Surgical options for lumbosacral fusion: biomechanical stability, advantage, disadvantage and affecting factors in selecting options.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoshihara, Hiroyuki

2014-07-01

Numerous surgical procedures and instrumentation techniques for lumbosacral fusion (LSF) have been developed. This is probably because of its high mechanical demand and unique anatomy. Surgical options include anterior column support (ACS) and posterior stabilization procedures. Biomechanical studies have been performed to verify the stability of those options. The options have their own advantage but also disadvantage aspects. This review article reports the surgical options for lumbosacral fusion, their biomechanical stability, advantages/disadvantages, and affecting factors in option selection. Review of literature. LSF has lots of options both for ACS and posterior stabilization procedures. Combination of posterior stabilization procedures is an option. Furthermore, combinations of ACS and posterior stabilization procedures are other options. It is difficult to make a recommendation or treatment algorithm of LSF from the current literature. However, it is important to know all aspects of the options and decision-making of surgical options for LSF needs to be tailored for each patient, considering factors such as biomechanical stress and osteoporosis.

Evaluation of dairy effluent management options using multiple criteria analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Hajkowicz, Stefan A; Wheeler, Sarah A

2008-04-01

This article describes how options for managing dairy effluent on the Lower Murray River in South Australia were evaluated using multiple criteria analysis (MCA). Multiple criteria analysis is a framework for combining multiple environmental, social, and economic objectives in policy decisions. At the time of the study, dairy irrigation in the region was based on flood irrigation which involved returning effluent to the river. The returned water contained nutrients, salts, and microbial contaminants leading to environmental, human health, and tourism impacts. In this study MCA was used to evaluate 11 options against 6 criteria for managing dairy effluent problems. Of the 11 options, the MCA model selected partial rehabilitation of dairy paddocks with the conversion of remaining land to other agriculture. Soon after, the South Australian Government adopted this course of action and is now providing incentives for dairy farmers in the region to upgrade irrigation infrastructure and/or enter alternative industries.

TIAA-CREF Retirement Options and Considerations.

Science.gov (United States)

Bastable, C. W.; Brady, Gerald P.

1979-01-01

The various retirement income options available to TIAA-CREF participants and federal taxes on each option are explained. The importance of early planning for retirement income is stressed and it is suggested that assessment of future financial needs will indicate the most appropriate settlement mode for retirement. (SF)

Finite element analysis of stress concentration in three popular brands of fiber posts systems used for maxillary central incisor teeth.

Science.gov (United States)

Aggarwal, Shalini; Garg, Vaibhav

2011-07-01

To study the stress concentrations in endodontically treated maxillary central incisor teeth restored with 3 different fiber post systems subjected to various oblique occlusal loads. FEM analysis was used to analyze stress concentrations generated in maxillary anterior teeth. Computer aided designing was used to create a 2-D model of an upper central incisor. Post systems analyzed were the DT Light Post (RDT, Bisco), Luscent Anchor (Dentatus) & RelyX (3M-ESPE). The entire design assembly was subjected to analysis by ANSYS for oblique loading forces of 25N, 80N & 125 N RESULTS: The resultant data showed that the RelyX generated the least amount of stress concentration. Minimal stress buildups contribute to the longevity of the restorations. Thus RelyX by virtue of judicious stress distribution is the better option for restoration of grossly decayed teeth.

A multi-criteria decision analysis assessment of waste paper management options

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hanan, Deirdre [Department of Design, Development, Environment and Materials, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA (United Kingdom); Burnley, Stephen, E-mail: s.j.burnley@open.ac.uk [Department of Design, Development, Environment and Materials, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA (United Kingdom); Cooke, David [Department of Design, Development, Environment and Materials, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA (United Kingdom)

2013-03-15

Highlights: ► Isolated communities have particular problems in terms of waste management. ► An MCDA tool allowed a group of non-experts to evaluate waste management options. ► The group preferred local waste management solutions to export to the mainland. ► Gasification of paper was the preferred option followed by recycling. ► The group concluded that they could be involved in the decision making process. - Abstract: The use of Multi-criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) was investigated in an exercise using a panel of local residents and stakeholders to assess the options for managing waste paper on the Isle of Wight. Seven recycling, recovery and disposal options were considered by the panel who evaluated each option against seven environmental, financial and social criteria. The panel preferred options where the waste was managed on the island with gasification and recycling achieving the highest scores. Exporting the waste to the English mainland for incineration or landfill proved to be the least preferred options. This research has demonstrated that MCDA is an effective way of involving community groups in waste management decision making.

A multi-criteria decision analysis assessment of waste paper management options

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hanan, Deirdre; Burnley, Stephen; Cooke, David

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Isolated communities have particular problems in terms of waste management. ► An MCDA tool allowed a group of non-experts to evaluate waste management options. ► The group preferred local waste management solutions to export to the mainland. ► Gasification of paper was the preferred option followed by recycling. ► The group concluded that they could be involved in the decision making process. - Abstract: The use of Multi-criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) was investigated in an exercise using a panel of local residents and stakeholders to assess the options for managing waste paper on the Isle of Wight. Seven recycling, recovery and disposal options were considered by the panel who evaluated each option against seven environmental, financial and social criteria. The panel preferred options where the waste was managed on the island with gasification and recycling achieving the highest scores. Exporting the waste to the English mainland for incineration or landfill proved to be the least preferred options. This research has demonstrated that MCDA is an effective way of involving community groups in waste management decision making

THE THEORY OF REAL OPTIONS in investment ANALYSIS of agroforestry systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maísa Santos Joaquim

2015-09-01

Full Text Available In this study we compared the values generated by traditional economic analysis (Net Present Value - NPV with Real Options Method. The objective was to apply the method proposed by Copeland & Antikarov for rainbow options, due to three stochastic variables selected with decision of abandonment if the project value with flexibility was less than the value of the underlying stock. It enabled the flexibility value generation in order to entrepreneurs to have more confidence in their decision when they are investing in a project with Agroforestry System, with different scenarios visualization in a single analysis. The results evidenced that the economic viability analysis, using Real Options, provided the best view of the possible scenarios, within a range generated by the prices volatility. The Net Present Value adopted as the underlying stock value was R$ 5,684.32, using the discount rate (WACC of 9.95% and risk-free interest rate of 7.5%. To determine the volatility were calculated: the logarithmic return standard deviation (27.06, the average (0.0883, upward movements values (u (1.3107 with 61.34% of probability and downward movements values (d(0.7628 with 38.66%  of probability. The option value in case of abandonment was R$ 2,059.01/ha positive. The results showed that the NPV overestimated the project return and that it would be viable to abandon it.

Real options analysis for land use management: Methods, application, and implications for policy.

Science.gov (United States)

Regan, Courtney M; Bryan, Brett A; Connor, Jeffery D; Meyer, Wayne S; Ostendorf, Bertram; Zhu, Zili; Bao, Chenming

2015-09-15

Discounted cash flow analysis, including net present value is an established way to value land use and management investments which accounts for the time-value of money. However, it provides a static view and assumes passive commitment to an investment strategy when real world land use and management investment decisions are characterised by uncertainty, irreversibility, change, and adaptation. Real options analysis has been proposed as a better valuation method under uncertainty and where the opportunity exists to delay investment decisions, pending more information. We briefly review the use of discounted cash flow methods in land use and management and discuss their benefits and limitations. We then provide an overview of real options analysis, describe the main analytical methods, and summarize its application to land use investment decisions. Real options analysis is largely underutilized in evaluating land use decisions, despite uncertainty in policy and economic drivers, the irreversibility and sunk costs involved. New simulation methods offer the potential for overcoming current technical challenges to implementation as demonstrated with a real options simulation model used to evaluate an agricultural land use decision in South Australia. We conclude that considering option values in future policy design will provide a more realistic assessment of landholder investment decision making and provide insights for improved policy performance. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Market segmentation for multiple option healthcare delivery systems--an application of cluster analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Jarboe, G R; Gates, R H; McDaniel, C D

1990-01-01

Healthcare providers of multiple option plans may be confronted with special market segmentation problems. This study demonstrates how cluster analysis may be used for discovering distinct patterns of preference for multiple option plans. The availability of metric, as opposed to categorical or ordinal, data provides the ability to use sophisticated analysis techniques which may be superior to frequency distributions and cross-tabulations in revealing preference patterns.

A multi-attribute approach to the rationalization of radiation protection options

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lombard, J.; Oudiz, A.

1979-01-01

Application of the ALARA principle requires the use of quantitative methods such as cost-benefit, cost-effectiveness, multi-attribute and other analyses. An example is presented of the application of a multi-attribute analysis in connection with the determination of ALARA levels for the light-water fuel cycle. Thirty-nine processing options for waste from different fuel cycle facilities have been identified. These are categorized on the basis of cost, of performance in terms of reduction of collective and individual detriment and, finally, of a subjective index of data reliability. Multi-attribute analysis can be used for classifying options on the basis of these four criteria. In particular, a method known as ''total outclassing analysis'' can be used for initial classification of options independently of the ''implicit value of human life''. The value of total outclassing analysis lies in the fact that it can be used for a classification of options which takes collective and individual detriment simultaneously into account. It thus represents a satisfactory synthesis of the individual approach (critical groups) and the collective approach. A finer classification can be obtained by carrying out a non-total outclassing analysis (ELECTRE method). At this stage the weighting of criteria becomes a necessity. The results, however, are fairly insensitive to modification of the ''implicit value of human life''. Generally, the study shows traditional radiation protection options to be justified, especially where the trapping of iodine in reactors is concerned, and stresses the value of retaining noble gases in reprocessing plants

14 CFR 33.62 - Stress analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Stress analysis. 33.62 Section 33.62... STANDARDS: AIRCRAFT ENGINES Design and Construction; Turbine Aircraft Engines § 33.62 Stress analysis. A stress analysis must be performed on each turbine engine showing the design safety margin of each turbine...

Is recycling the best policy option? Insights from life cycle analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gaines, L.L.; Stodolsky, F.

1996-03-01

The public perceives that the more we recycle, the better off we are. However, both the concept of recycling and the benefits to be achieved from recycling are somewhat vague. To determine the best option for disposition of a material at the end of its first use, we need to first define the available options and then clarify the possible goals that can be achieved by them. The best option will depend on the material, goals to be achieved, and location-dependent factors, such as costs, resources, and regulations. This paper presents the results of a life-cycle energy analysis of kraft paper and newsprint by Argonne National Laboratory. They indicate that under some circumstances, the option of fiber-energy recovery will maximize the benefits that can. be realized from the U.S. used paper resource.

Stress: a concept analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Goodnite, Patricia M

2014-01-01

To analyze the concept of stress and provide an operational definition of stress. Literature review revealed that stress is a commonly used, but often ambiguous, term. Findings supported a definition of stress entailing an individual's perception of a stimulus as overwhelming, which in turn elicits a measurable response resulting in a transformed state. This analysis adopts a dynamic definition of stress that may serve to encourage communication, promote reflection, and enhance concept understanding. This definition may provide direction for future work, as well as enhance efforts to serve patients affected by stress. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Computers make rig life extension an option

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1996-10-01

The worldwide semisubmersible drilling rig fleet is approaching retirement. But replacement is not an attractive option even though dayrates are reaching record highs. In 1991, Schlumberger Sedco Forex managers decided that an alternative might exist if regulators and insurers could be convinced to extend rig life expectancy through restoration. Sedco Forex chose their No. 704 semisubmersible, an 18-year North Sea veteran, to test their process. The first step was to determine what required restoration, meaning fatigue life analysis of each weld on the huge vessel. If inspected, the task would be unacceptably time-consuming and of questionable accuracy. Instead a suite of computer programs modeled the stress seen by each weld, statistically estimated the sea states seen by the rig throughout its North Sea service and calibrated a beam-element model on which to run their computer simulations. The elastic stiffness of the structure and detailed stress analysis of each weld was performed with ANSYS, a commercially available finite-element analysis program. The use of computer codes to evaluate service life extension is described.

A homotopy analysis method for the option pricing PDE in illiquid markets

Science.gov (United States)

E-Khatib, Youssef

2012-09-01

One of the shortcomings of the Black and Scholes model on option pricing is the assumption that trading the underlying asset does not affect the underlying asset price. This can happen in perfectly liquid markets and it is evidently not viable in markets with imperfect liquidity (illiquid markets). It is well-known that markets with imperfect liquidity are more realistic. Thus, the presence of price impact while studying options is very important. This paper investigates a solution for the option pricing PDE in illiquid markets using the homotopy analysis method.

When to Wait for More Evidence? Real Options Analysis in Proton Therapy

Science.gov (United States)

Abrams, Keith R.; de Ruysscher, Dirk; Pijls-Johannesma, Madelon; Peters, Hans J.M.; Beutner, Eric; Lambin, Philippe; Joore, Manuela A.

2011-01-01

Purpose. Trends suggest that cancer spending growth will accelerate. One method for controlling costs is to examine whether the benefits of new technologies are worth the extra costs. However, especially new and emerging technologies are often more costly, while limited clinical evidence of superiority is available. In that situation it is often unclear whether to adopt the new technology now, with the risk of investing in a suboptimal therapy, or to wait for more evidence, with the risk of withholding patients their optimal treatment. This trade-off is especially difficult when it is costly to reverse the decision to adopt a technology, as is the case for proton therapy. Real options analysis, a technique originating from financial economics, assists in making this trade-off. Methods. We examined whether to adopt proton therapy, as compared to stereotactic body radiotherapy, in the treatment of inoperable stage I non-small cell lung cancer. Three options are available: adopt without further research; adopt and undertake a trial; or delay adoption and undertake a trial. The decision depends on the expected net gain of each option, calculated by subtracting its total costs from its expected benefits. Results. In The Netherlands, adopt and trial was found to be the preferred option, with an optimal sample size of 200 patients. Increase of treatment costs abroad and costs of reversal altered the preferred option. Conclusion. We have shown that real options analysis provides a transparent method of weighing the costs and benefits of adopting and/or further researching new and expensive technologies. PMID:22147003

Cost benefit analysis of two policy options for cannabis: status quo and legalisation.

Science.gov (United States)

Shanahan, Marian; Ritter, Alison

2014-01-01

To date there has been limited analysis of the economic costs and benefits associated with cannabis legalisation. This study redresses this gap. A cost benefit analysis of two cannabis policy options the status quo (where cannabis use is illegal) and a legalised-regulated option was conducted. A cost benefit analysis was used to value the costs and benefits of the two policies in monetary terms. Costs and benefits of each policy option were classified into five categories (direct intervention costs, costs or cost savings to other agencies, benefits or lost benefits to the individual or the family, other impacts on third parties, and adverse or spill over events). The results are expressed as a net social benefit (NSB). The mean NSB per annum from Monte Carlo simulations (with the 5 and 95 percentiles) for the status quo was $294.6 million AUD ($201.1 to $392.7 million) not substantially different from the $234.2 million AUD ($136.4 to $331.1 million) for the legalised-regulated model which excludes government revenue as a benefit. When government revenue is included, the NSB for legalised-regulated is higher than for status quo. Sensitivity analyses demonstrate the significant impact of educational attainment and wellbeing as drivers for the NSB result. Examining the percentiles around the two policy options, there appears to be no difference between the NSB for these two policy options. Economic analyses are essential for good public policy, providing information about the extent to which one policy is substantially economically favourable over another. In cannabis policy, for these two options this does not appear to be the case.

Cost benefit analysis of two policy options for cannabis: status quo and legalisation.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marian Shanahan

Full Text Available AIMS: To date there has been limited analysis of the economic costs and benefits associated with cannabis legalisation. This study redresses this gap. A cost benefit analysis of two cannabis policy options the status quo (where cannabis use is illegal and a legalised-regulated option was conducted. METHOD: A cost benefit analysis was used to value the costs and benefits of the two policies in monetary terms. Costs and benefits of each policy option were classified into five categories (direct intervention costs, costs or cost savings to other agencies, benefits or lost benefits to the individual or the family, other impacts on third parties, and adverse or spill over events. The results are expressed as a net social benefit (NSB. FINDINGS: The mean NSB per annum from Monte Carlo simulations (with the 5 and 95 percentiles for the status quo was $294.6 million AUD ($201.1 to $392.7 million not substantially different from the $234.2 million AUD ($136.4 to $331.1 million for the legalised-regulated model which excludes government revenue as a benefit. When government revenue is included, the NSB for legalised-regulated is higher than for status quo. Sensitivity analyses demonstrate the significant impact of educational attainment and wellbeing as drivers for the NSB result. CONCLUSION: Examining the percentiles around the two policy options, there appears to be no difference between the NSB for these two policy options. Economic analyses are essential for good public policy, providing information about the extent to which one policy is substantially economically favourable over another. In cannabis policy, for these two options this does not appear to be the case.

Net energy analysis - powerful tool for selecting elective power options

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baron, S. [Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY (United States)

1995-12-01

A number of net energy analysis studies have been conducted in recent years for electric power production from coal, oil and uranium fuels; synthetic fuels from coal and oil shale; and heat and electric power from solar energy. This technique is an excellent indicator of investment costs, environmental impact and potential economic competitiveness of alternative electric power systems for energy planners from the Eastern European countries considering future options. Energy conservation is also important to energy planners and the net energy analysis technique is an excellent accounting system on the extent of energy resource conservation. The author proposes to discuss the technique and to present the results of his studies and others in the field. The information supplied to the attendees will serve as a powerful tool to the energy planners considering their electric power options in the future.

Uranium Resource Availability Analysis of Four Nuclear Fuel Cycle Options

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Youn, S. R.; Lee, S. H.; Jeong, M. S.; Kim, S. K.; Ko, W. I.

2013-01-01

Making the national policy regarding nuclear fuel cycle option, the policy should be established in ways that nuclear power generation can be maintained through the evaluation on the basis of the following aspects. To establish the national policy regarding nuclear fuel cycle option, that must begin with identification of a fuel cycle option that can be best suited for the country, and the evaluation work for that should be proceeded. Like all the policy decision, however, a certain nuclear fuel cycle option cannot be superior in all aspects of sustain ability, environment-friendliness, proliferation-resistance, economics, technologies, which make the comparison of the fuel cycle options very complicated. For such a purpose, this paper set up four different fuel cycle of nuclear power generation considering 2nd Comprehensive Nuclear Energy Promotion Plan(CNEPP), and analyzed material flow and features in steady state of all four of the fuel cycle options. As a result of an analysis on material flow of each nuclear fuel cycle, it was analyzed that Pyro-SFR recycling is most effective on U resource availability among four fuel cycle option. As shown in Figure 3, OT cycle required the most amount of U and Pyro-SFR recycle consumed the least amount of U. DUPIC recycling, PWR-MOX recycling, and Pyro-SFR recycling fuel cycle appeared to consumed 8.2%, 12.4%, 39.6% decreased amount of uranium respectively compared to OT cycle. Considering spent fuel can be recycled as potential energy resources, U and TRU taken up to be 96% is efficiently used. That is, application period of limited uranium natural resources can be extended, and it brings a great influence on stable use of nuclear energy

Practical stress analysis in engineering design

CERN Document Server

Huston, Ronald

2008-01-01

Presents the application of engineering design and analysis based on the approach of understanding the physical characteristics of a given problem and then modeling the important aspects of the physical system. This book covers such topics as contact stress analysis, singularity functions, gear stresses, fasteners, shafts, and shaft stresses.

Analysis of federal options to support photovoltaic industry growth

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bennington, G.; Cherdak, A.; Williams, F.

1979-05-01

This report presents the methodology and results of an analysis to determine the impact and leverage of federal options for supporting the growth of the photovoltaic industry. Results were projected for combinations of the following: an aggressive federal research and development program, achievement of a technological breakthrough, and immediate or breakthrough-dependent incentives including direct price reductions, keyed-to-breakeven subsidies, and federal puchases. The modeling methodology and market assumptions were also tested to determine their effect on analysis results.

Concept Analysis: Alzheimer's Caregiver Stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Llanque, Sarah; Savage, Lynette; Rosenburg, Neal; Caserta, Michael

2016-01-01

The aim of this article was to analyze the concept of caregiver stress in the context of caring for a person with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. Currently, there are more than 15 million unpaid caregivers for persons suffering from Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. This unpaid care can be stressful for caregivers due to the chronic nature of the disease process, as well as other factors. The paper incorporates the modified method of Wilson's concept analysis procedure to analyze the concept of caregiver stress. A review of the literature was undertaken using the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Google Scholar, and PubMed. A theoretical definition of caregiver stress is provided, and the defining attributes, related concepts, antecedents, and consequences of caregiver stress are proposed, and case studies are presented. The analysis demonstrates that caregiver stress is the unequal exchange of assistance among people who stand in close relationship to one another, which results in emotional and physical stress on the caregiver. Implications for future nursing research and practice conclude the paper. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Joining U.S. NRC international round robin for weld residual stress analysis. Stress analysis and validation in PWSCC mitigation program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maekawa, Akira; Serizawa, Hisashi; Murakawa, Hidekazu

2012-01-01

It is necessary to establish properly reliable weld residual stress analysis methods for accurate crack initiation and growth assessment of primary water stress corrosion cracking (PWSCC), which may occur in nickel-based dissimilar metal welds in pressurized water reactors. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission conducted an international round robin for weld residual stress analysis to improve stress analysis methods and to examine the uncertainties involved in the calculated stress values. In this paper, the results from the authors' participation in the round robin were reported. In the round robin, the weld residual stress in a nickel-based dissimilar metal weld of a pressurizer surge nozzle mock-up was computed under various analysis conditions. Based on these residual stress analysis results, a welding simulation code currently being developed that uses the iterative substructure method was validated and affecting factors on the analysis results were identified. (author)

Voice stress analysis and evaluation

Science.gov (United States)

Haddad, Darren M.; Ratley, Roy J.

2001-02-01

Voice Stress Analysis (VSA) systems are marketed as computer-based systems capable of measuring stress in a person's voice as an indicator of deception. They are advertised as being less expensive, easier to use, less invasive in use, and less constrained in their operation then polygraph technology. The National Institute of Justice have asked the Air Force Research Laboratory for assistance in evaluating voice stress analysis technology. Law enforcement officials have also been asking questions about this technology. If VSA technology proves to be effective, its value for military and law enforcement application is tremendous.

REAL OPTIONS ANALYSIS – ASSESSMENT METHOD OF INVESTMENT PROJECTS IN GREEN ENERGY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

MAFTEI DANIEL

2014-10-01

Full Text Available This article highlights the importance of real options as a evaluation method of investment in green energy. Article consider several theoretical and practical approaches, the analysis based on real options by many authors who have theorized and used this method. Each approach provides a operationalisation through a steps series of specific evaluation. This paper highlights the different views: academics, financiers, managers and facilitates the access to an accurate evaluation decisions of projects.

Surgery for Stress Urinary Incontinence

Science.gov (United States)

... Stress Urinary Incontinence Special Procedures What is stress urinary incontinence (SUI)? What causes SUI? What nonsurgical treatment options may help with SUI? What are the surgical treatment options for SUI? What factors are considered when deciding which SUI surgery is ...

Analysis on one type of swing option in the energy market

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mistry, Hetal A.

2005-01-01

In the Nordic electricity market most of the trading takes place in derivates and options. To describe these products theoretically one needs to have knowledge from stochastic analysis. This thesis will derive a price model for one type of swing option in energy market. The main aim of writing this thesis is to introduce coal power plant and how to approach the problem if such power plant is built in Norway. This thesis uses the approach where I start out with a model for the spot price of electricity and coal, and then derive theoretical option prices. I use a Schwartz process for model and Ornstein Uhlenbeck processes to model the spot prices for electricity and coal. This model also incorporates mean-reversion, which is an important aspect of energy prices. Historical data for the spot prices is used to estimate my variables in the Schwartz model. The main objectives of this thesis were to find the price for a tolling contract in energy market and production volume that is producers control function. The first chapters gives an over view about the agreement and the formula used to derive the price. The second chapter provided me with the material I needed to derive these price and production volume such as dynamics for the spot prices for electricity and coal and their solution. Third chapter gives a statistical look on these stochastic processes. In the last chapter I tested the price model for stochastic control problem and found that the swing option can be bound in two ways: 1. Swing option limited as Margrabes solution. 2. Swing option limited as spread option. The use of the model is discussed. (Author)

Multifractal analysis of implied volatility in index options

Science.gov (United States)

Oh, GabJin

2014-06-01

In this paper, we analyze the statistical and the non-linear properties of the log-variations in implied volatility for the CAC40, DAX and S& P500 daily index options. The price of an index option is generally represented by its implied volatility surface, including its smile and skew properties. We utilize a Lévy process model as the underlying asset to deepen our understanding of the intrinsic property of the implied volatility in the index options and estimate the implied volatility surface. We find that the options pricing models with the exponential Lévy model can reproduce the smile or sneer features of the implied volatility that are observed in real options markets. We study the variation in the implied volatility for at-the-money index call and put options, and we find that the distribution function follows a power-law distribution with an exponent of 3.5 ≤ γ ≤ 4.5. Especially, the variation in the implied volatility exhibits multifractal spectral characteristics, and the global financial crisis has influenced the complexity of the option markets.

Construction strategies and lifetime uncertainties for nuclear projects: A real option analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jain, Shashi; Roelofs, Ferry; Oosterlee, Cornelis W.

2013-01-01

Highlights: • Real options can be used to value flexibility of modular reactors. • Value of NPPs increases with implementation of long term cost reductions. • Levels of uncertainties affect the choice between projects. -- Abstract: Small and medium sized reactors, SMRs (according to IAEA, ‘small’ are reactors with power less than 300 MWe, and ‘medium’ with power less than 700 MWe) are considered as an attractive option for investment in nuclear power plants. SMRs may benefit from flexibility of investment, reduced upfront expenditure, and easy integration with small sized grids. Large reactors on the other hand have been an attractive option due to economy of scale. In this paper we focus on the advantages of flexibility due to modular construction of SMRs. Using real option analysis (ROA) we help a utility determine the value of sequential modular SMRs. Numerical results under different considerations, like possibility of rare events, learning, uncertain lifetimes are reported for a single large unit and modular SMRs

Construction strategies and lifetime uncertainties for nuclear projects: A real option analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jain, Shashi, E-mail: s.jain@cwi.nl [TU Delft, Delft Institute of Applied Mathematics, Delft (Netherlands); Nuclear Research Group, Petten (Netherlands); Roelofs, Ferry, E-mail: roelofs@nrg.eu [Nuclear Research Group, Petten (Netherlands); Oosterlee, Cornelis W., E-mail: c.w.oosterlee@cwi.nl [CWI – Centrum Wiskunde and Informatica, Amsterdam (Netherlands); TU Delft, Delft Institute of Applied Mathematics, Delft (Netherlands)

2013-12-15

Highlights: • Real options can be used to value flexibility of modular reactors. • Value of NPPs increases with implementation of long term cost reductions. • Levels of uncertainties affect the choice between projects. -- Abstract: Small and medium sized reactors, SMRs (according to IAEA, ‘small’ are reactors with power less than 300 MWe, and ‘medium’ with power less than 700 MWe) are considered as an attractive option for investment in nuclear power plants. SMRs may benefit from flexibility of investment, reduced upfront expenditure, and easy integration with small sized grids. Large reactors on the other hand have been an attractive option due to economy of scale. In this paper we focus on the advantages of flexibility due to modular construction of SMRs. Using real option analysis (ROA) we help a utility determine the value of sequential modular SMRs. Numerical results under different considerations, like possibility of rare events, learning, uncertain lifetimes are reported for a single large unit and modular SMRs.

Macro-economic analysis of forestry options on carbon sequestration in India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kadekodi, Gopal K.; Ravindranath, N.H.

1997-01-01

There is a need to evaluate the additional spending on forestry by analysing the environmental (particularly carbon abatement), social and economic benefits. The biomass needs for India are expected to increase by two to three times by 2020. Depending upon the forest types, ownership patterns and land use patterns, feasible forestry options are identified. It is found among many supply options to be feasible to meet the 'demand based needs' with a mix of management options, species choices and organisational set up. A comparative static framework is used to analyze the macro-economic impacts. Forestry accounts for 1.84% of GNP in India. It is characterized by significant forward industrial linkages and least backward linkage. Forestry generates about 36 million person years of employment annually. India imports Rs. 15 billion worth of forest based materials annually. Implementation of the demand based forestry options can lead to a number of ecological, economic and institutional changes. The notable ones are: enhancement of C stock from 9578 to 17094 Mt and a net annual C-sequestration from 73 to 149 Mt after accounting for all emissions; a trebling of the output of forestry sector from Rs. 49 billion to Rs. 146 billion annually; an increase in GDP contribution of forestry from Rs. 32 billion to Rs. 105 billion over a period of 35 years; an increase in annual employment level by 23 million person years; emergence of forestry as a net contributor of foreign exchange through trading of forestry products; and an increase in economic value of forest capital stock by Rs. 7260 billion with a cost benefit analysis showing forestry as a profitable option. Implementation of forestry options calls for an understanding of current forest policies and barriers which are analyzed and a number of policy options are suggested

Real Option Cost Vulnerability Analysis of Electrical Infrastructure

Science.gov (United States)

Prime, Thomas; Knight, Phil

2015-04-01

means that a real option can be deferred or exercised depending on the climate future that has been realised. The real option value is defined as the maximum positive NPV value that is found across the range of potential SLR "futures". Real Options add value in that flood defences may not be built when there is real value in doing so. The cost modelling output is in the form of an accessible database that has detailed real option values varying spatially across the model domain (for each critical infrastructure) and temporally up to 2100. The analysis has shown that in 2100, 8.2% of the substations analysed have a greater than a 1 in 2 chance of exercising the real option to build flood defences against coastal flooding. The cost modelling tool and flood maps that have been developed will help stakeholders in deciding where and when to invest in mitigating against coastal flooding.

Expanding the functionality of speech recognition in radiology: creating a real-time methodology for measurement and analysis of occupational stress and fatigue.

Science.gov (United States)

Reiner, Bruce I

2013-02-01

While occupational stress and fatigue have been well described throughout medicine, the radiology community is particularly susceptible due to declining reimbursements, heightened demands for service deliverables, and increasing exam volume and complexity. The resulting occupational stress can be variable in nature and dependent upon a number of intrinsic and extrinsic stressors. Intrinsic stressors largely account for inter-radiologist stress variability and relate to unique attributes of the radiologist such as personality, emotional state, education/training, and experience. Extrinsic stressors may account for intra-radiologist stress variability and include cumulative workload and task complexity. The creation of personalized stress profiles creates a mechanism for accounting for both inter- and intra-radiologist stress variability, which is essential in creating customizable stress intervention strategies. One viable option for real-time occupational stress measurement is voice stress analysis, which can be directly implemented through existing speech recognition technology and has been proven to be effective in stress measurement and analysis outside of medicine. This technology operates by detecting stress in the acoustic properties of speech through a number of different variables including duration, glottis source factors, pitch distribution, spectral structure, and intensity. The correlation of these speech derived stress measures with outcomes data can be used to determine the user-specific inflection point at which stress becomes detrimental to clinical performance.

[Options for stress management in obesity treatment].

Science.gov (United States)

Czeglédi, Edit

2016-02-14

Overeating and physical inactivity are of great importance in the etiology of obesity. Psychological factors are often found in the background of life style. Chronic stress can contribute to physical inactivity and behaviors that hinder the keeping of a diet (e.g., irregular eating pattern, emotional eating). Results of randomized controlled trials show that relaxation can reduce emotional eating, improve cognitive restraint, and thereby reduce weight. However, stress management is more than relaxation. It consists of adaptive emotion-focused and problem-focused coping strategies and skills to improve relationships. Deflection skills may help in replacing emotional eating with other behaviors. Cognitive restructuring, saying no, and problem solving help to prevent or manage conflicts and difficulties otherwise would result in overeating due to distress. Developing stress management skills may result in greater compliance with the treatment. The techniques presented in the study can be easily applied by general practitioners or specialists, and provide tools for optimizing obesity treatment.

Spartan Release Engagement Mechanism (REM) stress and fracture analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Marlowe, D. S.; West, E. J.

1984-01-01

The revised stress and fracture analysis of the Spartan REM hardware for current load conditions and mass properties is presented. The stress analysis was performed using a NASTRAN math model of the Spartan REM adapter, base, and payload. Appendix A contains the material properties, loads, and stress analysis of the hardware. The computer output and model description are in Appendix B. Factors of safety used in the stress analysis were 1.4 on tested items and 2.0 on all other items. Fracture analysis of the items considered fracture critical was accomplished using the MSFC Crack Growth Analysis code. Loads and stresses were obtaind from the stress analysis. The fracture analysis notes are located in Appendix A and the computer output in Appendix B. All items analyzed met design and fracture criteria.

Nuclear class 1 piping stress analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lucas, J.C.R.; Maneschy, J.E.; Mariano, L.A.; Tamura, M.

1981-01-01

A nuclear class 1 piping stress analysis, according to the ASME code, is presented. The TRHEAT computer code has been used to determine the piping wall thermal gradient. The Nupipe computer code was employed for the piping stress analysis. Computer results were compared with the allowable criteria from the ASME code. (Author) [pt

Emergy analysis of the recycling options for construction and demolition waste.

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Fang; Shen, Li-yin; Li, Qi-ming

2011-12-01

Construction and demolition (C&D) waste is becoming a major contributor to environmental pollution. In Shanghai, China, the quantity of C&D waste is 2.11E+07 t/yr, which accounts for 45% of the total quantity of solid waste. There has been a growing promotion of recycling C&D waste as an effective way to solve this waste problem. However, the evaluation of the efficiency of recycling C&D waste as a potential source of resources is largely based on traditional economic analysis. The economic analysis emphasizes money instead of the harmony between economic benefit and environmental effects. There is a need for a new strategic approach to investigate the efficiency of recycling C&D waste to achieve the integration between economic, social and environmental effects. Emergy theory can be employed to analyze different recycling options for C&D waste. With reference to the Chinese construction industry, this paper demonstrates that the close-loop recycling option is better than the open-loop recycling option for C&D waste in terms of the integration of social, environmental and sustainable aspects. To evaluate different technology solutions for C&D waste recycling, the emergy theory and method is not limited to a cost-benefit balance but can include economic, social, environmental and sustainable effects. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

1992 Columbia River salmon flow measures Options Analysis/EIS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-01-01

This Options Analysis/Environmental Impact Statement (OA/EIS) identifies, presents effects of, and evaluates the potential options for changing instream flow levels in efforts to increase salmon populations in the lower Columbia and Snake rivers. The potential actions would be implemented during 1992 to benefit juvenile and adult salmon during migration through eight run-of-river reservoirs. The Corps of Engineers (Corps) prepared this document in cooperation with the Bonneville Power Administration and the Bureau of Reclamation. The US Fish and Wildlife Service (FSWS) is a participating agency. The text and appendices of the document describe the characteristics of 10 Federal projects and one private water development project in the Columbia River drainage basin. Present and potential operation of these projects and their effects on the salmon that spawn and rear in the Columbia and Snake River System are presented. The life history, status, and response of Pacific salmon to current environmental conditions are described

1992 Columbia River Salmon Flow Measures Options Analysis/EIS.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1992-01-01

This Options Analysis/Environmental Impact Statement (OA/EIS) identifies, presents effects of, and evaluates the potential options for changing instream flow levels in efforts to increase salmon populations in the lower Columbia and Snake rivers. The potential actions would be implemented during 1992 to benefit juvenile and adult salmon during migration through eight run-of-river reservoirs. The Corps of Engineers (Corps) prepared this document in cooperation with the Bonneville Power Administration and the Bureau of Reclamation. The US Fish and Wildlife Service (FSWS) is a participating agency. The text and appendices of the document describe the characteristics of 10 Federal projects and one private water development project in the Columbia River drainage basin. Present and potential operation of these projects and their effects on the salmon that spawn and rear in the Columbia and Snake River System are presented. The life history, status, and response of Pacific salmon to current environmental conditions are described.

Stress analysis of piping systems and piping supports. Documentation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rusitschka, Erwin

1999-01-01

The presentation is focused on the Computer Aided Tools and Methods used by Siemens/KWU in the engineering activities for Nuclear Power Plant Design and Service. In the multi-disciplinary environment, KWU has developed specific tools to support As-Built Documentation as well as Service Activities. A special application based on Close Range Photogrammetry (PHOCAS) has been developed to support revamp planning even in a high level radiation environment. It comprises three completely inter-compatible expansion modules - Photo Catalog, Photo Database and 3D-Model - to generate objects which offer progressively more utilization and analysis options. To support the outage planning of NPP/CAD-based tools have been developed. The presentation gives also an overview of the broad range of skills and references in: Plant Layout and Design using 3D-CAD-Tools; evaluation of Earthquake Safety (Seismic Screening); Revamps in Existing Plants; Inter-disciplinary coordination of project engineering and execution fields; Consulting and Assistance; Conceptual Studies; Stress Analysis of Piping Systems and Piping Supports; Documentation; Training and Supports in CAD-Design, etc. All activities are performed to the greatest extent possible using proven data-processing tools. (author)

Strategic Options Development and Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Ackermann, Fran; Eden, Colin

Strategic Options Development and Analysis (SODA) enables a group or individual to construct a graphical representation of a problematic situation, and thus explore options and their ramifications with respect to a complex system of goals or objectives. In addition the method aims to help groups arrive at a negotiated agreement about how to act to resolve the situation. It is based upon the use of causal mapping - a formally constructed means-ends network - as representation form. Because the picture has been constructed using the natural language of the problem owners it becomes a model of the situation that is ‘owned' by those who define the problem. The use of formalities for the construction of the model makes it amenable to a range of analyses as well as encouraging reflection and a deeper understanding. These analyses can be used in a ‘rough and ready' manner by visual inspection or through the use of specialist causal mapping software (Decision Explorer). Each of the analyses helps a group or individual discover important features of the problem situation, and these features facilitate agreeing agood solution. The SODA process is aimed at helping a group learn about the situation they face before they reach agreements. Most significantly the exploration through the causal map leads to a higher probability of more creative solutions and promotes solutions that are more likely to be implemented because the problem construction process is wider and more likely to include richer social dimensions about the blockages to action and organizational change. The basic theories that inform SODA derive from cognitive psychology and social negotiation, where the model acts as a continuously changing representation of the problematic situation - changing as the views of a person or group shift through learning and exploration. This chapter, jointly written by two leading practitioner academics and the original developers of SODA, Colin Eden and Fran Ackermann

Optimizing the Level of Renewable Electric R&D Expenditures Using Real Options Analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Davis, G.; Owens, B.

2003-02-01

One of the primary objectives of the United States' federal non-hydro renewable electric R&D program is to promote the development of technologies that have the potential to provide consumers with stable and secure energy supplies. In order to quantify the benefits provided by continued federal renewable electric R&D, this paper uses ''real option'' pricing techniques to estimate the value of renewable electric technologies in the face of uncertain fossil fuel prices. Within the real options analysis framework, the current value of expected future supply from renewable electric technologies, net of federal R&D expenditures, is estimated to be $30.6 billion. Of this value, 86% can be attributed to past federal R&D efforts, and 14% can be attributed to future federal R&D efforts, assuming continued federal R&D funding at $300 million/year. In addition, real options analysis shows that the value of renewable electric technologies increases as current and future R&D funding levels increase. This indicates that the current level of federal renewable electric R&D funding is sub-optimal low.

Research into real-option evaluation method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shiba, Tsuyoshi; Wakamatsu, Hitoshi

2002-03-01

As an evaluational method for valuation of a corporation, an investment project, a research and development, or the evaluation technique of an enterprise strategy, a real option analysis attracts attention instead of conventional Discount Cash Flow method. The reason is that it can divert the technique for the option valuation in financial engineering to the decision-making process performed according to change in investment environment. Related references, the analysis tools, the application examples, etc. were investigated about the decision-making technique using real option analysis, and this investigation considered the application method to decision-making of the research and development at Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute. Consequently, since the feature is in real option analysis being the evaluation technique on condition of that business conditions and business itself also change, the real option analysis fits for evaluation of a research and development that business conditions were opaque and it turns out that the businesses are highly flexible. Moreover, it turns out that it fits also for evaluation of a capital concentration type investment issue like power plants. (author)

STIGMA STIG STEGT STAGT STABA, Stress Analysis of Dragon HTR Graphite Structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kinkead, A.N.

2002-01-01

1 - Nature of the physical problem solved: Stress analysis of graphite structures for the DRAGON high temperature reactor is performed by this family of computer codes. Two-dimensional plane strain irradiation dose dependent core problems have been solved. 2 - Method of solution: STAGT, which is the oldest in this series of programmes, can handle multiply connected regions but is confined to plane strain in x-y geometry. Variations in temperature loading during irradiation is accounted for (Wigner strain component.) STIG, is a version of STAGT where an anisotropic elasticity matrix has been introduced to handle transversely isotropic materials. An additional feature of 'STIG' is the introduction of a boundary restraint condition of practical importance to prismatic gas cooled reactor core construction. This is defined as rotational plane strain in which free distortion of the prism arising from overall gradient of temperature and/or fast neutron damage flux coincident with any single direction may be assumed to occur if variation of thermal expansion coefficient with irradiation is included. 'STIGMA' is intended for evaluation of stress and displacement in composite axisymmetrical bodies subject to variable loadings in the axial and radial directions. The code has been prepared to take account of transverse isotropy in material characteristics for up to four separate bonded interface zones within a single composite material problem. Although specifically designed for the analysis of graphite structural components in the fast neutron irradiation environment of a reactor core, it is equally applicable to initial state design of prestressed concrete pressure vessels and other problems involving rotational symmetry. 'STABA'-stress,temperature and bowing analysis. The aim of this quasi 3-D computer code is to apply the principle of rotational plane strain over the full length of a prismatic core component, taking into account spatial variations in fast neutron and

Concept Analysis: Alzheimer’s Caregiver Stress

Science.gov (United States)

Llanque, Sarah; Savage, Lynette; Rosenburg, Neal; Honor’s, BA; Caserta, Michael

2015-01-01

AIM The aim of this article was to analyze the concept of caregiver stress in the context of caring for a person with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. BACKGROUND Currently, there are more than 15 million unpaid care-givers for persons suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. This unpaid care can be stressful for caregivers due to the chronic nature of the disease process, as well as other factors. METHOD The paper incorporates the modified method of Wilson’s concept analysis procedure to analyze the concept of caregiver stress. DATA SOURCES A review of the literature was undertaken using the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Google Scholar, and PubMed. RESULTS A theoretical definition of caregiver stress is provided, and the defining attributes, related concepts, antecedents, and consequences of caregiver stress are proposed, and case studies are presented. CONCLUSIONS The analysis demonstrates that caregiver stress is the unequal exchange of assistance among people who stand in close relationship to one another, which results in emotional and physical stress on the caregiver. Implications for future nursing research and practice conclude the paper. PMID:24787468

[Alaskan commodities irradiation project: An options analysis study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zarling, J.P.; Swanson, R.B.; Logan, R.R.

1989-09-01

The ninety-ninth US Congress commissioned a six-state food irradiation research and development program to evaluate the commercial potential of this technology. Hawaii, Washington, Iowa, Oklahoma and Florida as well as Alaska have participated in the national program; various food products including fishery products, red meats, tropical and citrus fruits and vegetables have been studied. The purpose of the Alaskan study was to review and evaluate those factors related to the technical and economic feasibility of an irradiator in Alaska. This options analysis study will serve as a basis for determining the state's further involvement in the development of food irradiation technology

Stress analysis of PCV nozzle junction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uchiyama, Shoichi; Oikawa, Tsuneo; Hoshino, Seizo

1976-01-01

Most of various pressure vessels comprise each one cylindrical shell and one or more nozzles. In this study, in order to analyze the stress in the structures of this type as minutely and exactly as possible, the program for stress analysis by the finite element method was made, which is required for the strength analysis for three-dimensional structures. Especially, the problem of the stress distribution around nozzle junctions was solved theoretically with the program. The program for the analysis developed in this study is provided with various functions, such as the input generator for cylindrical, conical and spherical shells, and plotter, and is very covenient. The accuracy of analysis is very good. The method of analysis and the calculation of the rigidity matrices for the deformation in plane and bending are explained. The result of the stress analysis around the nozzle junctions of a containment vessel with this program was in good agreement with experimental data and the result with SAP-4 code, therefore the propriety of the calculated result with this program was proved. Also calculations were carried out on three cases, namely a flat plate fixed at one end with distributed load, a cylinder fixed at one end with internal pressure, and an I-beam fixed at one end with concentrated load. The calculated results agreed well with theoretical solutions in all cases. (Kako, I.)

Integrated Portfolio Analysis: Return on Investment and Real Options Analysis of Intelligence Information Systems (Cryptologic Carry On Program)

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Rios, Jr., Cesar G; Housel, Thomas; Mun, Johnathan

2006-01-01

...) on individual projects, programs, and processes within a portfolio of IT investments. Using KVA historical data as a platform, the authors evaluate potential strategic investments with real options analysis...

Stress analysis of pressure vessels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, B.K.; Song, D.H.; Son, K.H.; Kim, K.S.; Park, K.B.; Song, H.K.; So, J.Y.

