabetes mellitus is one of the fastest growing causes of visual impairment and blindness in the working-age population. Aim: The aim of this paper was to introduce the multiple interconnecting biochemical pathways that have been proposed and tested as key contributors in how the diabetic eye loses vision. Method: An extensive literature search was performed using the Medline database from 1970 to present. The search subjects included diabetes and eye, diabetic retinopathy and diabetic complications in the eye. The search was limited to the literature pertaining to humans and to English language. Preference was given to recent published papers. Results: Results were limited to human participants with publications in English. References of all included papers were also scrutinized to identify additional studies. Studies were selected for inclusion in the review if they met the following criteria: subjects with diabetes, pathophysiology of diabetic retinopathy. Conclusion: Although the biochemical pathways involved in DR have been researched, to date the exact mechanism involved in the onset and progression of the disease is uncertain, which makes therapeutic interventions challenging. The aim of this review is to discuss the possible biochemical pathways and clinical and anatomical changes that occur during the onset and progression of DR that link hyperglycaemia with retinal tissue damage. An understanding of the biochemical and molecular changes may lead to health care practitioners advising patients with DR on events that lead to possible complications of the diseases.

Standard Test Method for Measuring Fast-Neutron Reaction Rates by Radioactivation of Titanium

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2008-01-01

1.1 This test method covers procedures for measuring reaction rates by the activation reactions 46Ti(n,p) 46Sc + 47Ti(n, np)46Sc. Note 1—Since the cross section for the (n,np) reaction is relatively small for energies less than 12 MeV and is not easily distinguished from that of the (n,p) reaction, this test method will refer to the (n,p) reaction only. 1.2 The reaction is useful for measuring neutrons with energies above approximately 4.4 MeV and for irradiation times up to about 250 days (for longer irradiations, see Practice E 261). 1.3 With suitable techniques, fission-neutron fluence rates above 109 cm–2·s–1 can be determined. However, in the presence of a high thermal-neutron fluence rate, 46Sc depletion should be investigated. 1.4 Detailed procedures for other fast-neutron detectors are referenced in Practice E 261. 1.5 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard. 1.6 This standard does not purport to address all...

Effects of intramuscular administration of tiletamine-zolazepam with and without sedative pretreatment on plasma and serum biochemical values and glucose tolerance test results in Japanese black bears (Ursus thibetanus japonicus).

Science.gov (United States)

Kamine, Akari; Shimozuru, Michito; Shibata, Haruki; Tsubota, Toshio

2012-08-01

To establish a safe anesthetic protocol with little effect on blood biochemical values and IV glucose tolerance test (IVGTT) results in Japanese black bears (Ursus thibetanus japonicus). 16 captive female Japanese black bears (5 to 17 years of age). Bears were randomly assigned to 4 treatment groups (4 bears/group) in which various treatment combinations were administered via blow dart: tiletamine HCl and zolazepam HCl (9 mg/kg) alone (TZ), TZ (6 mg/kg) and acepromazine maleate (0.1 mg/kg), TZ (6 mg/kg) and butorphanol tartrate (0.3 mg/kg), or TZ (3 mg/kg) and medetomidine HCl (40 μg/kg). Glucose injection for the IVGTT was started 130 minutes after TZ administration. Blood samples were obtained before, at, and intermittently after glucose injection for measurement of biochemical variables as well as plasma glucose and serum insulin concentrations during the IVGTT. Rectal temperature, pulse rate, and respiratory rate were assessed every 15 minutes during the experiment. Induction and maintenance of anesthesia were safely achieved with little adverse effect on cardiopulmonary function when each of the 4 anesthetic regimens was used, although mild hypothermia was induced. No difference was evident between treatment groups in blood biochemical values. Blood glucose and insulin concentration profiles during the IVGTT were similar among the bears given TZ, with or without acepromazine or butorphanol, but hyperglycemia and hypoinsulinemia developed in bears given TZ with medetomidine. All 4 anesthetic regimens yielded chemical restraint without affecting clinical and biochemical values in bears, but medetomidine appeared to affect IVGTT results. For this reason, medetomidine should not be used when anesthetizing bears for IVGTTs.

Standard test method for radiochemical determination of uranium isotopes in soil by alpha spectrometry

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2011-01-01

1.1 This test method covers the determination of alpha-emitting uranium isotopes in soil. This test method describes one acceptable approach to the determination of uranium isotopes in soil. 1.2 The test method is designed to analyze 10 g of soil; however, the sample size may be varied to 50 g depending on the activity level. This test method may not be able to completely dissolve all forms of uranium in the soil matrix. Studies have indicated that the use of hydrofluoric acid to dissolve soil has resulted in lower values than results using total dissolution by fusion. 1.3 The lower limit of detection is dependent on count time, sample size, detector, background, and tracer yield. The chemical yield averaged 78 % in a single laboratory evaluation, and 66 % in an interlaboratory collaborative study. 1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. The values given in parentheses are for information only. 1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, ass...