1979-01-01

This interim report contains the results of the effort to establish the stress report preparation capability under the research project ''Stress analysis of pressure vessels.'' 1978 was the first year in this effort to lay the foundation through the acquisition of SAP V structural analysis code and a graphic terminal system for improved efficiency of using such code. Software programming work was developed in pre- and post processing, such as graphic presentation of input FEM mesh geometry and output deformation or mode shope patterns, which was proven to be useful when using the FEM computer code. Also, a scheme to apply fracture mechanics concept was developed in fatigue analysis of pressure vessels. (author)

Analysis of pipe stress using CAESAR II code

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sitandung, Y.B.; Bandriyana, B.

2002-01-01

Analysis of this piping stress with the purpose of knowing stress distribution piping system in order to determine pipe supports configuration. As an example of analysis, Gas Exchanger to Warm Separator Line was chosen with, input data was firstly prepared in a document, i.e. piping analysis specification that its content named as pipe characteristics, material properties, operation conditions, guide equipment's and so on. Analysis result such as stress, load, displacement and the use support type were verified based on requirements in the code, standard, and regularities were suitable with piping system condition analyzed. As the proof that piping system is in safety condition, it can be indicated from analysis results (actual loads) which still under allowable load. From the analysis steps that have been done CAESAR II code fulfill requirements to be used as a tool of piping stress analysis as well as nuclear and non nuclear installation piping system

Error Analysis for Fourier Methods for Option Pricing

KAUST Repository

Hä ppö lä , Juho

2016-01-01

We provide a bound for the error committed when using a Fourier method to price European options when the underlying follows an exponential Levy dynamic. The price of the option is described by a partial integro-differential equation (PIDE

Analysis of creep effective stress in austenitic heat resistant steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, In Duck; Nam, Ki Woo

2002-01-01

This paper describes the comparison of calculated effective stress with experimental one in austenitic heat resistant steels, STS310J1TB and STS310S with and without a small amount of Nb and N. Based on a solute atoms diffusion model, contribution from soluble nitrogen to the high-temperature strength was numerically examined for austenitic heat-resisting Fe-Cr-Ni-N(STS310J1TB) and Fe-Cr-Ni(STS310S) alloys. The solute atmosphere dragging stress of dislocation was calculated in optional dislocation velocity of STS310J1TB and STS310S at 650 degree C, 675 degree C and 700 degree C. As a result of the numerical calculation, the solute atmosphere dragging stress of STS310J1TB was about 50 times larger than that of STS310S. When the temperature became high, the maximum value of solute atmosphere dragging stress was small and the velocity of moving dislocation was fast. From the relationship between the dislocation rate and the solute atmosphere dragging stress, the relation of both was proportional and the inclination is about 1 in the level with low velocity of moving dislocation. From above results, the mechanism of dislocation movement in STS310J1TB was the solute atmosphere dragging stress. The solute atmosphere dragging stress, which was calculated from the numerical calculation was close to the effect stress in stress relaxation tests

Efficient option valuation of single and double barrier options

Science.gov (United States)

Kabaivanov, Stanimir; Milev, Mariyan; Koleva-Petkova, Dessislava; Vladev, Veselin

2017-12-01

In this paper we present an implementation of pricing algorithm for single and double barrier options using Mellin transformation with Maximum Entropy Inversion and its suitability for real-world applications. A detailed analysis of the applied algorithm is accompanied by implementation in C++ that is then compared to existing solutions in terms of efficiency and computational power. We then compare the applied method with existing closed-form solutions and well known methods of pricing barrier options that are based on finite differences.

Stress analysis of shear/compression test

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nishijima, S.; Okada, T.; Ueno, S.

1997-01-01

Stress analysis has been made on the glass fiber reinforced plastics (GFRP) subjected to the combined shear and compression stresses by means of finite element method. The two types of experimental set up were analyzed, that is parallel and series method where the specimen were compressed by tilted jigs which enable to apply the combined stresses, to the specimen. Modified Tsai-Hill criterion was employed to judge the failure under the combined stresses that is the shear strength under the compressive stress. The different failure envelopes were obtained between the two set ups. In the parallel system the shear strength once increased with compressive stress then decreased. On the contrary in the series system the shear strength decreased monotonicly with compressive stress. The difference is caused by the different stress distribution due to the different constraint conditions. The basic parameters which control the failure under the combined stresses will be discussed

ACCIDENT ANALYSES & CONTROL OPTIONS IN SUPPORT OF THE SLUDGE WATER SYSTEM SAFETY ANALYSIS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

WILLIAMS, J.C.

2003-11-15

This report documents the accident analyses and nuclear safety control options for use in Revision 7 of HNF-SD-WM-SAR-062, ''K Basins Safety Analysis Report'' and Revision 4 of HNF-SD-SNF-TSR-001, ''Technical Safety Requirements - 100 KE and 100 KW Fuel Storage Basins''. These documents will define the authorization basis for Sludge Water System (SWS) operations. This report follows the guidance of DOE-STD-3009-94, ''Preparation Guide for US. Department of Energy Nonreactor Nuclear Facility Safety Analysis Reports'', for calculating onsite and offsite consequences. The accident analysis summary is shown in Table ES-1 below. While this document describes and discusses potential control options to either mitigate or prevent the accidents discussed herein, it should be made clear that the final control selection for any accident is determined and presented in HNF-SD-WM-SAR-062.

Stress analysis of a rupture disk

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Werne, R.W.

1975-04-01

The results of an elastic stress analysis of the rupture disk for an internal pressure of 45.5 MPa (6600 psi) indicate that the maximum von Mises stresses occur in the membrane and are on the order of 483 to 690 MPa (70,000 psi). This far exceeds the yield of the membrane material of 207 MPa (30,000 psi). These high stresses are expected since the membrane is designed to burst at that design pressure. The von Mises stresses in the rest of the body are less than 138 MPa (20,000 psi). An elastic-plastic analysis of the membrane alone subjected to the 45.5 MPa (6600 psi) pressure indicates that it becomes plastically unstable, i.e., it continues to deform under constant load. A second load case with a constant 6.9 MPa (1000 psi) pressure throughout the entire body (i.e., after release of pressure by burst of the membrane) was analyzed. The results indicate that the elastic von Mises stresses are less than 26.7 MPa (3880 psi) throughout the body. (U.S.)

The Factor Structure in Equity Options

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christoffersen, Peter; Fournier, Mathieu; Jacobs, Kris

Principal component analysis of equity options on Dow-Jones firms reveals a strong factor structure. The first principal component explains 77% of the variation in the equity volatility level, 77% of the variation in the equity option skew, and 60% of the implied volatility term structure across...... equities. Furthermore, the first principal component has a 92% correlation with S&P500 index option volatility, a 64% correlation with the index option skew, and a 80% correlation with the index option term structure. We develop an equity option valuation model that captures this factor structure...

The Land Value Tax in Jamaica:An Analysis and Options for Reform

OpenAIRE

David L. Sjoquist

2004-01-01

This Working Paper on the property tax contains an Executive Summary and four chapters. In Chapter One we describe how the Jamaican property tax functions. In Chapter Two we present an analysis of various problems and issues that surround of the property tax. Chapter Three, which was co-authored with Ki-Whan Choi, presents an analysis of a land value tax versus a capital value tax. Finally, in Chapter Four we present options for reform.

Perpetual Cancellable American Call Option

OpenAIRE

Emmerling, Thomas J.

2010-01-01

This paper examines the valuation of a generalized American-style option known as a Game-style call option in an infinite time horizon setting. The specifications of this contract allow the writer to terminate the call option at any point in time for a fixed penalty amount paid directly to the holder. Valuation of a perpetual Game-style put option was addressed by Kyprianou (2004) in a Black-Scholes setting on a non-dividend paying asset. Here, we undertake a similar analysis for the perpetua...

Methods and Models of Market Risk Stress-Testing of the Portfolio of Financial Instruments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexander M. Karminsky

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Amid instability of financial markets and macroeconomic situation the necessity of improving bank risk-management instrument arises. New economic reality defines the need for searching for more advanced approaches of estimating banks vulnerability to exceptional, but plausible events. Stress-testing belongs to such instruments. The paper reviews and compares the models of market risk stress-testing of the portfolio of different financial instruments. These days the topic of the paper is highly acute due to the fact that now stress-testing is becoming an integral part of anticrisis risk-management amid macroeconomic instability and appearance of new risks together with close interest to the problem of risk-aggregation. The paper outlines the notion of stress-testing and gives coverage of goals, functions of stress-tests and main criteria for market risk stress-testing classification. The paper also stresses special aspects of scenario analysis. Novelty of the research is explained by elaborating the programme of aggregated complex multifactor stress-testing of the portfolio risk based on scenario analysis. The paper highlights modern Russian and foreign models of stress-testing both on solo-basis and complex. The paper lays emphasis on the results of stress-testing and revaluations of positions for all three complex models: methodology of the Central Bank of stress-testing portfolio risk, model relying on correlations analysis and copula model. The models of stress-testing on solo-basis are different for each financial instrument. Parametric StressVaR model is applicable to shares and options stress-testing;model based on "Grek" indicators is used for options; for euroobligation regional factor model is used. Finally some theoretical recommendations about managing market risk of the portfolio are given.

Influence of acute stress on decision outcomes and heuristics.

Science.gov (United States)

Hepler, Teri J; Kovacs, Attila J

2017-03-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the take-the-first (TTF) heuristic and decision outcomes in sports under conditions of no, mental, and physical stress. Participants (N.=68) performed 8 video decision-making trials under each of 3 stress conditions: no stress (counting backwards), mental stress (mental serial subtraction), and physical stress (running on treadmill at 13 RPE). Prior to each decision-making trial, participants were exposed to 30 seconds of stress. The decision-making task required participants to watch a video depicting an offensive situation in basketball and then decide what the player with the ball should do next. No differences were found between the 3 stress conditions on TTF frequency, number of options generated, quality of first generated option, or final decision quality. However, participants performing under conditions of no stress and physical stress generated their first option and made their final decision faster than they did when making decisions under mental stress. Overall, results suggest that mental stress impairs decision speed and that TTF is an ecologically rationale heuristic in dynamic, time-pressured situations.

A Kramers-Moyal approach to the analysis of third-order noise with applications in option valuation.

Science.gov (United States)

Popescu, Dan M; Lipan, Ovidiu

2015-01-01

We propose the use of the Kramers-Moyal expansion in the analysis of third-order noise. In particular, we show how the approach can be applied in the theoretical study of option valuation. Despite Pawula's theorem, which states that a truncated model may exhibit poor statistical properties, we show that for a third-order Kramers-Moyal truncation model of an option's and its underlier's price, important properties emerge: (i) the option price can be written in a closed analytical form that involves the Airy function, (ii) the price is a positive function for positive skewness in the distribution, (iii) for negative skewness, the price becomes negative only for price values that are close to zero. Moreover, using third-order noise in option valuation reveals additional properties: (iv) the inconsistencies between two popular option pricing approaches (using a "delta-hedged" portfolio and using an option replicating portfolio) that are otherwise equivalent up to the second moment, (v) the ability to develop a measure R of how accurately an option can be replicated by a mixture of the underlying stocks and cash, (vi) further limitations of second-order models revealed by introducing third-order noise.

Stress analysis program system for nuclear vessel: STANSAS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okamoto, Asao; Michikami, Shinsuke

1979-01-01

IHI has developed a computer system of stress analysis and evaluation for nuclear vessels: STANSAS (STress ANalysis System for Axi-symmetric Structure). The system consists of more than twenty independent programs divided into the following six parts. 1. Programs for opening design by code rule. 2. Calculation model generating programs. 3. Load defining programs. 4. Structural analysis programs. 5. Load data/calculation results plotting programs. 6. Stress evaluation programs. Each program is connected with its pre- or post-processor through three data-bases which enable automatic data transfer. The user can make his choice of structural analysis programs in accordance with the problem to be solved. The interface to STANSAS can be easily installed in generalized structural analysis programs such as NASTRAN and MARC. For almost all tables and figures in the stress report, STANSAS has the function to print or plot out. The complicated procedures of ''Design by Analysis'' for pressure vessels have been well standardized by STANSAS. The system will give a high degree of efficiency and confidence to the design work. (author)

PDX vacuum vessel stress analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nikodem, Z.D.

1975-01-01

A stress analysis of PDX vacuum vessel is described and the summary of results is presented. The vacuum vessel is treated as a toroidal shell of revolution subjected to an internal vacuum. The critical buckling pressure is calculated. The effects of the geometrical discontinuity at the juncture of toroidal shell head and cylindrical outside wall, and the concavity of the cylindrical wall are examined. An effect of the poloidal field coil supports and the vessel outside supports on the stress distribution in the vacuum vessel is determined. A method evaluating the influence of circular ports in the vessel wall on the stress level in the vessel is outlined

A real option analysis of investments in hydropower-The case of Norway

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kjaerland, Frode

2007-01-01

This paper presents a valuation study of hydropower investment opportunities in the Norwegian context. According to NVE (Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate, the regulator), there is a potential of 39 TWh not yet developed (generation in a normal year is approximately 120 TWh). By using the conceptual real option framework of Dixit and Pindyck [1994. Investment Under Uncertainty. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ] one can estimate the value of investment opportunities to NOK 11 million/GWh (EUR 1.4 million/GWh). Furthermore, the optimal trigger price for initiating an investment based on electricity forward prices is calculated to NOK 0.32/kWh (EUR 0.04/kWh). The analysis shows consistency between real option theory and aggregate investment behaviour in Norwegian hydropower

X-ray stress analysis of residual stress gradients in surface layers of steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ganev, N.; Kraus, I.; Gosmanova, G.; Pfeiffer, L.; Tietz, H.-D.

2001-01-01

The aim of the contribution is to present the theoretical possibilities of X-ray non-destructive identification of stress gradients within the penetration depth of used radiation and its utilization for experimental stress analysis. Practical usefullness of outlined speculations is illustrated with results of stress measurements on cut and shot-penned steel samples. (author)

Thermographic Analysis of Stress Distribution in Welded Joints

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Domazet Ž.

2010-06-01

Full Text Available The fatigue life prediction of welded joints based on S-N curves in conjunction with nominal stresses generally is not reliable. Stress distribution in welded area affected by geometrical inhomogeneity, irregular welded surface and weld toe radius is quite complex, so the local (structural stress concept is accepted in recent papers. The aim of this paper is to determine the stress distribution in plate type aluminum welded joints, to analyze the reliability of TSA (Thermal Stress Analysis in this kind of investigations, and to obtain numerical values for stress concentration factors for practical use. Stress distribution in aluminum butt and fillet welded joints is determined by using the three different methods: strain gauges measurement, thermal stress analysis and FEM. Obtained results show good agreement - the TSA mutually confirmed the FEM model and stresses measured by strain gauges. According to obtained results, it may be stated that TSA, as a relatively new measurement technique may in the future become a standard tool for the experimental investigation of stress concentration and fatigue in welded joints that can help to develop more accurate numerical tools for fatigue life prediction.

Thermographic Analysis of Stress Distribution in Welded Joints

Science.gov (United States)

Piršić, T.; Krstulović Opara, L.; Domazet, Ž.

2010-06-01

The fatigue life prediction of welded joints based on S-N curves in conjunction with nominal stresses generally is not reliable. Stress distribution in welded area affected by geometrical inhomogeneity, irregular welded surface and weld toe radius is quite complex, so the local (structural) stress concept is accepted in recent papers. The aim of this paper is to determine the stress distribution in plate type aluminum welded joints, to analyze the reliability of TSA (Thermal Stress Analysis) in this kind of investigations, and to obtain numerical values for stress concentration factors for practical use. Stress distribution in aluminum butt and fillet welded joints is determined by using the three different methods: strain gauges measurement, thermal stress analysis and FEM. Obtained results show good agreement - the TSA mutually confirmed the FEM model and stresses measured by strain gauges. According to obtained results, it may be stated that TSA, as a relatively new measurement technique may in the future become a standard tool for the experimental investigation of stress concentration and fatigue in welded joints that can help to develop more accurate numerical tools for fatigue life prediction.

A Decision Support Framework for Feasibility Analysis of International Space Station (ISS) Research Capability Enhancing Options

Science.gov (United States)

Ortiz, James N.; Scott,Kelly; Smith, Harold

2004-01-01

The assembly and operation of the ISS has generated significant challenges that have ultimately impacted resources available to the program's primary mission: research. To address this, program personnel routinely perform trade-off studies on alternative options to enhance research. The approach, content level of analysis and resulting outputs of these studies vary due to many factors, however, complicating the Program Manager's job of selecting the best option. To address this, the program requested a framework be developed to evaluate multiple research-enhancing options in a thorough, disciplined and repeatable manner, and to identify the best option on the basis of cost, benefit and risk. The resulting framework consisted of a systematic methodology and a decision-support toolset. The framework provides quantifiable and repeatable means for ranking research-enhancing options for the complex and multiple-constraint domain of the space research laboratory. This paper describes the development, verification and validation of this framework and provides observations on its operational use.

Residual stress analysis in thick uranium films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hodge, A.M.; Foreman, R.J.; Gallegos, G.F.

2005-01-01

Residual stress analysis was performed on thick, 1-25 μm, depleted uranium (DU) films deposited on an Al substrate by magnetron sputtering. Two distinct characterization techniques were used to measure substrate curvature before and after deposition. Stress evaluation was performed using the Benabdi/Roche equation, which is based on beam theory of a bi-layer material. The residual stress evolution was studied as a function of coating thickness and applied negative bias voltage (0, -200, -300 V). The stresses developed were always compressive; however, increasing the coating thickness and applying a bias voltage presented a trend towards more tensile stresses and thus an overall reduction of residual stresses

Stress Analysis of Composites.

Science.gov (United States)

1981-01-01

8217, Finite Elements in Nonlinear Mechanics, 1., 109-130, Tapir Publishers, Norway (1978). 9. A.J. Barnard and P.W. Sharman, ’Elastic-Plastic Analysis Using...Hybrid Stress Finite Elements,’ Finite Elements in Nonlinear Mechanics, 1, 131-148, Tapir Publishers Norway, (1978). ’.........Pian, ’Variational

Systems analysis of decontamination options for civilian vehicles.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Foltz, Greg W.; Hoette, Trisha Marie

2010-11-01

The objective of this project, which was supported by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) Chemical and Biological Division (CBD), was to investigate options for the decontamination of the exteriors and interiors of vehicles in the civilian setting in order to restore those vehicles to normal use following the release of a highly toxic chemical. The decontamination of vehicles is especially challenging because they often contain sensitive electronic equipment, multiple materials some of which strongly adsorb chemical agents, and in the case of aircraft, have very rigid material compatibility requirements (i.e., they cannot be exposed to reagents that may cause even minor corrosion). A systems analysis approach was taken examine existing and future civilian vehicle decontamination capabilities.

Residual stress concerns in containment analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Costantini, F.; Kulak, R. F.; Pfeiffer, P. A.

1997-01-01

The manufacturing of steel containment vessels starts with the forming of flat plates into curved plates. A steel containment structure is made by welding individual plates together to form the sections that make up the complex shaped vessels. The metal forming and welding process leaves residual stresses in the vessel walls. Generally, the effect of metal forming residual stresses can be reduced or virtually eliminated by thermally stress relieving the vesseL In large containment vessels this may not be practical and thus the residual stresses due to manufacturing may become important. The residual stresses could possibly tiect the response of the vessel to internal pressurization. When the level of residual stresses is significant it will affect the vessel's response, for instance the yielding pressure and possibly the failure pressure. The paper will address the effect of metal forming residual stresses on the response of a generic pressure vessel to internal pressurization. A scoping analysis investigated the effect of residual forming stresses on the response of an internally pressurized vessel. A simple model was developed to gain understanding of the mechanics of the problem. Residual stresses due to the welding process were not considered in this investigation

Stress fractures: pathophysiology, clinical presentation, imaging features, and treatment options.

Science.gov (United States)

Matcuk, George R; Mahanty, Scott R; Skalski, Matthew R; Patel, Dakshesh B; White, Eric A; Gottsegen, Christopher J

2016-08-01

Stress fracture, in its most inclusive description, includes both fatigue and insufficiency fracture. Fatigue fractures, sometimes equated with the term "stress fractures," are most common in runners and other athletes and typically occur in the lower extremities. These fractures are the result of abnormal, cyclical loading on normal bone leading to local cortical resorption and fracture. Insufficiency fractures are common in elderly populations, secondary to osteoporosis, and are typically located in and around the pelvis. They are a result of normal or traumatic loading on abnormal bone. Subchondral insufficiency fractures of the hip or knee may cause acute pain that may present in the emergency setting. Medial tibial stress syndrome is a type of stress injury of the tibia related to activity and is a clinical syndrome encompassing a range of injuries from stress edema to frank-displaced fracture. Atypical subtrochanteric femoral fracture associated with long-term bisphosphonate therapy is also a recently discovered entity that needs early recognition to prevent progression to a complete fracture. Imaging recommendations for evaluation of stress fractures include initial plain radiographs followed, if necessary, by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which is preferred over computed tomography (CT) and bone scintigraphy. Radiographs are the first-line modality and may reveal linear sclerosis and periosteal reaction prior to the development of a frank fracture. MRI is highly sensitive with findings ranging from periosteal edema to bone marrow and intracortical signal abnormality. Additionally, a brief description of relevant clinical management of stress fractures is included.

A review of residual stress analysis using thermoelastic techniques

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Robinson, A F; Dulieu-Barton, J M; Quinn, S [University of Southampton, School of Engineering Sciences, Highfield, Southampton, SO17 1BJ (United Kingdom); Burguete, R L [Airbus UK Ltd., New Filton House, Filton, Bristol, BS99 7AR (United Kingdom)

2009-08-01

Thermoelastic Stress Analysis (TSA) is a full-field technique for experimental stress analysis that is based on infra-red thermography. The technique has proved to be extremely effective for studying elastic stress fields and is now well established. It is based on the measurement of the temperature change that occurs as a result of a stress change. As residual stress is essentially a mean stress it is accepted that the linear form of the TSA relationship cannot be used to evaluate residual stresses. However, there are situations where this linear relationship is not valid or departures in material properties due to manufacturing procedures have enabled evaluations of residual stresses. The purpose of this paper is to review the current status of using a TSA based approach for the evaluation of residual stresses and to provide some examples of where promising results have been obtained.

A review of residual stress analysis using thermoelastic techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robinson, A F; Dulieu-Barton, J M; Quinn, S; Burguete, R L

2009-01-01

Thermoelastic Stress Analysis (TSA) is a full-field technique for experimental stress analysis that is based on infra-red thermography. The technique has proved to be extremely effective for studying elastic stress fields and is now well established. It is based on the measurement of the temperature change that occurs as a result of a stress change. As residual stress is essentially a mean stress it is accepted that the linear form of the TSA relationship cannot be used to evaluate residual stresses. However, there are situations where this linear relationship is not valid or departures in material properties due to manufacturing procedures have enabled evaluations of residual stresses. The purpose of this paper is to review the current status of using a TSA based approach for the evaluation of residual stresses and to provide some examples of where promising results have been obtained.

Space station data system analysis/architecture study. Task 2: Options development, DR-5. Volume 2: Design options

Science.gov (United States)

1985-01-01

The primary objective of Task 2 is the development of an information base that will support the conduct of trade studies and provide sufficient data to make key design/programmatic decisions. This includes: (1) the establishment of option categories that are most likely to influence Space Station Data System (SSDS) definition; (2) the identification of preferred options in each category; and (3) the characterization of these options with respect to performance attributes, constraints, cost and risk. This volume contains the options development for the design category. This category comprises alternative structures, configurations and techniques that can be used to develop designs that are responsive to the SSDS requirements. The specific areas discussed are software, including data base management and distributed operating systems; system architecture, including fault tolerance and system growth/automation/autonomy and system interfaces; time management; and system security/privacy. Also discussed are space communications and local area networking.

Applying real options analysis to assess cleaner energy development strategies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheng, Ching-Tsung; Lo, Shang-Lien; Lin, Tyrone T.

2011-01-01

The energy industry, accounts for the largest portion of CO 2 emissions, is facing the issue of compliance with the national clean energy policy. The methodology for evaluating the energy mix policy is crucial because of the characteristics of lead time embedded with the power generation facilities investment and the uncertainty of future electricity demand. In this paper, a modified binomial model based on sequential compound options, which may account for the lead time and uncertainty as a whole is established, and a numerical example on evaluating the optional strategies and the strategic value of the cleaner energy policy is also presented. It is found that the optimal decision at some nodes in the binomial tree is path dependent, which is different from the standard sequential compound option model with lead time or time lag concept. The proposed modified binomial sequential compound real options model can be generalized and extensively applied to solve the general decision problems that deal with the long lead time of many government policies as well as capital intensive investments. - Highlights: → Introducing a flexible strategic management approach for government policy making. → Developing a modified binomial real options model based on sequential compound options. → Proposing an innovative model for managing the long term policy with lead time. → Applying to evaluate the options of various scenarios of cleaner energy strategies.

Probabilistic analysis of structures involving random stress-strain behavior

Science.gov (United States)

Millwater, H. R.; Thacker, B. H.; Harren, S. V.

1991-01-01

The present methodology for analysis of structures with random stress strain behavior characterizes the uniaxial stress-strain curve in terms of (1) elastic modulus, (2) engineering stress at initial yield, (3) initial plastic-hardening slope, (4) engineering stress at point of ultimate load, and (5) engineering strain at point of ultimate load. The methodology is incorporated into the Numerical Evaluation of Stochastic Structures Under Stress code for probabilistic structural analysis. The illustrative problem of a thick cylinder under internal pressure, where both the internal pressure and the stress-strain curve are random, is addressed by means of the code. The response value is the cumulative distribution function of the equivalent plastic strain at the inner radius.

Safety of timber : An analysis of quality control options

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kovryga, A.; Stapel, P.; Van de Kuilen, J.W.G.

2014-01-01

The quality assurance of timber properties is important for the safety of timber structures. In the current study, the quality control options of timber are analysed under the prism of the different growth regions. Therefore, these options - machine and output control - are simulated in accordance

Automatic, Multiple Assessment Options in Undergraduate Meteorology Education

Science.gov (United States)

Kahl, Jonathan D. W.

2017-01-01

Since 2008, automatic, multiple assessment options have been utilised in selected undergraduate meteorology courses at the University of Wisconsin--Milwaukee. Motivated by a desire to reduce stress among students, the assessment methodology includes examination-heavy and homework-heavy alternatives, differing by an adjustable 15% of the overall…

Evaluation of Cloud Computing Hidden Benefits by Using Real Options Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pavel Náplava

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Cloud computing technologies have brought new attributes to the IT world. One of them is a flexibility of IT resources. It enables effectively both to downsize and upsize the capacity of IT resources in real time. Requirements for IT size change defines business strategy and actual market state. IT costs are not stable but dynamic in this case. Standard investment valuation methods (both static and dynamic are not able to include the flexibility attribute to the evaluation of IT projects. This article describes the application of the Real Options Analysis method for the valuation of the cloud computing flexibility. The method compares costs of the on-premise and cloud computing solutions by combining put and call option valuation. Cloud computing providers can use the method as an advanced tool that explains hidden benefits of cloud computing. Unexperienced cloud computing customers can simulate the market behavior and better plan necessary IT investments.

Stress analysis on a PWR pressure vessel support structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cruz, J.R.B.; Mattar Neto, M.; Jesus Miranda, C.A. de.

1992-01-01

The paper presents the stress analysis of a research PWR vessel support structure. Different geometries and thermal boundary conditions are evaluated. The finite element analysis is performed using ANSYS program. The ASME Section III criteria are applied for the stress verification and the following points are discussed: stress classification and linearization; jurisdictional boundary between ASME Subsection NB (Class 1 Components) and Subsection NF (Component Supports). (author)

Policy options to improve the effectiveness of the EU emissions trading system: A multi-criteria analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clò, Stefano; Battles, Susan; Zoppoli, Pietro

2013-01-01

This paper considers several policy options which have been proposed to improve the functioning of the ETS. These options require an intervention either on the ETS cap (−30% target, set-aside, carbon central bank, long-term target) or on the carbon price (European and national price floor). We analyse the impact of each policy on the ETS carbon price and emissions. A multi-criteria evaluation method is applied to compare the policy options against a plurality of environmental, economic and procedural criteria. We find that the final ranking depends on the goals to be achieved, i.e., the relative weights attributed to the criteria. When policymakers want mainly to support the carbon price both in the short and long-run, while improving ETS flexibility and harmonization, the CCB and the EU price floor are, respectively ranked as first and second-best options. As the preference for environmental and implementation goals gradually increases, the position of the EU price floor and CCB options tend to invert. The −30% target should be adopted when reducing emissions is the priority goal, while a national price floor is the worst option, in this case. Nevertheless, self-interested States looking for a relatively quick, feasible solution, may find it optimal. - Highlights: ► A multi-criteria analysis is adopted to compare policy options to improve the ETS effectiveness. ► An ETS cap reversible adjustment by a carbon central bank is the first-best option. ► The establishment of a EU-wide price floor would represent a second-best solution. ► A national price floor is the worst option but self-interest states may find it optimal. ► A post-2020 target is not a mutually exclusive option and should be set

Options theory and strategic investment decisions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mann, D.; Goobie, G.; MacMillan, L.

1992-01-01

The possible use of options pricing theory for evaluating long-term capital investments is discussed. Using the Black and Scholes option pricing model, five variables were evaluated for a hypothetical oil sands project. These variables are: stock price as determined by the earning power of the company; exercise price which equals the investment cost of the project; price standard deviation which is assumed to be 50%; the length of time for which the company will maintain its option to invest in the project, and finally the risk free rate which is approximately equal to the yield in long term government securities. A sensitivity analysis on these variables can provide management with information on how best to influence the option value. A more in-depth analysis could provide valuable information about strategic choice for large projects. 5 refs., 3 figs

Role stress amongst nurses at the workplace: concept analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Riahi, Sanaz

2011-09-01

The present study explicates the concept of role stress amongst nurses through an analysis adopted from Walker and Avant; Strategies for Theory Construction in Nursing, 4th edn, Prentice Hall, New Jersey, NY. Role stress has become a significant problem amongst nurses and has created much distress leading to burnout among many in the nursing profession. It is significant to analyse the concept of role stress and its relative attributes and consequences, in order to recognize the necessary antecedents needed to create better conditions for nurses at the workplace. A modified method developed by Walker and Avant was used for this concept analysis. A model representing the concept of role stress was developed through careful consideration of the attributes, consequences, antecedents and empirical referents of role stress. The concept analysis of role stress among nurses at the workplace recognized the vulnerability of the nursing discipline towards burnout and distress in general. It is critical to be aware of the current state of health care and note the increased workload created for nurses. Nurses are at a greater vulnerability for role stress, making it imperative for health care organizations to critically evaluate and establish preventative measures for the concept of role stress. 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Problems of stress analysis of fuelling machine head components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mathur, D.D.

1975-01-01

The problem of stress analysis of fuelling machine head components are discussed. To fulfil the functional requirements, the components are required to have certain shapes where stress problems cannot be matched to a catalogue of pre-determined solutions. The areas where complex systems of loading due to hydrostatic pressure, weight, moments and temperature gradients coupled with the intricate shapes of the components make it difficult to arrive at satisfactory solutions. Particularly, the analysis requirements of the magazine housing, end cover, gravloc clamps and centre support are highlighted. An experimental stress analysis programme together with a theoretical finite element analysis is perhaps the answer. (author)

Energy options

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hampton, Michael

1999-01-01

This chapter focuses on energy options as a means of managing exposure to energy prices. An intuitive approach to energy options is presented, and traditional definitions of call and put options are given. The relationship between options and swaps, option value and option exercises, commodity options, and option pricing are described. An end-user's guide to energy option strategy is outlined, and straight options, collars, participating swaps and collars, bull and bear spreads, and swaption are examined. Panels explaining the defining of basis risk, and discussing option pricing and the Greeks, delta hedging, managing oil options using the Black-Scholes model, caps, floors and collars, and guidelines on hedging versus speculation with options are included in the paper

X-ray stress analysis in textured polycrystalline materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yokoyama, Ryouichi; Harada, Jimpei

2010-01-01

The relationship between stress and strain in polycrystalline materials with fibre texture is examined on the basis of the strain analysis in the constituent crystallites within the Reuss approximation. By introducing the symmetry of reciprocal lattices for the constituent crystallites, the physical meaning of taking an average of the strains observed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) is made clear. By using formulae obtained by the present treatment for the stress-strain relation in cubic specimens with fibre texture in the Laue classes m3-bar m hkl Bragg reflections with h≠k≠l split into doublets owing to the existence of crystallites with two different orientations under the stress field. This technique was confirmed by the profile analysis in XRD data observed for reflections of 222 and 420 in a cubic TiN thin film sputtered on a polyimide film. The technique of the stress analysis and its confirmation are introduced. (author)

1992 Columbia River Salmon Flow Measures Options Analysis/EIS : Appendices.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1992-01-01

This Options Analysis/Environmental Impact Statement (OA/EIS) identifies, presents effects of, and evaluates the potential options for changing instream flow levels in efforts to increase salmon populations in the lower Columbia and Snake rivers. The potential actions would be implemented during 1992 to benefit juvenile and adult salmon during migration through eight run-of-river reservoirs. The Corps of Engineers (Corps) prepared this document in cooperation with the Bonneville Power Administration and the Bureau of Reclamation. The US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is a participating agency. The text and appendices of the document describe the characteristics of 10 Federal projects and one private water development project in the Columbia River drainage basin. Present and potential operation of these projects and their effects on the salmon that spawn and rear in the Columbia and Snake River System are presented. The life history, status, and response of Pacific salmon to current environmental conditions are described. The document concludes with an evaluation of the potential effects that could result from implementing proposed actions. The conclusions are based on evaluation of existing data, utilization of numerical models, and application of logical inference. This volume contains the appendices.

1992 Columbia River salmon flow measures Options Analysis/EIS: Appendices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-01-01

This Options Analysis/Environmental Impact Statement (OA/EIS) identifies, presents effects of, and evaluates the potential options for changing instream flow levels in efforts to increase salmon populations in the lower Columbia and Snake rivers. The potential actions would be implemented during 1992 to benefit juvenile and adult salmon during migration through eight run-of-river reservoirs. The Corps of Engineers (Corps) prepared this document in cooperation with the Bonneville Power Administration and the Bureau of Reclamation. The US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is a participating agency. The text and appendices of the document describe the characteristics of 10 Federal projects and one private water development project in the Columbia River drainage basin. Present and potential operation of these projects and their effects on the salmon that spawn and rear in the Columbia and Snake River System are presented. The life history, status, and response of Pacific salmon to current environmental conditions are described. The document concludes with an evaluation of the potential effects that could result from implementing proposed actions. The conclusions are based on evaluation of existing data, utilization of numerical models, and application of logical inference. This volume contains the appendices

Option Pricing using Realized Volatility

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stentoft, Lars Peter

dynamics to be used for option pricing purposes in this framework, and we show that our model explains some of the mispricings found when using traditional option pricing models based on interdaily data. We then show explicitly that a Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroskedastic model with Normal...... Inverse Gaussian distributed innovations is the corresponding benchmark model when only daily data is used. Finally, we perform an empirical analysis using stock options for three large American companies, and we show that in all cases our model performs significantly better than the corresponding...... benchmark model estimated on return data alone. Hence the paper provides evidence on the value of using high frequency data for option pricing purposes....

Fibromyalgia Pathogenesis and Treatment Options Update.

Science.gov (United States)

Chinn, Steven; Caldwell, William; Gritsenko, Karina

2016-04-01

This review article presents and summarizes up-to-date literature on the clinical manifestations, diagnosis, pathophysiological mechanisms, and treatment options for fibromyalgia patients. First, the most recent diagnostic criteria for fibromyalgia, as put forth by the American College of Rheumatology will be summarized. Clinical features, including chronic widespread pain, hyperalgesia, mood disorders, anxiety, and disturbed sleep patterns will be explored in-depth. The pathogenesis and pathophysiology of fibromyalgia involves alterations in multiple ascending and descending central nervous system pathways, as well as peripheral pathways, leading to heightened pain sensitivity. Risk factors have been studied extensively, and the most recent research focuses on various genetic influences and the contributions of stress and poor sleep. Lastly, the discussion in this article focuses on treatment options for fibromyalgia; some have been mainstay options for many years. Pharmacological agents include tricyclic antidepressants, anti-epileptic drugs, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, norepinephrine/serotonin reuptake inhibitors, as well as some investigational agents. The evidence behind non-pharmacologic treatments, including massage therapy, exercise, and acupuncture, are discussed.

Photoelastic stress analysis in mitred bend under internal pressure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sawa, Yoshiaki

1987-01-01

The stress analysis and stress relaxation in mitred bend subjected to internal pressure have been studied by means of the photoelastic stress freezing method. The experimental results show that stress concentration occurs in the wedge tip of the intersectional plane and it is considerably influenced by the bent angle. Then, the stress relaxation was obtained by planing the wedge tip. (author)

Decision-making in Sport under Mental and Physical Stress

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Teri J. Hepler

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Background: Successful decision-making in sport requires good decisions to be made quickly, but little is understood about the decision process under stress. Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare decision outcomes and the Take the First (TTF heuristic under conditions of mental, physical, and no stress.  Method:  Participants (N=112 were divided into 3 stress groups:  mental stress (mental serial subtraction, physical stress (running on treadmill at 60-70% of maximum effort, and no stress (counting backwards by 1. Participants were exposed to 30 seconds of stress and then watched a video depicting an offensive situation in basketball requiring them to decide what the player with the ball should do next. Each participant performed 10 trials of the video decision-making task.  Results: No differences were found between the 3 stress groups on decision quality, TTF frequency, number of options generated, or quality of first generated option.  However, participants in the no stress and physical stress conditions were faster in generating their first option and making their final decision as compared to the mental stress group.  Conclusion: Overall, results suggest that mental stress impairs decision speed and that TTF is an ecologically rationale heuristic in dynamic, time-pressured situations.  Keywords: Take the first, Heuristic, Pressure, Cognitive performance

contact stress analysis of involute spur gear by finite element method

African Journals Online (AJOL)

USER

section using C- programming. Bending stress analysis has been performed using finite element analysis with ANSYS software. Comparison of bending stress analysis has been performed for symmetric and asymmetric spur gear tooth at critical section. Mushin J. Jweeg, et.al. [7] used 2D contact stress FEA model to ...

The stress and strain analysis research of class 1 eqnipments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ye Yuanwu; Tang Long; Wang Yueying; Qi Min; Yu Huajin

2008-01-01

The class 1 equipment is very important in the nuclear device, in the design and testing process required to carry out their stress and strain analysis, so as to ensure their safety. There are two ways to get stress and strain analysis of the class 1 equipment, the theoretical and experimental methods. Through theoretical method can get the stress and strain of the class 1 equipment, so as to provide a basis for the design of the equipment; through the experimental method to verify the accuracy of the theoretical methods and provide a basis for the safety assessment of the equipment. The main ressel of CEFR (China Experimental Fast Reactor) is the class 1 equipment. In this paper, according to the stress and strain analysis research of CEFR main vessel, the theories and expperimental methods of nuclear class 1 equipments stress and strain analysis has been described. (authors)

PDX toroidal field coils stress analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nikodem, Z.D.; Smith, R.A.

1975-01-01

A method used in the stress analysis of the PDX toroidal field coil is developed. A multilayer coil design of arbitrary dimensions in the shape of either a circle or an oval is considered. The analytical model of the coil and the supporting coil case with connections to the main support structure is analyzed using the finite element technique. The three dimensional magnetic fields and the non-uniform body forces which are a loading condition on a coil due to toroidal and poloidal fields are calculated. The method of analysis permits rapid and economic evaluations of design changes in coil geometry as well as in coil support structures. Some results pertinent to the design evolution and their comparison are discussed. The results of the detailed stress analysis of the final coil design due to toroidal field, poloidal field and temperature loads are presented

Option generation in decision making: ideation beyond memory retrieval.

Science.gov (United States)

Del Missier, Fabio; Visentini, Mimì; Mäntylä, Timo

2014-01-01

According to prescriptive decision theories, the generation of options for choice is a central aspect of decision making. A too narrow representation of the problem may indeed limit the opportunity to evaluate promising options. However, despite the theoretical and applied significance of this topic, the cognitive processes underlying option generation are still unclear. In particular, while a cued recall account of option generation emphasizes the role of memory and executive control, other theoretical proposals stress the importance of ideation processes based on various search and thinking processes. Unfortunately, relevant behavioral evidence on the cognitive processes underlying option generation is scattered and inconclusive. In order to reach a better understanding, we carried out an individual-differences study employing a wide array of cognitive predictors, including measures of episodic memory, semantic memory, cognitive control, and ideation fluency. The criterion tasks consisted of three different poorly-structured decision-making scenarios, and the participants were asked to generate options to solve these problems. The main criterion variable of the study was the number of valid options generated, but also the diversity and the quality of generated options were examined. The results showed that option generation fluency and diversity in the context of ill-structured decision making are supported by ideation ability even after taking into account the effects of individual differences in several other aspects of cognitive functioning. Thus, ideation processes, possibly supported by search and thinking processes, seem to contribute to option generation beyond basic associative memory retrieval. The findings of the study also indicate that generating more options may have multifaceted consequences for choice, increasing the quality of the best option generated but decreasing the mean quality of the options in the generated set.

Option generation in decision making: Ideation beyond memory retrieval

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fabio eDel Missier

2015-01-01

Full Text Available According to prescriptive decision theories, the generation of options for choice is a central aspect of decision making. A too narrow representation of the problem may indeed limit the opportunity to evaluate promising options. However, despite the theoretical and applied significance of this topic, the cognitive processes underlying option generation are still unclear. In particular, while a cued recall account of option generation emphasizes the role of memory and executive control, other theoretical proposals stress the importance of ideation processes based on various search and thinking processes. Unfortunately, relevant behavioral evidence on the cognitive processes underlying option generation is scattered and inconclusive. In order to reach a better understanding, we carried out an individual-differences study employing a wide array of cognitive predictors, including measures of episodic memory, semantic memory, cognitive control, and ideation fluency. The criterion tasks consisted of three different poorly-structured decision-making scenarios, and the participants were asked to generate options to solve these problems. The main criterion variable of the study was the number of valid options generated, but also the diversity and the quality of generated options were examined. The results showed that option generation fluency and diversity in the context of ill-structured decision making are supported by ideation ability even after taking into account the effects of individual differences in several other aspects of cognitive functioning. Thus, ideation processes, possibly supported by search and thinking processes, seem to contribute to option generation beyond basic associative memory retrieval. The findings of the study also indicate that generating more options may have multifaceted consequences for choice, increasing the quality of the best option generated but decreasing the mean quality of the options in the generated set.

Initial stress and nonlinear material behavior in patient-specific AAA wall stress analysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Speelman, L.; Bosboom, E.M.H.; Schurink, G.W.H.; Buth, J.; Breeuwer, M.; Jacobs, M.J.; Vosse, van de F.N.

2009-01-01

Rupture risk estimation of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) is currently based on the maximum diameter of the AAA. A more critical approach is based on AAA wall stress analysis. For that, in most cases, the AAA geometry is obtained from CT-data and treated as a stress free geometry. However, during

48 CFR 552.217-71 - Notice Regarding Option(s).

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Notice Regarding Option(s... Notice Regarding Option(s). As prescribed in 517.208(b), insert the following provision: Notice Regarding Option(s) (NOV 1992) The General Services Administration (GSA) has included an option to [Insert...

Options analysis of managed care contracting and regulation: theory and evidence.

Science.gov (United States)

McLean, R A; Magiera, F T

2000-08-01

Managed care contracts can be represented as bundles of options. In particular, the managed care provider is short a call option. To hedge the risk involved in such contracts, managed care contractors can construct several types of virtual put options, among them the ownership of facilities. Agency theory and options theory suggest that for-profit managed care plans, in the presence of debt, will engage in less hedging activity than will other managed care plans. Here, the authors test that hypothesis, using data for Florida HMOs in 1995, and they reject the null hypothesis. That managed care organizations act as if they are short a call option raises interesting regulatory issues, including the possibility of using a hedge-based regulatory scheme in place of a net-worth-based scheme.

Policies and design elements for the repowering of wind farms: A qualitative analysis of different options

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rio, Pablo del; Calvo Silvosa, Anxo; Iglesias Gomez, Guillermo

2011-01-01

Repowering of a wind farm is the process of replacing existing wind turbines with new turbines that either have a larger nameplate capacity or more efficiency, resulting in a net increase of the power generated. Although repowering brings, both, social and private benefits, there are also several obstacles to repowering which justify public support. The aim of this paper is to provide an overview and a qualitative analysis of instruments and design options to support repowering of on-shore wind farms. The multicriteria analysis carried out in this paper shows that all instruments have their advantages and drawbacks. However, feed-in tariffs and investment subsidies seem to be particularly appropriate instruments in this regard. Furthermore, we provide an assessment of different design options to promote repowering according to key assessment criteria. The relevance of design elements hinges on the fact that these are the ones directly affecting the variables that are relevant in the decision to repower (capacity factors and investment costs). - Research highlights: → This paper provides a qualitative analysis of instruments and design options to support repowering in wind farms. → The multicriteria analysis has shown that all instruments have their advantages and drawbacks regarding promotion of repowering. → However, feed-in tariffs and investment subsidies seem to be particularly appropriate instruments in this regard. → The choice of design elements within instruments is at least as important to promote repowering as the choice of specific instruments.

Shungnak Energy Configuration Options.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rosewater, David Martin [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Eddy, John P. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2017-10-01

Power systems in rural Alaska villages face a unique combination of challenges that can increase the cost of energy and lowers energy supply reliability. In the case of the remote village of Shungnak, diesel and heating fuel is either shipped in by barge or flown in by aircraft. This report presents a technical analysis of several energy infrastructure upgrade and modification options to reduce the amount of fuel consumed by the community of Shungnak. Reducing fuel usage saves money and makes the village more resilient to disruptions in fuel supply. The analysis considers demand side options, such as energy efficiency, alongside the installation of wind and solar power generation options. Some novel approaches are also considered including battery energy storage and the use of electrical home heating stoves powered by renewable generation that would otherwise be spilled and wasted. This report concludes with specific recommendations for Shungnak based on economic factors, and fuel price sensitivity. General conclusions are also included to support future work analyzing similar energy challenges in remote arctic regions.

X-ray stress measurement by use of synchrotron radiation source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshioka, Yasuo; Matsui, Hisaaki; Moro-oka, Toshimasa; Hasegawa, Ken-ichi; Nakajima, Tetsuo.

1986-01-01

In the field of X-ray stress measurement of polycrystalline materials, a diffraction plane at higher Bragg angle has to be selected in order to obtain the precise value of stress. However, the stress measurement on an optional (hkl) plane desired is not always possible because the X-ray beam exited from a metal target has a dispersive wave length. Recently, we have been able to use the synchrotron radiation source (SR) as an excellent X-ray source. In Japan, the facility of synchrotron radiation (Photon Factory, PF) was constructed in the National Laboratory for High Energy Physics (KEK) at Tsukuba academic city. The use of this SR enables the stress measurements on many (hkl) planes with high accuracy in the higher Bragg angle region by providing an X-ray beam having an optional wave length. We have started the X-ray stress analysis by use of the synchrotron radiation source. This paper reports the system of measurement and some results of preliminaly experiments. Since a monochromatic X-ray beam is required for the stress measurement, we used a beam line which consists of a double crystal monochrometer and a focusing mirror. X-rays between 4 KeV (λ = 0.31 nm) and 10 KeV (λ = 0.12 nm) are available with this optical system. We adopted a constant Bragg angle of 2θ = 154 deg for all the diffraction planes. A PSPC having a carbon fiber anode is made and used as a detector with the use of a fast digital signal processor. We could observe the diffraction profiles from (200), (211), (220), (310) and (321) crystal plane of alpha iron, respectively, and the residual stresses in these planes except the (200) plane were measured with high accuracy in a short time. Such feature especially suits the stress analysis of the material which has preferred orientation or stress gradient. (author)

Sequencing Infrastructure Investments under Deep Uncertainty Using Real Options Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nishtha Manocha

2018-02-01

Full Text Available The adaptation tipping point and adaptation pathway approach developed to make decisions under deep uncertainty do not shed light on which among the multiple available pathways should be chosen as the preferred pathway. This creates the need to extend these approaches by means of suitable tools that can help sequence actions and subsequently enable the outlining of relevant policies. This paper presents two sequencing approaches, namely, the “Build to Target” and “Build Up” approach, to aid in sub-selecting a set of preferred pathways. Both approaches differ in the levels of flexibility they offer. They are exemplified by means of two case studies wherein the Net Present Valuation and the Real Options Analysis are employed as selection criterions. The results demonstrate the benefit of these two approaches when used in conjunction with the adaptation pathways and show how the pathways selected by means of a Build to Target approach generally have a value greater than, or at least the same as, the pathways selected by the Build Up approach. Further, this paper also demonstrates the capacity of Real Options to quantify and capture the economic value of flexibility, which cannot be done by traditional valuation approaches such as Net Present Valuation.

Analysis of Stress-Responsive Gene Expression in Cultivated and Weedy Rice Differing in Cold Stress Tolerance.

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Caroline Borges Bevilacqua

Full Text Available Rice (Oryza sativa L. cultivars show impairment of growth in response to environmental stresses such as cold at the early seedling stage. Locally adapted weedy rice is able to survive under adverse environmental conditions, and can emerge in fields from greater soil depth. Cold-tolerant weedy rice can be a good genetic source for developing cold-tolerant, weed-competitive rice cultivars. An in-depth analysis is presented here of diverse indica and japonica rice genotypes, mostly weedy rice, for cold stress response to provide an understanding of different stress adaptive mechanisms towards improvement of the rice crop performance in the field. We have tested a collection of weedy rice genotypes to: 1 classify the subspecies (ssp. grouping (japonica or indica of 21 accessions; 2 evaluate their sensitivity to cold stress; and 3 analyze the expression of stress-responsive genes under cold stress and a combination of cold and depth stress. Seeds were germinated at 25°C at 1.5- and 10-cm sowing depth for 10d. Seedlings were then exposed to cold stress at 10°C for 6, 24 and 96h, and the expression of cold-, anoxia-, and submergence-inducible genes was analyzed. Control plants were seeded at 1.5cm depth and kept at 25°C. The analysis revealed that cold stress signaling in indica genotypes is more complex than that of japonica as it operates via both the CBF-dependent and CBF-independent pathways, implicated through induction of transcription factors including OsNAC2, OsMYB46 and OsF-BOX28. When plants were exposed to cold + sowing depth stress, a complex signaling network was induced that involved cross talk between stresses mediated by CBF-dependent and CBF-independent pathways to circumvent the detrimental effects of stresses. The experiments revealed the importance of the CBF regulon for tolerance to both stresses in japonica and indica ssp. The mechanisms for cold tolerance differed among weedy indica genotypes and also between weedy indica and

Mindfulness based stress reduction for medical students: optimising student satisfaction and engagement.

Science.gov (United States)

Aherne, Declan; Farrant, Katie; Hickey, Louise; Hickey, Emma; McGrath, Lisa; McGrath, Deirdre

2016-08-18

Medical practitioners and students are at increased risk of a number of personal and psychological problems. Stress and anxiety due to work-load and study requirements are common and self-care methods are important in maintaining well-being. The current study examines perceptions of and satisfaction ratings with a mindfulness based stress reduction (MBSR) programme for 1(st) year (compulsory) and 2(nd) year (optional) Graduate Entry Medical School students. A mixed method pre and post study of Year 1 (n = 140) and Year 2 (n = 88) medical students completing a 7 week MBSR course compared student satisfaction ratings. Thematic analysis of feedback from the students on their perception of the course was also carried out. Year 1 students (compulsory course) were less satisfied with content and learning outcomes than Year 2 students (optional course) (p levels of satisfaction and positive feedback when delivered on an optional basis. Catering for the individual needs of the participant and promoting a safe environment are core elements of a successful self-care programme.

Designing regulatory frameworks for merchant transmission investments by real options analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pringles, Rolando; Olsina, Fernando; Garcés, Francisco

2014-01-01

In deregulated electricity markets, the transmission network is a key infrastructure for enabling competition in the generation sector. A deficient expansion of the transmission grid prevents the realization of the benefits in terms of efficiency associated with market mechanisms. Consequently, it is essential to provide clear investment policies and economic signals to attract timely and efficient transmission investments in order to develop the system at minimum cost meeting the requirements of generators and consumers, while keeping adequate levels of service quality and reliability. This paper proposes a modern tool of economic evaluation based on real options analysis that provides the regulator the ability to assess various incentives that would lead transmission investors to make efficient decisions in highly uncertain environments. Real options properly values partially irreversible investment decisions, such as to defer, modify or abandon an investment project in response to the arrival of new information or as uncertainties are resolved. Decisions are evaluated from the point of view of a transmission investor trying to maximize its own profits in the time period set to recover the capital invested. The results allow the study of the behavior of transmission investors regarding their decision making when they have the possibility to manage the option to defer, under different regulatory schemes that encourage the expansion of the transmission system. - Highlights: • Regulatory frameworks for efficient and timely transmission expansions are designed. • Irreversibility and uncertainty of transmission investment is properly accounted for. • Response of network investors to regulatory incentives is quantitatively established

Lifecycle analysis of different urban transport options for Bangladesh

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hossain, Ijaz; Guelen, Guercan

2007-01-01

Once again, sustained high oil prices are forcing policy makers in oil importing countries to consider alternatives to oil products as transportation fuels. Unlike in the past, advancements in technology, relative success of some experiments and increased familiarity among and acceptance by the public of some alternatives indicate a higher likelihood of success. In particular, natural gas offers a couple of the best options as compressed natural gas (CNG) and chemical conversion of natural gas into diesel (gas-to-liquids, GTL). These options are likely to be most attractive in countries that have cheap access to natural gas. We compare lifetime costs of several individual transportation options for Bangladesh, an oil importer with natural gas reserves. The results are then used to inform the natural gas policy debate in the country. Assuming a natural gas price of 1.5 per million Btu, both the CNG and GTL options are competitive with conventional gasoline/diesel cars if the oil price stays higher than 35-40 per barrel. If natural gas price increases after new upstream developments, CNG becomes less attractive while GTL remains competitive up to 2.5 if capital costs of GTL facilities decline as expected. Under a government policy push (lower discounting), the breakeven price of oil falls to 30-35 per barrel. (author)

Rotors stress analysis and design

CERN Document Server

Vullo, Vincenzo

2013-01-01

Stress and strain analysis of rotors subjected to surface and body loads, as well as to thermal loads deriving from temperature variation along the radius, constitutes a classic subject of machine design. Nevertheless attention is limited to rotor profiles for which governing equations are solvable in closed form. Furthermore very few actual engineering issues may relate to structures for which stress and strain analysis in the linear elastic field and, even more, under non-linear conditions (i.e. plastic or viscoelastic conditions) produces equations to be solved in closed form. Moreover, when a product is still in its design stage, an analytical formulation with closed-form solution is of course simpler and more versatile than numerical methods, and it allows to quickly define a general configuration, which may then be fine-tuned using such numerical methods. In this view, all subjects are based on analytical-methodological approach, and some new solutions in closed form are presented. The analytical formul...

Advanced Techniques of Stress Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Simion TATARU

2013-12-01

Full Text Available This article aims to check the stress analysis technique based on 3D models also making a comparison with the traditional technique which utilizes a model built directly into the stress analysis program. This comparison of the two methods will be made with reference to the rear fuselage of IAR-99 aircraft, structure with a high degree of complexity which allows a meaningful evaluation of both approaches. Three updated databases are envisaged: the database having the idealized model obtained using ANSYS and working directly on documentation, without automatic generation of nodes and elements (with few exceptions, the rear fuselage database (performed at this stage obtained with Pro/ ENGINEER and the one obtained by using ANSYS with the second database. Then, each of the three databases will be used according to arising necessities.The main objective is to develop the parameterized model of the rear fuselage using the computer aided design software Pro/ ENGINEER. A review of research regarding the use of virtual reality with the interactive analysis performed by the finite element method is made to show the state- of- the-art achieved in this field.

ITER vacuum vessel dynamic stress analysis of a disruption

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Riemer, B.W.; Conner, D.L.; Strickler, D.J.; Williamson, D.E.

1994-01-01

Dynamic stress analysis of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor vacuum vessel loaded by disruption forces was performed. The deformation and stress results showed strong inertial effects when compared to static analyses. Maximum stress predicted dynamically was 300 MPa, but stress shown by static analysis from loads at the same point in time reached only 80 MPa. The analysis also provided a reaction load history in the vessel's supports which is essential in evaluating support design. The disruption forces were estimated by assuming a 25-MA plasma current decaying at 1 MA/ms while moving vertically. In addition to forces developed within the vessel, vertical loadings from the first wall/strong back assemblies and the divertor were applied to the vessel at their attachment points. The first 50 natural modes were also determined. The first mode's frequency was 6.0 Hz, and its shape is characterized by vertical displacement of the vessel inner leg. The predicted deformation of the vessel appeared similar to its first mode shape combined with radial contraction. Kinetic energy history from the analysis also correlated with the first mode frequency

Monte Carlo Simulation of an American Option

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gikiri Thuo

2007-04-01

Full Text Available We implement gradient estimation techniques for sensitivity analysis of option pricing which can be efficiently employed in Monte Carlo simulation. Using these techniques we can simultaneously obtain an estimate of the option value together with the estimates of sensitivities of the option value to various parameters of the model. After deriving the gradient estimates we incorporate them in an iterative stochastic approximation algorithm for pricing an option with early exercise features. We illustrate the procedure using an example of an American call option with a single dividend that is analytically tractable. In particular we incorporate estimates for the gradient with respect to the early exercise threshold level.

Constitutive modeling and finite element procedure development for stress analysis of prismatic high temperature gas cooled reactor graphite core components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohanty, Subhasish; Majumdar, Saurindranath; Srinivasan, Makuteswara

2013-01-01

Highlights: • Finite element procedure developed for stress analysis of HTGR graphite component. • Realistic fluence profile and reflector brick shape considered for the simulation. • Also realistic H-451 grade material properties considered for simulation. • Typical outer reflector of a GT-MHR type reactor considered for numerical study. • Based on the simulation results replacement of graphite bricks can be scheduled. -- Abstract: High temperature gas cooled reactors, such as prismatic and pebble bed reactors, are increasingly becoming popular because of their inherent safety, high temperature process heat output, and high efficiency in nuclear power generation. In prismatic reactors, hexagonal graphite bricks are used as reflectors and fuel bricks. In the reactor environment, graphite bricks experience high temperature and neutron dose. This leads to dimensional changes (swelling and or shrinkage) of these bricks. Irradiation dimensional changes may affect the structural integrity of the individual bricks as well as of the overall core. The present paper presents a generic procedure for stress analysis of prismatic core graphite components using graphite reflector as an example. The procedure is demonstrated through commercially available ABAQUS finite element software using the option of user material subroutine (UMAT). This paper considers General Atomics Gas Turbine-Modular Helium Reactor (GT-MHR) as a bench mark design to perform the time integrated stress analysis of a typical reflector brick considering realistic geometry, flux distribution and realistic irradiation material properties of transversely isotropic H-451 grade graphite

Constitutive modeling and finite element procedure development for stress analysis of prismatic high temperature gas cooled reactor graphite core components

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mohanty, Subhasish, E-mail: smohanty@anl.gov [Argonne National Laboratory, South Cass Avenue, Argonne, IL 60439 (United States); Majumdar, Saurindranath [Argonne National Laboratory, South Cass Avenue, Argonne, IL 60439 (United States); Srinivasan, Makuteswara [U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555 (United States)

2013-07-15

Highlights: • Finite element procedure developed for stress analysis of HTGR graphite component. • Realistic fluence profile and reflector brick shape considered for the simulation. • Also realistic H-451 grade material properties considered for simulation. • Typical outer reflector of a GT-MHR type reactor considered for numerical study. • Based on the simulation results replacement of graphite bricks can be scheduled. -- Abstract: High temperature gas cooled reactors, such as prismatic and pebble bed reactors, are increasingly becoming popular because of their inherent safety, high temperature process heat output, and high efficiency in nuclear power generation. In prismatic reactors, hexagonal graphite bricks are used as reflectors and fuel bricks. In the reactor environment, graphite bricks experience high temperature and neutron dose. This leads to dimensional changes (swelling and or shrinkage) of these bricks. Irradiation dimensional changes may affect the structural integrity of the individual bricks as well as of the overall core. The present paper presents a generic procedure for stress analysis of prismatic core graphite components using graphite reflector as an example. The procedure is demonstrated through commercially available ABAQUS finite element software using the option of user material subroutine (UMAT). This paper considers General Atomics Gas Turbine-Modular Helium Reactor (GT-MHR) as a bench mark design to perform the time integrated stress analysis of a typical reflector brick considering realistic geometry, flux distribution and realistic irradiation material properties of transversely isotropic H-451 grade graphite.

Stress Analysis of Non-Ferrous Metals Welds by Numerical Simulation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kravarikova Helena

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Thermal energy welded material unevenly heated and thus supports the creation of tension. During the fusing process welding transient tensions generated in the welded material. Generation of the transient tensions depends on the thermal expansion and fixed permanently welded parts. Tensions are the result of the interaction of material particles. For welded parts and constructions it is necessary to know the size and direction of application of tensions. The emerging tensions can cause local change or a total deformation of welded materials. Deformations and residual stresses impair the performance of a welded construction, reduces the stability of the parts. To reduce or eliminate of action or a screening direction stresses and strains it is necessary to know the mechanism of their emergence. It is now possible to examine the emergence of tensions numerical experiments on any model using numerical simulation using FEM. Results of numerical experiment is the analysis of stress and deformation course. In the plane the tension it divided into normal σ and τ tangential folders. Decomposition stress on components simplifies the stress analysis. The results obtained from numerical analysis are correct to predict the stress distribution and size. The paper presents the results of numerical experiments stress analysis solutions fillet welds using FEM numerical simulation of welding of non-ferrous metals.

Application of RELAP/SCDAPSIM with integrated uncertainty options to research reactor systems thermal hydraulic analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Allison, C.M.; Hohorst, J.K.; Perez, M.; Reventos, F.

2010-01-01

The RELAP/SCDAPSIM/MOD4.0 code, designed to predict the behavior of reactor systems during normal and accident conditions, is being developed as part of the international SCDAP Development and Training Program (SDTP). RELAP/SCDAPSIM/MOD4.0, which is the first version of RELAP5 completely rewritten to FORTRAN 90/95/2000 standards, uses publicly available RELAP5 and SCDAP models in combination with advanced programming and numerical techniques and other SDTP-member modeling/user options. One such member developed option is an integrated uncertainty analysis package being developed jointly by the Technical University of Catalonia (UPC) and Innovative Systems Software (ISS). This paper briefly summarizes the features of RELAP/SCDAPSIM/MOD4.0 and the integrated uncertainty analysis package, and then presents an example of how the integrated uncertainty package can be setup and used for a simple pipe flow problem. (author)

Finite element stress analysis of brick-mortar masonry under ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Stress analysis of a brick-mortar couplet as a substitute for brick wall structure has been performed by finite element method, and algorithm for determining the element stiffness matrix for a plane stress problem using the displacement approach was developed. The nodal displacements were derived for the stress in each ...

Proteomic analysis of cold stress responses in tobacco seedlings ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Cold stress is one of the major abiotic stresses limiting the productivity and the geographical distribution of many important crops. To gain a better understanding of cold stress responses in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum), we carried out a comparative proteomic analysis. Five-week-old tobacco seedlings were treated at 4°C ...

Sex and stress: Men and women show different cortisol responses to psychological stress induced by the Trier social stress test and the Iowa singing social stress test.

Science.gov (United States)

Reschke-Hernández, Alaine E; Okerstrom, Katrina L; Bowles Edwards, Angela; Tranel, Daniel

2017-01-02

Acute psychological stress affects each of us in our daily lives and is increasingly a topic of discussion for its role in mental illness, aging, cognition, and overall health. A better understanding of how such stress affects the body and mind could contribute to the development of more effective clinical interventions and prevention practices. Over the past 3 decades, the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) has been widely used to induce acute stress in a laboratory setting based on the principles of social evaluative threat, namely, a judged speech-making task. A comparable alternative task may expand options for examining acute stress in a controlled laboratory setting. This study uses a within-subjects design to examine healthy adult participants' (n = 20 men, n = 20 women) subjective stress and salivary cortisol responses to the standard TSST (involving public speaking and math) and the newly created Iowa Singing Social Stress Test (I-SSST). The I-SSST is similar to the TSST but with a new twist: public singing. Results indicated that men and women reported similarly high levels of subjective stress in response to both tasks. However, men and women demonstrated different cortisol responses; men showed a robust response to both tasks, and women displayed a lesser response. These findings are in line with previous literature and further underscore the importance of examining possible sex differences throughout various phases of research, including design, analysis, and interpretation of results. Furthermore, this nascent examination of the I-SSST suggests a possible alternative for inducing stress in the laboratory. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Energy exotic options

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaminski, V.; Gibner, S.; Pinnamaneni, K.

1999-01-01

This chapter with 88 references focuses on the use of exotic options to control exposure to energy prices. Exotic options are defined, and the conversion of a standard option into an exotic option and pricing models are examined. Pricing and hedging exotic options, path-dependent options, multi-commodity options, options on the minimum-or-maximum of two commodities, compound options, digital options, hybrid and complex structures, and natural gas daily options are described. Formulas for option pricing for vanilla, barrier, compound, options on minimum or maximum of two assets, and look back options are given in an appendix

Profiled Roller Stress/Fatigue Life Analysis Methodology and Establishment of an Appropriate Stress/Life Exponent

Science.gov (United States)

1997-01-01

The objective of this work was to determine the three dimensional volumetric stress field, surface pressure distribution and actual contact area between a 0.50" square roller with different crown profiles and a flat raceway surface using Finite Element Analysis. The 3-dimensional stress field data was used in conjunction with several bearing fatigue life theories to extract appropriate values for stress-life exponents. Also, results of the FEA runs were used to evaluate the laminated roller model presently used for stress and life prediction.

Stress relaxation analysis and irradiation creep and swelling in pressure tubes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beeston, J.M.; Burr, T.K.

1979-01-01

An analysis is presented of slit width test information on two pressure tubes that had been irradiated in test reactors. The analysis showed that differential swelling stresses and thermal stresses undergo relaxation. The mechanism responsible for the stress relaxation at temperatures less than 700 K was irradiation creep. Irradiation creep in thermal test reactor pressure tubes is evidently greater than it would be at equivalent conditions in fast reactors. The residual stresses observed in the slit width tests varied between 30 and 257 MPa and would act to reduce the operating stresses, thus allowing for increased service life of the tubes as compared with no stress relaxation

Genome-wide analysis identifies chickpea (Cicer arietinum) heat stress transcription factors (Hsfs) responsive to heat stress at the pod development stage.

Science.gov (United States)

Chidambaranathan, Parameswaran; Jagannadham, Prasanth Tej Kumar; Satheesh, Viswanathan; Kohli, Deshika; Basavarajappa, Santosh Halasabala; Chellapilla, Bharadwaj; Kumar, Jitendra; Jain, Pradeep Kumar; Srinivasan, R

2018-05-01

The heat stress transcription factors (Hsfs) play a prominent role in thermotolerance and eliciting the heat stress response in plants. Identification and expression analysis of Hsfs gene family members in chickpea would provide valuable information on heat stress responsive Hsfs. A genome-wide analysis of Hsfs gene family resulted in the identification of 22 Hsf genes in chickpea in both desi and kabuli genome. Phylogenetic analysis distinctly separated 12 A, 9 B, and 1 C class Hsfs, respectively. An analysis of cis-regulatory elements in the upstream region of the genes identified many stress responsive elements such as heat stress elements (HSE), abscisic acid responsive element (ABRE) etc. In silico expression analysis showed nine and three Hsfs were also expressed in drought and salinity stresses, respectively. Q-PCR expression analysis of Hsfs under heat stress at pod development and at 15 days old seedling stage showed that CarHsfA2, A6, and B2 were significantly upregulated in both the stages of crop growth and other four Hsfs (CarHsfA2, A6a, A6c, B2a) showed early transcriptional upregulation for heat stress at seedling stage of chickpea. These subclasses of Hsfs identified in this study can be further evaluated as candidate genes in the characterization of heat stress response in chickpea.

Electromagnetic field and mechanical stress analysis code

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1978-01-01

Analysis TEXMAGST is a two stage linear finite element code for the analysis of static magnetic fields in three dimensional structures and associated mechanical stresses produced by the anti J x anti B forces within these structures. The electromagnetic problem is solved in terms of magnetic vector potential A for a given current density anti J as curl 1/μ curl anti A = anti J considering the magnetic permeability as constant. The Coulombian gauge (div anti A = o) was chosen and was implemented through the use of Lagrange multipliers. The second stage of the problem - the calculation of mechanical stresses in the same three dimensional structure is solved by using the same code with few modifications - through a restart card. Body forces anti J x anti B within each element are calculated from the solution of the first stage run and represent the input to the second stage run which will give the solution for the stress problem

PIPE STRESS and VERPIP codes for stress analysis and verifications of PEC reactor piping

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cesari, F.; Ferranti, P.; Gasparrini, M.; Labanti, L.

1975-01-01

To design LMFBR piping systems following ASME Sct. III requirements unusual flexibility computer codes are to be adopted to consider piping and its guard-tube. For this purpose PIPE STRESS code previously prepared by Southern-Service, has been modified. Some subroutine for detailed stress analysis and principal stress calculations on all the sections of piping have been written and fitted in the code. Plotter can also be used. VERPIP code for automatic verifications of piping as class 1 Sct. III prescriptions has been also prepared. The results of PIPE STRESS and VERPIP codes application to PEC piping are in section III of this report

Polish Toxic Currency Options

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Waldemar Gontarski

2009-06-01

other hand issuing call options confers an absolute obligation to deliver to the other party to the option contract a specified amount in euro at exchange rate set in advance. This latter position (short call means unlimited loss in the case of appreciation of euro. This was the situation faced by some Polish exporters in the second half of 2008 who in the middle of 2008 issued the most risky call options for banks and, thus, they bought a currency risk from the banks. Issuing any option always means also buying someone other’s risk, in exchange for a relatively small option premium which might trigger a relatively huge and actually unlimited risk of losses, if the assumed forecast does not come true. This is not the economic analysis of law to be relied on any more in respect of the cost of preventing the risk of loss being higher or lower than the amount of damage. The manager of an exporting company, unlike the speculator who sells options (buys risk, usually has no knowledge of financial engineering, which is essential to safely manage such excessive risk through creating a hedging portfolio.

National Forest management options in response to climate change

Science.gov (United States)

Forest Service U.S. Department of Agriculture

2009-01-01

The effect of climate change on ecosystem structure, function, and services will depend on the ecosystem's degree of sensitivity to climate change, the natural ability of plants and animals to adapt, and the availability of effective management options. Sensitivity to climate change is a function of ecosystem health and environmental stresses such as air pollution...

Advanced stress analysis of PWR containments in the region of nozzles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schauer, G.

1977-01-01

As an example of the stress analysis of a nozzle in a PWR steel containment, an advanced stress analysis of a personnel lock is presented. Contrary to the calculations by means of numerical shell programs usual till now, this advanced stress analysis was executed with the finite-element-method. Because of their theory, the shell programs compute mathematically exact results, but at the intersection of two shells the notch stresses cannot be analyzed well. A further disadvantage must be seen in the fact that there is a great distance between the real critical region near the intersection line and the calculation point, which lies on the neutral axis of the shell

The stress analysis evaluation and pipe support layout for pressurizer discharge system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mao Qing; Wang Wei; Zhang Yixiong

2000-01-01

The author presents the stress analysis and evaluation of pipe layout and support adjustment process for Qinshan phase II pressurizer discharge system. Using PDL-SYSPIPE INTERFACE software, the characteristic parameters of the system are gained from 3-D CAD engineering design software PDL and outputted as the input date file format of special pipe stress analysis program SYSPIPE. Based on that, SYSPIPE program fast stress analysis function is applied in adjusting pipe layout , support layout and support types. According to RCC-M standard, the pipe stress analysis and evaluation under deadweight, internal pressure, thermal expansion, seismic, pipe rupture and discharge loads are fulfilled

Equity Options During the Shorting Ban of 2008

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nusret Cakici

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The Securities and Exchange Commission’s 2008 emergency order introduced a shorting ban of some 800 financials traded in the US. This paper provides an empirical analysis of the options market around the ban period. Using transaction level data from OPRA (The Options Price Reporting Authority, we study the options volume, spreads, pricing measures and option trade volume informativeness during the ban. We also consider the put–call parity relationship. While mostly statistically significant, economic magnitudes of our results suggest that the impact of the ban on the equity options market was likely not as dramatic as initially thought.

Development of total systems of piping stress analysis and evaluation: ISAPPS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oki, Teizaburo; Koyanagi, Ryoichi; Fukuda, Masanao

1978-01-01

IHI has developed the systems of piping stress analysis and evaluation: ISAPPS (IHI Stress Analysis Program for Piping Systems), which are further described in this paper. In addition, the results of structural analysis and heat transfer analysis were confirmed. An example of stress evaluation in accordance with the modified ASME Code Sec. III is shown. ISAPPS consists of the following seven parts, and is designed for easy adoption of other programs by making modifications. 1. Piping design oriented language programs 2. Structural analysis programs 3. Isometric plotting programs 4. Multi-file dumping program 5. Load combination program 6. Heat transfer program 7. Stress evaluation programs As one of the examples of structural analysis programs, IHI make use of the modified SAP IV developed by the University of California. Evaluations of stresses are performed in accordance with: 1. ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Sec. III Class 1, 2 and 3 2. ANSI Code, B31.1 and B31.3 3. MITI (Ministry of International Trade and Industry ) Code ISAPPS is very useful for design of nuclear and chemical pipings and so on. (author)

Study on elastic-plastic deformation analysis using a cyclic stress-strain curve

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Igari, Toshihide; Setoguchi, Katsuya; Yamauchi, Masafumi

1983-01-01

This paper presents the results of the elastic-plastic deformation analysis using a cyclic stress-strain curve with an intention to apply this method for predicting the low-cycle fatigue life. Uniaxial plastic cycling tests were performed on 2 1/4Cr-1Mo steel to investigate the correspondence between the cyclic stress-strain curve and the hysteresis loop, and also to determine what mathematical model should be used for analysis of deformation at stress reversal. Furthermore, a cyclic in-plane bending test was performed on a flat plate to clarify the validity of the cyclic stress-strain curve-based theoretical analysis. The results obtained are as follows: (1) The cyclic stress-strain curve corresponds nearly to the ascending curve of hysteresis loop scaled by a factor of 1/2 for both stress and strain. Therefore, the cyclic stress-strain curve can be determined from the shape of hysteresis loop, for simplicity. (2) To perform the elastic-plastic deformation analysis using the cyclic stress-strain curve is both practical and effective for predicting the cyclic elastic-plastic deformation of structures at the stage of advanced cycles. And Masing model can serve as a suitable mathematical model for such a deformation analysis. (author)

Compound Option Pricing under Fuzzy Environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiandong Wang

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Considering the uncertainty of a financial market includes two aspects: risk and vagueness; in this paper, fuzzy sets theory is applied to model the imprecise input parameters (interest rate and volatility. We present the fuzzy price of compound option by fuzzing the interest and volatility in Geske’s compound option pricing formula. For each α, the α-level set of fuzzy prices is obtained according to the fuzzy arithmetics and the definition of fuzzy-valued function. We apply a defuzzification method based on crisp possibilistic mean values of the fuzzy interest rate and fuzzy volatility to obtain the crisp possibilistic mean value of compound option price. Finally, we present a numerical analysis to illustrate the compound option pricing under fuzzy environment.

ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF SELECTED OPTIONS OF STRAW USE DEPENDING ON HARVESTING TECHNOLOGY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lukasz KUTA

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Post-harvest straw deserves particular attention among agricultural raw materials. It can be intended for sale, applied as litter material in animal husbandry or used in field fertilization. To a lesser extent it can be used for fodder production, covering mounds of roots and tubers and the production of insulation materials in horticulture and building construction. Using surplus straw directly for energy generation, including production of pellets and briquettes, should also be considered rational. Several applications were analyzed. The main purpose of the research is to determine the profitability level of winter wheat cultivation and of energy use of the straw obtained. Among others, they included situations in which obtained straw was used in the production of pellets, in fertilization after prior grinding and mixing with manure or used for direct sale. For our calculations, the costs/ha of wheat cultivation and then straw collection were estimated. The comparative analysis of various options of wheat straw utilization shows the highest profitability in the option of selling the straw and mineral fertilization.

Transcriptome Analysis of Sunflower Genotypes with Contrasting Oxidative Stress Tolerance Reveals Individual- and Combined- Biotic and Abiotic Stress Tolerance Mechanisms.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vemanna S Ramu

Full Text Available In nature plants are often simultaneously challenged by different biotic and abiotic stresses. Although the mechanisms underlying plant responses against single stress have been studied considerably, plant tolerance mechanisms under combined stress is not understood. Also, the mechanism used to combat independently and sequentially occurring many number of biotic and abiotic stresses has also not systematically studied. From this context, in this study, we attempted to explore the shared response of sunflower plants to many independent stresses by using meta-analysis of publically available transcriptome data and transcript profiling by quantitative PCR. Further, we have also analyzed the possible role of the genes so identified in contributing to combined stress tolerance. Meta-analysis of transcriptomic data from many abiotic and biotic stresses indicated the common representation of oxidative stress responsive genes. Further, menadione-mediated oxidative stress in sunflower seedlings showed similar pattern of changes in the oxidative stress related genes. Based on this a large scale screening of 55 sunflower genotypes was performed under menadione stress and those contrasting in oxidative stress tolerance were identified. Further to confirm the role of genes identified in individual and combined stress tolerance the contrasting genotypes were individually and simultaneously challenged with few abiotic and biotic stresses. The tolerant hybrid showed reduced levels of stress damage both under combined stress and few independent stresses. Transcript profiling of the genes identified from meta-analysis in the tolerant hybrid also indicated that the selected genes were up-regulated under individual and combined stresses. Our results indicate that menadione-based screening can identify genotypes not only tolerant to multiple number of individual biotic and abiotic stresses, but also the combined stresses.

Preference for safe over risky options in binge eating

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Rémi eNeveu

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Background: Binge eating has been usually viewed as a preference for risky over safe appetitive rewards although this view has been drawn without manipulating stressing-inducing food cues. In healthy women, stressful cues bias behavior for safer options, raising the question of whether food cues modulate binging patients’ behaviors towards safer options.Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted with binging patients (20 bulimia nervosa (BN and 23 binging anorexia nervosa (ANB patients and two control groups (22 non-binging restrictive (ANR anorexia nervosa patients and 20 healthy participants, without any concomitant impulsive disorder. We assessed decisions under risk with a gambling task with known probabilities and decisions under uncertainty with the balloon analog risk taking task (BART with unknown probabilities of winning, in three cued-conditions including neutral, binge food and stressful cues.Results: In the gambling task, binging patients and ANR patients adopted similar safer attitudes and coherently elicited a higher aversion to losses when primed by food as compared to neutral cues. This differential behavior was also observed in the BART in BN and ANR patients only, aligning with the behavior of healthy controls when primed with stressful cues. In ANB patients, similar safer behaviors were observed in food and neutral conditions in the BART but with a higher variability in their choices in food condition. This higher variability was associated with higher difficulties to discard irrelevant information. Conclusion: Decision making under risk and under uncertainty is not fundamentally altered in binging patients but might be disturbed by a concomitant task.

Advanced stress analysis of PWR containments in the region of nozzles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schauer, G.

1977-01-01

As an example of the stress analysis of a nozzle in a PWR steel containment, an advanced stress analysis of a personnel lock is presented. Contrary to the calculations by means of numerical shell programs usual till now, this advanced stress analysis was executed with the finite-element-method. Because of their theory, the shell programs compute mathematically exact results, but at the intersection of two shells the notch stresses cannot be analyzed well. A further disadvantage must be seen in the fact that there is a great distance between the real critical region near the intersection line and the calculation point, which lies on the neutral axis of the shell. The study shows that the results obtained to date which are based on the shell theory and calculate stresses at a fictitious intersection line can be improved and that there is a possibility to get stress values adjacent to the real intersection line. (Auth.)

Computer-aided stress analysis system for nuclear plant primary components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murai, Tsutomu; Tokumaru, Yoshio; Yamazaki, Junko.

1980-06-01

Generally it needs a vast quantity of calculation to make the stress analysis reports of nuclear plant primary components. In Japan, especially, stress analysis reports are under obligation to make for each plant. In Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd., We have been making great efforts to rationalize the process of analysis for about these ten years. As the result of rationalization up to now, a computer-aided stress analysis system using graphic display, graphic tablet, data file, etc. was accomplished and it needs us only the least hand work. In addition we developed a fracture safety analysis system. And we are going to develop the input generator system for 3-dimensional FEM analysis by graphics terminals in the near future. We expect that when the above-mentioned input generator system is accomplished, it will be possible for us to solve instantly any case of problem. (author)

Image decomposition as a tool for validating stress analysis models

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mottershead J.

2010-06-01

Full Text Available It is good practice to validate analytical and numerical models used in stress analysis for engineering design by comparison with measurements obtained from real components either in-service or in the laboratory. In reality, this critical step is often neglected or reduced to placing a single strain gage at the predicted hot-spot of stress. Modern techniques of optical analysis allow full-field maps of displacement, strain and, or stress to be obtained from real components with relative ease and at modest cost. However, validations continued to be performed only at predicted and, or observed hot-spots and most of the wealth of data is ignored. It is proposed that image decomposition methods, commonly employed in techniques such as fingerprinting and iris recognition, can be employed to validate stress analysis models by comparing all of the key features in the data from the experiment and the model. Image decomposition techniques such as Zernike moments and Fourier transforms have been used to decompose full-field distributions for strain generated from optical techniques such as digital image correlation and thermoelastic stress analysis as well as from analytical and numerical models by treating the strain distributions as images. The result of the decomposition is 101 to 102 image descriptors instead of the 105 or 106 pixels in the original data. As a consequence, it is relatively easy to make a statistical comparison of the image descriptors from the experiment and from the analytical/numerical model and to provide a quantitative assessment of the stress analysis.

Integrated Portfolio Analysis: Return on Investment and Real Options Analysis of Intelligence Information Systems (Cryptologic Carry On Program)

Science.gov (United States)

2006-09-30

14 IV. Proof-of-Concept: USS Readiness Case Study 16 A. Background 17 B. Applying KVA Methodology 19 C. KVA Results 20 D. Real Options Analysis 23...technology assets. • Quantifying intangible human capital assets (i.e., training, skills, knowledge). The average large company spends the equivalent of...Portfolios/Motorola, Unilever • IT Infrastructure/Credit Suisse • Electricity/Peaker-Plants • Acquisitions/Seagate • Contracts/Syngenta, GM Although

20 CFR 416.2035 - Optional supplementation: Additional State options.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Optional supplementation: Additional State options. 416.2035 Section 416.2035 Employees' Benefits SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION SUPPLEMENTAL... § 416.2035 Optional supplementation: Additional State options. (a) Residency requirement. A State or...

Economic Analysis of Different Nuclear Fuel Cycle Options

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ko, W.; Gao, F.

2012-01-01

An economic analysis has been performed to compare four nuclear fuel cycle options: a once-through cycle (OT), DUPIC recycling, thermal recycling using MOX fuel in a pressurized water reactor (PWR-MOX), and sodium fast reactor recycling employing pyro processing (Pyro-SFR). This comparison was made to suggest an economic competitive fuel cycle for the Republic of Korea. The fuel cycle cost (FCC) has been calculated based on the equilibrium material flows integrated with the unit cost of the fuel cycle components. The levelized fuel cycle costs (LFCC) have been derived in terms of mills/kWh for a fair comparison among the FCCs, and the results are as follows: OT 7.35 mills/kWh, DUPIC 9.06 mills/kWh, PUREX-MOX 8.94 mills/kWh, and Pyro-SFR 7.70 mills/kWh. Due to unavoidable uncertainties, a cost range has been applied to each unit cost, and an uncertainty study has been performed accordingly. A sensitivity analysis has also been carried out to obtain the break-even uranium price (215$/kgU) for the Pyro-SFR against the OT, which demonstrates that the deployment of the Pyro-SFR may be economical in the foreseeable future. The influence of pyro techniques on the LFCC has also been studied to determine at which level the potential advantages of Pyro-SFR can be realized.

A Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis of Waste Treatment Options for Food and Biodegradable Waste Management in Japan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Micky A. Babalola

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Dealing with large-scale Food and Biodegradable Waste (FBW often results in many logistical problems and environmental impacts to be considered. These can become great hindrances when the integration of solid waste management is concerned. Extra care is needed to plan such waste disposal or treatment services and facilities, especially with respect to the ecological impact. Decision-making with regards to the sustainable use of these facilities also involves tradeoffs between a number of conflicting objectives, since increasing one benefit may decrease the others. In this study a Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA is presented to evaluate different waste management options and their applicability in Japan. The analytical process aims at selecting the most suitable waste treatment option, using pairwise comparisons conducted within a decision hierarchy that was developed through the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP. The results of this study show that anaerobic digestion should be chosen as the best FBW treatment option with regards to resource recovery. The study also presents some conditions and recommendations that can enhance the suitability of other options like incineration and composting.

Implications of stress range for inelastic analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karabin, M.E.; Dhalla, A.K.

1981-01-01

The elastic stress range over a complete load cycle is routinely used to formulate simplified rules regarding the inelastic behavior of structures operating at elevated temperature. For example, a 300 series stainless steel structure operating at elevated temperature, in all probability, would satisfy the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code criteria if the linearized elastic stress range is less than three times the material yield strength. However, at higher elastic stress ranges it is difficult to judge, a priori, that a structural component would comply with inelastic Code criteria after a detailed inelastic analysis. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate that it is not the elastic stress range but the stress intensities at specific times during a thermal transient which provide a better insight into the inelastic response of the structure. The specific example of the CRBRP flued head design demonstrates that the temperature differential between various parts of the structure can be changed by modifying the insulation pattern and heat flow path in the structure, without significantly altering the elastic stress range over a complete load cycle. However, the modified design did reduce the stress intensity during steady state elevated temperature operation. This modified design satisfied the inelastic Code criteria whereas the initial design failed to comply with the strain accumulation criterion

Assessment of possibility of primary water stress corrosion cracking occurrence based on residual stress analysis in pressurizer safety nozzle of nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Kyoung Soo; Kim, W.; Lee, Jeong Geun

2012-01-01

Primary water stress corrosion cracking (PWSCC) is a major safety concern in the nuclear power industry worldwide. PWSCC is known to initiate only in the condition in which sufficiently high tensile stress is applied to alloy 600 tube material or alloy 82/182 weld material in pressurized water reactor operating environments. However, it is still uncertain how much tensile stress is required to generate PWSCC or what causes such high tensile stress. This study was performed to predict the magnitude of weld residual stress and operating stress and compare it with previous experimental results for PWSCC initiation. For the study, a pressurizer safety nozzle was selected because it is reported to be vulnerable to PWSCC in overseas plants. The assessment was conducted by numerical analysis. Before performing stress analysis for plant conditions, a preliminary mock-up analysis was done. The result of the preliminary analysis was validated by residual stress measurement in the mockup. After verification of the analysis methodology, an analysis under plant conditions was conducted. The analysis results show that the stress level is not high enough to initiate PWSCC. If a plant is properly welded and operated, PWSCC is not likely to occur in the pressurizer safety nozzle.

Stress and Displacement Analysis of Microreactors during Thermal and Vacuum Loading

Science.gov (United States)

2017-09-07

ARL-TR-8121 ● SEP 2017 US Army Research Laboratory Stress and Displacement Analysis of Microreactors during Thermal and Vacuum...is no longer needed. Do not return it to the originator. ARL-TR-8121 ● SEP 2017 US Army Research Laboratory Stress and...TITLE AND SUBTITLE Stress and Displacement Analysis of Microreactors during Thermal and Vacuum Loading 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER

Environmental analysis of closure options for waste sites at the Savannah River Plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gordon, D.E.; King, C.M.; Looney, B.B.; Stephenson, D.E.; Johnson, W.F.

1987-01-01

Previously acceptable waste management practices (e.g., the use of unlined seepage basins) for discarding of wastes from nuclear materials production has resulted in occasional cases of groundwater contamination beneath some disposal sites, mainly in water-table aquifers. Groundwater contaminants include volatile organic compounds, heavy metals, radionuclides, and other chemicals. The closure of active and inactive waste sites that have received hazardous and/or low-level radioactive materials at the Savannah River Plant (SRP) is planned as part of an overall program to protect groundwater quality. DOE developed and submitted to Congress a groundwater protection plan for SRP. This initial plan and subsequent revisions provide the basis for closure of SRP waste sites to comply with applicable groundwater protection requirements. An environmental analysis of the closure options for the criteria waste sites that have received hazardous and/or low-level radioactive wastes was conducted to provide technical support. The several parts of this environmental analysis include description of geohydrologic conditions; determination of waste inventories; definition of closure options; modeling of environmental pathways; assessment of risk; and analysis of project costs. Each of these components of the overall analysis is described in turn in the following paragraphs. Production operations at SRP have generated a variety of solid, hazardous, and low-level radioactive waste materials. Several locations onplant have been used as waste disposal sites for solid and liquid wastes. Seventy-six individual waste sites at 45 distinct geographical locations on SRP have received hazardous, low-level radioactive, or mixed wastes. These waste sites can be categorized into 26 groupings according to the function of the waste disposed. 15 refs., 6 figs., 5 tabs

Analysis of stress-strain relationships in silicon ribbon

Science.gov (United States)

Dillon, O. W., Jr.

1984-01-01

An analysis of stress-strain relationships in silicon ribbon is presented. A model to present entire process, dynamical Transit Analysis is developed. It is found that knowledge of past-strain history is significant in modeling activities.