Standardization of serological tests for detecting anti-Trypanosoma cruzi antibodies in dogs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. A. Lauricella

1993-09-01

Full Text Available This paper reports on the standardization of four serological reactions currently used in human serodiagnosis for the detection of anti-Trypanosoma cruzi antibodies in naturally and experimentally infected dogs. Indirect immunofluorescence test (IFAT and hemagglutination test (IHAT were standardized, and complement fixation test (CFT and direct agglutination test (DAT were used for diagnostic confirmation. Four hundred and eighty one mongrel dogs that were studied by xenodiagnosis were used: (1 parasitemic dogs of two localities of endemic area (EA of Santiago del Estero province in Argentina (n = 134; (2 non-parasitemic dogs of the same area (n = 285; (3 dogs experimentally infected with T. cruzi in the patent period (n = 6; (4 non-infected dogs (n = 56 which were born in the city of Buenos Aires (BA, one non-EA for Chagas' disease. For IFAT, parasitemic dogs EA showed 95% of reactive sera. Non parasitemic dogs EA showed 77% of non reactive sera. None sera from BA were reactive for dilutions higher than four. For IHAT, 84% of sera of parasitemic dogs EA showed serological reactivity and among non parasitemic dogs BA, 61% were non reactive, while the remainder showed at most titres of 1/16. The cut-off titres for IFAT and IHAT were 1/16 and 1/32 respectively, and for CFT and DAT 1/1 and 1/128 respectively. Sensitivity for IFAT, IHAT, CF and DAT were 95%, 84%, 97% and 95% respectively.

Biochemical and toxicological studies of aqueous extract of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Biochemical and toxicological studies of aqueous extract of Syzigium ... tract diseases and also used as food spices), on some biochemical indices, such as ... liver functions and blood parameters were studied in adult albino rats of both sexes.

Standard test method for uranium analysis in natural and waste water by X-ray fluorescence

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2004-01-01

1.1 This test method applies for the determination of trace uranium content in waste water. It covers concentrations of U between 0.05 mg/L and 2 mg/L. 1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard. 1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

Validity and Reliability of Baseline Testing in a Standardized Environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Higgins, Kathryn L; Caze, Todd; Maerlender, Arthur

2017-08-11

The Immediate Postconcussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT) is a computerized neuropsychological test battery commonly used to determine cognitive recovery from concussion based on comparing post-injury scores to baseline scores. This model is based on the premise that ImPACT baseline test scores are a valid and reliable measure of optimal cognitive function at baseline. Growing evidence suggests that this premise may not be accurate and a large contributor to invalid and unreliable baseline test scores may be the protocol and environment in which baseline tests are administered. This study examined the effects of a standardized environment and administration protocol on the reliability and performance validity of athletes' baseline test scores on ImPACT by comparing scores obtained in two different group-testing settings. Three hundred-sixty one Division 1 cohort-matched collegiate athletes' baseline data were assessed using a variety of indicators of potential performance invalidity; internal reliability was also examined. Thirty-one to thirty-nine percent of the baseline cases had at least one indicator of low performance validity, but there were no significant differences in validity indicators based on environment in which the testing was conducted. Internal consistency reliability scores were in the acceptable to good range, with no significant differences between administration conditions. These results suggest that athletes may be reliably performing at levels lower than their best effort would produce. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Factors that influence standard automated perimetry test results in glaucoma: test reliability, technician experience, time of day, and season.

Science.gov (United States)

Junoy Montolio, Francisco G; Wesselink, Christiaan; Gordijn, Marijke; Jansonius, Nomdo M

2012-10-09

To determine the influence of several factors on standard automated perimetry test results in glaucoma. Longitudinal Humphrey field analyzer 30-2 Swedish interactive threshold algorithm data from 160 eyes of 160 glaucoma patients were used. The influence of technician experience, time of day, and season on the mean deviation (MD) was determined by performing linear regression analysis of MD against time on a series of visual fields and subsequently performing a multiple linear regression analysis with the MD residuals as dependent variable and the factors mentioned above as independent variables. Analyses were performed with and without adjustment for the test reliability (fixation losses and false-positive and false-negative answers) and with and without stratification according to disease stage (baseline MD). Mean follow-up was 9.4 years, with on average 10.8 tests per patient. Technician experience, time of day, and season were associated with the MD. Approximately 0.2 dB lower MD values were found for inexperienced technicians (P Technician experience, time of day, season, and the percentage of false-positive answers have a significant influence on the MD of standard automated perimetry.