Analysis of residual stresses in a long hollow cylinder

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tokovyy, Yuriy V.; Ma, Chien-Ching

2011-01-01

This paper presents an analytical method for solving the axisymmetric stress problem for a long hollow cylinder subjected to locally-distributed residual (incompatible) strains. This method is based on direct integration of the equilibrium and compatibility equations, which thereby have been reduced to the set of two governing equations for two key functions with corresponding boundary and integral conditions. The governing equations were solved by making use of the Fourier integral transformation. Application of the method is illustrated with an analysis of the welding residual stresses in a butt-welded thick-walled pipe. - Highlights: → A solution to the axisymmetric stress problem for a hollow cylinder is constructed. → The cylinder is subjected to a field of locally-distributed residual strains. → The method is based on direct integration of the equilibrium equations. → An application of our solution to analysis of welding residual stresses is considered.

Oil prices and financial stress: A volatility spillover analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nazlioglu, Saban; Soytas, Ugur; Gupta, Rangan

2015-01-01

This paper examines whether there is a volatility transmission between oil prices and financial stress by means of the volatility spillover test. We employ WTI crude oil prices and Cleveland financial stress index for the period 1991–2014 and divide the sample into pre-crisis, in-crisis, and post-crisis periods due to the downward trend in oil price in 2008. The volatility model estimations indicate that oil prices and financial stress index are dominated by long-run volatility. The volatility spillover causality test supports evidence on risk transfer from oil prices to financial stress before the crisis and from financial stress to oil prices after the crisis. The impulse response analysis shows that the volatility transmission pattern has similar dynamics before and after the crisis and is characterized by higher and long-lived effects during the crisis. Our results have implications for both policy makers and investors, and for future work. -- Highlights: •Volatility spillover between oil prices and financial stress index is examined. •Analysis is conducted for sub-periods: pre-crisis, in-crisis, and post-crisis •Oil prices spill on financial stress before the crisis, but spillover reversed after the crisis. •Volatility transmission pattern has similar dynamics before and after the crisis. •Implications for investors and policy makers are discussed

Association between psychosocial stress and hypertension: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Mei-Yan; Li, Na; Li, William A; Khan, Hajra

2017-06-01

The etiology of hypertension is various and complex, involving both genetic and behavioral factors. The relationship between psychosocial stress and hypertension has been hypothesized. More and more people experience increased anxiety, depression, and chronic psychosocial stress brought on by globalization, cultural changes, socioeconomic changes, and stress at the work place. Although a plethora of studies have investigated the interaction between psychosocial stress and hypertension, this relationship is still contentious. The objective of this study is twofold. First, a review of recent advancements in our understanding of the relationship between psychosocial stress and hypertension. Second, a meta-analysis aiming to assess the relationship between chronic psychosocial stress and blood pressure. We systematically searched and identified relevant studies from five databases, including PubMed, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), CQVIP, and the Wanfang Database until April 2016. Eleven studies encompassing 5696 participants were included in the final analysis. Data showed that psychosocial stress was associated with an increased risk of hypertension (OR = 2.40, 95% CI = 1.65-3.49), and hypertensive patients had a higher incidence of psychosocial stress compared to normotension patients (OR = 2.69, 95% CI = 2.32-3.11). Based on our meta-analysis, chronic psychosocial stress may be a risk factor for hypertension. The few cohort and case-control studies on the association between psychosocial stress and hypertension employed variable definition of stressors and the responses, making the meta-analysis difficult. Although we found an association between chronic psychosocial stress and hypertension, more studies are needed to confirm this relationship.

X-ray multiaxial stress analysis by means of polynomial approximation and an application to plane stress problem

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshioka, Yasuo; Sasaki, Toshihiko; Kuramoto, Makoto.

1984-01-01

A new polynomial approximation method was proposed for the X-ray multiaxial stress analysis, in which the effect of stress gradient along the penetration depth of X-rays was taken into account. Three basic assumptions were made; (1) the stress gradient is linear in respect to the depth from the specimen surface, (2) the ponetration depth of X-rays is a function of Sin 2 phi and (3) the strain measured by X-rays corresponds to the weighted average strain on the intensity of the diffracted X-rays. Consequently, the stress state within the thin layer near the surface was expressed by making use of three surface stresses and six stress gradients in the present method. The average strains by X-rays were approximated by the third order polynomial equations of sin 2 phi using a least square method at several phi angles on the coordinate system of specimen. Since the coefficients of these polynomials include these nine stress components mentioned above, it is possible to solve them as simultaneous equations. The calculating process of this method is simpler than that of the integral method. An X-ray plane stress problem was analyzed as an application of the present method, and the residual stress distribution on a shot-peened steel plate was actually measured by use of Cr-Kα X-rays to verify the analysis. The result showed that the compressive residual stress near the surface determined by the present method was smaller than the weighted average stress by the Sin 2 phi method because of the steep stress gradient. The present method is useful to obtain a reasonable value of stress for such a specimen with steep stress gradients near the surface. (author)

Nevada Transportation Options Study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

P. GEHNER; E.M. WEAVER; L. FOSSUM

2006-01-01

This study performs a cost and schedule analysis of three Nevada Transportation options that support waste receipt at the repository. Based on the U.S. Department of Energy preference for rail transportation in Nevada (given in the Final Environmental Impact Statement), it has been assumed that a branch rail line would be constructed to support waste receipt at the repository. However, due to potential funding constraints, it is uncertain when rail will be available. The three Nevada Transportation options have been developed to meet a varying degree of requirements for transportation and to provide cost variations used in meeting the funding constraints given in the Technical Direction Letter guidelines for this study. The options include combinations of legal-weight truck, heavy-haul truck, and rail. Option 1 uses a branch rail line that would support initial waste receipt at the repository in 2010. Rail transportation would be the primary mode, supplemented by legal weight trucks. This option provides the highest level of confidence in cost and schedule, lowest public visibility, greatest public acceptability, lowest public dose, and is the recommended option for support of waste receipt. The completion of rail by 2010 will require spending approximately $800 million prior to 2010. Option 2 uses a phased rail approach to address a constrained funding scenario. To meet funding constraints, Option 2 uses a phased approach to delay high cost activities (final design and construction) until after initial waste receipt in 2010. By doing this, approximately 95 percent of the cost associated with completion of a branch rail line is deferred until after 2010. To support waste receipt until a branch rail line is constructed in Nevada, additional legal-weight truck shipments and heavy-haul truck shipments (on a limited basis for naval spent nuclear fuel) would be used to meet the same initial waste receipt rates as in Option 1. Use of heavy-haul shipments in the absence

Determinants of job stress in chemical process industry: A factor analysis approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Menon, Balagopal G; Praveensal, C J; Madhu, G

2015-01-01

Job stress is one of the active research domains in industrial safety research. The job stress can result in accidents and health related issues in workers in chemical process industries. Hence it is important to measure the level of job stress in workers so as to mitigate the same to avoid the worker's safety related problems in the industries. The objective of this study is to determine the job stress factors in the chemical process industry in Kerala state, India. This study also aims to propose a comprehensive model and an instrument framework for measuring job stress levels in the chemical process industries in Kerala, India. The data is collected through a questionnaire survey conducted in chemical process industries in Kerala. The collected data out of 1197 surveys is subjected to principal component and confirmatory factor analysis to develop the job stress factor structure. The factor analysis revealed 8 factors that influence the job stress in process industries. It is also found that the job stress in employees is most influenced by role ambiguity and the least by work environment. The study has developed an instrument framework towards measuring job stress utilizing exploratory factor analysis and structural equation modeling.

INVESTMENT IN ANTIVIRAL DRUGS : A REAL OPTIONS APPROACH

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Attema, Arthur E.; Lugner, Anna K.; Feenstra, Talitha L.

2010-01-01

Real options analysis is a promising approach to model investment under uncertainty. We employ this approach to value stockpiling of antiviral drugs as a precautionary measure against a possible influenza pandemic. Modifications of the real options approach to include risk attitude and deviations

Communications data delivery system analysis task 2 report : high-level options for secure communications data delivery systems.

Science.gov (United States)

2012-05-16

This Communications Data Delivery System Analysis Task 2 report describes and analyzes options for Vehicle to Vehicle (V2V) and Vehicle to Infrastructure (V2I) communications data delivery systems using various communication media (Dedicated Short Ra...

Life cycle assessment integrated with thermodynamic analysis of bio-fuel options for solid oxide fuel cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Jiefeng; Babbitt, Callie W; Trabold, Thomas A

2013-01-01

A methodology that integrates life cycle assessment (LCA) with thermodynamic analysis is developed and applied to evaluate the environmental impacts of producing biofuels from waste biomass, including biodiesel from waste cooking oil, ethanol from corn stover, and compressed natural gas from municipal solid wastes. Solid oxide fuel cell-based auxiliary power units using bio-fuel as the hydrogen precursor enable generation of auxiliary electricity for idling heavy-duty trucks. Thermodynamic analysis is applied to evaluate the fuel conversion efficiency and determine the amount of fuel feedstock needed to generate a unit of electrical power. These inputs feed into an LCA that compares energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions of different fuel pathways. Results show that compressed natural gas from municipal solid wastes is an optimal bio-fuel option for SOFC-APU applications in New York State. However, this methodology can be regionalized within the U.S. or internationally to account for different fuel feedstock options. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Stress analysis of primary pipe rigid support of the in pile loop

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hasibuan, Dj.

1998-01-01

Base on requirement of the safety analysis report and operation planning preparation on the in pile loop by using the fuel bundle in the test section, the stress analysis of primary pipe support has been done. The analysis was performed for the 3 (three) points of pipe support, which are chosen by random selection, i.e.: GU 2001, GU 2002, and GU 2331. The analysis result showed that the maximum allowable stress was greater then the actual stress. It is concluded that the existing supports fulfil the safety requirement

Stress analysis for robot arm version 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anwar Abdul Rahman; Fikri, A.; Salleh, M. S.; Mohd Arif Hamzah; Azraf Azman; Rosli Darmawan; Mohd Rizal Mamat

2010-01-01

The design of a robot needs to be analyzed to ensure the specification and requirement by the user is full filled. Therefore, stress analysis has been performed on the robot arm version 2 after its complete fabrication. This paper discusses the result of the analysis and proposed measures to improve the future design of robot arm. (author)

xidative Stress and Retinopathy of Prematurity

OpenAIRE

Ümeyye Taka Aydın; Hatip Aydın; Osman Çekiç

2014-01-01

Oxidative stress plays an important role in the etiology of retinopathy of prematurity. Insufficient antioxidant system and increased oxidative stress in premature infants lead to the development of the disease. Understanding the mechanism of oxidative stress and antioxidant system and the related signaling pathways contribute to the development of novel options for diagnosis and treatment of retinopathy of prematurity. The current review aimed to evaluate the relationship between ox...

[Post-traumatic stress disorder after childbirth].

Science.gov (United States)

Korábová, I; Masopustová, Z

2016-01-01

The aim of this paper is to introduce the issue of post-traumatic stress disorder after childbirth to health care professionals. The text focuses on the diagnostic definition of post-traumatic stress disorder after childbirth, symptoms, physiological background, prevalence, course, risk factors and consequences of post-traumatic stress disorder after childbirth for a woman, her child and her partner. Options for interventions and therapy are outlined as well.

Long term energy system analysis of Japan based on 'options for energy and environment' by the energy and environmental council

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hagiwara, Naoto; Kurosawa, Atsushi

2013-01-01

Implications to Japanese energy system are discussed especially in terms of primary energy supply and power generation portfolio, using sensitivity analysis results by an optimization type energy model based on TIMES modeling framework. We updated energy service demand, efficiency in energy conversion and consumption, and power generation costs based on the recent energy policy document called 'Options for Energy and Environment'. The time horizon of the model is 2050. The sensitivity analysis results are presented for 'Three scenarios for 2030' including nuclear phase out scenarios with/without CO 2 emission constraint. The results are compared with 'Options for Energy and Environment'. (author)

Blade dynamic stress analysis of rotating bladed disks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kellner J.

2007-10-01

Full Text Available The paper deals with mathematical modelling of steady forced bladed disk vibrations and with dynamic stress calculation of the blades. The blades are considered as 1D kontinuum elastic coupled with three-dimensional elastic disk centrally clamped into rotor rotating with constant angular speed. The steady forced vibrations are generated by the aerodynamic forces acting along the blade length. By using modal synthesis method the mathematical model of the rotating bladed disk is condensed to calculate steady vibrations. Dynamic stress analysis of the blades is based on calculation of the time dependent reduced stress in blade cross-sections by using Hubert-Misses-Hencky stress hypothesis. The presented method is applied to real turbomachinery rotor with blades connected on the top with shroud.

Stress analysis and evaluation of a rectangular pressure vessel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rezvani, M.A.; Ziada, H.H.; Shurrab, M.S.

1992-10-01

This study addresses structural analysis and evaluation of an abnormal rectangular pressure vessel, designed to house equipment for drilling and collecting samples from Hanford radioactive waste storage tanks. It had to be qualified according to ASME boiler and pressure vessel code, Section VIII; however, it had the cover plate bolted along the long face, a configuration not addressed by the code. Finite element method was used to calculate stresses resulting from internal pressure; these stresses were then used to evaluate and qualify the vessel. Fatigue is not a concern; thus, it can be built according to Section VIII, Division I instead of Division 2. Stress analysis was checked against the code. A stayed plate was added to stiffen the long side of the vessel

Dealing with uncertainty and pursuing superior technology options in risk management-The inherency risk analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Helland, Aasgeir

2009-01-01

Current regulatory systems focus on the state of scientific evidence as the predominant factor for how to handle risks to human health and the environment. However, production and assessment of risk information are costly and time-consuming, and firms have an intrinsic disincentive to produce and distribute information about risks of their products as this could endanger their production opportunities and sales. An emphasis on more or better science may result in insufficient thought and attention going into the exploration of technology alternatives, and that risk management policies miss out on the possible achievement of a more favorable set of consequences. In this article, a method is proposed that combines risk assessment with the search for alternative technological options as a part of the risk management procedure. The method proposed is the inherency risk analysis where the first stage focuses on the original agent subject to investigation, the second stage focuses on identifying technological options whereas the third stage reviews the different alternatives, searching for the most attractive tradeoffs between costs and inherent safety. This is then used as a fundament for deciding which technology option to pursue. This method aims at providing a solution-focused, systematic technology-based approach for addressing and setting priorities for environmental problems. By combining risk assessment with a structured approach to identify superior technology options within a risk management system, the result could very well be a win-win situation for both company and the environment.

Wall stress analysis of abdominal aortic aneurysms using 3D ultrasound

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kok, A. M.; Nguyen, V.L.; Speelman, L.; Schurink, G.W.H.; van de Vosse, F.N.; Lopata, R.G.P.

2014-01-01

Wall stress analysis of abdominal aortic aneurysms is a novel tool that has proven high potential to improve risk stratification of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs). Wall stress analysis is based on computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging, however, 3D ultrasound (US) has not been

Analysis of Nova 1 strategy formed by barrier options and its application in hedging against a price drop in oil market

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michal Šoltés

2015-12-01

Full Text Available This paper investigates hedging analysis against an underlying price drop by using the Nova 1 strategy formed by standard vanilla and barrier options. There are used European down and knock-in put options together with barrier call options. Derived income functions from the secured positions in analytical expressions are presented. Based on the theoretical results, the hedged portfolio is applied to SPDR SandP Oil and Gas Exploration and Production ETF. The proposed hedging variants are analysed and compared with the recommendation of the best possibilities for investors.

Rethinking Stress in Parents of Preterm Infants: A Meta-Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Schappin, Renske; Wijnroks, Lex; Uniken Venema, Monica M. A. T.; Jongmans, Marian J.

2013-01-01

Background With improved medical outcome in preterm infants, the psychosocial situation of their families is receiving increasing attention. For parents, the birth of a preterm infant is generally regarded as a stressful experience, and therefore many interventions are based on reducing parental stress. Nevertheless, it remains unclear whether parents of children born preterm experience more stress than parents of term-born children, which would justify these interventions. This meta-analysis provides a comprehensive account of parental stress in parents of preterm infants, from birth of the infant through to their adolescence. Mean levels of stress in specific domains of family functioning were investigated, and stress levels in parents of preterm and term infants, and fathers and mothers of preterm infants, were compared. Furthermore, we investigated moderators of parental stress. Methods and Findings A random-effects meta-analysis was conducted including 38 studies describing 3025 parents of preterm (stress was measured with two parent-reported questionnaires, the Parenting Stress Index and the Parental Stressor Scale: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. The results indicate that parents of preterm-born children experience only slightly more stress than parents of term-born children, with small effect sizes. Furthermore, mothers have slightly more stress than fathers, but these effect sizes are also small. Parents report more stress for infants with lower gestational ages and lower birth weights. There is a strong effect for infant birth year, with decreasing parental stress from the 1980s onward, probably due to increased quality of care for preterm infants. Conclusions Based on our findings we argue that prematurity can best be regarded as one of the possible complications of birth, and not as a source of stress in itself. PMID:23405105

Delta-gamma-theta Hedging of Crude Oil Asian Options

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juraj Hruška

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Since Black-Scholes formula was derived, many methods have been suggested for vanilla as well as exotic options pricing. More of investing and hedging strategies have been developed based on these pricing models. Goal of this paper is to derive delta-gamma-theta hedging strategy for Asian options and compere its efficiency with gamma-delta-theta hedging combined with predictive model. Fixed strike Asian options are type of exotic options, whose special feature is that payoff is calculated from the difference of average market price and strike price for call options and vice versa for the put options. Methods of stochastic analysis are used to determine deltas, gammas and thetas of Asian options. Asian options are cheaper than vanilla options and therefore they are more suitable for precise portfolio creation. On the other hand their deltas are also smaller as well as profits. That means that they are also less risky and more suitable for hedging. Results, conducted on chosen commodity, confirm better feasibility of Asian options compering with vanilla options in sense of gamma hedging.

Stress determination and geomechanical stability analysis of an oil ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Practical data including geomechanical parameters along with drilling data from one of Iranian oilfields, Mansouri-54 well have been utilized in this analysis. in situ stress was determined using stress polygon method and conducting hydraulic fracturing data in the field. Analytical solution using the Mogi–Coulomb and the ...

Thermal stress analysis of a planar SOFC stack

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Chih-Kuang; Chen, Tsung-Ting; Chyou, Yau-Pin; Chiang, Lieh-Kwang

The aim of this study is, by using finite element analysis (FEA), to characterize the thermal stress distribution in a planar solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) stack during various stages. The temperature profiles generated by an integrated thermo-electrochemical model were applied to calculate the thermal stress distributions in a multiple-cell SOFC stack by using a three-dimensional (3D) FEA model. The constructed 3D FEA model consists of the complete components used in a practical SOFC stack, including positive electrode-electrolyte-negative electrode (PEN) assembly, interconnect, nickel mesh, and gas-tight glass-ceramic seals. Incorporation of the glass-ceramic sealant, which was never considered in previous studies, into the 3D FEA model would produce more realistic results in thermal stress analysis and enhance the reliability of predicting potential failure locations in an SOFC stack. The effects of stack support condition, viscous behavior of the glass-ceramic sealant, temperature gradient, and thermal expansion mismatch between components were characterized. Modeling results indicated that a change in the support condition at the bottom frame of the SOFC stack would not cause significant changes in thermal stress distribution. Thermal stress distribution did not differ significantly in each unit cell of the multiple-cell stack due to a comparable in-plane temperature profile. By considering the viscous characteristics of the glass-ceramic sealant at temperatures above the glass-transition temperature, relaxation of thermal stresses in the PEN was predicted. The thermal expansion behavior of the metallic interconnect/frame had a greater influence on the thermal stress distribution in the PEN than did that of the glass-ceramic sealant due to the domination of interconnect/frame in the volume of a planar SOFC assembly.

Genome wide analysis of stress responsive WRKY transcription factors in Arabidopsis thaliana

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shaiq Sultan

2016-04-01

Full Text Available WRKY transcription factors are a class of DNA-binding proteins that bind with a specific sequence C/TTGACT/C known as W-Box found in promoters of genes which are regulated by these WRKYs. From previous studies, 43 different stress responsive WRKY transcription factors in Arabidopsis thaliana, identified and then categorized in three groups viz., abiotic, biotic and both of these stresses. A comprehensive genome wide analysis including chromosomal localization, gene structure analysis, multiple sequence alignment, phylogenetic analysis and promoter analysis of these WRKY genes was carried out in this study to determine the functional homology in Arabidopsis. This analysis led to the classification of these WRKY family members into 3 major groups and subgroups and showed evolutionary relationship among these groups on the base of their functional WRKY domain, chromosomal localization and intron/exon structure. The proposed groups of these stress responsive WRKY genes and annotation based on their position on chromosomes can also be explored to determine their functional homology in other plant species in relation to different stresses. The result of the present study provides indispensable genomic information for the stress responsive WRKY transcription factors in Arabidopsis and will pave the way to explain the precise role of various AtWRKYs in plant growth and development under stressed conditions.

Analysis of international practice patterns regarding postvasectomy fertility options.

Science.gov (United States)

Blach, Ola; Shridharani, Anand N; Sandlow, Jay I

2014-05-01

To review the management of postvasectomy fertility options by urologists with vs without andrology fellowship and compare the features of practice in the USA vs UK. We conducted an audit of all American Urological Association-affiliated urologists regarding their practice in managing men requesting vasectomy reversal (VR). Standards of practice were assessed against 10 index parameters deemed, by 1 UK study, to reflect best practice. Fisher exact test was used to test the hypothesis that management of postvasectomy fertility options and practice of VR are no different when undertaken by urologists with vs without andrology training and no different in the USA vs UK. Three hundred twenty-five of 645 US respondents (50.4%) practiced VR vs 178 of 213 (83.6%) in the UK; only 11.9% in the US and 10% in the UK performed >25 and >15 (P <.0001) VR/year, respectively. Compared with the UK urologists the US urologists offered more detailed information on all fertility options and/or outcomes, used microsurgical techniques more often, but less frequently counseled couples together, and referred patients to specialist centers for in vitro fertilization with intracytoplasmic sperm injection (P <.0001-.05). Only 74 of the US and 61 of the UK urologists were fellowship-trained in andrology. Most non-fellowship-trained urologists, in both the countries, performed <5 VR/year and were, statistically, significantly less likely to counsel couples about all fertility options, be conversant in in vitro fertilization with intracytoplasmic sperm injection, provide individualized outcomes data, and use microsurgical techniques (P <.0001-.05). Significant differences exist in the standards of practice between both the US and UK urologists performing VR. Concordance with the indices of "best practice" improves with andrology training and increasing number of procedures performed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Combination of real options and game-theoretic approach in investment analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Arasteh, Abdollah

2016-09-01

Investments in technology create a large amount of capital investments by major companies. Assessing such investment projects is identified as critical to the efficient assignment of resources. Viewing investment projects as real options, this paper expands a method for assessing technology investment decisions in the linkage existence of uncertainty and competition. It combines the game-theoretic models of strategic market interactions with a real options approach. Several key characteristics underlie the model. First, our study shows how investment strategies rely on competitive interactions. Under the force of competition, firms hurry to exercise their options early. The resulting "hurry equilibrium" destroys the option value of waiting and involves violent investment behavior. Second, we get best investment policies and critical investment entrances. This suggests that integrating will be unavoidable in some information product markets. The model creates some new intuitions into the forces that shape market behavior as noticed in the information technology industry. It can be used to specify best investment policies for technology innovations and adoptions, multistage R&D, and investment projects in information technology.

Individual Stress Management Coursework in Canadian Teacher Preparation Programs

Science.gov (United States)

Harris, Gregory E.

2011-01-01

Teacher stress is a significant issue facing the teaching profession. The current paper explores individual stress management as a viable option to address stress in this profession. Specifically, Canadian teacher education programs are examined to identify the prevalence of pre-service teacher education courses focused on individual stress…

Diffraction stress analysis of thin films; investigating elastic grain interaction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumar, A.

2005-12-01

This work is dedicated to the investigation of specimens exhibiting anisotropic microstructures (and thus macroscopic elastic anisotropy) and/or inhomogeneous microstructures, as met near surfaces and in textured materials. The following aspects are covered: (i) Analysis of specimens with direction-dependent (anisotropic) elastic grain-interaction. Elastic grain-interaction determines the distribution of stresses and strains over the (crystallographically) differently oriented grains of a mechanically stressed polycrystal and the mechanical and diffraction (X-ray) elastic constants (relating (diffraction) lattice strains to mechanical stresses). Grain interaction models that allow for anisotropic, direction-dependent grain interaction have been developed very recently. The notion 'direction-dependent' grain-interaction signifies that different grain-interaction constraints prevail along different directions in a specimen. Practical examples of direction-dependent grain interaction are the occurrence of surface anisotropy in thin films and the surface regions of bulk polycrystals and the occurrence of grain-shape (morphological) texture. In this work, for the first time, stress analyses of thin films have been performed on the basis of these newly developed grain-interaction models. It has also been demonstrated that the identification of the (dominant) source of direction-dependent grain interaction is possible. The results for the grain interaction have been discussed in the light of microstructural investigations of the specimens by microscopic techniques. (ii) Analysis of specimens with depth gradients: Diffraction stress analysis can be hindered if gradients of the stress state, the composition or the microstructure occur in the specimen under investigation, as the so-called information depth varies in the course of a traditional stress measurement: Ambiguous results are thus generally obtained. In this work, a strategy for stress measurements at fixed

Analysis of the options - rationale for servomanipulator maintenance in future reprocessing plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Herndon, J.N.; Hamel, W.R.

1984-04-01

The currently available maintenance systems which can be applied, in various combinations, to large-volume in-cell maintenance operations are: (1) contact, (2) overhead cranes, (3) power manipulators, (4) mechanical master/slave manipulators, and (5) servomanipulators. The requirements for reprocessing plant maintenance are reviewed, and the capabilities of remote maintenance systems are described. A basic trade-off analysis of these remote maintenance systems considering reprocessing plant requirements is given. Justification is given for selecting the overhead crane/servomanipulator-based maintenance concept as the option most desirable for future large reprocessing plant maintenance. 23 references, 6 tables

Participatory groundwater management in Jordan: Development and analysis of options

Science.gov (United States)

Chebaane, Mohamed; El-Naser, Hazim; Fitch, Jim; Hijazi, Amal; Jabbarin, Amer

Groundwater over-exploitation has been on the rise in Jordan. Competing demands have grown in the face of perennial water shortages, a situation which has been exacerbated by drought conditions in the past decade. This paper reports findings of a project in which management options to address over-exploitation were developed for one of Jordan's principal aquifer systems, the Amman-Zarqa Basin. Options for addressing the situation were developed through a participatory approach that involved government officials and various public and private sector interest groups. Particular efforts were made to involve well irrigators, who are likely to be heavily impacted by the changes required to reduce groundwater pumping to a sustainable level. With information obtained from a rapid appraisal survey as well as from interviews with farmers, community groups, government officials, and technical experts, an extensive set of options was identified for evaluation. Based on integrated hydrogeologic, social, and economic analysis, five complementary management options were recommended for implementation. These included the establishment of an Irrigation Advisory Service, buying out farm wells, placing firm limits on well ion and irrigated crop areas, exchanging treated wastewater for groundwater, and measures to increase the efficiency of municipal and industrial water use. Various combinations and levels of these options were grouped in scenarios, representing possible implementation strategies. The scenarios were designed to assist decision makers, well owners and other stakeholders in moving gradually towards a sustainable ion regime. Social and economic aspects of each option and scenario were analyzed and presented to stakeholders, together with a of legal, institutional and environmental ramifications. Combining scientific analysis with a participatory approach in the Amman Zarqa Basin groundwater management was devised as a prototype to be used in the management of other

Multirole cargo aircraft options and configurations. [economic analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Conner, D. W.; Vaughan, J. C., III

1979-01-01

A future requirements and advanced market evaluation study indicates derivatives of current wide-body aircraft, using 1980 advanced technology, would be economically attractive through 2008, but new dedicated airfreighters incorporating 1990 technology, would offer little or no economic incentive. They would be economically attractive for all payload sizes, however, if RD and T costs could be shared in a joint civil/military arrangement. For the 1994-2008 cargo market, option studies indicate Mach 0.7 propfans would be economically attractive in trip cost, aircraft price and airline ROI. Spanloaders would have an even lower price and higher ROI but would have a relatively high trip cost because of aerodynamic inefficiencies. Dedicated airfreighters using propfans at Mach 0.8 cruise, laminar flow control, or cryofuels, would not provide any great economic benefits. Air cushion landing gear configurations are identified as an option for avoiding runway constraints on airport requirements and/or operational constraints are noted.

Finite element modelling for fatigue stress analysis of large suspension bridges

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, Tommy H. T.; Guo, L.; Li, Z. X.

2003-03-01

Fatigue is an important failure mode for large suspension bridges under traffic loadings. However, large suspension bridges have so many attributes that it is difficult to analyze their fatigue damage using experimental measurement methods. Numerical simulation is a feasible method of studying such fatigue damage. In British standards, the finite element method is recommended as a rigorous method for steel bridge fatigue analysis. This paper aims at developing a finite element (FE) model of a large suspension steel bridge for fatigue stress analysis. As a case study, a FE model of the Tsing Ma Bridge is presented. The verification of the model is carried out with the help of the measured bridge modal characteristics and the online data measured by the structural health monitoring system installed on the bridge. The results show that the constructed FE model is efficient for bridge dynamic analysis. Global structural analyses using the developed FE model are presented to determine the components of the nominal stress generated by railway loadings and some typical highway loadings. The critical locations in the bridge main span are also identified with the numerical results of the global FE stress analysis. Local stress analysis of a typical weld connection is carried out to obtain the hot-spot stresses in the region. These results provide a basis for evaluating fatigue damage and predicting the remaining life of the bridge.

THE REAL OPTIONS OF CAPITAL BUDGET

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antonio Lopo Martins

2008-07-01

Full Text Available The traditional techniques of capital budget, as the deducted cash flow and the net value present, do not incorporate existing flexibilities in an investment project, they tend to distort the value of certain investments, mainly those that are considered in scenes of uncertainty and risk. Therefore, this study intends to demonstrate that the Real Options Theory (TOR is a useful methodology to evaluate and to indicate the best option for project of expansion investment. To reach the considered objective the procedure method was used a case study, having as unit of case the Resort Praia Hotel do Litoral Norte of Salvador. This study was developed of the following form: first it identified the traditional net value present and later it was incorporated the volatileness of each analyzed uncertainty. Second, as the real options are analogous to the financial options, it was necessary to identify elements that composed the terminologies of the financial options with intention to get the value of the real option. For this model of options pricing of Black & Scholes jointly with a computational simulator was used (SLS to get the expanded net value present. As a result of this study it was possible to evidence that using the traditional tool of capital budget Net Value Present (VPL is negative, therefore the project of expansion of the Hotel would be rejected. While for the application of methodology TOR the project presents positive Expanded Present Value which would represent an excellent chance of investment. Key-word: Capital budget, Real options, Analysis of investments.

Finite Element Residual Stress Analysis of Planetary Gear Tooth

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jungang Wang

2013-01-01

Full Text Available A method to simulate residual stress field of planetary gear is proposed. In this method, the finite element model of planetary gear is established and divided to tooth zone and profile zone, whose different temperature field is set. The gear's residual stress simulation is realized by the thermal compression stress generated by the temperature difference. Based on the simulation, the finite element model of planetary gear train is established, the dynamic meshing process is simulated, and influence of residual stress on equivalent stress of addendum, pitch circle, and dedendum of internal and external meshing planetary gear tooth profile is analyzed, according to non-linear contact theory, thermodynamic theory, and finite element theory. The results show that the equivalent stresses of planetary gear at both meshing and nonmeshing surface are significantly and differently reduced by residual stress. The study benefits fatigue cracking analysis and dynamic optimization design of planetary gear train.

Stress analysis of closure bolts for shipping casks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mok, G.C.; Fischer, L.E.; Hsu, S.T.

1993-01-01

This report specifies the requirements and criteria for stress analysis of closure bolts for shipping casks containing nuclear spent fuels or high level radioactive materials. The specification is based on existing information conceming the structural behavior, analysis, and design of bolted joints. The approach taken was to extend the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code requirements and criteria for bolting analysis of nuclear piping and pressure vessels to include the appropriate design and load characteristics of the shipping cask. The characteristics considered are large, flat, closure lids with metal-to-metal contact within the bolted joint; significant temperature and impact loads; and possible prying and bending effects. Specific formulas and procedures developed apply to the bolt stress analysis of a circular, flat, bolted closure. The report also includes critical load cases and desirable design practices for the bolted closure, an in-depth review of the structural behavior of bolted joints, and a comprehensive bibliography of current information on bolted joints

Study on Real-Time Simulation Analysis and Inverse Analysis System for Temperature and Stress of Concrete Dam

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lei Zhang

2015-01-01

Full Text Available In the concrete dam construction, it is very necessary to strengthen the real-time monitoring and scientific management of concrete temperature control. This paper constructs the analysis and inverse analysis system of temperature stress simulation, which is based on various useful data collected in real time in the process of concrete construction. The system can produce automatically data file of temperature and stress calculation and then achieve the remote real-time simulation calculation of temperature stress by using high performance computing techniques, so the inverse analysis can be carried out based on a basis of monitoring data in the database; it fulfills the automatic feedback calculation according to the error requirement and generates the corresponding curve and chart after the automatic processing and analysis of corresponding results. The system realizes the automation and intellectualization of complex data analysis and preparation work in simulation process and complex data adjustment in the inverse analysis process, which can facilitate the real-time tracking simulation and feedback analysis of concrete temperature stress in construction process and enable you to discover problems timely, take measures timely, and adjust construction scheme and can well instruct you how to ensure project quality.

Stress Analysis in Polymeric Coating Layer Deposited on Rigid Substrate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Sang Soon Lee [Korea University of Technology and Education, School of Mechatronics Engineering, Chonan (Korea, Republic of)

2015-08-15

This paper presents an analysis of thermal stress induced along the interface between a polymeric coating layer and a steel substrate as a result of uniform temperature change. The epoxy layer is assumed to be a linear viscoelastic material and to be theromorheologically simple. The viscoelastic boundary element method is employed to investigate the behavior of interface stresses. The numerical results exhibit relaxation of interface stresses and large stress gradients, which are observed in the vicinity of the free surface. Since the exceedingly large stresses cannot be borne by the polymeric coating layer, local cracking or delamination can occur at the interface corner.

Thermal stress analysis for fatigue damage evaluation at a mixing tee

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kamaya, Masayuki; Nakamura, Akira

2011-01-01

Highlights: → Thermal stress and fatigue damage have been analyzed for a mixing tee. → Fatigue damage was accumulated near boundaries of the cold spot. → It was found that fatigue damage was brought about by fluctuation of cold spot. → Simple one-dimensional analysis could derive stress for fatigue evaluation. - Abstract: Fatigue cracks have been found at mixing tees where fluids of different temperature flow in. In this study, the thermal stress at a mixing tee was calculated by the finite element method using temperature transients obtained by a fluid dynamics simulation. The simulation target was an experiment for a mixing tee, in which cold water flowed into the main pipe from a branch pipe. The cold water flowed along the main pipe wall and caused a cold spot, at which the membrane stress was relatively large. Based on the evaluated thermal stress, the magnitude of the fatigue damage was assessed according to the linear damage accumulation rule and the rain-flow procedure. Precise distributions of the thermal stress and fatigue damage could be identified. Relatively large axial stress occurred downstream from the branch pipe due to the cold spot. The variation ranges of thermal stress and fatigue damage became large near the position 20 o from the symmetry line in the circumferential direction. The position of the cold spot changed slowly in the circumferential direction, and this was the main cause of the fatigue damage. The fatigue damage was investigated for various differences in the temperature between the main and branch pipes. Since the magnitude of accumulated damage increased abruptly when the temperature difference exceeded the value corresponding to the fatigue limit, it was suggested that the stress amplitude should be suppressed less than the fatigue limit. In the thermal stress analysis for fatigue damage assessment, it was found that the detailed three-dimensional structural analysis was not required. Namely, for the current case, a one

How Do You #relax When You're #stressed? A Content Analysis and Infodemiology Study of Stress-Related Tweets.

Science.gov (United States)

Doan, Son; Ritchart, Amanda; Perry, Nicholas; Chaparro, Juan D; Conway, Mike

2017-06-13

Stress is a contributing factor to many major health problems in the United States, such as heart disease, depression, and autoimmune diseases. Relaxation is often recommended in mental health treatment as a frontline strategy to reduce stress, thereby improving health conditions. Twitter is a microblog platform that allows users to post their own personal messages (tweets), including their expressions about feelings and actions related to stress and stress management (eg, relaxing). While Twitter is increasingly used as a source of data for understanding mental health from a population perspective, the specific issue of stress-as manifested on Twitter-has not yet been the focus of any systematic study. The objective of our study was to understand how people express their feelings of stress and relaxation through Twitter messages. In addition, we aimed at investigating automated natural language processing methods to (1) classify stress versus nonstress and relaxation versus nonrelaxation tweets, and (2) identify first-hand experience-that is, who is the experiencer-in stress and relaxation tweets. We first performed a qualitative content analysis of 1326 and 781 tweets containing the keywords "stress" and "relax," respectively. We then investigated the use of machine learning algorithms-in particular naive Bayes and support vector machines-to automatically classify tweets as stress versus nonstress and relaxation versus nonrelaxation. Finally, we applied these classifiers to sample datasets drawn from 4 cities in the United States (Los Angeles, New York, San Diego, and San Francisco) obtained from Twitter's streaming application programming interface, with the goal of evaluating the extent of any correlation between our automatic classification of tweets and results from public stress surveys. Content analysis showed that the most frequent topic of stress tweets was education, followed by work and social relationships. The most frequent topic of relaxation tweets

Effect of abiotic and biotic stress factors analysis using machine learning methods in zebrafish.

Science.gov (United States)

Gutha, Rajasekar; Yarrappagaari, Suresh; Thopireddy, Lavanya; Reddy, Kesireddy Sathyavelu; Saddala, Rajeswara Reddy

2018-03-01

In order to understand the mechanisms underlying stress responses, meta-analysis of transcriptome is made to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and their biological, molecular and cellular mechanisms in response to stressors. The present study is aimed at identifying the effect of abiotic and biotic stress factors, and it is found that several stress responsive genes are common for both abiotic and biotic stress factors in zebrafish. The meta-analysis of micro-array studies revealed that almost 4.7% i.e., 108 common DEGs are differentially regulated between abiotic and biotic stresses. This shows that there is a global coordination and fine-tuning of gene regulation in response to these two types of challenges. We also performed dimension reduction methods, principal component analysis, and partial least squares discriminant analysis which are able to segregate abiotic and biotic stresses into separate entities. The supervised machine learning model, recursive-support vector machine, could classify abiotic and biotic stresses with 100% accuracy using a subset of DEGs. Beside these methods, the random forests decision tree model classified five out of 8 stress conditions with high accuracy. Finally, Functional enrichment analysis revealed the different gene ontology terms, transcription factors and miRNAs factors in the regulation of stress responses. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Stress analysis of advanced attack helicopter composite main rotor blade root end lug

Science.gov (United States)

Baker, D. J.

1982-01-01

Stress analysis of the Advanced Attack Helicopter (AAH) composite main rotor blade root end lug is described. The stress concentration factor determined from a finite element analysis is compared to an empirical value used in the lug design. The analysis and test data indicate that the stress concentration is primarily a function of configuration and independent of the range of material properties typical of Kevlar-49/epoxy and glass epoxy.

Stresses, fatigue and fracture analysis in the tube sheets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Billon, F.

1986-05-01

The purpose of the present work is to study the behaviour of the nuclear PWR steam generator tube sheet. But the methods developed in this field can easily be generalized in order to study tube sheets from any other type of heat exchangers. The aim of the stress analysis of these sheets is to verify their correct design, to quantify the risk of fatigue damage in the areas submitted to a high stress concentration and through the fracture mechanic, to make sure there is no risk of fast fracture resulting from initiated or pre-existing defects. This analysis necessarily relates to the calculation of stresses in all parts of the multidrilled area, mainly around the holes where they are concentrated. However the tube sheets are so complexe structures that their direct modelization cannot be envisaged within the context of the finite element method. We then must refer to the concept of equivalent medium in order to calculate the nominal stresses. Then using the stresses multiple fonctions appropriate to the net geometry, we can calculate the actual stresses concentrated around the holes. The method depends on the behaviour of the elementary volume which represents the behaviour of the multidrilled medium. This approach must allow to correctly take account of the ''thermal skin effect'', which is a phenomenon particular to the tube sheets with thermal loads. It must as well be generalized in order to analyse the irregular ligaments which affect the periodical stresses distribution and locally overconcentrate them [fr

Cost-effective design of ringwall storage hybrid power plants: A real options analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weibel, Sebastian; Madlener, Reinhard

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Economic viability, optimal size, and siting of a hybrid ringwall hydro power plant. • Real options analysis for optimal investment timing and stochastic storage volumes. • Stochastic PV and solar power production affects optimal size of the storage device. • Monte Carlo simulation is used for wind/solar power, el. price, and investment cost. • Numerical computations for two different hybrid ringwall storage plant scenarios. - Abstract: We study the economic viability and optimal sizing and siting of a hybrid plant that combines a ringwall hydro storage system with wind and solar power plants (ringwall storage hybrid power plant, RSHPP). A real options model is introduced to analyze the economics of an onshore RSHPP, and in particular of the varying storage volume in light of the stochastic character of wind and solar power, as well as the optimal investment timing under uncertainty. In fact, many uncertainties arise in such a project. Energy production is determined by the stochastic character of wind and solar power, and affects the optimal size of the storage device. Monte Carlo simulation is performed to analyze the following sources of uncertainty: (i) wind intensity and solar irradiation; (ii) future electricity price; and (iii) investment costs. The results yield the optimal size of the storage device; the energy market on which the operator should sell the electricity generated; numerical examples for two different RSHPP scenarios; and a real options model for analyzing the opportunity to defer the project investment and thus to exploit the value of waiting

Feasibility of wall stress analysis of abdominal aortic aneurysms using three-dimensional ultrasound.

Science.gov (United States)

Kok, Annette M; Nguyen, V Lai; Speelman, Lambert; Brands, Peter J; Schurink, Geert-Willem H; van de Vosse, Frans N; Lopata, Richard G P

2015-05-01

Abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) are local dilations that can lead to a fatal hemorrhage when ruptured. Wall stress analysis of AAAs is a novel tool that has proven high potential to improve risk stratification. Currently, wall stress analysis of AAAs is based on computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging; however, three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound (US) has great advantages over CT and magnetic resonance imaging in terms of costs, speed, and lack of radiation. In this study, the feasibility of 3D US as input for wall stress analysis is investigated. Second, 3D US-based wall stress analysis was compared with CT-based results. The 3D US and CT data were acquired in 12 patients (diameter, 35-90 mm). US data were segmented manually and compared with automatically acquired CT geometries by calculating the similarity index and Hausdorff distance. Wall stresses were simulated at P = 140 mm Hg and compared between both modalities. The similarity index of US vs CT was 0.75 to 0.91 (n = 12), with a median Hausdorff distance ranging from 4.8 to 13.9 mm, with the higher values found at the proximal and distal sides of the AAA. Wall stresses were in accordance with literature, and a good agreement was found between US- and CT-based median stresses and interquartile stresses, which was confirmed by Bland-Altman and regression analysis (n = 8). Wall stresses based on US were typically higher (+23%), caused by geometric irregularities due to the registration of several 3D volumes and manual segmentation. In future work, an automated US registration and segmentation approach is the essential point of improvement before pursuing large-scale patient studies. This study is a first step toward US-based wall stress analysis, which would be the modality of choice to monitor wall stress development over time because no ionizing radiation and contrast material are involved. Copyright © 2015 Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Preliminary thermal and stress analysis of the SINQ window

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heidenreich, G.

1991-01-01

Preliminary results of a finite element analysis for the SINQ proton beam window are presented. Temperatures and stresses are calculated in an axisymmetric model. As a result of these calculations, the H 2 O-cooled window (safety window) could be redesigned in such a way that plastic deformation resulting from excessive stress in some areas is avoided. (author)

Mapping residual stresses in PbWO4 crystals using photo-elastic analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lebeau, M.; Gobbi, L.; Majni, G.; Paone, N.; Pietroni, P.; Rinaldi, D.

2005-01-01

Large scintillating crystals are affected by internal stresses induced by the crystal growth temperature gradient remanence. Cutting boules (ingots) into finished crystal shapes allows for a partial tension relaxation but residual stresses remain the main cause of breaking. Quality control of residual stresses is essential in the application of Scintillating Crystals to high-energy physics calorimeters (e.g. CMS ECAL at CERN LHC). In this context the industrial process optimisation towards stress reduction is mandatory. We propose a fast technique for testing samples during the production process in order to evaluate the residual stress distribution after the first phases of mechanical processing. We mapped the stress distribution in PbWO 4 slabs cut from the same production boule. The analysis technique is based on the stress intensity determination using the photo-elastic properties of the samples. The stress distribution is mapped in each sample. The analysis shows that there are regions of high residual tension close to the seed position and at the boule periphery. These results should allow for adapting the industrial process to producing crystals with lower residual stresses

Stress Analysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Burcharth, Hans F.

The following types of forces contribute to the stresses in a Dolos in a pack exposed to waves: 1)Gravity forces Compaction forces (mainly due to settlements, gravity and flow forces) 2) Flow forces 3) Impact forces (impacts between moving concrete blocks)......The following types of forces contribute to the stresses in a Dolos in a pack exposed to waves: 1)Gravity forces Compaction forces (mainly due to settlements, gravity and flow forces) 2) Flow forces 3) Impact forces (impacts between moving concrete blocks)...

The Stress and Stiffness Analysis of Diaphragm

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qu Dongyue

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Diaphragm coupling with its simple structure, small size, high reliability, which can compensate for its input and output displacement deviation by its elastic deformation, is widely used in aerospace, marine, and chemical etc. This paper uses the ANSYS software and its APDL language to analysis the stress distribution when the diaphragm under the load of torque, axial deviation, centrifugal force, angular deviation and multiple loads. We find that the value of maximum stress usually appears in the outer or inner transition region and the axial deviation has a greater influence to the distribution of the stress. Based on above, we got three kinds of stiffness for axial, angular and torque, which the stiffness of diaphragm is nearly invariable. The results can be regard as an important reference for design and optimization of diaphragm coupling.

Therapeutic Success of the Ketogenic Diet as a Treatment Option for Epilepsy: a Meta-analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Hai-feng; Zou, Yan; Ding, Gangqiang

2013-01-01

Objective To systematically evaluate therapeutic success of the ketogenic diet (KD) as a treatment option for epilepsy. Methods Using MEDLINE and Google Scholar search, we searched for studies investigating the therapeutic success of ketogenic diet for epilepsy. We estimated therapeutic success rate for ketogenic diet as a treatment option for epilepsy and its 95% CIs using generic inverse variance method. Findings A total of 38 studies met the inclusion criteria. In retrospective studies, the weighted success rate of the patients who take the KD as a treatment option for epilepsy was 58.4% (95% confidence interval (95%CI)=48.7% – 69.9%) at 3 months (n=336); 42.8% (95%CI =36.3% – 50.3%) at 6 months (n=492), and 30.1% (95%CI =24.3% – 37.2%) at 12 months (n=387); in prospective studies, weighted success rate was 53.9% (95%CI 45.5% – 63.8%) at 3 months (n=474); 53.2% (95%CI =44.0% – 64.2%) at 6 months (n=321), and 55.0% (95%CI =45.9% – 65.9%) at 12 months (n=347). Conclusion This meta-analysis provides formal statistical support for the efficacy of the ketogenic diet in the treatment of epileptic patients. PMID:24910737

Scope Complexity Options Risks Excursions (SCORE) Version 3.0 Mathematical Description.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gearhart, Jared Lee [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Samberson, Jonell Nicole [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Shettigar, Subhasini [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Jungels, John [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Welch, Kimberly M. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Jones, Dean A. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2017-03-01

The purpose of the Scope, Complexity, Options, Risks, Excursions (SCORE) model is to estimate the relative complexity of design variants of future warhead options. The results of this model allow those considering these options to understand the complexity tradeoffs between proposed warhead options. The core idea of SCORE is to divide a warhead option into a well- defined set of scope elements and then estimate the complexity of each scope element against a well understood reference system. The uncertainty associated with estimates can also be captured. A weighted summation of the relative complexity of each scope element is used to determine the total complexity of the proposed warhead option or portions of the warhead option (i.e., a National Work Breakdown Structure code). The SCORE analysis process is a growing multi-organizational Nuclear Security Enterprise (NSE) effort, under the management of the NA- 12 led Enterprise Modeling and Analysis Consortium (EMAC), that has provided the data elicitation, integration and computation needed to support the out-year Life Extension Program (LEP) cost estimates included in the Stockpile Stewardship Management Plan (SSMP).

Exotic Options: a Chooser Option and its Pricing

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Raimonda Martinkutė-Kaulienė

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Financial instruments traded in the markets and investors’ situation in such markets are getting more and more complex. This leads to more complex derivative structures used for hedging that are harder to analyze and which risk is harder managed. Because of the complexity of these instruments, the basic characteristics of many exotic options may sometimes be not clearly understood. Most scientific studies have been focused on developing models for pricing various types of exotic options, but it is important to study their unique characteristics and to understand them correctly in order to use them in proper market situations. The paper examines main aspects of options, emphasizing the variety of exotic options and their place in financial markets and risk management process. As the exact valuation of exotic options is quite difficult, the article deals with the theoretical and practical aspects of pricing of chooser options that suggest a broad range of usage and application in different market conditions. The calculations made in the article showed that the price of the chooser is closely correlated with the choice time and low correlated with its strike price. So the first mentioned factor should be taken into consideration when making appropriate hedging and investing decisions.

ENVI Model Development for Korean Nuclear Spent Fuel Options Analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chang, Sunyoung; Jeong, Yon Hong; Han, Jae-Jun; Lee, Aeri; Hwang, Yong-Soo [Korea Institute of Nuclear Nonproliferation and Control, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2015-10-15

The disposal facility of the spent nuclear fuel will be operated from 2051. This paper presents the ENVI code developed by GoldSim Software to simulate options for managing spent nuclear fuel (SNF) in South Korea. The ENVI is a simulator to allow decision-makers to assist to evaluate the performance for spent nuclear fuel management. The multiple options for managing the spent nuclear fuel including the storage and transportation are investigated into interim storage, permanent disposal in geological repositories and overseas and domestic reprocessing. The ENVI code uses the GoldSim software to simulate the logistics of the associated activities. The result by the ENVI model not only produces the total cost to compare among the multiple options but also predict the sizes and timings of different facilities required. In order to decide the policy for spent nuclear management this purpose of this paper is to draw the optimum management plan to solve the nuclear spent fuel issue in the economical aspects. This paper is focused on the development of the ENVI's logic and calculations to simulate four options(No Reprocessing, Overseas Reprocessing, Domestic Reprocessing, and Overseas and Domestic Reprocessing) for managing the spent nuclear fuel in South Korea. The time history of the spent nuclear fuel produced from both the existing and future NPP's can be predicted, based on the Goldsim software made available very user friendly model. The simulation result will be used to suggest the strategic plans for the spent nuclear fuel management.

ENVI Model Development for Korean Nuclear Spent Fuel Options Analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, Sunyoung; Jeong, Yon Hong; Han, Jae-Jun; Lee, Aeri; Hwang, Yong-Soo

2015-01-01

The disposal facility of the spent nuclear fuel will be operated from 2051. This paper presents the ENVI code developed by GoldSim Software to simulate options for managing spent nuclear fuel (SNF) in South Korea. The ENVI is a simulator to allow decision-makers to assist to evaluate the performance for spent nuclear fuel management. The multiple options for managing the spent nuclear fuel including the storage and transportation are investigated into interim storage, permanent disposal in geological repositories and overseas and domestic reprocessing. The ENVI code uses the GoldSim software to simulate the logistics of the associated activities. The result by the ENVI model not only produces the total cost to compare among the multiple options but also predict the sizes and timings of different facilities required. In order to decide the policy for spent nuclear management this purpose of this paper is to draw the optimum management plan to solve the nuclear spent fuel issue in the economical aspects. This paper is focused on the development of the ENVI's logic and calculations to simulate four options(No Reprocessing, Overseas Reprocessing, Domestic Reprocessing, and Overseas and Domestic Reprocessing) for managing the spent nuclear fuel in South Korea. The time history of the spent nuclear fuel produced from both the existing and future NPP's can be predicted, based on the Goldsim software made available very user friendly model. The simulation result will be used to suggest the strategic plans for the spent nuclear fuel management

Cardiovascular response to acute stress in freely moving rats: time-frequency analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Loncar-Turukalo, Tatjana; Bajic, Dragana; Japundzic-Zigon, Nina

2008-01-01

Spectral analysis of cardiovascular series is an important tool for assessing the features of the autonomic control of the cardiovascular system. In this experiment Wistar rats ecquiped with intraarterial catheter for blood pressure (BP) recording were exposed to stress induced by blowing air. The problem of non stationary data was overcomed applying the Smoothed Pseudo Wigner Villle (SPWV) time-frequency distribution. Spectral analysis was done before stress, during stress, immediately after stress and later in recovery. The spectral indices were calculated for both systolic blood pressure (SBP) and pulse interval (PI) series. The time evolution of spectral indices showed perturbed sympathovagal balance.

Volatility Informed Trading in the Options Market: Evidence from India

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Rajesh Pathak

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to investigate the trading activity in options market based on information about expected future volatility in spot market. We employ Common Implied Volatility as a measure of expected volatility and options volume and changes in Open Interests as measures of options trading activity. We first test for simultaneous information flow in the two markets using multiple regression technique. Next, we test for information based or hedge based use of options using Trivariate Vector-auto Regression framework. We further consider the classes of options moneyness and the market trends in our analysis to examine if the trader’s preference of options changes with change in description of options intrinsic value and market environment. We use daily closing data of S&P CNX Nifty Index options traded on National Stock Exchange, India. We, for the most part, find negative and significant relationship in contemporaneous regression suggesting active trading by arbitrageurs. A feedback relationship is observed in vector auto regression analysis suggesting that options are traded in India for both information based trading and hedging purposes. We also observe the relationship to be varying when market trends and classes of options moneyness are considered. This indicates that traders are not indifferent in their choice of trading venue when market conditions and factors change. The results of this study are helpful for traders in managing the risk and return of their portfolio based on volatility forecast. This study is distinctive as it examines the scarcely researched area of volatility informed trading in an emerging market set up.

Option's value - Greek measures fluctuations and their consequences

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Izabela Pruchnicka-Grabias

2004-01-01

Full Text Available Options are financial instruments that can be applied in many situations. Options buyers sell risk which is bought by their sellers who are obliged to reduce it as much as possible. It can be done by using hedging strategies based on Greek letters and options values analysis. The author proves that Greek letters are not constant during the time of option’s life. The paper shows to what extent they are influenced by such factors as risk free interest rate, volatility, underlying asset price and time to maturity. The conclusion is that options sellers must play an active role, i.e. follow fluctuations of all these parameters and modify their hedging portfolios regularly.

Stress analysis of pressure vessels in nuclear power plants: pt.2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, C.W.; Chu, Y.W.

1976-01-01

Stress analysis of tapered cylinder of reactor vessels in investigated by means of the intersection method. The tapered cylinder is approximated into three models average cylinder, conical frustum, and ring. The results are compared with those of the finite element method program and an experiment. In this paper, the following results are obtained: (1) the best approximation has been obtained by the ring model analysis: (2) the intersection analysis of the tapered cylinder by the ring model shows a sufficient accuracy for the stress analysis of reactor vessels. (author)

The healing stages of an intramedullary implanted tibia: A stress strain comparative analysis of the calcification process

Science.gov (United States)

Filardi, Vincenzo

2015-01-01

Aims The extended usage of unreamed tibial nailing resulted in reports of an increased rate of complications, especially for the distal portion of the tibia. Unreamed nailing favours biology at the expense of the achievable mechanical stability, it is therefore of interest to define the limits of the clinical indications for this method. Extra-articular fractures of the distal tibial metaphysis, meta-diaphyseal junction, and adjacent diaphysis are distinct in their management from impaction derived ‘‘pilon’’ type fractures and mid-diaphyseal fractures. The goals of this work were to gain a thorough understanding of the load-sharing mechanism between unreamed nail and bones in a fractured tibia. With this purpose a complete model of the human leg was realised, simulating a mid-diaphyseal fracture, classified as A2 type 1, according to the AO classification. The analysis of the entire chain allows to have a complete picture of the stress distribution and of the most stressed bones and soft tissues, but, more importantly can overcome problems connected with boundary conditions imposed at single bony components. Methods Model consists of six bony structures: pelvis, femur, patella, fibula, tibia, and a simplified lump of the feet, configured in a standing up position. Their articular cartilage layers, were simulated by 3D membranes of opportune stiffness connecting the different segments. Moreover an unreamed intra-medullary nail Expert Tibial Nail (DePuy Synthes®) stabilized the fractured tibia. A load of 700 N has been applied at the top of pelvis and a part the feet, at the tip, was rigidly fixed. Five different contact interfaces have been imposed at the different bony surfaces in contact. Results Three different conditions were analysed: the initially healthy tibia, the A2 type 1 fractured tibia with the Expert tibial nail implanted, and the follow up stage after complete healing of tibia. Non-linear finite element analysis of the models were performed

Application of the standard options of the FITNET procedure to the structural integrity assessment of welded specimens containing cracks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dzioba, Ihor; Neimitz, Andrzej

2007-01-01

In this paper, the structural integrity of welded specimens is assessed. The specimens were welded using a conventional technique, MAG, and an unconventional one, laser technology. Welded specimens were of the central crack under tension (CCT) type. The elements were loaded, the maximum load was recorded, and the second and the third options of the FITNET procedure were utilized to estimate the critical loading. Estimated and recorded loads were compared to verify the conservatism of the estimated results. For comparison, the results obtained using Option 1 of the FITNET procedure (not recommended in the case analysed) are also presented. Results of the mechanical properties, hardness, fracture toughness for the base and the weld material and residual stress distributions are reported for both MAG and laser welding techniques. The results obtained confirm that the FITNET procedures were properly deigned. The higher the level of analysis, the smaller the conservatism of predictions observed. The overconservative conclusions, following from the lower level of analysis, suggest that the structural element is endangered, do not have to exclude it from exploitation. The higher level of analysis can, in some cases, confirm that the structural element containing a crack can still be exploited

CANDIDATE GENE ANALYSIS IN ISRAELI SOLDIERS WITH STRESS FRACTURES

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Ran Yanovich

2012-03-01

Full Text Available To investigate the association of polymorphisms within candidate genes which we hypothesized may contribute to stress fracture predisposition, a case-control, cross- sectional study design was employed. Genotyping 268 Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms- SNPs within 17 genes in 385 Israeli young male and female recruits (182 with and 203 without stress fractures. Twenty-five polymorphisms within 9 genes (NR3C1, ANKH, VDR, ROR2, CALCR, IL6, COL1A2, CBG, and LRP4 showed statistically significant differences (p < 0.05 in the distribution between stress fracture cases and non stress fracture controls. Seventeen genetic variants were associated with an increased stress fracture risk, and eight variants with a decreased stress fracture risk. None of the SNP associations remained significant after correcting for multiple comparisons (false discovery rate- FDR. Our findings suggest that genes may be involved in stress fracture pathogenesis. Specifically, the CALCR and the VDR genes are intriguing candidates. The putative involvement of these genes in stress fracture predisposition requires analysis of more cases and controls and sequencing the relevant genomic regions, in order to define the specific gene mutations

Interlaminar stress analysis for carbon/epoxy composite space rotors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C Lian

2016-09-01

Full Text Available This paper extends the previous works that appears in the International Journal of Multiphysics, Varatharajoo, Salit and Goh (2010. An approach incorporating cohesive zone modelling technique is incorporated into an optimized flywheel to properly simulate the stresses at the layer interfaces. Investigation on several fiber stacking sequences are also conducted to demonstrate the effect of fiber orientations on the overall rotor stress as well as the interface stress behaviour. The results demonstrated that the rotor interlaminar stresses are within the rotor materials' ultimate strength and that the fiber direction with a combination of 45°/-45°/0° offers the best triple layer rotor among the few combinations selected for this analysis. It was shown that the present approach can facilitate also further investigation on the interface stress behaviour of rotating rotors.

Burnable poison option for DUPIC fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Hang Bok; Cupta, H. P.

1996-08-01

The mechanisms of positive coolant void reactivity of CANDU natural uranium and DUPIC fuel have been studied. The design study of DUPIC fuel was performed using the burnable poison material in the center pin to reduce the coolant void reactivity. The amount of burnable poison was determined such that the prompt inverse period of DUPIC fuel upon full coolant voiding is the same as that of natural uranium fuel at equilibrium burnup. A parametric study on various burnable poisons has shown that natural dysprosium has more merit over other materials because it uniformly controls the void reactivity throughout the burnup with reasonable amount of poison. Additional studies on the option of using scattering or absorber material in the center pin position and the option using variable fuel density were performed. In any case of option using variable fuel density were performed. In any case of options to reduce the void reactivity, it was found that either the discharge burnup and/or the relative linear pin power are sacrificed. A preliminary study was performed for the evaluation of reference DUPIC fuel performance especially represented by Stress Corrosion Cracking(SCC) parameters which is mainly influenced by the refueling operations. For the reference 2-bundle shift refueling scheme, the predicted ramped power and power increment of the reference DUPIC fuel are below the SCC thresholds of CANDU natural uranium fuel. For a 4-bundle shift refueling scheme, the envelopes of element ramped power and power increment upon refueling are 8% and 44% higher than those of a 2-bundle shift refueling scheme on the average, respectively, but still have margins to the failure thresholds of natural uranium fuel. 23 tabs., 25 figs., 20 refs. (Author)

Analysis of Biaxially Stressed Bridge Deck Plates

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jönsson, Jeppe; Bondum, Tommi Højer

2012-01-01

The ultimate state analysis of bridge deck plates at the intersection zone between main girders and transverse beams is complicated by biaxial membrane stresses, which may be in compression or tension in either direction depending on the bridge configuration and the specific location. This paper...

Residual stresses analysis of friction stir welding using one-way FSI simulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kang, Sung Wook; Jang, Beom Seon; Song, Ha Cheol

2015-01-01

When certain mechanisms, such as plastic deformations and temperature gradients, occur and are released in a structure, stresses remain because of the shape of the structure and external constraints. These stresses are referred to as residual stresses. The base material locally expands during heating in the welding process. When the welding is completed and cooled to room temperature, the residual stresses are left at nearly the yield strength level. In the case of friction stir welding, the maximum temperature is 80% to 90% of the melting point of the materials. Thus, the residual stresses in the welding process are smaller than those in other fusion welding processes; these stresses have not been considered previously. However, friction stir welding residual stresses are sometimes measured at approximately 70% or above. These residual stresses significantly affect fatigue behavior and lifetime. The present study investigates the residual stress distributions in various welding conditions and shapes of friction stir welding. In addition, the asymmetric feature is considered in temperature and residual stress distribution. Heat transfer analysis is conducted using the commercial computational fluid dynamics program Fluent, and results are used in the finite element structural analysis with the ANSYS Multiphysics software. The calculated residual stresses are compared with experimental values using the X-ray diffraction method.

Real option valuation of power transmission investments by stochastic simulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pringles, Rolando; Olsina, Fernando; Garcés, Francisco

2015-01-01

Network expansions in power markets usually lead to investment decisions subject to substantial irreversibility and uncertainty. Hence, investors need valuing the flexibility to change decisions as uncertainty unfolds progressively. Real option analysis is an advanced valuation technique that enables planners to take advantage of market opportunities while preventing or mitigating losses if future conditions evolve unfavorably. In the past, many approaches for valuing real options have been developed. However, applying these methods to value transmission projects is often inappropriate as revenue cash flows are path-dependent and affected by a myriad of uncertain variables. In this work, a valuation technique based on stochastic simulation and recursive dynamic programming, called Least-Square Monte Carlo, is applied to properly value the deferral option in a transmission investment. The effect of option's maturity, the initial outlay and the capital cost upon the value of the postponement option is investigated. Finally, sensitivity analysis determines optimal decision regions to execute, postpone or reject the investment projects. - Highlights: • A modern investment appraisal method is applied to value power transmission projects. • The value of the option to postpone decision to invest in transmission projects is assessed. • Simulation methods are best suited for valuing real options in transmission investments

Residual stress analysis on materials with steep stress gradient by using X-ray incidence at higher angles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohya, Shin-ichi; Yoshioka, Yasuo; Maeno, Shigeki

1996-01-01

X-ray stress measurements for isotropic polycrystalline are materials are usually carried out by the sin 2 ψ method under the assumption of no stress gradient in X-ray penetration depth. When a steep stress gradient exists in the vicinity of surface layer, however, non-linear sin 2 ψ relation is observed and the sin 2 ψ method cannot be applied on such cases. Although several X-ray stress analyzers have been developed for materials with steep stress gradient in the surface layer, it is desirable to use diffraction data at higher incident angles of ψ 0 as possible as close on 90 degrees in order to determine the both values of surface stress and stress gradient with high accuracy. In the present study, an X-ray stress analyzer based on Ω geometry was fabricated to enable X-ray incidence at higher angle of ψ 0 . The X-ray detector was positioned on -η side against X-ray incident beam. Both of the residual surface stress and stress gradient were determined by use of the COSψ method on shot-peened steel and silicon nitride specimens. This prototype stress analyzer was found effective to perform a biaxial or triaxial stress analysis. (author)

Activation analysis for ITER design options

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Attaya, H.

1995-09-01

This paper presents a summary of the activation analyses that have been performed for the shielding blanket (SS/water) and for the breeding blanket (Li/V) of ITER design options. The activation code RACC-P, which has been modified for pulsed operation, has been used in these calculations. The spatial distributions of the radioactive inventory, decay heat, biological hazard potential, and the contact dose were calculated for the two designs for different operation modes and targeted fluences. A one-dimensional toroidal cylindrical geometrical model has been utilized to determine the neutron fluxes in the two designs. The results are normalized for an inboard and outboard neutron wall loadings of 0.91 and 1.2 MW/m 2 respectively

Finite element analysis of residual stress in plasma-sprayed ceramic

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mullen, R.L.; Hendricks, R.C.; McDonald, G.

1985-01-01

Residual stress in a ZrO 2 -Y 2 O 3 ceramic coating resulting from the plasma spraying operation is calculated. The calculations were done using the finite element method. Both thermal and mechanical analysis were performed. The resulting residual stress field was compared to the measurements obtained by Hendricks and McDonald. Reasonable agreement between the predicted and measured moment occurred. However, the resulting stress field is not in pure bending

Levelized cost-risk reduction prioritization of waste disposal options

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilkinson, V.K.; Young, J.M.

1992-01-01

The prioritization of solid waste disposal options in terms of reduced risk to workers, the public, and the environment has recently generated considerable governmental and public interest. In this paper we address the development of a methodology to establish priorities for waste disposal options, such as incineration, landfills, long-term storage, waste minimization, etc. The study is one result of an overall project to develop methodologies for Probabilistic Risk Assessments (PRAs) of non-reactor nuclear facilities for the US Department of Energy. Option preferences are based on a levelized cost-risk reduction analysis. Option rankings are developed as functions of disposal option cost and timing, relative long- and short-term risks, and possible accident scenarios. We examine the annual costs and risks for each option over a large number of years. Risk, in this paper, is defined in terms of annual fatalities (both prompt and long-term) and environmental restoration costs that might result from either an accidental release or long-term exposure to both plant workers and the public near the site or facility. We use event timing to weigh both costs and risks; near-term costs and risks are discounted less than future expenditures and fatalities. This technique levels the timing of cash flows and benefits by converting future costs and benefits to present value costs and benefits. We give an example Levelized Cost-Benefit Analysis of incinerator location options to demonstrate the methodology and required data

Residual Stress Analysis Based on Acoustic and Optical Methods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sanichiro Yoshida

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Co-application of acoustoelasticity and optical interferometry to residual stress analysis is discussed. The underlying idea is to combine the advantages of both methods. Acoustoelasticity is capable of evaluating a residual stress absolutely but it is a single point measurement. Optical interferometry is able to measure deformation yielding two-dimensional, full-field data, but it is not suitable for absolute evaluation of residual stresses. By theoretically relating the deformation data to residual stresses, and calibrating it with absolute residual stress evaluated at a reference point, it is possible to measure residual stresses quantitatively, nondestructively and two-dimensionally. The feasibility of the idea has been tested with a butt-jointed dissimilar plate specimen. A steel plate 18.5 mm wide, 50 mm long and 3.37 mm thick is braze-jointed to a cemented carbide plate of the same dimension along the 18.5 mm-side. Acoustoelasticity evaluates the elastic modulus at reference points via acoustic velocity measurement. A tensile load is applied to the specimen at a constant pulling rate in a stress range substantially lower than the yield stress. Optical interferometry measures the resulting acceleration field. Based on the theory of harmonic oscillation, the acceleration field is correlated to compressive and tensile residual stresses qualitatively. The acoustic and optical results show reasonable agreement in the compressive and tensile residual stresses, indicating the feasibility of the idea.

Development of residual stress analysis procedure for fitness-for-service assessment of welded structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Jong Sung; Jin, Tae Eun; Dong, P.; Prager, M.

2003-01-01

In this study, a state of art review of existing residual stress analysis techniques and representative solutions is presented in order to develop the residual stress analysis procedure for Fitness-For-Service(FFS) assessment of welded structure. Critical issues associated with existing residual stress solutions and their treatments in performing FFS are discussed. It should be recognized that detailed residual stress evolution is an extremely complicated phenomenon that typically involves material-specific thermomechanical/metallurgical response, welding process physics, and structural interactions within a component being welded. As a result, computational procedures can vary significantly from highly complicated numerical techniques intended only to elucidate a small part of the process physics to cost-effective procedures that are deemed adequate for capturing some of the important features in a final residual stress distribution. Residual stress analysis procedure for FFS purposes belongs to the latter category. With this in mind, both residual stress analysis techniques and their adequacy for FFS are assessed based on both literature data and analyses performed in this investigation

Depression and oxidative stress: results from a meta-analysis of observational studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Palta, Priya; Samuel, Laura J; Miller, Edgar R; Szanton, Sarah L

2014-01-01

To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis that quantitatively tests and summarizes the hypothesis that depression results in elevated oxidative stress and lower antioxidant levels. We performed a meta-analysis of studies that reported an association between depression and oxidative stress and/or antioxidant status markers. PubMed and EMBASE databases were searched for articles published from January 1980 through December 2012. A random-effects model, weighted by inverse variance, was performed to pool standard deviation (Cohen's d) effect size estimates across studies for oxidative stress and antioxidant status measures, separately. Twenty-three studies with 4980 participants were included in the meta-analysis. Depression was most commonly measured using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition criteria. A Cohen's d effect size of 0.55 (95% confidence interval = 0.47-0.63) was found for the association between depression and oxidative stress, indicating a roughly 0.55 of 1-standard-deviation increase in oxidative stress among individuals with depression compared with those without depression. The results of the studies displayed significant heterogeneity (I(2) = 80.0%, p < .001). A statistically significant effect was also observed for the association between depression and antioxidant status markers (Cohen's d = -0.24, 95% confidence interval = -0.33 to -0.15). This meta-analysis observed an association between depression and oxidative stress and antioxidant status across many different studies. Differences in measures of depression and markers of oxidative stress and antioxidant status markers could account for the observed heterogeneity. These findings suggest that well-established associations between depression and poor heath outcomes may be mediated by high oxidative stress.

Two-dimensional imaging of Debye-Scherrer ring for tri-axial stress analysis of industrial materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sasaki, T; Maruyama, Y; Ohba, H; Ejiri, S

2014-01-01

In this study, an application of the two-dimensional imaging technology to the X ray tri-axial stress analysis was studied. An image plate (IP) was used to obtain a Debye-Scherre ring and the image data was analized for determining stress. A new principle for stress analysis which is suitable to two-dimensional imaging data was used. For the verification of this two-dimensional imaging type X-ray stress measurement method, an experiment was conducted using a ferritic steel sample which was processed with a surface grinder. Tri-axial stress analysis was conducted to evaluate the sample. The conventional method for X-ray tri-axial stress analysis proposed by Dölle and Hauk was used to evaluate residual stress in order to compare with the present method. As a result, it was confirmed that a sufficiently highly precise and high-speed stress measurement was enabled with the two-dimensional imaging technology compared with the conventional method

An exploration of the option space in student design projects for uncertainty and sensitivity analysis with performance simulation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Struck, C.; Wilde, de P.J.C.J.; Hopfe, C.J.; Hensen, J.L.M.

2008-01-01

This paper describes research conducted to gather empirical evidence on extent, character and content of the option space in building design projects, from the perspective of a climate engineer using building performance simulation for concept evaluation. The goal is to support uncertainty analysis

X-ray stress measurement of ferritic steel using fourier analysis of Debye-Scherrer ring

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fujimoto, Yohei; Sasaki, Toshihiko; Miyazaki, Toshiyuki

2015-01-01

In this study, X-ray stress measurements of ferritic steel based on Fourier analysis are conducted. Taira et al. developed the cosα method for X-ray stress measurements using a two-dimensional X-ray detector. Miyazaki et al. reported that the cosα method can be described more concisely by developing the Fourier series (the Fourier analysis method). The Fourier analysis method is expected to yield the stress measurement with an imperfect Debye-Scherrer ring and there is a possibility that the materials evaluation is different compared with the conventional method, that is, the sin 2 ψ method. In the Fourier analysis method, the strain measured by X-rays is developed as a Fourier series, and all the plane-stress components can be calculated from the Fourier series. In this study, the normal stress calculation was confirmed. In addition, the Fourier-analysis and cosα methods were used for X-ray stress measurements during a four-point bending test on a S45C test piece, and the effectiveness of the Fourier analysis method was confirmed. It was found that the experimental results from the Fourier analysis and cosα methods were nearly identical. In addition, the measurement accuracies of both the methods were equivalent. (author)

Analysis of rock stress and rock stress measurements with application to Aespoe HRL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lundholm, Beatrice

2000-11-01

the opening where no influence from the openings can be expected. Since the magnitudes of the rock stresses differ between overcoring and hydraulic fracturing, some efforts have been made to find possible causes for this. The rock stresses when conducting overcoring gave higher values overall, which could be explained by high Poisson's ratios and a minor influence from the opening as the stress measurements might have been done in the disturbed zone. The high Poisson's ratio may depend on the stress-induced microcracks, which might be initiated during the overcoring of the cell, during the drilling of the pilot borehole, in which the cell is installed, and during biaxial testing. Statistical analysis showed that there is significant differences between the mean values of Poisson's ratio obtained from biaxial tests of cores containing the CSIRO HI-cell and the SSPB-cell. Poisson's ratio is about 0.34 for CSIRO HI-cell while the SSPB-cell gave a Poisson's ratio of 0.23. The analysis also showed that Young's modulus does not differ between the techniques. The modelling in FLAC was made to simulate the overcoring and biaxial testing. The result show that it is possible to obtain extensional strain in the core during overcoring if the major principal stress is perpendicular to the borehole axis. This may lead to microcracking occurring in the core causing high Poisson's ratio, which results in higher stresses. It can also be seen from the simulation of the biaxial testing that extensional strain is achieved even if the hollow core is not damaged during overcoring. The analyses using UDEC was made to study the effect of different properties of a discontinuity, such as the dip angle, Young's modulus, Poisson's ratio, density and the normal and shear stiffness. The analyses showed that an inclined discontinuity affects the stresses especially if sliding occurs. So, the dip angle does not solely, determine the amount of disturbance of the state of stress around a discontinuity

[Psychological aspects of pruritus and therapy options].

Science.gov (United States)

Stumpf, A; Schut, C; Schneider, G

2016-08-01

Besides biological factors, which cause or influence chronic pruritus, more and more attention has recently also been paid to psychological and psychoneuroimmunological factors which uphold the symptom. This review article gives an overview of the state of research regarding psychological and psychoneuroimmunological factors and the resulting therapeutic options. The article is based on a literature search in the PubMed database. Under experimental conditions, pruritus can be induced by verbal instructions and modulated by placebo and nocebo effects. Stressful life events can also induce pruritus or its exacerbation. This can also be demonstrated on a cellular level. The knowledge that pruritus intensity is modulated by cognitions, behavioral factors, and stress is important for the development and application of psychological interventions. More research should be done regarding psychological interventions in the treatment of chronic itch and they should be applied clinically more often.

Australian Asian Options

OpenAIRE

Manuel Moreno; Javier F. Navas

2003-01-01

We study European options on the ratio of the stock price to its average and viceversa. Some of these options are traded in the Australian Stock Exchange since 1992, thus we call them Australian Asian options. For geometric averages, we obtain closed-form expressions for option prices. For arithmetic means, we use different approximations that produce very similar results.

Non-linear elastic thermal stress analysis with phase changes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amada, S.; Yang, W.H.

1978-01-01

The non-linear elastic, thermal stress analysis with temperature induced phase changes in the materials is presented. An infinite plate (or body) with a circular hole (or tunnel) is subjected to a thermal loading on its inner surface. The peak temperature around the hole reaches beyond the melting point of the material. The non-linear diffusion equation is solved numerically using the finite difference method. The material properties change rapidly at temperatures where the change of crystal structures and solid-liquid transition occur. The elastic stresses induced by the transient non-homogeneous temperature distribution are calculated. The stresses change remarkably when the phase changes occur and there are residual stresses remaining in the plate after one cycle of thermal loading. (Auth.)

Stress analysis of aspherical coated particle with inner pressure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu Bing, E-mail: bingliu@tsinghua.edu.cn [Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084 (China); Yang Lin; Liang Tongxiang; Tang Chunhe [Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084 (China)

2012-10-15

Coated particles used in HTR fuel element sustain the inner pressure during irradiation as a pressure vessel. In actually the coated particle is not real spherical but with some asphericity, the stress distribution in the vessel is not uniform, coated layer in aspherical particle sustain more additional stress due to the asphericity. In this paper, the geometric shape distribution is summarized based on actual coated particle statistic. A mechanical analysis model is proposed for SiC layer by geometric combinations, and stress distribution of coated particle with a flat is calculated. The results show that the local maximum stress of aspherical particle increased two times than that of ideal spherical coated particle, which increase the failure probability under irradiation and high temperature.

Structural and stress analysis of nuclear piping systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hata, Hiromichi

1982-01-01

The design of the strength of piping system is important in plant design, and its outline on the example of PWRs is reported. The standards and guides concerning the design of the strength of piping system are shown. The design condition for the strength of piping system is determined by considering the requirements in the normal operation of plants and for the safety design of plants, and the loads in normal operation, testing, credible accident and natural environment are explained. The methods of analysis for piping system are related to the transient phenomena of fluid, piping structure and local heat conduction, and linear static analysis, linear time response analysis, nonlinear time response analysis, thermal stress analysis and fluid transient phenomenon analysis are carried out. In the aseismatic design of piping system, it is desirable to avoid the vibration together with a building supporting it, and as a rule, to make it into rigid structure. The piping system is classified into high temperature and low temperature pipings. The formulas for calculating stress and the allowable condition, the points to which attention must be paid in the design of piping strength and the matters to be investigated hereafter are described. (Kako, I.)

Numerical analysis of interacting cracks in biaxial stress field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kovac, M.; Cizelj, L.

1999-01-01

The stress corrosion cracks as seen for example in PWR steam generator tubing made of Inconel 600 usually produce highly irregular kinked and branched crack patterns. Crack initialization and propagation depends on stress state underlying the crack pattern. Numerical analysis (such as finite element method) of interacting kinked and branched cracks can provide accurate solutions. This paper discusses the use of general-purpose finite element code ABAQUS for evaluating stress fields at crack tips of interacting complex cracks. The results obtained showed reasonable agreement with the reference solutions and confirmed use of finite elements in such class of problems.(author)

The treatment of female stress urinary incontinence: an evidenced-based review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cameron AP

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Anne P Cameron, Allen McNeil HarawayDepartment of Urology, Division of Neurourology and Pelvic Floor Reconstruction, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, MI, USAObjective: To review the literature on the surgical and nonsurgical treatment options for stress urinary incontinence in women, focusing exclusively on randomized clinical trials and high quality meta-analyses.Materials and methods: A computer-aided and manual search for published randomized controlled trials and high quality meta-analyses investigating both conservative and surgical treatment options for stress urinary incontinence. In the case of a treatment that is not studied in these formats large case series have been used.Results: Articles were reviewed and the results summarized on pelvic floor physical therapy, pharmacotherapy, bulking agents, and surgery (open and minimally invasive.Conclusion: There are numerous high quality studies in the literature. It can be difficult to make definitive conclusions on the most appropriate treatment options due to the variability in the outcomes used to define success in these articles. There is also a dire lack of studies evaluating and comparing the surgical options for patients with intrinsic sphincter deficiency.Keywords: stress urinary incontinence, conservative and surgical treatment

Money Matters: Recommendations for Financial Stress Research in Occupational Health Psychology.

Science.gov (United States)

Sinclair, Robert R; Cheung, Janelle H

2016-08-01

Money is arguably the most important resource derived from work and the most important source of stress for contemporary employees. A substantial body of research supports the relationship between access to financial resources and health and well-being, both at individual and aggregated (e.g. national) levels of analysis. Yet, surprisingly little occupational health psychology research has paid attention to financial issues experienced specifically by those in the labour force. With these issues in mind, the overarching goal of the present paper was to address conceptual and measurement issues in the study of objective and subjective aspects of financial stress and review several assessment options available to occupational health psychology researchers for both aspects of financial stress. Where appropriate, we offer guidance to researchers about choices among various financial stress measures and identify issues that require further research attention. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Real Options in Capital Budgeting. Pricing the Option to Delay and the Option to Abandon a Project

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nicoleta Vintila

2007-07-01

Full Text Available Traditional discounted cash-flows method for assessing projects assumes that investment decision is an irreversible one, which is not correct. Managers can and must reconsider their initial decision as the new information arises during the project life. This is managerial flexibility and it creates strategic value for a project, only if management takes advantage of the opportunities associated with an analyzed project. Real options represent a new approach in capital budgeting, using the theory of pricing financial options for investments in real assets. In this paper, we emphasize the characteristics and valuation methodologies of real options. The objective in the last section is pricing the option to delay and the option to abandon a project in construction materials field.

Experiments and analysis of thermal stresses around the nozzle of the reactor vessel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Song, D.H.; Oh, J.H.; Song, H.K.; Park, D.S.; Shon, K.H.

1981-01-01

This report describes the results of analysis and experiments on the thermal stress around the reactor vessel nozzle performed to establish a capability of thermal stress analysis of pressure vessel subjected to thermal loadings. Firstly, heat conduction analysis during reactor design transients and analysis on the experimental model were performed using computer code FETEM-1 for the purpose of verification of FETEM-1 which was developed in 1979 and will be used to obtain the temperature distribution in a solid body under the steady-state and the transient conditions. The results of the analysis was compared to the results in the Stress Report of Kori-1 reactor vessel and those from experiments on the model, respectively

Stata 8 Graphics: Options, sub-options and sub-sub-options

OpenAIRE

Tim Collier

2005-01-01

Stata 8 graphics have changed out of all recognition from that available in earlier versions. It was not just that a whole new array of options and sub-options were introduced, but the graph syntax itself completely changed. Just trying to produce a simple plot of x against y using Stata 7 syntax (graph x y) produced bewildering error messages e.g. xgraph_g.new y: class member function not found r(4023) and the like. If you did succeed in working out the new syntax (graph twoway scatter x y) ...

Stress and the gut: pathophysiology, clinical consequences, diagnostic approach and treatment options.

Science.gov (United States)

Konturek, Peter C; Brzozowski, T; Konturek, S J

2011-12-01

Stress, which is defined as an acute threat to homeostasis, shows both short- and long-term effects on the functions of the gastrointestinal tract. Exposure to stress results in alterations of the brain-gut interactions ("brain-gut axis") ultimately leading to the development of a broad array of gastrointestinal disorders including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and other functional gastrointestinal diseases, food antigen-related adverse responses, peptic ulcer and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). The major effects of stress on gut physiology include: 1) alterations in gastrointestinal motility; 2) increase in visceral perception; 3) changes in gastrointestinal secretion; 4) increase in intestinal permeability; 5) negative effects on regenerative capacity of gastrointestinal mucosa and mucosal blood flow; and 6) negative effects on intestinal microbiota. Mast cells (MC) are important effectors of brain-gut axis that translate the stress signals into the release of a wide range of neurotransmitters and proinflammatory cytokines, which may profoundly affect the gastrointestinal physiology. IBS represents the most important gastrointestinal disorder in humans, and is characterized by chronic or recurrent pain associated with altered bowel motility. The diagnostic testing for IBS patients include routine blood tests, stool tests, celiac disease serology, abdominal sonography, breath testing to rule out carbohydrate (lactose, fructose, etc.) intolerance and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. Colonoscopy is recommended if alarming symptoms are present or to obtain colonic biopsies especially in patients with diarrhoea predominant IBS. The management of IBS is based on a multifactorial approach and includes pharmacotherapy targeted against the predominant symptom, behavioural and psychological treatment, dietary alterations, education, reassurance and effective patient-physician relationship. When evaluating for the stress

Boundary element analysis of stress singularity in dissimilar metals by friction welding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chung, N. Y.; Park, C. H.

2012-01-01

Friction welded dissimilar metals are widely applied in automobiles, rolling stocks, machine tools, and various engineering fields. Dissimilar metals have several advantages over homogeneous metals, including high strength, material property, fatigue endurance, impact absorption, high reliability, and vibration reduction. Due to the increased use of these metals, understanding their behavior under stress conditions is necessary, especially the analysis of stress singularity on the interface of friction-welded dissimilar metals. To establish a strength evaluation method and a fracture criterion, it is necessary to analyze stress singularity on the interface of dissimilar metals with welded flashes by friction welding under various loads and temperature conditions. In this paper, a method analyzing stress singularity for the specimens with and without flashes set in friction welded dissimilar metals is introduced using the boundary element method. The stress singularity index (λ) and the stress singularity factor (Γ) at the interface edge are computed from the stress analysis results. The shape and flash thickness, interface length, residual stress, and load are considered in the computation. Based on these results, the variations of interface length (c) and the ratio of flash thickness (t2 t1) greatly influence the stress singularity factors at the interface edge of friction welded dissimilar metals. The stress singularity factors will be a useful fracture parameter that considers stress singularity on the interface of dissimilar metals

Safety options for the 1300 MWe program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cayol, A.; Dupuis, M.C.; Fourest, B.; Oury, J.M.

1980-04-01

Standardization of the nuclear plants built in France implies an examination of the main technical safety options to be taken for a given type of reactor. By this procedure the subjects for which detailed studies will be needed to confirm the decisions made for the project can be defined in advance. In this context the technical safety option analysis for the 1300 MWe plants was conducted from the end of 1975 to the middle of 1978 according to usual regulation examination practice. The main conclusions are presented on the following subjects: safety methods; technical options concerning the containment vessel, primary fluid activity, fuel elements, steam generators; general organization of the lay-out [fr

Mitigation method of thermal transient stress by thermalhydraulic-structure total analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kasahara, Naoto; Jinbo, Masakazu; Hosogai, Hiromi

2003-01-01

This study proposes a rational evaluation and mitigation method of thermal transient loads in fast reactor components by utilizing relationships among plant system parameters and stresses induced by thermal transients of plants. A thermalhydraulic-structure total analysis procedure helps us to grasp relationship among system parameters and thermal stresses. Furthermore, it enables mitigation of thermal transient loads by adjusting system parameters. In order to overcome huge computations, a thermalhydraulic-structure total analysis code and the Design of Experiments methodology are utilized. The efficiency of the proposed mitigation method is validated through thermal stress evaluation of an intermediate heat exchanger in Japanese demonstration fast reactor. (author)

Assessment of foam fracture in sandwich beams using thermoelastic stress analysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dulieu-Barton, J.M.; Berggreen, Christian; Mettemberg, C.

2009-01-01

Thermoelastic Stress Analysis (TSA) has been well established for determining crack-tip parameters in metallic materials. This paper examines its ability to determine accurately the crack-tip parameters for PVC foam used in sandwich structures.......Thermoelastic Stress Analysis (TSA) has been well established for determining crack-tip parameters in metallic materials. This paper examines its ability to determine accurately the crack-tip parameters for PVC foam used in sandwich structures....

Residual stress analysis of drive shafts after induction hardening

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lemos, Guilherme Vieira Braga; Rocha, Alexandre da Silva; Nunes, Rafael Menezes, E-mail: lemos_gl@yahoo.com.br [Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRS), Porto Algre, RS (Brazil); Hirsch, Thomas Karl [Stiftung Institut für Werkstofftechnik (IWT), Bremen (Germany)

2014-08-15

Typically, for automotive shafts, shape distortion manifests itself in most cases after the induction hardening by an effect known as bending. The distortion results in a boost of costs, especially due to machining parts in the hardened state to fabricate its final tolerances. In the present study, residual stress measurements were carried out on automotive drive shafts made of DIN 38B3 steel. The samples were selected in consequence of their different distortion properties by an industrial manufacturing line. One tested shaft was straightened, because of the considerable dimensional variation and the other one not. Firstly, the residual stress measurements were carried out by using a portable diffractometer, in order to avoid cutting the shafts and evaluate the original state of the stresses, and afterwards a more detailed analysis was realized by a conventional stationary diffractometer. The obtained results presented an overview of the surface residual stress profiles after induction hardening and displayed the influence of the straightening process on the redistribution of residual stresses. They also indicated that the effects of the straightening in the residual stresses cannot be neglected. (author)

Stress analysis and life prediction of gas turbine blade

Science.gov (United States)

Hsiung, H. C.; Dunn, A. J.; Woodling, D. R.; Loh, D. L.

1988-01-01

A stress analysis procedure is presented for a redesign of the Space Shuttle Main Engine high pressure fuel turbopump turbine blades. The analysis consists of the one-dimensional scoping analysis to support the design layout and the follow-on three-dimensional finite element analysis to confirm the blade design at operating loading conditions. Blade life is evaluated based on high-cycle fatigue and low-cycle fatigue.

Interference fits and stress-corrosion failure. [aircraft parts fatigue life analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Hanagud, S.; Carter, A. E.

1976-01-01

It is pointed out that any proper design of interference fit fastener, interference fit bushings, or stress coining processes should consider both the stress-corrosion susceptibility and fatigue-life improvement together. Investigations leading to such a methodology are discussed. A service failure analysis of actual aircraft parts is considered along with the stress-corrosion susceptibility of cold-working interference fit bushings. The optimum design of the amount of interference is considered, giving attention to stress formulas and aspects of design methodology.

Reliability analysis of offshore structures using OMA based fatigue stresses

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Silva Nabuco, Bruna; Aissani, Amina; Glindtvad Tarpø, Marius

2017-01-01

focus is on the uncertainty observed on the different stresses used to predict the damage. This uncertainty can be reduced by Modal Based Fatigue Monitoring which is a technique based on continuously measuring of the accelerations in few points of the structure with the use of accelerometers known...... points of the structure, the stress history can be calculated in any arbitrary point of the structure. The accuracy of the estimated actual stress is analyzed by experimental tests on a scale model where the obtained stresses are compared to strain gauges measurements. After evaluating the fatigue...... stresses directly from the operational response of the structure, a reliability analysis is performed in order to estimate the reliability of using Modal Based Fatigue Monitoring for long term fatigue studies....

Texture, residual stress and structural analysis of thin films using a combined X-ray analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lutterotti, L.; Chateigner, D.; Ferrari, S.; Ricote, J.

2004-01-01

Advanced thin films for today's industrial and research needs require highly specialized methodologies for a successful quantitative characterization. In particular, in the case of multilayer and/or unknown phases a global approach is necessary to obtain some or all the required information. A full approach has been developed integrating novel texture and residual stress methodologies with the Rietveld method (Acta Cryst. 22 (1967) 151) (for crystal structure analysis) and it has been coupled with the reflectivity analysis. The complete analysis can be done at once and offers several benefits: the thicknesses obtained from reflectivity can be used to correct the diffraction spectra, the phase analysis help to identify the layers and to determine the electron density profile for reflectivity; quantitative texture is needed for quantitative phase and residual stress analyses; crystal structure determination benefits of the previous. To achieve this result, it was necessary to develop some new methods, especially for texture and residual stresses. So it was possible to integrate them in the Rietveld, full profile fitting of the patterns. The measurement of these spectra required a special reflectometer/diffractometer that combines a thin parallel beam (for reflectivity) and a texture/stress goniometer with a curved large position sensitive detector. This new diffraction/reflectivity X-ray machine has been used to test the combined approach. Several spectra and the reflectivity patterns have been collected at different tilting angles and processed at once by the special software incorporating the aforementioned methodologies. Some analysis examples will be given to show the possibilities offered by the method

Flux Balance Analysis of Escherichia coli under Temperature and pH Stress Conditions

KAUST Repository

Xu, Xiaopeng

2015-05-12

An interesting discovery in biology is that most genes in an organism are dispensable. That means these genes have minor effects on survival of the organism in standard laboratory conditions. One explanation of this discovery is that some genes play important roles in specific conditions and are essential genes under those conditions. E. coli is a model organism, which is widely used. It can adapt to many stress conditions, including temperature, pH, osmotic, antibiotic, etc. Underlying mechanisms and associated genes of each stress condition responses are usually different. In our analysis, we combined protein abundance data and mutant conditional fitness data into E. coli constraint-based metabolic models to study conditionally essential metabolic genes under temperature and pH stress conditions. Flux Balance Analysis was employed as the modeling method to analysis these data. We discovered lists of metabolic genes, which are E. coli dispensable genes, but conditionally essential under some stress conditions. Among these conditionally essential genes, atpA in low pH stress and nhaA in high pH stress found experimental evidences from previous studies. Our study provides new conditionally essential gene candidates for biologists to explore stress condition mechanisms.

Stress analysis and torsional buckling analysis of U-shaped bellows

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Watanabe, Osamu; Ohtsubo, Hideomi.

1986-01-01

This paper presents analysis of elastic stress and torsional buckling of U-shaped bellows using ring elements. The expansion joint is considered to be composed of the two toroidal sections and inner-connecting annular plates. The general thin shell theory is employed to derive strain-displacement relations of shells and plates, valid for any loadings. Numerical examples under internal pressure or axial loading are described and compared with the results of existing appropriate analysis. The fundamental aspects of torsional buckling, which have not been studied previously, will also be investigated. (author)

Fracture mechanics and residual fatigue life analysis for complex stress fields. Technical report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Besuner, P.M.

1975-07-01

This report reviews the development and application of an influence function method for calculating stress intensity factors and residual fatigue life for two- and three-dimensional structures with complex stress fields and geometries. Through elastic superposition, the method properly accounts for redistribution of stress as the crack grows through the structure. The analytical methods used and the computer programs necessary for computation and application of load independent influence functions are presented. A new exact solution is obtained for the buried elliptical crack, under an arbitrary Mode I stress field, for stress intensity factors at four positions around the crack front. The IF method is then applied to two fracture mechanics problems with complex stress fields and geometries. These problems are of current interest to the electric power generating industry and include (1) the fatigue analysis of a crack in a pipe weld under nominal and residual stresses and (2) fatigue analysis of a reactor pressure vessel nozzle corner crack under a complex bivariate stress field

Cardiorespiratory dynamic response to mental stress: a multivariate time-frequency analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Widjaja, Devy; Orini, Michele; Vlemincx, Elke; Van Huffel, Sabine

2013-01-01

Mental stress is a growing problem in our society. In order to deal with this, it is important to understand the underlying stress mechanisms. In this study, we aim to determine how the cardiorespiratory interactions are affected by mental arithmetic stress and attention. We conduct cross time-frequency (TF) analyses to assess the cardiorespiratory coupling. In addition, we introduce partial TF spectra to separate variations in the RR interval series that are linearly related to respiration from RR interval variations (RRV) that are not related to respiration. The performance of partial spectra is evaluated in two simulation studies. Time-varying parameters, such as instantaneous powers and frequencies, are derived from the computed spectra. Statistical analysis is carried out continuously in time to evaluate the dynamic response to mental stress and attention. The results show an increased heart and respiratory rate during stress and attention, compared to a resting condition. Also a fast reduction in vagal activity is noted. The partial TF analysis reveals a faster reduction of RRV power related to (3 s) than unrelated to (30 s) respiration, demonstrating that the autonomic response to mental stress is driven by mechanisms characterized by different temporal scales.

Thermal stress analysis of gravity support system for ITER based on ANSYS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liang Shangming; Yan Xijiang; Huang Yufeng; Wang Xianzhou; Hou Binglin; Li Pengyuan; Jian Guangde; Liu Dequan; Zhou Caipin

2009-01-01

A method for building the finite element model of the gravity support system for International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) was proposed according to the characteristics of the gravity support system with the cyclic symmetry. A mesh dividing method, which has high precision and an acceptable calculating scale, was used, and a three dimensional finite element model for the toroidal 20 degree sector of the gravity support system was built by using ANSYS. Meantime, the steady-state thermal analysis and thermal-structural coupling analysis of the gravity support system were performed. The thermal stress distributions and the maximal thermal stress values of all parts of the gravity support system were obtained, and the stress intensity of parts of the gravity support system was analyzed. The results of thermal stress analysis lay the solid foundation for design and improvement for gravity supports system for ITER. (authors)

Feasibility Study for the Ivano-Frankivsk District Heating Repowering: Analysis of Options

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Markel, L.; Popelka, A.; Laskarevsky, V.

2002-03-20

Part of the U.S. Initiative on Joint Implementation with the Ukraine Inter-Ministerial Commission on Climate Change, financed by the US Department of Energy. The project was implemented by a team consisting of the US company SenTech, Inc. and the Ukrainian company Esco-West. The main objective of the effort was to assess available alternatives of Ivano-Frankivsk (I-F) District Heating repowering and provide information for I-F's investment decision process. This study provides information on positive and negative technical and economic aspects of available options. Three options were analyzed for technical merit and economic performance: 1. Installation of cogeneration system based on Gas Turbine (GT) and Heat Recovery Heat Exchanger with thermal capacity of 30 MW and electrical capacity of 13.5 MW. This Option assumes utilization of five existing boilers with total capacity of 221 MW. Existing boilers will be equipped with modern controls. Equipment in this Option was sized for longest operating hours, about 8000 based on the available summer baseload. 2. Installation of Gas Turbine Combined Cycle (GTCC) and Heat Recovery Steam Generator (HRSG) with thermal capacity 45 MW and electrical capacity of 58.7 MW. This Option assumes utilization of five existing boilers with total capacity of 221 MW. Existing boilers will be equipped with modern controls. The equipment was sized for medium, shoulder season thermal load, and some cooling was assumed during the summer operation for extension of operating hours for electricity production. 3. Retrofit of six existing boilers (NGB) with total thermal capacity of 255.9 MW by installation of modern control system and minor upgrades. This option assumes only heat production with minimum investment. The best economic performance and the largest investment cost would result from alternative GTCC. This alternative has positive Net Present Value (NPV) with discount rate lower than about 12%, and has IRR slightly above 12%. The

Nonsurgical Treatments of Patellar Tendinopathy: Multiple Injections of Platelet-Rich Plasma Are a Suitable Option: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Andriolo, Luca; Altamura, Sante Alessandro; Reale, Davide; Candrian, Christian; Zaffagnini, Stefano; Filardo, Giuseppe

2018-03-01

Patellar tendinopathy is a condition characterized by anterior knee activity-related pain. It has a high incidence among athletes engaged in jumping sports and may become a chronic condition. Nonoperative management is the first choice in these patients, and several nonsurgical treatment options have been proposed. Nonetheless, clear indications on the most effective approach to address patellar tendinopathy are still lacking. To analyze the evidence on nonoperative options to treat chronic patellar tendinopathy through a systematic review of the literature and to perform a meta-analysis to identify the most effective nonsurgical option. Systematic review and meta-analysis. The search was conducted with the PubMed and Cochrane databases on January 4, 2017. All clinical English-language reports of any level of evidence on nonsurgical treatment of patellar tendinopathy were included. The quality of each article was assessed by use of the Coleman score. A meta-analysis was performed on all articles reporting the Victorian Institute of Sport Assessment scale for patellar tendinopathy to evaluate the results of the most described treatments. A total of 70 studies involving 2530 patients were included in the qualitative data synthesis. The Coleman score showed an overall poor study quality. The most described treatment groups that could be included in the meta-analysis were reported in 22 studies on eccentric exercise, extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT), and platelet-rich plasma (PRP). Single and multiple PRP injections were evaluated separately. Eccentric exercise therapies obtained the best results ( P patellar tendinopathy with important limitations in terms of study quality. The available evidence showed an overall positive outcome, but some differences have been highlighted. Eccentric exercises may seem the strategy of choice in the short-term, but multiple PRP injections may offer more satisfactory results at long-term follow-up and can be therefore considered

Stress analysis and deformation prediction of sheet metal workpieces based on finite element simulation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ren Penghao

2017-01-01

Full Text Available After aluminum alloy sheet metal parts machining, the residual stress release will cause a large deformation. To solve this problem, this paper takes a aluminum alloy sheet aerospace workpiece as an example, establishes the theoretical model of elastic deformation and the finite element model, and places quantitative initial stress in each element of machining area, analyses stress release simulation and deformation. Through different initial stress release simulative analysis of deformation of the workpiece, a linear relationship between initial stress and deformation is found; Through simulative analysis of coupling direction-stress release, the superposing relationship between the deformation caused by coupling direction-stress and the deformation caused by single direction stress is found. The research results provide important theoretical support for the stress threshold setting and deformation controlling of the workpieces in the production practice.

Climate Change: Seed Production and Options for Adaptation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John G. Hampton

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Food security depends on seed security and the international seed industry must be able to continue to deliver the quantities of quality seed required for this purpose. Abiotic stress resulting from climate change, particularly elevated temperature and water stress, will reduce seed yield and quality. Options for the seed industry to adapt to climate change include moving sites for seed production, changing sowing date, and the development of cultivars with traits which allow them to adapt to climate change conditions. However, the ability of seed growers to make these changes is directly linked to the seed system. In the formal seed system operating in developed countries, implementation will be reasonably straight forward. In the informal system operating in developing countries, the current seed production challenges including supply failing to meet demand and poor seed quality will increase with changing climates.

The impact of "Option B" on HIV transmission from mother to child in Rwanda: An interrupted time series analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Abimpaye, Monique; Kirk, Catherine M; Iyer, Hari S; Gupta, Neil; Remera, Eric; Mugwaneza, Placidie; Law, Michael R

2018-01-01

Nearly a quarter of a million children have acquired HIV, prompting the implementation of new protocols-Option B and B+-for treating HIV+ pregnant women. While efficacy has been demonstrated in randomized trials, there is limited real-world evidence on the impact of these changes. Using longitudinal, routinely collected data we assessed the impact of the adoption of WHO Option B in Rwanda on mother to infant transmission. We used interrupted time series analysis to evaluate the impact of Option B on mother-to-child HIV transmission in Rwanda. Our primary outcome was the proportion of HIV tests in infants with positive results at six weeks of age. We included data for 20 months before and 22 months after the 2010 policy change. Of the 15,830 HIV tests conducted during our study period, 392 tested positive. We found a significant decrease in both the level (-2.08 positive tests per 100 tests conducted, 95% CI: -2.71 to -1.45, p Option B in Rwanda contributed to an immediate decrease in the rate of HIV transmission from mother to child. This suggests other countries may benefit from adopting these WHO guidelines.

The interaction of fatigue cracks with a residual stress field using thermoelastic stress analysis and synchrotron X-ray diffraction experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Amjad, Khurram; Asquith, David; Sebastian, Christopher M.; Wang, Wei-Chung

2017-01-01

This article presents an experimental study on the fatigue behaviour of cracks emanating from cold-expanded holes utilizing thermoelastic stress analysis (TSA) and synchrotron X-ray diffraction (SXRD) techniques with the aim of resolving the long-standing ambiguity in the literature regarding potential relaxation, or modification, of beneficial compressive residual stresses as a result of fatigue crack propagation. The crack growth rates are found to be substantially lower as the crack tip moved through the residual stress zone induced by cold expansion. The TSA results demonstrated that the crack tip plastic zones were reduced in size by the presence of the residual compressive stresses induced by cold expansion. The crack tip plastic zones were found to be insignificant in size in comparison to the residual stress zone resulting from cold expansion, which implied that they were unlikely to have had a notable impact on the surrounding residual stresses induced by cold expansion. The residual stress distributions measured along the direction of crack growth, using SXRD, showed no signs of any significant stress relaxation or redistribution, which validates the conclusions drawn from the TSA data. Fractographic analysis qualitatively confirmed the influence on crack initiation of the residual stresses induced by the cold expansion. It was found that the application of single compressive overload caused a relaxation, or reduction in the residual stresses, which has wider implications for improving the fatigue life. PMID:29291095

Benefit/cost analysis of plutonium recycle options in the United States of America

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lowenberg, H.; Burnham, J.B.; Fisher, F.D.; Ray, W.H.

1977-01-01

Beginning in 1973, the USAEC started the analysis of the benefit/cost balance of Pu recycling in light-water reactors and the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission has continued this effort to the present time. A study of the United States nuclear industry from 1975 until 2000 was summarized in a final environmental statement called GESMO - Generic Environmental Statement on Mixed Oxide, NUREG-0002. Cumulative environmental and economic effects for several industry growth patterns were determined. Five alternatives were evaluated, covering the basic options of recycling uranium and plutonium; recycling uranium; and no recycling. The NRC findings, excluding consideration of proliferation and safeguards questions, are: the safety of reactors and fuel-cycle facilities are not significantly affected by recycle; excluding consideration of radiological effects, the environmental effects of recycle are slightly less than those from a non-recycle system; plutonium recycling extends uranium resources and reduces environmental impacts at the same time requiring reprocessing and Pu-handling facilities; despite uncertainties, recycling has probable economic advantages over other fuel concepts; differences in health effects attributable to recycling provide no basis for selecting a particular fuel-cycle option; no waste-management considerations appear that could be a basis for the selection of any particular option. The NRC studies on health, safety and environmental considerations of Pu recycling in the United States of America show that the differences in benefits/costs between the alternative fuel cycles are small and hence do not provide a clear basis for a decision on Pu recycle at this time. Safeguards and international proliferation implications appear to be the controlling factors in reaching a decision. President Carter's statement indefinitely deferring reprocessing and Pu recycle in the United States of America has resulted in a re-evaluation by NRC of its programme to

Analyzing the Risks Embedded in Option Prices with rndfittool

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Barletta, Andrea; Santucci de Magistris, Paolo

2018-01-01

This paper introduces a new computational tool for the analysis of the risks embedded in a set of prices of European-style options. The software enables the estimation of the risk-neutral density (RND) from the observed option prices by means of orthogonal polynomial expansions. Orthogonal...... polynomials offer a viable alternative to more standard techniques based on interpolation and estimation of the second-order derivatives of option prices. The app rndfittool is available on GitHub and its usage is illustrated with examples based on real data....

Characterization of INEL compactible wastes, compactor options study, and recommendations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gillins, R.L.; Larsen, M.M.; Aldrich, W.C.

1986-03-01

This report provides the results of a detailed characterization and evaluation of low-level radioactive waste generated at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) and an evaluation of compactors available commercially. The results of these evaluations formed the basis for a study of compactor options suitable for compacting INEL-generated low-level waste. Seven compactor options were evaluated. A decision analysis performed on the results of the compactor option study and cost analysis showed that a 200-ton box compactor and a 5000-ton box supercompactor were the best options for an INEL compaction facility other than the RWMC. Two compactor locations were considered: WERF and CPP. The WERF location is recommended on the basis of existing facilities to house the compactor and store the waste, the presence of a trained waste-handling staff, and the desirability of maintaining a single location for processing INEL-generated low-level waste

Stress analysis of the tokamak engineering test breeder blanket

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang Zhongqi

1992-01-01

The design features of the hybrid reactor blanket and main parameters are presented. The stress analysis is performed by using computer codes SAP5p and SAP6 with the three kinds of blanket module loadings, i.e, the pressure of coolant, the blanket weight and the thermal loading. Numerical calculation results indicate that the stresses of the blanket are smaller than the allowable ones of the material, the blanket design is therefore reasonable

Stress analysis and collapse time prediction of nuclear fuel cladding tube with wear scar

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, J. S.; Kim, O. H.; Kim, H. K.; Hu, Y. H.; Kim, J. I.; Kim, K. T.

2004-01-01

In this analysis, the stress and collapse time analysis models for nuclear fuel rod with the fretting wear scar were developed in order to evaluate the effects of the wear depth on the integrity of nuclear fuel rod. The stress analysis result shows that the nuclear fuel rod with approximately 60% deep wear scar of the clad wall thickness, meets the allowable stress criteria and the collapse time analysis indicates that the fuel rod with less than roughly 56% deep wear scar of the clad wall thickness has longer collapse time than the expected fuel life-time. The both stress and collapse time results are evaluated to be very reasonable on considering the comparison with the outputs of existing design code for the simple model. However, the developed analysis models and the results will be confirmed by the tests

Residual stress distribution analysis of heat treated APS TBC using image based modelling.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Chun; Zhang, Xun; Chen, Ying; Carr, James; Jacques, Simon; Behnsen, Julia; di Michiel, Marco; Xiao, Ping; Cernik, Robert

2017-08-01

We carried out a residual stress distribution analysis in a APS TBC throughout the depth of the coatings. The samples were heat treated at 1150 °C for 190 h and the data analysis used image based modelling based on the real 3D images measured by Computed Tomography (CT). The stress distribution in several 2D slices from the 3D model is included in this paper as well as the stress distribution along several paths shown on the slices. Our analysis can explain the occurrence of the "jump" features near the interface between the top coat and the bond coat. These features in the residual stress distribution trend were measured (as a function of depth) by high-energy synchrotron XRD (as shown in our related research article entitled 'Understanding the Residual Stress Distribution through the Thickness of Atmosphere Plasma Sprayed (APS) Thermal Barrier Coatings (TBCs) by high energy Synchrotron XRD; Digital Image Correlation (DIC) and Image Based Modelling') (Li et al., 2017) [1].

Dynamical System Analysis of Reynolds Stress Closure Equations

Science.gov (United States)

Girimaji, Sharath S.

1997-01-01

In this paper, we establish the causality between the model coefficients in the standard pressure-strain correlation model and the predicted equilibrium states for homogeneous turbulence. We accomplish this by performing a comprehensive fixed point analysis of the modeled Reynolds stress and dissipation rate equations. The results from this analysis will be very useful for developing improved pressure-strain correlation models to yield observed equilibrium behavior.

Rehabilitation Options

Science.gov (United States)

... Speech Pathology Occupational Therapy Art Therapy Recreational therapy Neuropsychology Home Care Options Advanced Care Planning Palliative Care ... Speech Pathology Occupational Therapy Art Therapy Recreational therapy Neuropsychology Home Care Options Advanced Care Planning Palliative Care ...

Piping stress analysis with personal computers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Revesz, Z.

1987-01-01

The growing market of the personal computers is providing an increasing number of professionals with unprecedented and surprisingly inexpensive computing capacity, which if using with powerful software, can enhance immensely the engineers capabilities. This paper focuses on the possibilities which opened in piping stress analysis by the widespread distribution of personal computers, on the necessary changes in the software and on the limitations of using personal computers for engineering design and analysis. Reliability and quality assurance aspects of using personal computers for nuclear applications are also mentioned. The paper resumes with personal views of the author and experiences gained during interactive graphic piping software development for personal computers. (orig./GL)

Mechanical stress analysis for the poloidal field coils of TORE SUPRA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ane, J.M.; Perin, J.P.

1985-01-01

Hoop stresses, up to 100 MPa, in the poloidal field coils of TORE SUPRA have to be reacted back to the main body of the coil where a conductor ends or is twisted for an interturn or an interlayer transition. The load is taken by shear stress through the insulation. Carefully designed configurations, based on 1D, 2D and 3D analysis results, limit the shear stress levels to 15 MPa. A fatigue test of a conductor termination has shown that the experimental results are in good agreement with the calculated stresses

Waste package emplacement borehole option study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Streeter, W.S.

1992-03-01

This study evaluates the cost and thermal effects of various waste package emplacement configurations that differ in emplacement orientation, number of containers per borehole, and standoff distance at the potential Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository. In this study, eight additional alternatives to the vertical and horizontal orientation options presented in the Site Characterization Plan Conceptual Design Report are considered. Typical panel layout configurations based on thermal analysis of the waste and cost estimates for design and construction, operations, and closure and decommissioning were made for each emplacement option. For the thermal analysis average waste 10 years out of reactor and the SIM code were used to determine whether the various configurations temperatures would exceed the design criteria for temperature. This study does not make a recommendation for emplacement configuration, but does provide information for comparison of alternatives

Mission-profile-based stress analysis of bond-wires in SiC power modules

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bahman, Amir Sajjad; Iannuzzo, Francesco; Blaabjerg, Frede

2016-01-01

This paper proposes a novel mission-profile-based reliability analysis approach for stress on bond wires in Silicon Carbide (SiC) MOSFET power modules using statistics and thermo-mechanical FEM analysis. In the proposed approach, both the operational and environmental thermal stresses are taken...... into account. The approach uses a two-dimension statistical analysis of the operating conditions in a real one-year mission profile sampled at time frames 5 minutes long. For every statistical bin corresponding to a given operating condition, the junction temperature evolution is estimated by a thermal network...... and the mechanical stress on bond wires is consequently extracted by finite-element simulations. In the final step, the considered mission profile is translated in a stress sequence to be used for Rainflow counting calculation and lifetime estimation....

5 CFR 870.705 - Amount and election of Option B and Option C.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 5 Administrative Personnel 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Amount and election of Option B and Option C. 870.705 Section 870.705 Administrative Personnel OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT (CONTINUED... Compensationers § 870.705 Amount and election of Option B and Option C. (a) The number of multiples of Option B...

Calculation method for residual stress analysis of filament-wound spherical pressure vessels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Knight, C.E. Jr.

1976-01-01

Filament wound spherical pressure vessels may be produced with very high performance factors. These performance factors are a calculation of contained pressure times enclosed volume divided by structure weight. A number of parameters are important in determining the level of performance achieved. One of these is the residual stress state in the fabricated unit. A significant level of an unfavorable residual stress state could seriously impair the performance of the vessel. Residual stresses are of more concern for vessels with relatively thick walls and/or vessels constructed with the highly anisotropic graphite or aramid fibers. A method is established for measuring these stresses. A theoretical model of the composite structure is required. Data collection procedures and techniques are developed. The data are reduced by means of the model and result in the residual stress analysis. The analysis method can be used in process parameter studies to establish the best fabrication procedures

Micromechanical combined stress analysis: MICSTRAN, a user manual

Science.gov (United States)

Naik, R. A.

1992-01-01

Composite materials are currently being used in aerospace and other applications. The ability to tailor the composite properties by the appropriate selection of its constituents, the fiber and matrix, is a major advantage of composite materials. The Micromechanical Combined Stress Analysis (MICSTRAN) code provides the materials engineer with a user-friendly personal computer (PC) based tool to calculate overall composite properties given the constituent fiber and matrix properties. To assess the ability of the composite to carry structural loads, the materials engineer also needs to calculate the internal stresses in the composite material. MICSTRAN is a simple tool to calculate such internal stresses with a composite ply under combined thermomechanical loading. It assumes that the fibers have a circular cross-section and are arranged either in a repeating square or diamond array pattern within a ply. It uses a classical elasticity solution technique that has been demonstrated to calculate accurate stress results. Input to the program consists of transversely isotropic fiber properties and isotropic matrix properties such as moduli, Poisson's ratios, coefficients of thermal expansion, and volume fraction. Output consists of overall thermoelastic constants and stresses. Stresses can be computed under the combined action of thermal, transverse, longitudinal, transverse shear, and longitudinal shear loadings. Stress output can be requested along the fiber-matrix interface, the model boundaries, circular arcs, or at user-specified points located anywhere in the model. The MICSTRAN program is Windows compatible and takes advantage of the Microsoft Windows graphical user interface which facilitates multitasking and extends memory access far beyond the limits imposed by the DOS operating system.

Frequency spectrum method-based stress analysis for oil pipelines in earthquake disaster areas.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaonan Wu

Full Text Available When a long distance oil pipeline crosses an earthquake disaster area, inertial force and strong ground motion can cause the pipeline stress to exceed the failure limit, resulting in bending and deformation failure. To date, researchers have performed limited safety analyses of oil pipelines in earthquake disaster areas that include stress analysis. Therefore, using the spectrum method and theory of one-dimensional beam units, CAESAR II is used to perform a dynamic earthquake analysis for an oil pipeline in the XX earthquake disaster area. This software is used to determine if the displacement and stress of the pipeline meet the standards when subjected to a strong earthquake. After performing the numerical analysis, the primary seismic action axial, longitudinal and horizontal displacement directions and the critical section of the pipeline can be located. Feasible project enhancement suggestions based on the analysis results are proposed. The designer is able to utilize this stress analysis method to perform an ultimate design for an oil pipeline in earthquake disaster areas; therefore, improving the safe operation of the pipeline.

Frequency spectrum method-based stress analysis for oil pipelines in earthquake disaster areas.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Xiaonan; Lu, Hongfang; Huang, Kun; Wu, Shijuan; Qiao, Weibiao

2015-01-01

When a long distance oil pipeline crosses an earthquake disaster area, inertial force and strong ground motion can cause the pipeline stress to exceed the failure limit, resulting in bending and deformation failure. To date, researchers have performed limited safety analyses of oil pipelines in earthquake disaster areas that include stress analysis. Therefore, using the spectrum method and theory of one-dimensional beam units, CAESAR II is used to perform a dynamic earthquake analysis for an oil pipeline in the XX earthquake disaster area. This software is used to determine if the displacement and stress of the pipeline meet the standards when subjected to a strong earthquake. After performing the numerical analysis, the primary seismic action axial, longitudinal and horizontal displacement directions and the critical section of the pipeline can be located. Feasible project enhancement suggestions based on the analysis results are proposed. The designer is able to utilize this stress analysis method to perform an ultimate design for an oil pipeline in earthquake disaster areas; therefore, improving the safe operation of the pipeline.

Hazardous landfill management, control options

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Corbin, M.H.; Lederman, P.B.

1982-01-01

The land disposal of hazardous wastes has been a common practice over the last half century. The industrial and environmental communities, as well as the public, have an immediate challenge to control the contaminants that may be released from waste land disposal facilities. At the same time, land disposal continues to be, in many cases, the only available disposal technique that can be utilized in the next five years. Thus, it is extremely important that environmentally sound landfill management and control techniques be utilized, both for inactive and active sites. There are a number of key steps in developing a sound management and control plan. These include problem definition, personnel safety, characterization, evaluation of control options, cost-effectiveness analysis and development of an integrated control plan. A number of control options, including diversion, regrading, sealing, and leachate treatment are available and more cost effective in most cases than waste removal. These and other options, as well as the methodology to develop an integrated control plan, are discussed, together with examples. (Auth.)

Modeling and Analysis of a Combined Stress-Vibration Fiber Bragg Grating Sensor.

Science.gov (United States)

Yao, Kun; Lin, Qijing; Jiang, Zhuangde; Zhao, Na; Tian, Bian; Shi, Peng; Peng, Gang-Ding

2018-03-01

A combined stress-vibration sensor was developed to measure stress and vibration simultaneously based on fiber Bragg grating (FBG) technology. The sensor is composed of two FBGs and a stainless steel plate with a special design. The two FBGs sense vibration and stress and the sensor can realize temperature compensation by itself. The stainless steel plate can significantly increase sensitivity of vibration measurement. Theoretical analysis and Finite Element Method (FEM) were used to analyze the sensor's working mechanism. As demonstrated with analysis, the obtained sensor has working range of 0-6000 Hz for vibration sensing and 0-100 MPa for stress sensing, respectively. The corresponding sensitivity for vibration is 0.46 pm/g and the resulted stress sensitivity is 5.94 pm/MPa, while the nonlinearity error for vibration and stress measurement is 0.77% and 1.02%, respectively. Compared to general FBGs, the vibration sensitivity of this sensor is 26.2 times higher. Therefore, the developed sensor can be used to concurrently detect vibration and stress. As this sensor has height of 1 mm and weight of 1.15 g, it is beneficial for minimization and integration.

Thermal stratification and fatigue stress analysis for pressurizer surge line

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu Xiaofei; Zhang Yixiong

2011-01-01

Thermal stratification of pressurizer surge line induced by the inside fluid results in the global bending moments, local thermal stresses, unexpected displacements and support loadings of the pipe system. In order to avoid a costly three-dimensional computation, a combined 1D/2D technique has been developed and implemented to analyze the thermal stratification and fatigue stress of pressurize surge line of QINSHAN Phase II Extension Nuclear Power Project in this paper, using the computer codes SYSTUS and ROCOCO. According to the mechanical analysis results of stratification, the maximum stress and cumulative usage factor are obtained. The results indicate that the stress and fatigue intensity considering thermal stratification satisfies RCC-M criterion. (authors)

Error analysis in Fourier methods for option pricing for exponential Lévy processes

KAUST Repository

Crocce, Fabian

2015-01-07

We derive an error bound for utilising the discrete Fourier transform method for solving Partial Integro-Differential Equations (PIDE) that describe european option prices for exponential Lévy driven asset prices. We give sufficient conditions for the existence of a L? bound that separates the dynamical contribution from that arising from the type of the option n in question. The bound achieved does not rely on information of the asymptotic behaviour of option prices at extreme asset values. In addition, we demonstrate improved numerical performance for select examples of practical relevance when compared to established bounding methods.

Analysis of Simple Creep Stress Calculation Methods for Creep Life Assessment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Seo, Jun Min; Lee, Han Sang; Kim, Yun Jae [Korea Univ., Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2017-08-15

Creep analysis takes much more time than elastic or elastic-plastic analysis. In this study, we conducted elastic and elastic-plastic analysis and compared the results with creep analysis results. In the elastic analysis, we used primary stress, which can be classified by the Mα-tangent method and stress intensities recommended in the ASME code. In the elastic-plastic analysis, we calculated the parameters recommended in the R5 code. For the FE models, a bending load, uniaxial load, and biaxial load were applied to the cross shaped welded plate, and a bending load and internal pressure were applied to the elbow pipe. To investigate the element size sensitivity, we conducted FE analysis for various element sizes for the cases where bending load was applied to the cross shaped welded plate. There was no significant difference between the creep.

Optional time-of-use prices for electricity: Analysis of PG E's experimental TOU rates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Train, K.; Mehrez, G.

1992-07-01

We examine customers' time-of-use (TOU) demand for electricity and their choice between standard and TOU rate schedules. We specify an econometric model in which the customer's demand curves determine the customer's choice of rate schedule. We estimate the model on data from Pacific Gas Electric Company's experiment with optional TOU prices in the residential sector. With the model, we compare the TOU consumption and price elasticities of customers who chose TOU rates with those who chose standard rates. We also estimate the impact of the TOU rates on the utility's revenues and costs. The analysis suggests that the TOU rates offered under PG E's experiment decreased PG E's profits and hence contributed to higher general rate levels. The model can be used, however, to design optional TOU rates that increase profits and lower general rate levels.

The treatment of female stress urinary incontinence: an evidenced-based review.

Science.gov (United States)

Cameron, Anne P; Haraway, Allen McNeil

2011-06-17

To review the literature on the surgical and nonsurgical treatment options for stress urinary incontinence in women, focusing exclusively on randomized clinical trials and high quality meta-analyses. A computer-aided and manual search for published randomized controlled trials and high quality meta-analyses investigating both conservative and surgical treatment options for stress urinary incontinence. In the case of a treatment that is not studied in these formats large case series have been used. Articles were reviewed and the results summarized on pelvic floor physical therapy, pharmacotherapy, bulking agents, and surgery (open and minimally invasive). There are numerous high quality studies in the literature. It can be difficult to make definitive conclusions on the most appropriate treatment options due to the variability in the outcomes used to define success in these articles. There is also a dire lack of studies evaluating and comparing the surgical options for patients with intrinsic sphincter deficiency.

Residual stress analysis in carbon fiber-reinforced SiC ceramics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Broda, M.

1998-01-01

Systematic residual stress analyses are reported, carried out in long-fiber reinforced SiC ceramics. The laminated C fiber /SiC matrix specimens used were prepared by polymer pyrolysis, and the structural component specimens used are industrial products. Various diffraction methods have been applied for non-destructive evaluation of residual stress fields, so as to completely detect the residual stresses and their distribution in the specimens. The residual stress fields at the surface (μm) have been measured using characteristic X-radiation and applying the sin 2 ψ method as well as the scatter vector method. For residual stress field analysis in the mass volume (cm), neutron diffraction has been applied. The stress fields in the fiber layers (approx. 250μm) have been measured as a function of their location within the laminated composite by using an energy-dispersive method and synchrotron radiation. By means of the systematic, process-accompanying residual stress and phase analyses, conclusions can be drawn as to possible approaches for optimization of fabrication parameters. (orig./CB) [de

Three dimensional, thermal stress analysis of a welded plate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koening, H.A.; Lai, C.K.-F.; Morral, J.E.

1985-01-01

A general finite element thermal stress analysis has been developed. The analysis can be uncoupled to solve either the heat transfer problem or the stress problem independently and it can accommodate non-linear material behavior, initial states of stress and strain, and moving boundary conditions. A unique feature of the model it that it properly accounts for the latent heat effect during phase changes. Applying the moving heat flux boundary condition to simulate arc welding, the model has been used to predict the transient thermal mechanical response of a welded plate. It is the absorption and liberation of latent heat in the fusion zone of a weld which complicates numerical methods of treating welding. For pure materials and eutectic alloys the latent heat effect is less of a problem because phase changes take place at a specific temperature. But for most alloys, phase changes take place over a range of temperatures bounded by the solidus, T S , and liquidus, T L , and the latent heat effect occurs continuously over the temperature range. (author)

New perspective of real options theory for policy analysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sadowski, B.M.

2007-01-01

In deze Reflectie geeft Sadowski een alternatief, of eigenlijk een aanvulling op de KBA, vanuit de real options theory, zoals die ook in de financiële sector gebruikt wordt. Het idee is dat er in dynamische markten veel ontwikkelingen zijn: technologisch, een markt in beweging of industriële

Investing in Marine Scrubber under Uncertainty with Real Option Thinking

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jiang, Liping; Hansen, Carsten Ørts

works that examine the economic feasibility of scrubber retrofitting through the net present value rule, this paper applies the Real Option Analysis to find the optimal investment strategies. The proposed decision-making framework addresses the uncertainty and the value of deferral option embedded...... in the scrubber investment. The multiple sources of investment uncertainties are explicitly analyzed and integrated in the modeling by using Rainbow option. The results demonstrate that the value of the scrubber investment has significantly increased for several cases by considering the deferral option....... It is thus important for ship owners to consider the available options before proceeding with abandoning or investing strategy. The proposed framework can be widely applied to other ship retrofitting investment evaluations, which include similar investment alternatives and uncertainties....

The Amnesiac Lookback Option: Selectively Monitored Lookback Options and Cryptocurrencies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ho-Chun Herbert Chang

2018-05-01

Full Text Available This study proposes a strategy to make the lookback option cheaper and more practical, and suggests the use of its properties to reduce risk exposure in cryptocurrency markets through blockchain enforced smart contracts and correct for informational inefficiencies surrounding prices and volatility. This paper generalizes partial, discretely-monitored lookback options that dilute premiums by selecting a subset of specified periods to determine payoff, which we call amnesiac lookback options. Prior literature on discretely-monitored lookback options considers the number of periods and assumes equidistant lookback periods in pricing partial lookback options. This study by contrast considers random sampling of lookback periods and compares resulting payoff of the call, put and spread options under floating and fixed strikes. Amnesiac lookbacks are priced with Monte Carlo simulations of Gaussian random walks under equidistant and random periods. Results are compared to analytic and binomial pricing models for the same derivatives. Simulations show diminishing marginal increases to the fair price as the number of selected periods is increased. The returns correspond to a Hill curve whose parameters are set by interest rate and volatility. We demonstrate over-pricing under equidistant monitoring assumptions with error increasing as the lookback periods decrease. An example of a direct implication for event trading is when shock is forecasted but its timing uncertain, equidistant sampling produces a lower error on the true maximum than random choice. We conclude that the instrument provides an ideal space for investors to balance their risk, and as a prime candidate to hedge extreme volatility. We discuss the application of the amnesiac lookback option and path-dependent options to cryptocurrencies and blockchain commodities in the context of smart contracts.

Thermal stresses in the space shuttle orbiter: Analysis versus test

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grooms, H.R.; Gibson, W.F. Jr.; Benson, P.L.

1984-01-01

Significant temperature differences occur between the internal structure and the outer skin of the Space Shuttle Orbiter as it returns from space. These temperature differences cause important thermal stresses. A finite element model containing thousands of degrees of freedom is used to predict these stresses. A ground test was performed to verify the prediction method. The analysis and test results compare favorably. (orig.)

Stress analysis of heated concrete using finite elements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Majumdar, P.; Gupta, A.; Marchertas, A.

1994-01-01

Described is a finite element analysis of concrete, which is subjected to rapid heating. Using thermal mass transport calculation, the moisture content, temperature and pore pressure distribution over space and time is obtained first. From these effects, stress at various points of the concrete are computed using the finite element method. Contribution to the stress formulation comes from three components, namely the thermal expansion, pore pressure, and the shrinkage of concrete due to moisture loss (from dehydration). The material properties of concrete are assumed to be homogeneous, elastic, and cracking is not taken into consideration. (orig.)

Residual Stress Analysis for Engineering Applications by Means of Neutron Diffraction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gndupel-Herold, Thomas; Brand, Paul C.; Prask, Henry J.

1999-01-01

The economic and scientific importance of neutron diffraction residual stress analysis has led to an increasing number of suitable instruments worldwide. Recently, a dedicated state-of-the-art diffractometer has been installed at the National Institute of Standards and Technology reactor. It has been used for a variety of measurements on basic and engineering stress problems. Among the most prominent examples that have been investigated are residual stresses in rails, weldments, and plasma-sprayed coatings

Experimental stress analysis for determination of residual stresses and integrity monitoring of components and systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-01-01

For an analysis of the safety-related significance of residual stresses, mechanical, magnetic as well as ultrasonic and diffraction methods can be applied as testing methods. The results of an interlaboratory test concerning the experimental determination of residual stresses in a railway track are included. Further, questions are analyzed concerning the in-service inspections of components and systems with regard to their operational safety and life. Measurement methods are explained by examples from power plant engineering, nuclear power plant engineering, construction and traffic engineering as well as aeronautics. (DG) [de

Effects of stress on decisions under uncertainty: A meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Starcke, Katrin; Brand, Matthias

2016-09-01

[Correction Notice: An Erratum for this article was reported in Vol 142(9) of Psychological Bulletin (see record 2016-39486-001). It should have been reported that the inverted u-shaped relationship between cortisol stress responses and decision-making performance was only observed in female, but not in male participants as suggested by the study by van den Bos, Harteveld, and Stoop (2009). Corrected versions of the affected sentences are provided.] The purpose of the present meta-analysis was to quantify the effects that stress has on decisions made under uncertainty. We hypothesized that stress increases reward seeking and risk taking through alterations of dopamine firing rates and reduces executive control by hindering optimal prefrontal cortex functioning. In certain decision situations, increased reward seeking and risk taking is dysfunctional, whereas in others, this is not the case. We also assumed that the type of stressor plays a role. In addition, moderating variables are analyzed, such as the hormonal stress response, the time between stress onset and decisions, and the participants' age and gender. We included studies in the meta-analysis that investigated decision making after a laboratory stress-induction versus a control condition (k = 32 datasets, N = 1829 participants). A random-effects model revealed that overall, stress conditions lead to decisions that can be described as more disadvantageous, more reward seeking, and more risk taking than nonstress conditions (d = .17). In those situations in which increased reward seeking and risk taking is disadvantageous, stress had significant effects (d = .26), whereas in other situations, no effects were observed (d = .01). Effects were observed under processive stressors (d = .19), but not under systemic ones (d = .09). Moderation analyses did not reveal any significant results. We concluded that stress deteriorates overall decision-making performance through the mechanisms proposed. The effects differ

Valuing of research project in energy field with real options

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De Blasio, N.; Marzo, G.; Turatto, R.

2008-01-01

This article presents an application of real options theory for valuing a research project in the field of stranded gas valorisation. After a presentation of the theory, the analysis addresses the use of real options evaluation for generating alternative pathways in order to add new value to the R D projects. It also shows how real option approach may be important for selecting among competitive projects, but also for providing a system for valorisation of decision-maker flexibility [it

Staging Options for the Air Force’s Electronic Combat Test Capability: a Cost Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

1990-09-01

strategic in nature and completely different than daily operating decisions (20:6). Horngren , in his book Cost Accounting : A Managerial Emphasis...AFIT/GCA/LSY/90S-3 DTTC S E-191 J) C, STAGING OPTIONS FOR THE AIR FORCE’S ELECTRONIC COMBAT TEST CAPABILITY: A COST ANALYSIS THESIS Joseph J. Landino...Alternative Costs ......... 56 v AFIT/GCA/LSY/90S-3 Abstract This study’s purpose was to identify the lowest cost aircraft staging base( s ) for the Air

Stress analysis of fuelling machine magazine housing of PHWR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, R.K.; Mehra, V.K.; Charan, J.J.; Kakodkar, A.

1983-01-01

PWR has fuelling machines for on-line refuelling of the core. Magazine housing of this fuelling machine is a thick pressure vessel. It has a cylindrical vessel with flat head on one side and reservable flange closure on the other side. The vessel has many small and big openings. This paper describes the two sets of experiments conducted for its stress analysis. First set of experiment was conducted on a 1:5 photoelastic model which was stress frozen under load of internal pressure. The second set of experiment involved strain gauge measurements at some important locations of the magazine housing. The paper summarises results of the experiments. In conclusion comparison is made between the experimental results and the results of finite element analysis. (orig.)

Multiaxial stress analysis taking account of penetration depth of x-rays, 3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshioka, Yasuo; Sasaki, Toshihiko; Kuramoto, Makoto.

1985-01-01

In the past X-ray stress analysis in which the effect of stress gradients was taken into account within the penetration depth of X-rays, three assumptions have been made; 1) the stress gradient is linear in respect to the depth from the specimen surface, 2) the penetration depth of X-ray is a function of Sin 2 PSI and 3) the strain measured by X-rays corresponds to the weighted average strain on the intensity of the diffracted X-rays. A problem, however, still remains on the assumption of the X-ray penetration depth. We sometimes observed noticiable errors in the stage of the numerical simulation and these errors depend on the combination of stress components in a stress tensor. In the present paper, we proposed a new X-ray multiaxial stress analysis without using the assumption of the X-ray penetration depth. This analysis is also applicable to both the iso-inclination method ( OHM -goniometer) and the side inclination method (PSI-goniometer). The weighted average strain by X-rays, 1 >(phi), is expressed as a 4th degree function of cosPSI for iso-inclination method and 3rd degree for side inclination method. By rearranging this function as a sum of average strain, ( 1 >(0 0 )+ 1 >(90 0 )), and difference of average strain, ( 1 >(0 0 )- 1 >(90 0 )), we can solve the stress components with sufficient accuracy by a least squares method. The validity of this method was proved through numerical simulations and experiments. (author)

Comparative proteomic analysis in Miscanthus sinensis exposed to antimony stress

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xue, Liang; Ren, Huadong; Li, Sheng; Gao, Ming; Shi, Shengqing; Chang, Ermei; Wei, Yuan; Yao, Xiaohua; Jiang, Zeping; Liu, Jianfeng

2015-01-01

To explore the molecular basis of Sb tolerance mechanism in plant, a comparative proteomic analysis of both roots and leaves in Miscanthus sinensis has been conducted in combination with physiological and biochemical analyses. M. sinensis seedlings were exposed to different doses of Sb, and both roots and leaves were collected after 3 days of treatment. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) and image analyses found that 29 protein spots showed 1.5-fold change in abundance in leaves and 19 spots in roots, of which 31 were identified by MALDI-TOF-MS and MALDI-TOF-TOF-MS. Proteins involved in antioxidant defense and stress response generally increased their expression all over the Sb treatments. In addition, proteins relative to transcription, signal transduction, energy metabolism and cell division and cell structure showed a variable expression pattern over Sb concentrations. Overall these findings provide new insights into the probable survival mechanisms by which M. sinensis could be adapting to Sb phytotoxicity. - Highlights: • Proteomics in Miscanthus sinensis leaves and roots exposed to Sb stress were studied. • There were 31 spots that were identified by mass spectrometry. • Most of these proteins were involved in antioxidant defense and stress response. • Our findings provide new insights into the tolerant mechanisms to Sb stress. - Miscanthus sinensis proteomic analysis under Sb stress reveals probable molecular mechanisms on Sb detoxification

Empowering Variable Renewables - Options for Flexible Electricity Systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chandler, Hugo [Renewable Energy Unit, International Energy Agency, Paris (France)

2008-07-01

A flexible electricity system is one that can respond reliably, and rapidly, to large fluctuations in supply and demand. Flexibility is already present in all power systems, in order to manage fluctuations in demand, and it is crucial for high performance and economic and reliable operation. This paper looks at measures to increase flexibility. but careful cost/benefit analysis is essential, and specific national and regional circumstances will influence the choice of option(s).

Comparative analysis of stress in a new proposal of dental implants.

Science.gov (United States)

Valente, Mariana Lima da Costa; de Castro, Denise Tornavoi; Macedo, Ana Paula; Shimano, Antonio Carlos; Dos Reis, Andréa Cândido

2017-08-01

The purpose of this study was to compare, through photoelastic analysis, the stress distribution around conventional and modified external hexagon (EH) and morse taper (MT) dental implant connections. Four photoelastic models were prepared (n=1): Model 1 - conventional EH cylindrical implant (Ø 4.0mm×11mm - Neodent®), Model 2 - modified EH cylindrical implant, Model 3 - conventional MT Conical implant (Ø 4.3mm×10mm - Neodent®) and Model 4 - modified MT conical implant. 100 and 150N axial and oblique loads (30° tilt) were applied in the devices coupled to the implants. A plane transmission polariscope was used in the analysis of fringes and each position of interest was recorded by a digital camera. The Tardy method was used to quantify the fringe order (n), that calculates the maximum shear stress (τ) value in each selected point. The results showed lower stress concentration in the modified cylindrical implant (EH) compared to the conventional model, with application of 150N axial and 100N oblique loads. Lower stress was observed for the modified conical (MT) implant with the application of 100 and 150N oblique loads, which was not observed for the conventional implant model. The comparative analysis of the models showed that the new design proposal generates good stress distribution, especially in the cervical third, suggesting the preservation of bone tissue in the bone crest region. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Residual stress analysis for engineering applications by means of neutron diffraction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gnaeupel-Herold, T.; Brand, P.C.; Prask, H.J.

1999-01-01

Residual stresses originate from spatial differences in plastic deformation, temperature, or phase distribution, introduced by manufacturing processes or during service. Engineering parts and materials experience mechanical, thermal, and chemical loads during their service, and most of these loads introduce stresses that are superimposed on the already existing residual stresses. Residual stresses can therefore limit or improve life and strength of engineering parts; knowledge and understanding of these stresses is therefore critical for optimizing strength and durability. The economic and scientific importance of neutron diffraction residual stress analysis has led to an increasing number of suitable instruments worldwide. All of the major sources due in the next several years will have instruments for the sole purpose of performing residual stress and texture measurements. Recently, a dedicated, state-of-the-art diffractometer has been installed at the National Institute of Standards and Technology reactor. It has been used for a variety of measurements on basic and engineering stress problems. Among the most prominent examples that have been investigated in collaboration with industrial and academic partners are residual stresses in rails, weldments, and plasma-sprayed coatings

Sustainability likelihood of remediation options for metal-contaminated soil/sediment.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Season S; Taylor, Jessica S; Baek, Kitae; Khan, Eakalak; Tsang, Daniel C W; Ok, Yong Sik

2017-05-01

Multi-criteria analysis and detailed impact analysis were carried out to assess the sustainability of four remedial alternatives for metal-contaminated soil/sediment at former timber treatment sites and harbour sediment with different scales. The sustainability was evaluated in the aspects of human health and safety, environment, stakeholder concern, and land use, under four different scenarios with varying weighting factors. The Monte Carlo simulation was performed to reveal the likelihood of accomplishing sustainable remediation with different treatment options at different sites. The results showed that in-situ remedial technologies were more sustainable than ex-situ ones, where in-situ containment demonstrated both the most sustainable result and the highest probability to achieve sustainability amongst the four remedial alternatives in this study, reflecting the lesser extent of off-site and on-site impacts. Concerns associated with ex-situ options were adverse impacts tied to all four aspects and caused by excavation, extraction, and off-site disposal. The results of this study suggested the importance of considering the uncertainties resulting from the remedial options (i.e., stochastic analysis) in addition to the overall sustainability scores (i.e., deterministic analysis). The developed framework and model simulation could serve as an assessment for the sustainability likelihood of remedial options to ensure sustainable remediation of contaminated sites. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Stock and option portfolio using fuzzy logic approach

Science.gov (United States)

Sumarti, Novriana; Wahyudi, Nanang

2014-03-01

Fuzzy Logic in decision-making process has been widely implemented in various problems in industries. It is the theory of imprecision and uncertainty that was not based on probability theory. Fuzzy Logic adds values of degree between absolute true and absolute false. It starts with and builds on a set of human language rules supplied by the user. The fuzzy systems convert these rules to their mathematical equivalents. This could simplify the job of the system designer and the computer, and results in much more accurate representations of the way systems behave in the real world. In this paper we examine the decision making process of stock and option trading by the usage of MACD (Moving Average Convergence Divergence) technical analysis and Option Pricing with Fuzzy Logic approach. MACD technical analysis is for the prediction of the trends of underlying stock prices, such as bearish (going downward), bullish (going upward), and sideways. By using Fuzzy C-Means technique and Mamdani Fuzzy Inference System, we define the decision output where the value of MACD is high then decision is "Strong Sell", and the value of MACD is Low then the decision is "Strong Buy". We also implement the fuzzification of the Black-Scholes option-pricing formula. The stock and options methods are implemented on a portfolio of one stock and its options. Even though the values of input data, such as interest rates, stock price and its volatility, cannot be obtain accurately, these fuzzy methods can give a belief degree of the calculated the Black-Scholes formula so we can make the decision on option trading. The results show the good capability of the methods in the prediction of stock price trends. The performance of the simulated portfolio for a particular period of time also shows good return.

DFSIM with economics: A financial analysis option for the DFSIM Douglas-fir simulator.

Science.gov (United States)

Roger O. Fight; Judith M. Chittester; Gary W. Clendenen

1984-01-01

A modified version of the DFSIM Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco var. menziesii) growth and yield simulator, DFSIM WITH ECONOMICS, now has an economics option that allows the user to estimate present net worth at the same time a silvicultural regime is simulated. If desired, the economics option will apply a...

Viscoelastic finite element analysis of residual stresses in porcelain-veneered zirconia dental crowns.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Jeongho; Dhital, Sukirti; Zhivago, Paul; Kaizer, Marina R; Zhang, Yu

2018-06-01

The main problem of porcelain-veneered zirconia (PVZ) dental restorations is chipping and delamination of veneering porcelain owing to the development of deleterious residual stresses during the cooling phase of veneer firing. The aim of this study is to elucidate the effects of cooling rate, thermal contraction coefficient and elastic modulus on residual stresses developed in PVZ dental crowns using viscoelastic finite element methods (VFEM). A three-dimensional VFEM model has been developed to predict residual stresses in PVZ structures using ABAQUS finite element software and user subroutines. First, the newly established model was validated with experimentally measured residual stress profiles using Vickers indentation on flat PVZ specimens. An excellent agreement between the model prediction and experimental data was found. Then, the model was used to predict residual stresses in more complex anatomically-correct crown systems. Two PVZ crown systems with different thermal contraction coefficients and porcelain moduli were studied: VM9/Y-TZP and LAVA/Y-TZP. A sequential dual-step finite element analysis was performed: heat transfer analysis and viscoelastic stress analysis. Controlled and bench convection cooling rates were simulated by applying different convective heat transfer coefficients 1.7E-5 W/mm 2 °C (controlled cooling) and 0.6E-4 W/mm 2 °C (bench cooling) on the crown surfaces exposed to the air. Rigorous viscoelastic finite element analysis revealed that controlled cooling results in lower maximum stresses in both veneer and core layers for the two PVZ systems relative to bench cooling. Better compatibility of thermal contraction coefficients between porcelain and zirconia and a lower porcelain modulus reduce residual stresses in both layers. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Analysis of Residual Stress and Deformation of Rolling Strengthen Crankshaft Fillet

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Han Shaojun

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Based on the analysis of crankshaft fillet rolling process, used ANSYS finite element analysis software to conduct the elastic-plastic mechanical simulation of crankshaft rolling process, and gained the variation law of the residual stress and plastic deformation in the radial path of the fillet under different rolling laps and rolling pressure. Established the relationship between the rolling pressure and the plastic deformation and residual stress of the fillet, and provided theoretical support for the evaluation and detection of the crankshaft rolling quality.

An Integrated Analysis of Changes in Water Stress in Europe

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Henrichs, T.; Lehner, B.; Alcamo, J.

2002-01-01

Future changes in water availability with climate change and changes in water use due to socio-economic development are to occur in parallel. In an integrated analysis we bring together these aspects of global change in a consistent manner, and analyse the water stress situation in Europe. We find...... that today high water stress exists in one-fifth of European river basin area. Under a scenario projection, increases in water use throughout Eastern Europe are accompanied by decreases in water availability in most of Southern Europe--combining these trends leads to a marked increase in water stress...

The option to expand a project: its assessment with the binomial options pricing model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Salvador Cruz Rambaud

Full Text Available Traditional methods of investment appraisal, like the Net Present Value, are not able to include the value of the operational flexibility of the project. In this paper, real options, and more specifically the option to expand, are assumed to be included in the project information in addition to the expected cash flows. Thus, to calculate the total value of the project, we are going to apply the methodology of the Net Present Value to the different scenarios derived from the existence of the real option to expand. Taking into account the analogy between real and financial options, the value of including an option to expand is explored by using the binomial options pricing model. In this way, estimating the value of the option to expand is a tool which facilitates the control of the uncertainty element implicit in the project. Keywords: Real options, Option to expand, Binomial options pricing model, Investment project appraisal

Stress analysis of the LOFT modular DTT flowmeter for LOCE transients (L1-5 and L2-4)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mosby, W.R.

1978-01-01

An analysis is presented of combined stresses in the LOFT Modular DTT for specified temperature gradients. All combined stress intensities are shown to stay within applicable allowable stress intensities. A fatigue analysis is also presented which indicates that the LOFT Modular DTT will withstand 70,000 blowdown cycles. The LOFT Modular DTT is shown to meet the Class 1 stress requirments. A stress analysis of the tab region of the newly designed MDTT tab-type shroud is included. This stress analysis shows that the Class 1 stress requirements are met by the tab-type MDTT shroud design and that this design imposes no fatigue life limitation on the MDTT

BILAM: a composite laminate failure-analysis code using bilinear stress-strain approximations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McLaughlin, P.V. Jr.; Dasgupta, A.; Chun, Y.W.

1980-10-01

The BILAM code which uses constant strain laminate analysis to generate in-plane load/deformation or stress/strain history of composite laminates to the point of laminate failure is described. The program uses bilinear stress-strain curves to model layer stress-strain behavior. Composite laminates are used for flywheels. The use of this computer code will help to develop data on the behavior of fiber composite materials which can be used by flywheel designers. In this program the stress-strain curves are modelled by assuming linear response in axial tension while using bilinear approximations (2 linear segments) for stress-strain response to axial compressive, transverse tensile, transverse compressive and axial shear loadings. It should be noted that the program attempts to empirically simulate the effects of the phenomena which cause nonlinear stress-strain behavior, instead of mathematically modelling the micromechanics involved. This code, therefore, performs a bilinear laminate analysis, and, in conjunction with several user-defined failure interaction criteria, is designed to provide sequential information on all layer failures up to and including the first fiber failure. The modus operandi is described. Code BILAM can be used to: predict the load-deformation/stress-strain behavior of a composite laminate subjected to a given combination of in-plane loads, and make analytical predictions of laminate strength.

Work-related stress and Type 2 diabetes: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Cosgrove, M P; Sargeant, L A; Caleyachetty, R; Griffin, S J

2012-04-01

Work-related psychosocial stress has been hypothesized to increase the individual risk of Type 2 diabetes; however, observational epidemiological studies investigating the association between work-related psychosocial stress and Type 2 diabetes have provided an inconsistent picture. To evaluate whether work-related psychosocial stress (defined by a work-related stress model or by long work hours) is associated with the risk of Type 2 diabetes. A systematic review of the literature was conducted until March 2010. Studies eligible for inclusion were published observational epidemiological studies of adult participants in community or occupational settings if they had a measure of work-related stress on a validated scale or a measure of work hours or overtime assessed prior to, or at the same time as, assessment of Type 2 diabetes status. Where possible, meta-analysis was conducted to obtain summary odds ratios of the association. We located nine studies (four prospective, one case-control and four cross-sectional). The meta-analyses did not show any statistically significant associations between any individual aspect of work-related psychosocial stress or job strain and risk of Type 2 diabetes. The specific hypothesis that a working environment characterized by high psychosocial stress is directly associated with increased risk of Type 2 diabetes could not be supported from the meta-analysis.

Complete stress tensor determination by microearthquake analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Slunga, R.

2010-12-01

the depth based on the assumptions of a fractured crust, widely vary ing stress field, and a general closeness to instability as found by stress measurements (Jamison and Cook 1976). Wheather this approach is working or not is best answered by applying it to real data. This was provided by the IMO network in Iceland. Along Southern Iceland Seismic Zone (SISZ) more than 200,000 microearthquakes and a few M 5 EQs and 2 M=6.6 EQs have been recorded. The results will be presented it is obvious that the use of the stresses determined from the microearthquake recordings may significa ntly improve earthquake warnings and will make it possible to use the absolute C FS method for more deterministic predictions. Note that the microearthquake meth od only shows the part of the stress field that has caused slip. Volumes with st able stress will not show up. However stress measurements (Brown and Hoek 1978, Slunga 1988) have shown that the crustal stresses in general are close to instabi lity and microearthquake source analysis has shown that a large number of differ ent fractures become unstable within longer time windows. This may explain the e xcellent results given by the Icelandic tests of the absolute stress tensor fiel d as given by the microearthquakes. However I prefer to call this stress apparen t.

Pricing the Option to Surrender in Incomplete Markets

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Consiglio, Andrea; De Giovanni, Domenico

New international accounting standards require insurers to reflect the value of embedded options and guarantees in their products. Pricing techniques based on the Black & Scholes paradigm are often used, however, the hypotheses underneath this model are rarely met. We propose a framework that enc......New international accounting standards require insurers to reflect the value of embedded options and guarantees in their products. Pricing techniques based on the Black & Scholes paradigm are often used, however, the hypotheses underneath this model are rarely met. We propose a framework...... that encompasses the most known sources of incompleteness. We show that the surrender option, joined with a wide range of claims embedded in insurance contracts, can be priced through our tool, and deliver hedging portfolios to mitigate the risk arising from their positions. We provide extensive empirical analysis...... to highlight the effect of incompleteness on the fair value of the option....

A PC-based software package for modeling DOE mixed-waste management options

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abashian, M.S.; Carney, C.; Schum, K.

1995-02-01

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Headquarters and associated contractors have developed an IBM PC-based software package that estimates costs, schedules, and public and occupational health risks for a range of mixed-waste management options. A key application of the software package is the comparison of various waste-treatment options documented in the draft Site Treatment Plans prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Federal Facility Compliance Act of 1992. This automated Systems Analysis Methodology consists of a user interface for configuring complexwide or site-specific waste-management options; calculational algorithms for cost, schedule and risk; and user-selected graphical or tabular output of results. The mixed-waste management activities modeled in the automated Systems Analysis Methodology include waste storage, characterization, handling, transportation, treatment, and disposal. Analyses of treatment options identified in the draft Site Treatment Plans suggest potential cost and schedule savings from consolidation of proposed treatment facilities. This paper presents an overview of the automated Systems Analysis Methodology

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Depression and Anxiety among North Korean Refugees: A Meta-Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Benjamin Eric; Chekaluk, Eugene; Bennett, Joanne

2017-09-01

Post-traumatic stress disorder is common among North Korean refugees who have fled their country for economic, financial and humanitarian reasons. Co-morbid depression and anxiety are also common among North Korean refugees, due to the difficulties they have faced within their country and during their escape journey. Depression and anxiety complicate treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder, and lead to poorer outcomes. Thus, the aim of the present study was to provide a meta-analysis of studies investigating post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety among North Korean refugees. Selected articles were published in English, and included measures of post-traumatic stress, and/or depression and anxiety. 10 studies were included in the depression meta-analysis, and 6 in the anxiety meta-analysis. A random-effects model revealed strong, significant associations between post-traumatic stress and depression, r=0.63, 95% CI (0.51, 0.72), pstress, depression and anxiety were higher among adults and those with more than five years outside of North Korea. Depression appears to be an important treatment focus for North Korean refugees with post-traumatic stress.

Influence of solder joint length to the mechanical aspect during the thermal stress analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, J. S.; Khor, C. Y.; Rahim, Wan Mohd Faizal Wan Abd; Ishak, Muhammad Ikman; Rosli, M. U.; Jamalludin, Mohd Riduan; Zakaria, M. S.; Nawi, M. A. M.; Aziz, M. S. Abdul; Ani, F. Che

2017-09-01

Solder joint is an important interconnector in surface mount technology (SMT) assembly process. The real time stress, strain and displacement of the solder joint is difficult to observe and assess the experiment. To tackle these problems, simulation analysis was employed to study the von Mises stress, strain and displacement in the thermal stress analysis by using Finite element based software. In this study, a model of leadless electronic package was considered. The thermal stress analysis was performed to investigate the effect of the solder length to those mechanical aspects. The simulation results revealed that solder length gives significant effect to the maximum von Mises stress to the solder joint. Besides, changes in solder length also influence the displacement of the solder joint in the thermal environment. The increment of the solder length significantly reduces the von Mises stress and strain on the solder joint. Thus, the understanding of the physical parameter for solder joint is important for engineer prior to designing the solder joint of the electronic component.

IEA-R1 renewed primary coolant piping system stress analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fainer, Gerson; Faloppa, Altair A.; Oliveira, Carlos A. de; Mattar Neto, Miguel

2015-01-01

A partial replacement of the IEA-R1 piping system was conducted in 2014. The aim of this work is to perform the stress analysis of the renewed primary piping system of the IEA-R1, taking into account the as built conditions and the pipe modifications. The nuclear research reactor IEA-R1 is a pool type reactor designed by Babcox-Willcox, which is operated by IPEN since 1957. The primary coolant system is responsible for removing the residual heat of the Reactor core. As a part of the life management, a regular inspection detected some degradation in the primary piping system. In consequence, part of the piping system was replaced. The partial renewing of the primary piping system did not imply in major piping layout modifications. However, the stress condition of the piping systems had to be reanalyzed. The structural stress analysis of the primary piping systems is now presented and the final results are discussed. (author)

Scope Complexity Options Risks Excursions (SCORE) Factor Mathematical Description.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gearhart, Jared Lee [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Samberson, Jonell Nicole [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Shettigar, Subhasini [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Jungels, John [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Welch, Kimberly M. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Jones, Dean A. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2017-03-01

The purpose of the Scope, Complexity, Options, Risks, Excursions (SCORE) model is to estimate the relative complexity of design variants of future warhead options, resulting in scores. SCORE factors extend this capability by providing estimates of complexity relative to a base system (i.e., all design options are normalized to one weapon system). First, a clearly defined set of scope elements for a warhead option is established. The complexity of each scope element is estimated by Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), including a level of uncertainty, relative to a specific reference system. When determining factors, complexity estimates for a scope element can be directly tied to the base system or chained together via comparable scope elements in a string of reference systems that ends with the base system. The SCORE analysis process is a growing multi-organizational Nuclear Security Enterprise (NSE) effort, under the management of the NA-12 led Enterprise Modeling and Analysis Consortium (EMAC). Historically, it has provided the data elicitation, integration, and computation needed to support the out-year Life Extension Program (LEP) cost estimates included in the Stockpile Stewardship Management Plan (SSMP).

The origins of options.

Science.gov (United States)

Smaldino, Paul E; Richerson, Peter J

2012-01-01

Most research on decision making has focused on how human or animal decision makers choose between two or more options, posed in advance by the researchers. The mechanisms by which options are generated for most decisions, however, are not well understood. Models of sequential search have examined the trade-off between continued exploration and choosing one's current best option, but still cannot explain the processes by which new options are generated. We argue that understanding the origins of options is a crucial but untapped area for decision making research. We explore a number of factors which influence the generation of options, which fall broadly into two categories: psycho-biological and socio-cultural. The former category includes factors such as perceptual biases and associative memory networks. The latter category relies on the incredible human capacity for culture and social learning, which doubtless shape not only our choices but the options available for choice. Our intention is to start a discussion that brings us closer toward understanding the origins of options.

Stress Induces Contextual Blindness in Lotteries and Coordination Games

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Isabelle Brocas

2017-12-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we study how stress affects risk taking in three tasks: individual lotteries, Stag Hunt (coordination games, and Hawk-Dove (anti-coordination games. Both control and stressed subjects take more risks in all three tasks when the value of the safe option is decreased and in lotteries when the expected gain is increased. Also, subjects take longer to take decisions when stakes are high, when the safe option is less attractive and in the conceptually more difficult Hawk-Dove game. Stress (weakly increases reaction times in those cases. Finally, our main result is that the behavior of stressed subjects in lotteries, Stag Hunt and Hawk-Dove are all highly predictive of each other (p-value < 0.001 for all three pairwise correlations. Such strong relationship is not present in our control group. Our results illustrate a “contextual blindness” caused by stress. The mathematical and behavioral tensions of Stag Hunt and Hawk-Dove games are axiomatically different, and we should expect different behavior across these games, and also with respect to the individual task. A possible explanation for the highly significant connection across tasks in the stress condition is that stressed subjects habitually rely on one mechanism to make a decision in all contexts whereas unstressed subjects utilize a more cognitively flexible approach.

Cardiorespiratory Dynamic Response to Mental Stress: A Multivariate Time-Frequency Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Devy Widjaja

2013-01-01

out continuously in time to evaluate the dynamic response to mental stress and attention. The results show an increased heart and respiratory rate during stress and attention, compared to a resting condition. Also a fast reduction in vagal activity is noted. The partial TF analysis reveals a faster reduction of RRV power related to (3 s than unrelated to (30 s respiration, demonstrating that the autonomic response to mental stress is driven by mechanisms characterized by different temporal scales.

A multimodal stress monitoring system with canonical correlation analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Unsoo Ha; Changhyeon Kim; Yongsu Lee; Hyunki Kim; Taehwan Roh; Hoi-Jun Yoo

2015-08-01

The multimodal stress monitoring headband is proposed for mobile stress management system. It is composed of headband and earplugs. Electroencephalography (EEG), hemoencephalography (HEG) and heart-rate variability (HRV) can be achieved simultaneously in the proposed system for user status estimation. With canonical correlation analysis (CCA) and temporal-kernel CCA (tkCCA) algorithm, those different signals can be combined for maximum correlation. Thanks to the proposed combination algorithm, the accuracy of the proposed system increased up to 19 percentage points than unimodal monitoring system in n-back task.

[Relationship between depression symptoms and stress in occupational populations].

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Shan-fa; Yao, San-qiao; Ding, Hui; Ma, Liang-qing; Yang, Yan; Wang, Zhi-hui

2006-03-01

To explore the relationship between the depression symptoms and occupational stress in occupational populations. Depression symptoms were measured by using the center for epidemiological survey-depression scale. The occupational stress instrument were employed to investigate the stressors, personalities, social support, and coping strategies as well as the subject's age, length of service, sex, educational level and marriage status. Chi(2) test was used for analyzing the difference of depression. The multiple covariance analysis was used for testing the difference of stressors, personalities, social support, and coping strategies among the groups with different scores of depression. The variables obtained in the optional prediction equation were identified by multiple stepwise regression analysis. The incidence rate of definite depression symptoms was 40.2%. The total average score was 21.74 +/- 8.99. Henan province had the highest incidence rate of depression symptoms, 43.8%, Hebei 39.4%, and Beijing the lowest, 23.4%. The male workers had the higher incidence rate of depression symptoms, 43. 0% than female, 35.4% (P affect the mental health.

30 CFR 90.3 - Part 90 option; notice of eligibility; exercise of option.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Part 90 option; notice of eligibility; exercise of option. 90.3 Section 90.3 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF... DEVELOPMENT OF PNEUMOCONIOSIS General § 90.3 Part 90 option; notice of eligibility; exercise of option. (a...

Assessment of energy efficiency options in the building sector of Lebanon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chedid, R.B.; Ghajar, R.F.

2004-01-01

This paper examines the merits of implementing energy efficiency policies in the building sector in Lebanon following the approach normally adopted in Climate Change studies. The paper first examines the impact of the energy sector on the Lebanese economy, and then assesses the feasibility of implementing suitable energy efficiency options in the building sector. For this purpose, a detailed analysis of the building sector in Lebanon is presented with emphasis on the thermal characteristics of building envelopes and the energy consuming equipment. The long-term benefits of applying energy efficiency options in the building sector are then assessed using a scenario-type analysis that compares these benefits against those of a baseline scenario that assumes no significant implementation of energy efficiency policies. Finally, feasible options are highlighted and recommendations to remove the major barriers hindering the penetration of energy efficiency options in the Lebanese market are provided

Pricing perpetual American options under multiscale stochastic elasticity of variance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoon, Ji-Hun

2015-01-01

Highlights: • We study the effects of the stochastic elasticity of variance on perpetual American option. • Our SEV model consists of a fast mean-reverting factor and a slow mean-revering factor. • A slow scale factor has a very significant impact on the option price. • We analyze option price structures through the market prices of elasticity risk. - Abstract: This paper studies pricing the perpetual American options under a constant elasticity of variance type of underlying asset price model where the constant elasticity is replaced by a fast mean-reverting Ornstein–Ulenbeck process and a slowly varying diffusion process. By using a multiscale asymptotic analysis, we find the impact of the stochastic elasticity of variance on the option prices and the optimal exercise prices with respect to model parameters. Our results enhance the existing option price structures in view of flexibility and applicability through the market prices of elasticity risk

A numerical analysis method on thermal and shrinkage stress of concrete

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takiguchi, Katsuki; Hotta, Hisato

1991-01-01

Thermal stress often causes cracks in large scale concrete such as that for dam construction. The drying shrinkage of concrete causes cracks in concrete structures. These thermal stress and drying shrinkage stress may be the main reasons cracks occur in concrete, however there is few research which dealt with both stresses together. The problems on the thermal stress and the drying shrinkage are not independent, and should be dealt with together, because both temperature and water content of concrete affect hydration reaction, and the degree of hydration determines all the characteristics of concrete at early age. In this study, the degree of hydration is formulated experimentally, and a numerical stress analysis method taking the hydration reaction in consideration is presented. The formulation of the rate of hydration reaction, the method of analyzing thermal and drying shrinkage stresses, the analytical results for a concrete column and the influence that continuous load exerted to the tensile strength of concrete are reported. The relatively high stress nearly equal to the tensile strength of concrete arises near the surface. (K.I.)

A comparative study of different techniques in the stress analysis of a nuclear component

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dickenson, P.W.; Floyd, C.G.

1985-01-01

The inner surface stresses around the corner between the cylindrical wall and end plate of a flat ended pressure vessel have been determined using finite element, boundary element and photoelastic techniques. The results demonstrate severe deficiencies under certain conditions in the performance of the quadrilateral axisymmetric finite element which is commonly used in this type of analysis. The boundary element method is shown to provide an alternative analysis route giving more accurate results. The hybrid formulation finite element is also found to give reasonable results for the analysis of stresses in regions of rapidly varying stress. (orig.)

Options with Extreme Strikes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lingjiong Zhu

2015-07-01

Full Text Available In this short paper, we study the asymptotics for the price of call options for very large strikes and put options for very small strikes. The stock price is assumed to follow the Black–Scholes models. We analyze European, Asian, American, Parisian and perpetual options and conclude that the tail asymptotics for these option types fall into four scenarios.

Comparative proteomic analysis provides insight into cadmium stress responses in brown algae Sargassum fusiforme

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Aiqin; Xu, Tao [Alkali Soil Natural Environmental Science Center, Northeast Forestry University, Key Laboratory of Saline–alkali Vegetation Ecology Restoration in Oil Field, Ministry of Education, Harbin 150040 (China); Zou, Huixi [Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Subtropical Water Environment and Marine Biological Resources Protection, College of Life and Environmental Science, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035 (China); Pang, Qiuying, E-mail: qiuying@nefu.edu.cn [Alkali Soil Natural Environmental Science Center, Northeast Forestry University, Key Laboratory of Saline–alkali Vegetation Ecology Restoration in Oil Field, Ministry of Education, Harbin 150040 (China)

2015-06-15

Highlights: • Proteomic analysis of brown algae response different level Cd stress was performed. • Proteins involved in carbohydrate metabolism were reduced under 1 day Cd stress. • 5 days Cd stress induced glycolysis and citrate cycle related proteins. • Graphic depiction of different metabolic pathways response to Cd stress was framed. - Abstract: Sargassum fusiforme is one of the most widely consumed seaweeds in China, Korea and Japan. In this work, we performed growth analysis and comparative proteomics to investigate the molecular mechanisms of the response to 1 day and 5 days Cd stress in S. fusiforme. Our results showed a significant decrease in growth rate and an increase in Cd ion content in S. fusiforme in response to Cd treatment. Comparative proteomic analysis revealed 25 and 51 differentially expressed protein spots in S. fusiforme under 1 day and 5 days Cd stress, respectively. A great number of these proteins was metabolic enzymes involved in carbohydrate metabolism and energy metabolism. Many proteins involved in the processing of genetic information showed a decrease in abundance under 1 day Cd stress. In contrast, 9 of the identified protein spots primarily involved in genetic information processing and carbohydrate metabolism were greatly enriched under 5 days Cd stress. Overall, our investigation indicated that Cd stress negatively affects the metabolic activity of S. fusiforme through the down-regulation of key metabolic enzymes. In addition, S. fusiforme may adapt to 5 days Cd stress by promoting consumption of photoassimilates through the up-regulation of glycolysis and the citrate cycle to supply energy for survival.

Comparative proteomic analysis provides insight into cadmium stress responses in brown algae Sargassum fusiforme

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Aiqin; Xu, Tao; Zou, Huixi; Pang, Qiuying

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Proteomic analysis of brown algae response different level Cd stress was performed. • Proteins involved in carbohydrate metabolism were reduced under 1 day Cd stress. • 5 days Cd stress induced glycolysis and citrate cycle related proteins. • Graphic depiction of different metabolic pathways response to Cd stress was framed. - Abstract: Sargassum fusiforme is one of the most widely consumed seaweeds in China, Korea and Japan. In this work, we performed growth analysis and comparative proteomics to investigate the molecular mechanisms of the response to 1 day and 5 days Cd stress in S. fusiforme. Our results showed a significant decrease in growth rate and an increase in Cd ion content in S. fusiforme in response to Cd treatment. Comparative proteomic analysis revealed 25 and 51 differentially expressed protein spots in S. fusiforme under 1 day and 5 days Cd stress, respectively. A great number of these proteins was metabolic enzymes involved in carbohydrate metabolism and energy metabolism. Many proteins involved in the processing of genetic information showed a decrease in abundance under 1 day Cd stress. In contrast, 9 of the identified protein spots primarily involved in genetic information processing and carbohydrate metabolism were greatly enriched under 5 days Cd stress. Overall, our investigation indicated that Cd stress negatively affects the metabolic activity of S. fusiforme through the down-regulation of key metabolic enzymes. In addition, S. fusiforme may adapt to 5 days Cd stress by promoting consumption of photoassimilates through the up-regulation of glycolysis and the citrate cycle to supply energy for survival

Biofeedback and Counseling for Stress and Anxiety among College Students

Science.gov (United States)

Ratanasiripong, Paul; Sverduk, Kevin; Prince, Judy; Hayashino, Diane

2012-01-01

With the rise in stress and anxiety among college students, there is a need for more comprehensive and effective counseling options for counselors in college counseling centers. This study investigated the impact of using biofeedback and brief counseling in treating stress and anxiety in an ethnically diverse college student population. Results…

Finite element analysis of maxillary bone stress caused by Aramany Class IV obturator prostheses.

Science.gov (United States)

Miyashita, Elcio Ricardo; Mattos, Beatriz Silva Câmara; Noritomi, Pedro Yoshito; Navarro, Hamilton

2012-05-01

The retention of an Aramany Class IV removable partial dental prosthesis can be compromised by a lack of support. The biomechanics of this obturator prosthesis result in an unusual stress distribution on the residual maxillary bone. This study evaluated the biomechanics of an Aramany Class IV obturator prosthesis with finite element analysis and a digital 3-dimensional (3-D) model developed from a computed tomography scan; bone stress was evaluated according to the load placed on the prosthesis. A 3-D model of an Aramany Class IV maxillary resection and prosthesis was constructed. This model was used to develop a finite element mesh. A 120 N load was applied to the occlusal and incisal platforms corresponding to the prosthetic teeth. Qualitative analysis was based on the scale of maximum principal stress; values obtained through quantitative analysis were expressed in MPa. Under posterior load, tensile and compressive stresses were observed; the tensile stress was greater than the compressive stress, regardless of the bone region, and the greatest compressive stress was observed on the anterior palate near the midline. Under an anterior load, tensile stress was observed in all of the evaluated bone regions; the tensile stress was greater than the compressive stress, regardless of the bone region. The Aramany Class IV obturator prosthesis tended to rotate toward the surgical resection when subjected to posterior or anterior loads. The amount of tensile and compressive stress caused by the Aramany Class IV obturator prosthesis did not exceed the physiological limits of the maxillary bone tissue. (J Prosthet Dent 2012;107:336-342). Copyright © 2012 The Editorial Council of the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Finite element analysis of thermal stress distribution in different ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Nigerian Journal of Clinical Practice • Jan-Feb 2016 • Vol 19 • Issue 1. Abstract ... Key words: Amalgam, finite element method, glass ionomer cement, resin composite, thermal stress ... applications for force analysis and assessment of different.

The Effects of Abandonment Options on Investment Timing and Profit Sharing of FDI

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Weiwei Zhang

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The paper incorporates cooperative game theory into a real option method in a foreign direct investment setting and examines the operational decisions of a multinational corporation in a cooperative framework, where the corporation is endowed with an abandonment option and shares its profit with the host country. In particular, we investigate how the abandonment options affect the optimal investment timing and the optimal profit share of a foreign direct investment using a real option game method. We show that the flexibility of the abandonment option induces the corporation to investment earlier, which indicates the negative effects on investment trigger. The result is consistent with intuition since the abandonment option provides insurance and thus reduces the overall risk of the project. We also find that the introduction of the abandonment option reduces the optimal profit share in a cooperative framework and in turn the lower profit share increases the investment trigger, thereby having a positive effect on the investment threshold to hinder the investment. By numerical analysis, we find that the overall effect of the abandonment options is inversely related to the investment trigger. These findings provide quantitative analysis about the decisions regarding cooperation in international investment extraction projects.

Composite Analysis of Concrete - Creep, Relaxation and Eigenstrain/stress

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Lauge Fuglsang

1996-01-01

approach.The model is successfully justified comparing predicted results with recent experimental data obtained in tests made at the Danish Technological Institute and at the Technical University of Denmark on creep, relaxation, and shrinkage of very young concretes (hours) - and also with experimental...... results on creep, shrinkage, and internal stresses caused by drying shrinkage reported in the literature on the mechanical behavior of mature concretes.Shrinkage (autogeneous or drying) of mortar and concrete and associated internal stress states are examples of analysis made in this report......A composite-rheological model of concrete is presented by which consistent predictions of creep, relaxation, and internal stresses can be made from known concrete composition, age at loading, and climatic conditions. No other existing "creep prediction method" offers these possibilities in one...

Intracerebral Hemorrhage, Oxidative Stress, and Antioxidant Therapy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaochun Duan

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Hemorrhagic stroke is a common and severe neurological disorder and is associated with high rates of mortality and morbidity, especially for intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH. Increasing evidence demonstrates that oxidative stress responses participate in the pathophysiological processes of secondary brain injury (SBI following ICH. The mechanisms involved in interoperable systems include endoplasmic reticulum (ER stress, neuronal apoptosis and necrosis, inflammation, and autophagy. In this review, we summarized some promising advances in the field of oxidative stress and ICH, including contained animal and human investigations. We also discussed the role of oxidative stress, systemic oxidative stress responses, and some research of potential therapeutic options aimed at reducing oxidative stress to protect the neuronal function after ICH, focusing on the challenges of translation between preclinical and clinical studies, and potential post-ICH antioxidative therapeutic approaches.

Intracerebral Hemorrhage, Oxidative Stress, and Antioxidant Therapy

Science.gov (United States)

Duan, Xiaochun; Wen, Zunjia; Shen, Haitao; Shen, Meifen

2016-01-01

Hemorrhagic stroke is a common and severe neurological disorder and is associated with high rates of mortality and morbidity, especially for intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Increasing evidence demonstrates that oxidative stress responses participate in the pathophysiological processes of secondary brain injury (SBI) following ICH. The mechanisms involved in interoperable systems include endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, neuronal apoptosis and necrosis, inflammation, and autophagy. In this review, we summarized some promising advances in the field of oxidative stress and ICH, including contained animal and human investigations. We also discussed the role of oxidative stress, systemic oxidative stress responses, and some research of potential therapeutic options aimed at reducing oxidative stress to protect the neuronal function after ICH, focusing on the challenges of translation between preclinical and clinical studies, and potential post-ICH antioxidative therapeutic approaches. PMID:27190572

Optional time-of-use prices for electricity: Analysis of PG&E`s experimental TOU rates. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Train, K.; Mehrez, G.

1992-07-01

We examine customers` time-of-use (TOU) demand for electricity and their choice between standard and TOU rate schedules. We specify an econometric model in which the customer`s demand curves determine the customer`s choice of rate schedule. We estimate the model on data from Pacific Gas & Electric Company`s experiment with optional TOU prices in the residential sector. With the model, we compare the TOU consumption and price elasticities of customers who chose TOU rates with those who chose standard rates. We also estimate the impact of the TOU rates on the utility`s revenues and costs. The analysis suggests that the TOU rates offered under PG&E`s experiment decreased PG&E`s profits and hence contributed to higher general rate levels. The model can be used, however, to design optional TOU rates that increase profits and lower general rate levels.

Effects of weld residual stresses on crack-opening area analysis of pipes for LBB applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dong, P.; Rahman, S.; Wilkowski, G. [and others

1997-04-01

This paper summarizes four different studies undertaken to evaluate the effects of weld residual stresses on the crack-opening behavior of a circumferential through-wall crack in the center of a girth weld. The effect of weld residual stress on the crack-opening-area and leak-rate analyses of a pipe is not well understood. There are no simple analyses to account for these effects, and, therefore, they are frequently neglected. The four studies involved the following efforts: (1) Full-field thermoplastic finite element residual stress analyses of a crack in the center of a girth weld, (2) A comparison of the crack-opening displacements from a full-field thermoplastic residual stress analysis with a crack-face pressure elastic stress analysis to determine the residual stress effects on the crack-opening displacement, (3) The effects of hydrostatic testing on the residual stresses and the resulting crack-opening displacement, and (4) The effect of residual stresses on crack-opening displacement with different normal operating stresses.

Effects of weld residual stresses on crack-opening area analysis of pipes for LBB applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dong, P.; Rahman, S.; Wilkowski, G.

1997-01-01

This paper summarizes four different studies undertaken to evaluate the effects of weld residual stresses on the crack-opening behavior of a circumferential through-wall crack in the center of a girth weld. The effect of weld residual stress on the crack-opening-area and leak-rate analyses of a pipe is not well understood. There are no simple analyses to account for these effects, and, therefore, they are frequently neglected. The four studies involved the following efforts: (1) Full-field thermoplastic finite element residual stress analyses of a crack in the center of a girth weld, (2) A comparison of the crack-opening displacements from a full-field thermoplastic residual stress analysis with a crack-face pressure elastic stress analysis to determine the residual stress effects on the crack-opening displacement, (3) The effects of hydrostatic testing on the residual stresses and the resulting crack-opening displacement, and (4) The effect of residual stresses on crack-opening displacement with different normal operating stresses

Treatment Options for Retinoblastoma

Science.gov (United States)

... factors affect prognosis (chance of recovery) and treatment options. The prognosis (chance of recovery ) and treatment options ... or in other places in the body. Treatment Option Overview Key Points There are different types of ...

Stress analysis of a double-wall vacuum vessel for ITER

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Conner, D.L.; Williamson, D.E.; Nelson, B.E.

1991-01-01

The preliminary structural analyses performed in support of the design of the vacuum vessel for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) are described. A thin, double-wall, all-welded structure is the proposed design concept analyzed. The results of the static stress analysis indicate the adequacy of such a structure. The effects of the proposed high-aspect-ratio design configuration on loading and stresses are also discussed. 4 refs., 6 figs., 1 tab

Post-traumatic stress disorder in the perinatal period: A concept analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Vignato, Julie; Georges, Jane M; Bush, Ruth A; Connelly, Cynthia D

2017-12-01

To report an analysis of the concept of perinatal post-traumatic stress disorder. Prevalence of perinatal post-traumatic stress disorder is rising in the USA, with 9% of the U.S. perinatal population diagnosed with the disorder and an additional 18% being at risk for the condition. Left untreated, adverse maternal-child outcomes result in increased morbidity, mortality and healthcare costs. Concept analysis via Walker and Avant's approach. The databases Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Medline, Academic Search Premier and PsychINFO were searched for articles, written in English, published between 2006-2015, containing the terms perinatal and post-traumatic stress disorder. Perinatal post-traumatic stress disorder owns unique attributes, antecedents and outcomes when compared to post-traumatic stress disorder in other contexts, and may be defined as a disorder arising after a traumatic experience, diagnosed any time from conception to 6 months postpartum, lasting longer than 1 month, leading to specific negative maternal symptoms and poor maternal-infant outcomes. Attributes include a diagnostic time frame (conception to 6 months postpartum), harmful prior or current trauma and specific diagnostic symptomatology defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition. Antecedents were identified as trauma (perinatal complications and abuse), postpartum depression and previous psychiatric history. Consequences comprised adverse maternal-infant outcomes. Further research on perinatal post-traumatic stress disorder antecedents, attributes and outcomes in ethnically diverse populations may provide clinicians a more comprehensive framework for identifying and treating perinatal post-traumatic stress disorder. Nurses are encouraged to increase their awareness of perinatal post-traumatic stress disorder for early assessment and intervention, and prevention of adverse maternal-infant outcomes. © 2017 John Wiley

Transcriptome analysis of hexaploid hulless oat in response to salinity stress.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bin Wu

Full Text Available Oat is a cereal crop of global importance used for food, feed, and forage. Understanding salinity stress tolerance mechanisms in plants is an important step towards generating crop varieties that can cope with environmental stresses. To date, little is known about the salt tolerance of oat at the molecular level. To better understand the molecular mechanisms underlying salt tolerance in oat, we investigated the transcriptomes of control and salt-treated oat using RNA-Seq.Using Illumina HiSeq 4000 platform, we generated 72,291,032 and 356,891,432 reads from non-stressed control and salt-stressed oat, respectively. Assembly of 64 Gb raw sequence data yielded 128,414 putative unique transcripts with an average length of 1,189 bp. Analysis of the assembled unigenes from the salt stressed and control libraries indicated that about 65,000 unigenes were differentially expressed at different stages. Functional annotation showed that ABC transporters, plant hormone signal transduction, plant-pathogen interactions, starch and sucrose metabolism, arginine and proline metabolism, and other secondary metabolite pathways were enriched under salt stress. Based on the RPKM values of assembled unigenes, 24 differentially expressed genes under salt stress were selected for quantitative RT-PCR validation, which successfully confirmed the results of RNA-Seq. Furthermore, we identified 18,039 simple sequence repeats, which may help further elucidate salt tolerance mechanisms in oat.Our global survey of transcriptome profiles of oat plants in response to salt stress provides useful insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying salt tolerance in this crop. These findings also represent a rich resource for further analysis of salt tolerance and for breeding oat with improved salt tolerance through the use of salt-related genes.

Surgery versus physiotherapy for stress urinary incontinence

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Labrie, J.; Berghmans, B.L.; Fischer, K.; Milani, A.L.; Wijk, I. van; Smalbraak, D.J.; Vollebregt, A.; Schellart, R.P.; Graziosi, G.C.; Ploeg, J.M. van der; Brouns, J.F.; Tiersma, E.S.; Groenendijk, A.G.; Scholten, P.; Mol, B.W.; Blokhuis, E.E.; Adriaanse, A.H.; Schram, A.; Roovers, J.P.; Lagro-Janssen, A.L.M.; Vaart, C.H. van der

2013-01-01

BACKGROUND: Physiotherapy involving pelvic-floor muscle training is advocated as first-line treatment for stress urinary incontinence; midurethral-sling surgery is generally recommended when physiotherapy is unsuccessful. Data are lacking from randomized trials comparing these two options as initial

Surgery versus Physiotherapy for Stress Urinary Incontinence

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Labrie, Julien; Berghmans, Bary L. C. M.; Fischer, Kathelijn; Milani, Alfredo L.; van der Wijk, Ileana; Smalbraak, Dina J. C.; Vollebregt, Astrid; Schellart, Rene P.; Graziosi, Giuseppe C. M.; van der Ploeg, J. Marinus; Brouns, Joseph F. G. M.; Tiersma, E. Stella M.; Groenendijk, Annette G.; Scholten, Piet; Mol, Ben Willem; Blokhuis, Elisabeth E.; Adriaanse, Albert H.; Schram, Aaltje; Roovers, Jan-Paul W. R.; Lagro-Janssen, Antoine L. M.; van der Vaart, Carl H.

2013-01-01

BackgroundPhysiotherapy involving pelvic-floor muscle training is advocated as first-line treatment for stress urinary incontinence; midurethral-sling surgery is generally recommended when physiotherapy is unsuccessful. Data are lacking from randomized trials comparing these two options as initial

Economics of Alaska North Slope gas utilization options

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thomas, C.P.; Doughty, T.C.; Hackworth, J.H.; North, W.B.; Robertson, E.P.

1996-08-01

The recoverable natural gas available for sale in the developed and known undeveloped fields on the Alaskan North Slope (ANS) total about 26 trillion cubic feet (TCF), including 22 TCF in the Prudhoe Bay Unit (PBU) and 3 TCF in the undeveloped Point Thomson Unit (PTU). No significant commercial use has been made of this large natural gas resource because there are no facilities in place to transport this gas to current markets. To date the economics have not been favorable to support development of a gas transportation system. However, with the declining trend in ANS oil production, interest in development of this huge gas resource is rising, making it important for the U.S. Department of Energy, industry, and the State of Alaska to evaluate and assess the options for development of this vast gas resource. The purpose of this study was to assess whether gas-to-liquids (GTL) conversion technology would be an economic alternative for the development and sale of the large, remote, and currently unmarketable ANS natural gas resource, and to compare the long term economic impact of a GTL conversion option to that of the more frequently discussed natural gas pipeline/liquefied natural gas (LNG) option. The major components of the study are: an assessment of the ANS oil and gas resources; an analysis of conversion and transportation options; a review of natural gas, LNG, and selected oil product markets; and an economic analysis of the LNG and GTL gas sales options based on publicly available input needed for assumptions of the economic variables. Uncertainties in assumptions are evaluated by determining the sensitivity of project economics to changes in baseline economic variables

Stress Analysis for the Critical Metal Structure of Bridge Crane

Science.gov (United States)

Ling, Zhangwei; Wang, Min; Xia, Junfang; Wang, Songhua; Guo, Xiaolian

2018-01-01

Based on the type of connection between the main girder and end beam of electrical single beam crane, the finite element analysis model of a full portal crane was established. The stress distribution of the critical structure under different loading conditions was analyzed. The results shown that the maximum Mises stress and deflection of the main girder were within the allowable range. And the connecting location between end beam web and main girder had higher stress than other region, especially at the lower edge and upper edge of the end beam web and the area near the bolt hole of upper wing panel. Therefore it is important to inspect the connection status, the stress condition and the crack situation nearing connection location during the regular inspection process to ensure the safety of the connection between the main girder and end beam.

Development of an inelastic stress analysis code 'KINE-T' and its evaluations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kobatake, K.; Takahashi, S.; Suzuki, M.

1977-01-01

Referring to the ASME B and PVC Code Case 1592-7, the inelastic stress analysis is required for the designs of the class 1 components in elevated temperature if the results of the elastic stress analysis and/or simplified inelastic analysis do not satisfy the requirements. Authors programmed a two-dimensional axisymmetric inelastic analysis code 'KINE-T', and carried out its evaluations and an application. This FEM code is based on the incremental method and the following: elastic-plastic constitutive equation (yield condition of von Mises; flow rule of Prandtl-Reuss; Prager's hardening rule); creep constitutive equation (equation of state approach; flow rule of von Mises; strain hardening rule); the temperature dependency of the yield function is considered; solution procedure of the assembled stiffness matrix is the 'initial stress method'. After the completion of the programming, authors compared the output with not only theoretical results but also with those of the MARC code and the ANSYS code. In order to apply the code to the practical designing, authors settled a quasi-component two-dimensional axisymmetric model and a loading cycle (500 cycles). Then, an inelastic analysis and its integrity evaluation are carried out

Retrieval options study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1980-03-01

This Retrieval Options Study is part of the systems analysis activities of the Office of Nuclear Waste Isolation to develop the scientific and technological bases for radioactive waste repositories in various geologic media. The study considers two waste forms, high level waste and spent fuel, and defines various classes of waste retrieval and recovery. A methodology and data base are developed which allow the relative evaluation of retrieval and recovery costs and the following technical criteria: safety; technical feasibility; ease of retrieval; probable intact retrieval time; safeguards; monitoring; criticality; and licensability. A total of 505 repository options are defined and the cost and technical criteria evaluated utilizing a combination of facts and engineering judgments. The repositories evaluated are selected combinations of the following parameters: Geologic Media (salt, granite, basalt, shale); Retrieval Time after Emplacement (5 and 25 years); Emplacement Design (nominal hole, large hole, carbon steel canister, corrosion resistant canister, backfill in hole, nominal sleeves, thick wall sleeves); Emplacement Configuration (single vertical, multiple vertical, single horizontal, multiple horizontal, vaults; Thermal Considerations; (normal design, reduced density, once-through ventilation, recirculated ventilation); Room Backfill; (none, run-of-mine, early, 5 year delay, 25 year delay, decommissioned); and Rate of Retrieval;

Used fuel rail shock and vibration testing options analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ross, Steven B. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Best, Ralph E. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Klymyshyn, Nicholas A. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Jensen, Philip J. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Maheras, Steven J. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

2014-09-25

The objective of the rail shock and vibration tests is to complete the framework needed to quantify loads of fuel assembly components that are necessary to guide materials research and establish a technical basis for review organizations such as the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). A significant body of experimental and numerical modeling data exists to quantify loads and failure limits applicable to normal conditions of transport (NCT) rail transport, but the data are based on assumptions that can only be verified through experimental testing. The test options presented in this report represent possible paths for acquiring the data that are needed to confirm the assumptions of previous work, validate modeling methods that will be needed for evaluating transported fuel on a case-by-case basis, and inform material test campaigns on the anticipated range of fuel loading. The ultimate goal of this testing is to close all of the existing knowledge gaps related to the loading of used fuel under NCT conditions and inform the experiments and analysis program on specific endpoints for their research. The options include tests that would use an actual railcar, surrogate assemblies, and real or simulated rail transportation casks. The railcar carrying the cradle, cask, and surrogate fuel assembly payload would be moved in a train operating over rail track modified or selected to impart shock and vibration forces that occur during normal rail transportation. Computer modeling would be used to help design surrogates that may be needed for a rail cask, a cask’s internal basket, and a transport cradle. The objective of the design of surrogate components would be to provide a test platform that effectively simulates responses to rail shock and vibration loads that would be exhibited by state-of-the-art rail cask, basket, and/or cradle structures. The computer models would also be used to help determine the placement of instrumentation (accelerometers and strain gauges

Combining analytical frameworks to assess livelihood vulnerability to climate change and analyse adaptation options.

Science.gov (United States)

Reed, M S; Podesta, G; Fazey, I; Geeson, N; Hessel, R; Hubacek, K; Letson, D; Nainggolan, D; Prell, C; Rickenbach, M G; Ritsema, C; Schwilch, G; Stringer, L C; Thomas, A D

2013-10-01

Experts working on behalf of international development organisations need better tools to assist land managers in developing countries maintain their livelihoods, as climate change puts pressure on the ecosystem services that they depend upon. However, current understanding of livelihood vulnerability to climate change is based on a fractured and disparate set of theories and methods. This review therefore combines theoretical insights from sustainable livelihoods analysis with other analytical frameworks (including the ecosystem services framework, diffusion theory, social learning, adaptive management and transitions management) to assess the vulnerability of rural livelihoods to climate change. This integrated analytical framework helps diagnose vulnerability to climate change, whilst identifying and comparing adaptation options that could reduce vulnerability, following four broad steps: i) determine likely level of exposure to climate change, and how climate change might interact with existing stresses and other future drivers of change; ii) determine the sensitivity of stocks of capital assets and flows of ecosystem services to climate change; iii) identify factors influencing decisions to develop and/or adopt different adaptation strategies, based on innovation or the use/substitution of existing assets; and iv) identify and evaluate potential trade-offs between adaptation options. The paper concludes by identifying interdisciplinary research needs for assessing the vulnerability of livelihoods to climate change.

Use of the Generating Options for Active Risk Control (GO-ARC) Technique can lead to more robust risk control options.

Science.gov (United States)

Card, Alan J; Simsekler, Mecit Can Emre; Clark, Michael; Ward, James R; Clarkson, P John

2014-01-01

Risk assessment is widely used to improve patient safety, but healthcare workers are not trained to design robust solutions to the risks they uncover. This leads to an overreliance on the weakest category of risk control recommendations: administrative controls. Increasing the proportion of non-administrative risk control options (NARCOs) generated would enable (though not ensure) the adoption of more robust solutions. Experimentally assess a method for generating stronger risk controls: The Generating Options for Active Risk Control (GO-ARC) Technique. Participants generated risk control options in response to two patient safety scenarios. Scenario 1 (baseline): All participants used current practice (unstructured brainstorming). Scenario 2: Control group used current practice; intervention group used the GO-ARC Technique. To control for individual differences between participants, analysis focused on the change in the proportion of NARCOs for each group. Proportion of NARCOs decreased from 0.18 at baseline to 0.12. Intervention group: Proportion increased from 0.10 at baseline to 0.29 using the GO-ARC Technique. Results were statistically significant. There was no decrease in the number of administrative controls generated by the intervention group. The Generating Options for Active Risk Control (GO-ARC) Technique appears to lead to more robust risk control options.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of Option B+ for HIV prevention and treatment of mothers and children in Malawi.

Science.gov (United States)

Fasawe, Olufunke; Avila, Carlos; Shaffer, Nathan; Schouten, Erik; Chimbwandira, Frank; Hoos, David; Nakakeeto, Olive; De Lay, Paul

2013-01-01

The Ministry of Health in Malawi is implementing a pragmatic and innovative approach for the management of all HIV-infected pregnant women, termed Option B+, which consists of providing life-long antiretroviral treatment, regardless of their CD4 count or clinical stage. Our objective was to determine if Option B+ represents a cost-effective option. A decision model simulates the disease progression of a cohort of HIV-infected pregnant women receiving prophylaxis and antiretroviral therapy, and estimates the number of paediatric infections averted and maternal life years gained over a ten-year time horizon. We assess the cost-effectiveness from the Ministry of Health perspective while taking into account the practical realities of implementing ART services in Malawi. If implemented as recommended by the World Health Organization, options A, B and B+ are equivalent in preventing new infant infections, yielding cost effectiveness ratios between US$ 37 and US$ 69 per disability adjusted life year averted in children. However, when the three options are compared to the current practice, the provision of antiretroviral therapy to all mothers (Option B+) not only prevents infant infections, but also improves the ten-year survival in mothers more than four-fold. This translates into saving more than 250,000 maternal life years, as compared to mothers receiving only Option A or B, with savings of 153,000 and 172,000 life years respectively. Option B+ also yields favourable incremental cost effectiveness ratios (ICER) of US$ 455 per life year gained over the current practice. In Malawi, Option B+ represents a favorable policy option from a cost-effectiveness perspective to prevent future infant infections, save mothers' lives and reduce orphanhood. Although Option B+ would require more financial resources initially, it would save societal resources in the long-term and represents a strategic option to simplify and integrate HIV services into maternal, newborn and child

TANK SPACE OPTIONS REPORT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Willis, W.L.; Ahrendt, M.R.

2009-01-01

Since this report was originally issued in 2001, several options proposed for increasing double-shell tank (DST) storage space were implemented or are in the process of implementation. Changes to the single-shell tank (SST) waste retrieval schedule, completion of DST space saving options, and the DST space saving options in progress have delayed the projected shortfall of DST storage space from the 2007-2011 to the 2018-2025 timeframe (ORP-11242, River Protection Project System Plan). This report reevaluates options from Rev. 0 and includes evaluations of new options for alleviating projected restrictions on SST waste retrieval beginning in 2018 because of the lack of DST storage space.

Advanced x-ray stress analysis method for a single crystal using different diffraction plane families

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Imafuku, Muneyuki; Suzuki, Hiroshi; Sueyoshi, Kazuyuki; Akita, Koichi; Ohya, Shin-ichi

2008-01-01

Generalized formula of the x-ray stress analysis for a single crystal with unknown stress-free lattice parameter was proposed. This method enables us to evaluate the plane stress states with any combination of diffraction planes. We can choose and combine the appropriate x-ray sources and diffraction plane families, depending on the sample orientation and the apparatus, whenever diffraction condition is satisfied. The analysis of plane stress distributions in an iron single crystal was demonstrated combining with the diffraction data for Fe{211} and Fe{310} plane families

Why we should talk about option generation in decision-making research.

Science.gov (United States)

Kalis, Annemarie; Kaiser, Stefan; Mojzisch, Andreas

2013-01-01

Most empirical studies on decision-making start from a set of given options for action. However, in everyday life there is usually no one asking you to choose between A, B, and C. Recently, the question how people come up with options has been receiving growing attention. However, so far there has been neither a systematic attempt to define the construct of "option" nor an attempt to show why decision-making research really needs this construct. This paper aims to fill that void by developing definitions of "option" and "option generation" that can be used as a basis for decision-making research in a wide variety of decision-making settings, while clarifying how these notions relate to familiar psychological constructs. We conclude our analysis by arguing that there are indeed reasons to believe that option generation is an important and distinct aspect of human decision-making.

Dynamique jointe stock/option et application aux stratégies de trading sur options

OpenAIRE

El Aoud , Sofiene

2015-01-01

This thesis explores theoretically and empirically the implications of the stock/option joint dynamics on applications related to option trading. In the first part of the thesis, we look into the relations between stock options and index options under the risk-neutral measure. The Capital Asset Pricing Model offers an adequate mathematical framework for this study as it provides a modeling approach for the joint dynamics between the stock and the index. As we compute option prices according t...

Numerical analysis oriented biaxial stress-strain relation and failure criterion of plain concrete

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Link, J.

1975-01-01

A biaxial stress-strain relation and failure criterion is proposed, which is applicable to structural analysis methods. The formulation of material behavior of plain concrete in biaxial stress-state was developed. A nonlinear elastic, anisotropic stress-strain relation was derived with two moduli of elasticity, E 1 , E 2 and Poisson's ratios, ν 1 , ν 2 , which depend on the prevailing biaxial stress state. The stress-strain relation is valid in the whole biaxial stress field, that means with a smooth transition between the domains of tension/tension, tension/compression and compression/compression. The stress-dependent moduli E 1 , E 2 and the Poisson's ratios ν 1 , ν 2 are approximated by polynomials, trigonometrical and exponential functions. A failure criterion was defined by approximating the test results of the biaxial ultimate concrete strength with a 7th degree polynomial, which is also valid in the whole biaxial stress domain. The definition of the state of failure is given as a function of stresses as well as strains. Initial parameters of the formulation of the biaxial material behavior are the uniaxial cylindrical strength of concrete and the initial values of Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio. A simple expansion of this formulation makes it applicable not only to normal but also to light-weight concrete. Comparison of numerically calculated stress-strain curves up to the ultimate biaxial stresses which indicate the failure criteria with those obtained from tests show a very good agreement. It is shown, that the biaxial stress-strain relation can be extended for use in cases of triaxial tension/tension/compression stress state. Numerical examples of analysis of concrete slabs show the importance of incorporation of a realistic material behavior for better safety estimations

Finite element formulation for thermal stress analysis of thin reactor structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kulak, R.F.; Kennedy, J.M.; Belytschko, T.B.

1978-01-01

This paper describes the formulation of a finite-element procedure for the thermal stress analysis of thin wall reactor components. A general temperature-dependent constituent relationship is derived from a Gibbs potential function and a temperature-dependent yield surface. This form of constitutive relationship is applicable to problems of small strain. A similar form of a hypoelastic-plastic type is also developed for large strains. The variation of the yield surface with temperature is based upon a temperature-dependent, work-hardening model. The model uses a temperature-equivalent stress-plastic strain diagram which is generated from isothermal unaxial stress-strain data. The above constitutive relationships are incorporated into two computer codes and a previously developed numerical algorithm is used with minor modifications. A set of problems is presented validating the thermal analysis capability of the computer codes to a variety of problem types. (Auth.)

Options to improve energy efficiency for educational building

Science.gov (United States)

Jahan, Mafruha

The cost of energy is a major factor that must be considered for educational facility budget planning purpose. The analysis of energy related issues and options can be complex and requires significant time and detailed effort. One way to facilitate the inclusion of energy option planning in facility planning efforts is to utilize a tool that allows for quick appraisal of the facility energy profile. Once such an appraisal is accomplished, it is then possible to rank energy improvement options consistently with other facility needs and requirements. After an energy efficiency option has been determined to have meaningful value in comparison with other facility planning options, it is then possible to utilize the initial appraisal as the basis for an expanded consideration of additional facility and energy use detail using the same analytic system used for the initial appraisal. This thesis has developed a methodology and an associated analytic model to assist in these tasks and thereby improve the energy efficiency of educational facilities. A detailed energy efficiency and analysis tool is described that utilizes specific university building characteristics such as size, architecture, envelop, lighting, occupancy, thermal design which allows reducing the annual energy consumption. Improving the energy efficiency of various aspects of an educational building's energy performance can be complex and can require significant time and experience to make decisions. The approach developed in this thesis initially assesses the energy design for a university building. This initial appraisal is intended to assist administrators in assessing the potential value of energy efficiency options for their particular facility. Subsequently this scoping design can then be extended as another stage of the model by local facility or planning personnel to add more details and engineering aspects to the initial screening model. This approach can assist university planning efforts to

Influence of Stress Shape Function on Analysis of Contact Problem Using Hybrid Photoelasticity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shin, Dongchul; Hawong, Jaisug

2013-01-01

In this research, a study on stress shape functions was conducted to analyze the contact stress problem by using a hybrid photoelasticity. Because the contact stress problem is generally solved as a half-plane problem, the relationship between two analytical stress functions, which are compositions of the Airy stress function, was similar to one of the crack problem. However, this relationship in itself could not be used to solve the contact stress problem (especially one with singular points). Therefore, to analyze the contact stress problem more correctly, stress shape functions based on the condition of two contact end points had to be considered in the form of these two analytical stress functions. The four types of stress shape functions were related to the stress singularities at the two contact end points. Among them, the primary two types used for the analysis of an O-ring were selected, and their validities were verified in this work

Evaluation of natural gas supply options for south east and central Europe. Part 1: Indicator definitions and single indicator analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Afgan, Naim H.; Carvalho, Maria G.; Pilavachi, Petros A.; Martins, Nelson

2007-01-01

The need for diversification of energy sources is an immanent goal in long term energy strategy. In particular, this is of great importance for the natural gas supply. In this respect, evaluation and assessment of potential natural gas resources and their relation to consumers is of great importance. The natural gas supply in Europe is one of the main issues of European energy strategy to be followed in the future. In particular, the natural gas supply in the southeast countries is important. This paper provides a framework for understanding how much natural gas is available for use in south east and central Europe as well as the links to the recent supply of natural gas and its transport. The analysis is focused on evaluation of the potential routes for natural gas supply to the south east and central European countries. The potential options included in this analysis are the Yamal Route; Nabucco Route; West Balkan Route; LNG NEUM Route and Gas by Wire Route. In this analysis, attention is focused on the following indicators for assessment of potential options: environmental indicator; NG cost indicator; NG transport and royalty indicator; investment indicator; and NG demand indicator. The first part of this paper is devoted to the definition of the indicators and to single indicator analysis. (author)

Choice Options to Meet Household Food Security in the Cattle Corridor of Uganda

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Betty Mbolanyi

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This study identified the major options adopted by households in the rangelands of Uganda to meet their food needs, the factors that affect their choices and barriers to making use of various choices. A cross-sectional survey using semi-structured questionnaires was administered among 180 pastoral households in selected rangeland area of Uganda. The options identified include restocking animals, changing planting dates, soil conservation, harnessing new technologies, planting trees and buying food stuffs. Analysis of results from the multinomial logistic model indicated that age, level of education, size of household, years in current location, farm income, non-farm income, livestock ownership, access to extension services and climate and weather information were key determinants of farmers’ choice of options to realize household food security. The major perceived barriers to choice options were lack of information on alternative options, poor technologies, climate variability, inadequate land, high food prices and low income. The analysis of choice of options to meet household food security suggests a number of different policy options such as strengthening production facilitation options available to pastoral communities including among others access to affordable credit, investing in yield-increasing technologies, introduction of livestock species that are better suited to drier conditions, raising awareness on climate related variations, creating opportunities for off-farm employment, encouraging pastoralists to grow more crops, and investing in irrigation.

Simplified elastic-plastic analysis of reinforced concrete structures - design method for self-restraining stress

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aihara, S.; Atsumi, K.; Ujiie, K.; Satoh, S.

1981-01-01

Self-restraining stresses generate not only moments but also axial forces. Therefore the moment and force equilibriums of cross section are considered simultaneously, in combination with other external forces. Thus, under this theory, two computer programs are prepared for. Using these programs, the design procedures which considered the reduction of self-restraining stress, become easy if the elastic design stresses, which are separated normal stresses and self-restraining stresses, are given. Numerical examples are given to illustrate the application of the simplified elastic-plastic analysis and to study its effectiveness. First this method is applied to analyze an upper shielding wall in MARK-2 type's Reactor building. The results are compared with those obtained by the elastic-plastic analysis of Finite Element Method. From this comparison it was confirmed that the method described, had adequate accuracy for re-bar design. As a second example, Mat slab of Reactor building is analyzed. The quantity of re-bars calculated by this method, comes to about two third of re-bars less than those required when self-restraining stress is considered as normal stress. Also, the self-restraining stress reduction factor is about 0.5. (orig./HP)

Economical viability of the nuclear option in Mexico

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ortiz, R.; Alonso, G.; Sanchez, J.

2006-01-01

Due to the high volatility of the gas prices and the concern for CO2 emissions, the nuclear option seems to be an option that needs to consider in a electricity expansion portfolio. In this paper a levelized electricity cost analysis is performed to compared different scenarios of electricity generation using combined cycles by using gas and nuclear power stations. The scenarios comprises different discount rates for the investment that goes from 5% to 12%, gas prices from 4.44 USD/mmBTU to 7 USD/mmBTU and overnight cost for Nuclear Power Plants from 1200 USD/kW to 1600 USD/kW. The overall cash flow including investment is analyzed during the whole life of the power plants to test the convenience of the best option in the long run

Benefits and Limitations of Real Options Analysis for the Practice of River Flood Risk Management

Science.gov (United States)

Kind, Jarl M.; Baayen, Jorn H.; Botzen, W. J. Wouter

2018-04-01

Decisions on long-lived flood risk management (FRM) investments are complex because the future is uncertain. Flexibility and robustness can be used to deal with future uncertainty. Real options analysis (ROA) provides a welfare-economics framework to design and evaluate robust and flexible FRM strategies under risk or uncertainty. Although its potential benefits are large, ROA is hardly used in todays' FRM practice. In this paper, we investigate benefits and limitations of a ROA, by applying it to a realistic FRM case study for an entire river branch. We illustrate how ROA identifies optimal short-term investments and values future options. We develop robust dike investment strategies and value the flexibility offered by additional room for the river measures. We benchmark the results of ROA against those of a standard cost-benefit analysis and show ROA's potential policy implications. The ROA for a realistic case requires a high level of geographical detail, a large ensemble of scenarios, and the inclusion of stakeholders' preferences. We found several limitations of applying the ROA. It is complex. In particular, relevant sources of uncertainty need to be recognized, quantified, integrated, and discretized in scenarios, requiring subjective choices and expert judgment. Decision trees have to be generated and stakeholders' preferences have to be translated into decision rules. On basis of this study, we give general recommendations to use high discharge scenarios for the design of measures with high fixed costs and few alternatives. Lower scenarios may be used when alternatives offer future flexibility.

Assessing the Option to Abandon an Investment Project by the Binomial Options Pricing Model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Salvador Cruz Rambaud

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Usually, traditional methods for investment project appraisal such as the net present value (hereinafter NPV do not incorporate in their values the operational flexibility offered by including a real option included in the project. In this paper, real options, and more specifically the option to abandon, are analysed as a complement to cash flow sequence which quantifies the project. In this way, by considering the existing analogy with financial options, a mathematical expression is derived by using the binomial options pricing model. This methodology provides the value of the option to abandon the project within one, two, and in general n periods. Therefore, this paper aims to be a useful tool in determining the value of the option to abandon according to its residual value, thus making easier the control of the uncertainty element within the project.

Stress and eating behaviors in children and adolescents: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Hill, Deborah C; Moss, Rachael H; Sykes-Muskett, Bianca; Conner, Mark; O'Connor, Daryl B

2018-04-01

It is well established that stress is linked to changes in eating behaviors. Research using adult populations has shown that stress is associated with both increases and decreases in the amount and type of food consumed. However, due to a lack of research reviews, the relationship between stress and eating behaviors in children is unclear. This systematic research review and meta-analysis aimed to identify whether stress is associated with healthy and unhealthy eating behaviors in children aged 8-18 years. Studies were included in the review if they measured stress and included a measure of food consumption. All unique studies retrieved (N = 28,070) were assessed for their eligibility at title, abstract and full text levels. A total of 13 studies were included in the final review and data were analysed using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis. Using random-effects modelling, overall stress was not associated with a change in overall eating behaviors. However, additional analyses indicated stress was associated with unhealthy eating behaviors in both younger (Hedge's g = 0.283, p stress was not associated with healthy eating behaviors in younger children (Hedge's g = 0.093, p = 0.156), but was negatively associated with healthy eating behaviors in older children (Hedge's g = -0.384, p stress on unhealthy eating may begin as early as 8 or 9 years old. Future research ought to investigate further the role of psychological, behavioral and endocrine factors in the development of stress-related eating in children. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Forecasting with Option-Implied Information

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christoffersen, Peter; Jacobs, Kris; Chang, Bo Young

2013-01-01

This chapter surveys the methods available for extracting information from option prices that can be used in forecasting. We consider option-implied volatilities, skewness, kurtosis, and densities. More generally, we discuss how any forecasting object that is a twice differentiable function...... of the future realization of the underlying risky asset price can utilize option-implied information in a well-defined manner. Going beyond the univariate option-implied density, we also consider results on option-implied covariance, correlation and beta forecasting, as well as the use of option......-implied information in cross-sectional forecasting of equity returns. We discuss how option-implied information can be adjusted for risk premia to remove biases in forecasting regressions....

Thermal Stress Analysis of Medium-Voltage Converters for Smart Transformers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andresen, Markus; Ma, Ke; De Carne, Giovanni

2017-01-01

. To address this concern, this work conducts thermal stress analysis for a modular multilevel converter (MMC), which is a promising solution for the medium voltage stage of the ST. The focus is put on the mission profiles of the transformer and the impact on the thermal stress of power semiconductor devices......A smart transformer (ST) can take over an important managing role in the future electrical distribution grid system and can provide many advanced grid services compared to the traditional transformer. However, the risk is that the advanced functionality is balanced out by a lower reliability....... Normal operation at different power levels and medium voltage grid faults in a feeder fed by a traditional transformer are considered as well as the electrical and the thermal stress of the disconnection and the reconnection procedures. For the validation, the thermal stress of one MMC cell is reproduced...

Evaluation of five guidelines for option development in multiple-choice item-writing.

Science.gov (United States)

Martínez, Rafael J; Moreno, Rafael; Martín, Irene; Trigo, M Eva

2009-05-01

This paper evaluates certain guidelines for writing multiple-choice test items. The analysis of the responses of 5013 subjects to 630 items from 21 university classroom achievement tests suggests that an option should not differ in terms of heterogeneous content because such error has a slight but harmful effect on item discrimination. This also occurs with the "None of the above" option when it is the correct one. In contrast, results do not show the supposedly negative effects of a different-length option, the use of specific determiners, or the use of the "All of the above" option, which not only decreases difficulty but also improves discrimination when it is the correct option.

Pipe stress analysis on HCCR-TBS ancillary systems in conceptual design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahn, Mu-Young; Cho, Seungyon; Lee, Eo Hwak; Park, Yi-Hyun; Lee, Youngmin

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Pipe stress is performed on Korean HCCR-TBS for the load combinations including seismic events. • The resultant stress meets the requirement of the design code & standard except one position where modification is needed. • The results gives useful information for the design evolution in the next desgin phase. - Abstract: Korean Helium Cooled Ceramic Reflector (HCCR) Test Blanket System (TBS) will be tested in ITER to demonstrate feasibility of the breeding blanket concept. The HCCR-TBS comprises Test Blanket Module (TBM) with associated shield, and ancillary systems located in various positions of ITER building. Currently, conceptual design for the HCCR-TBS is in progress. This paper presents pipe stress analysis results for the HCCR-TBS ancillary systems. The pipe stress analysis was performed in accordance with ASME B31.3 for major pipes of the Helium Cooling System (HCS) and the Coolant Purification System (CPS), which are operated in high pressure and temperature. The pipe stress for various load cases and load combinations were calculated. Operational pressure and temperature during plasma operation are applied as pressure load and thermal load, respectively. In addition seismic events were combined to investigate the code compliance for sustained load case and occasional load case. It was confirmed that the resultant stress meets the requirements of ASME B31.3 except one position in which it needs modification. These results give useful information for the next design phase, for example, nozzle loads for the component selection, the support design parameters, etc.

Pipe stress analysis on HCCR-TBS ancillary systems in conceptual design

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ahn, Mu-Young, E-mail: myahn74@nfri.re.kr [National Fusion Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Cho, Seungyon [National Fusion Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Eo Hwak [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Park, Yi-Hyun; Lee, Youngmin [National Fusion Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-11-01

Highlights: • Pipe stress is performed on Korean HCCR-TBS for the load combinations including seismic events. • The resultant stress meets the requirement of the design code & standard except one position where modification is needed. • The results gives useful information for the design evolution in the next desgin phase. - Abstract: Korean Helium Cooled Ceramic Reflector (HCCR) Test Blanket System (TBS) will be tested in ITER to demonstrate feasibility of the breeding blanket concept. The HCCR-TBS comprises Test Blanket Module (TBM) with associated shield, and ancillary systems located in various positions of ITER building. Currently, conceptual design for the HCCR-TBS is in progress. This paper presents pipe stress analysis results for the HCCR-TBS ancillary systems. The pipe stress analysis was performed in accordance with ASME B31.3 for major pipes of the Helium Cooling System (HCS) and the Coolant Purification System (CPS), which are operated in high pressure and temperature. The pipe stress for various load cases and load combinations were calculated. Operational pressure and temperature during plasma operation are applied as pressure load and thermal load, respectively. In addition seismic events were combined to investigate the code compliance for sustained load case and occasional load case. It was confirmed that the resultant stress meets the requirements of ASME B31.3 except one position in which it needs modification. These results give useful information for the next design phase, for example, nozzle loads for the component selection, the support design parameters, etc.

Management of recurrent stress urinary incontinence after burch and sling procedures.

Science.gov (United States)

Zimmern, Philippe E; Gormley, E Ann; Stoddard, Anne M; Lukacz, Emily S; Sirls, Larry; Brubaker, Linda; Norton, Peggy; Oliphant, Sallie S; Wilson, Tracey

2016-03-01

To examine treatment options selected for recurrent stress urinary incontinence (rSUI) in follow-up after Burch, autologous fascial and synthetic midurethral sling (MUS) procedures. We performed a secondary analysis of the SISTER and ToMUS trials of participants who underwent primary stress urinary incontinence (SUI) treatment (without prior SUI surgery or concomitant procedures). Using Kaplan-Meier analysis, retreatment-free survival rates by initial surgical procedure were compared. Mean MESA (Medical Epidemiologic and Social Aspects of Aging) stress index was also compared between those retreated for rSUI compared to those not retreated. Half of the women in the SISTEr trial met inclusion criteria for this analysis (329/655, 174 Burch and 155 fascial sling), as did 444/597 (74%) of subjects in ToMUS (221 transobturator midurethral sling (TMUS), and 223 retropubic midurethral sling (RMUS). Types of surgical retreatment included autologous fascial sling (19), synthetic sling (1), and bulking agent (18). Five-year retreatment free survival rates (and standard errors) were 87% (3%), 96% (2%), 97% (1%), and 99% (0.7%) for Burch, autologous fascial sling, TMUS, and RMUS groups respectively (P < 0.0001). For all index surgery groups, the mean MESA stress index at last visit prior to retreatment for those retreated (n = 23) was significantly higher than mean MESA stress index at last visit for those not retreated (n = 645) (P < 0.0001). In these cohorts, 6% of women after standard anti-incontinence procedures were retreated within 5 years, mostly with injection therapy or autologous fascial sling. Not all women with rSUI chose surgical retreatment. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Stress analysis of cylinder to cylinder intersections

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Revesz, Z.

1983-01-01

Cylinder to cylinder intersections have numerous applications in the power industry from different piping junctions to pressure vessel nozzles. A specific purpose computer program has been installed at the author's establishment for finite element analysis of such geometries. Some of the experiences are presented giving a short overview of the analysis of unreinforced man-holes, demonstrating how a more economical design has been verified by analysis. The program installed has linear-elastic and elasto-plastic capabilities. Further, it is prepared for heat transfer analysis with subsequent thermal stress computation. An efficient pre- and post-processor has also been installed and enhanced by the author. The software used is at its present stage capable for problem definition with input data such as outside/ inside diameters, length and number of subdivisions. Similarly simple is the load definition and the graphic representation of the full output. (author)

ELASTIC-PLASTIC AND RESIDUAL STRESS ANALYSIS OF AN ALUMINUM DISC UNDER INTERNAL PRESSURES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Numan Behlül BEKTAŞ

2004-02-01

Full Text Available This paper deals with elastic-plastic stress analysis of a thin aluminum disc under internal pressures. An analytical solution is performed for satisfying elastic-plastic stress-strain relations and boundary conditions for small plastic deformations. The Von-Mises Criterion is used as a yield criterion, and elastic perfectly plastic material is assumed. Elastic-plastic and residual stress distributions are obtained from inner radius to outer radius, and they are presented in tables and figures. All radial stress components, ?r, are compressive, and they are highest at the inner radius. All tangential stress components, ??, are tensile, and they are highest where the plastic deformation begins. Magnitude of the tangential residual stresses is higher than those the radial residual stresses.

Regular and platform switching: bone stress analysis varying implant type.

Science.gov (United States)

Gurgel-Juarez, Nália Cecília; de Almeida, Erika Oliveira; Rocha, Eduardo Passos; Freitas, Amílcar Chagas; Anchieta, Rodolfo Bruniera; de Vargas, Luis Carlos Merçon; Kina, Sidney; França, Fabiana Mantovani Gomes

2012-04-01

This study aimed to evaluate stress distribution on peri-implant bone simulating the influence of platform switching in external and internal hexagon implants using three-dimensional finite element analysis. Four mathematical models of a central incisor supported by an implant were created: External Regular model (ER) with 5.0 mm × 11.5 mm external hexagon implant and 5.0 mm abutment (0% abutment shifting), Internal Regular model (IR) with 4.5 mm × 11.5 mm internal hexagon implant and 4.5 mm abutment (0% abutment shifting), External Switching model (ES) with 5.0 mm × 11.5 mm external hexagon implant and 4.1 mm abutment (18% abutment shifting), and Internal Switching model (IS) with 4.5 mm × 11.5 mm internal hexagon implant and 3.8 mm abutment (15% abutment shifting). The models were created by SolidWorks software. The numerical analysis was performed using ANSYS Workbench. Oblique forces (100 N) were applied to the palatal surface of the central incisor. The maximum (σ(max)) and minimum (σ(min)) principal stress, equivalent von Mises stress (σ(vM)), and maximum principal elastic strain (ε(max)) values were evaluated for the cortical and trabecular bone. For cortical bone, the highest stress values (σ(max) and σ(vm) ) (MPa) were observed in IR (87.4 and 82.3), followed by IS (83.3 and 72.4), ER (82 and 65.1), and ES (56.7 and 51.6). For ε(max), IR showed the highest stress (5.46e-003), followed by IS (5.23e-003), ER (5.22e-003), and ES (3.67e-003). For the trabecular bone, the highest stress values (σ(max)) (MPa) were observed in ER (12.5), followed by IS (12), ES (11.9), and IR (4.95). For σ(vM), the highest stress values (MPa) were observed in IS (9.65), followed by ER (9.3), ES (8.61), and IR (5.62). For ε(max) , ER showed the highest stress (5.5e-003), followed by ES (5.43e-003), IS (3.75e-003), and IR (3.15e-003). The influence of platform switching was more evident for cortical bone than for trabecular bone, mainly for the external hexagon

Is sustainable housing an option for LDC's?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Erkelens, P.A.

2001-01-01

Although the housing shortage is an everlasting problem in less developed countries (LDC's), the solution for this problem should also satisfy modern environmental requirements. This paper analyses housing options that also comply with the requirements for sustainability. This analysis is based on

Integrating Genetic and Gene Co-expression Analysis Identifies Gene Networks Involved in Alcohol and Stress Responses.

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Jie; Xu, Pei; Cao, Peijian; Wan, Hongjian; Lv, Xiaonan; Xu, Shengchun; Wang, Gangjun; Cook, Melloni N; Jones, Byron C; Lu, Lu; Wang, Xusheng

2018-01-01

Although the link between stress and alcohol is well recognized, the underlying mechanisms of how they interplay at the molecular level remain unclear. The purpose of this study is to identify molecular networks underlying the effects of alcohol and stress responses, as well as their interaction on anxiety behaviors in the hippocampus of mice using a systems genetics approach. Here, we applied a gene co-expression network approach to transcriptomes of 41 BXD mouse strains under four conditions: stress, alcohol, stress-induced alcohol and control. The co-expression analysis identified 14 modules and characterized four expression patterns across the four conditions. The four expression patterns include up-regulation in no restraint stress and given an ethanol injection (NOE) but restoration in restraint stress followed by an ethanol injection (RSE; pattern 1), down-regulation in NOE but rescue in RSE (pattern 2), up-regulation in both restraint stress followed by a saline injection (RSS) and NOE, and further amplification in RSE (pattern 3), and up-regulation in RSS but reduction in both NOE and RSE (pattern 4). We further identified four functional subnetworks by superimposing protein-protein interactions (PPIs) to the 14 co-expression modules, including γ-aminobutyric acid receptor (GABA) signaling, glutamate signaling, neuropeptide signaling, cAMP-dependent signaling. We further performed module specificity analysis to identify modules that are specific to stress, alcohol, or stress-induced alcohol responses. Finally, we conducted causality analysis to link genetic variation to these identified modules, and anxiety behaviors after stress and alcohol treatments. This study underscores the importance of integrative analysis and offers new insights into the molecular networks underlying stress and alcohol responses.

Integrating Genetic and Gene Co-expression Analysis Identifies Gene Networks Involved in Alcohol and Stress Responses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jie Luo

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Although the link between stress and alcohol is well recognized, the underlying mechanisms of how they interplay at the molecular level remain unclear. The purpose of this study is to identify molecular networks underlying the effects of alcohol and stress responses, as well as their interaction on anxiety behaviors in the hippocampus of mice using a systems genetics approach. Here, we applied a gene co-expression network approach to transcriptomes of 41 BXD mouse strains under four conditions: stress, alcohol, stress-induced alcohol and control. The co-expression analysis identified 14 modules and characterized four expression patterns across the four conditions. The four expression patterns include up-regulation in no restraint stress and given an ethanol injection (NOE but restoration in restraint stress followed by an ethanol injection (RSE; pattern 1, down-regulation in NOE but rescue in RSE (pattern 2, up-regulation in both restraint stress followed by a saline injection (RSS and NOE, and further amplification in RSE (pattern 3, and up-regulation in RSS but reduction in both NOE and RSE (pattern 4. We further identified four functional subnetworks by superimposing protein-protein interactions (PPIs to the 14 co-expression modules, including γ-aminobutyric acid receptor (GABA signaling, glutamate signaling, neuropeptide signaling, cAMP-dependent signaling. We further performed module specificity analysis to identify modules that are specific to stress, alcohol, or stress-induced alcohol responses. Finally, we conducted causality analysis to link genetic variation to these identified modules, and anxiety behaviors after stress and alcohol treatments. This study underscores the importance of integrative analysis and offers new insights into the molecular networks underlying stress and alcohol responses.

Temperature and thermal stress analysis of a switching tube anode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sutton, S.B.

1979-01-01

In the design of high power density switching tubes which are subjected to cyclic thermal loads, the temperature induced stresses must be minimized in order to maximize the life expectancy of the tube. Following are details of an analysis performed for the Magnetic Fusion Program at the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory on a proposed tube. The tube configuration is given. The problem was simplified to one-dimensional approximations for both the thermal and stress analyses. The underlying assumptions and their implications are discussed

Option price and market instability

Science.gov (United States)

Baaquie, Belal E.; Yu, Miao

2017-04-01

An option pricing formula, for which the price of an option depends on both the value of the underlying security as well as the velocity of the security, has been proposed in Baaquie and Yang (2014). The FX (foreign exchange) options price was empirically studied in Baaquie et al., (2014), and it was found that the model in general provides an excellent fit for all strike prices with a fixed model parameters-unlike the Black-Scholes option price Hull and White (1987) that requires the empirically determined implied volatility surface to fit the option data. The option price proposed in Baaquie and Cao Yang (2014) did not fit the data during the crisis of 2007-2008. We make a hypothesis that the failure of the option price to fit data is an indication of the market's large deviation from its near equilibrium behavior due to the market's instability. Furthermore, our indicator of market's instability is shown to be more accurate than the option's observed volatility. The market prices of the FX option for various currencies are studied in the light of our hypothesis.

Real Options in Defense R and D: A Decision Tree Analysis Approach for Options to Defer, Abandon, and Expand

Science.gov (United States)

2016-12-01

the sale of assets for salvage value. However, for defense R&D projects, since there is no secondhand market for the projects, this option is...Peli, 2001; Panayi & Trigeorgis, 1998; Perlitz et al., 1999). Moreover, there are also very comprehensive books on the theory and practice of

Analysis of global gene expression in Brachypodium distachyon reveals extensive network plasticity in response to abiotic stress.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Henry D Priest

Full Text Available Brachypodium distachyon is a close relative of many important cereal crops. Abiotic stress tolerance has a significant impact on productivity of agriculturally important food and feedstock crops. Analysis of the transcriptome of Brachypodium after chilling, high-salinity, drought, and heat stresses revealed diverse differential expression of many transcripts. Weighted Gene Co-Expression Network Analysis revealed 22 distinct gene modules with specific profiles of expression under each stress. Promoter analysis implicated short DNA sequences directly upstream of module members in the regulation of 21 of 22 modules. Functional analysis of module members revealed enrichment in functional terms for 10 of 22 network modules. Analysis of condition-specific correlations between differentially expressed gene pairs revealed extensive plasticity in the expression relationships of gene pairs. Photosynthesis, cell cycle, and cell wall expression modules were down-regulated by all abiotic stresses. Modules which were up-regulated by each abiotic stress fell into diverse and unique gene ontology GO categories. This study provides genomics resources and improves our understanding of abiotic stress responses of Brachypodium.