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Sample records for strong favorable pressure

  1. FAVOR: A new fracture mechanics code for reactor pressure vessels subjected to pressurized thermal shock

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dickson, T.L.

    1993-01-01

    This report discusses probabilistic fracture mechanics (PFM) analysis which is a major element of the comprehensive probabilistic methodology endorsed by the NRC for evaluation of the integrity of Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) pressure vessels subjected to pressurized-thermal-shock (PTS) transients. It is anticipated that there will be an increasing need for an improved and validated PTS PFM code which is accepted by the NRC and utilities, as more plants approach the PTS screening criteria and are required to perform plant-specific analyses. The NRC funded Heavy Section Steel Technology (HSST) Program at Oak Ridge National Laboratories is currently developing the FAVOR (Fracture Analysis of Vessels: Oak Ridge) PTS PFM code, which is intended to meet this need. The FAVOR code incorporates the most important features of both OCA-P and VISA-II and contains some new capabilities such as PFM global modeling methodology, the capability to approximate the effects of thermal streaming on circumferential flaws located inside a plume region created by fluid and thermal stratification, a library of stress intensity factor influence coefficients, generated by the NQA-1 certified ABAQUS computer code, for an adequate range of two and three dimensional inside surface flaws, the flexibility to generate a variety of output reports, and user friendliness

  2. FAVOR: A new fracture mechanics code for reactor pressure vessels subjected to pressurized thermal shock

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dickson, T.L.

    1993-01-01

    Probabilistic fracture mechanics (PFM) analysis is a major element of the comprehensive probabilistic methodology endorsed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for evaluation of the integrity of pressurized water reactor pressure vessels subjected to pressurized-thermal-shock (PTS) transients. OCA-P and VISA-II are PTS PFM computer codes that are currently referenced in Regulatory Guide 1.154 as acceptable codes for performing plant-specific analyses. These codes perform PFM analyses to estimate the increase in vessel failure probability as the vessel accumulates radiation damage over the operating life of the vessel. Experience with the application of these codes in the last few years has provided insights into areas where they could be improved. As more plants approach the PTS screening criteria and are required to perform plant-specific analyses, there will be an increasing need for an improved and validated PTS PFM code that is accepted by the NRC and utilities. The NRC funded Heavy Section Steel Technology Program (HSST) at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory is currently developing the FAVOR (Fracture Analysis of Vessels: Oak Ridge) code, which is expected to meet this need. The FAVOR code incorporates the most important features of both OCA-P and VISA-II and contains some new capabilities such as (1) a PFM global modeling methodology; (2) the calculation of the axial stress component associated with coolant streaming beneath an inlet nozzle; (3) a library of stress intensity factor influence coefficients, generated by the NQA-1 certified ABAQUS computer code, for an appropriate range of two and three dimensional inner-surface flaws; (4) the flexibility to generate a variety of output reports; and (5) enhanced user friendliness

  3. Spontaneous breathing during lung-protective ventilation in an experimental acute lung injury model: high transpulmonary pressure associated with strong spontaneous breathing effort may worsen lung injury.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoshida, Takeshi; Uchiyama, Akinori; Matsuura, Nariaki; Mashimo, Takashi; Fujino, Yuji

    2012-05-01

    We investigated whether potentially injurious transpulmonary pressure could be generated by strong spontaneous breathing and exacerbate lung injury even when plateau pressure is limited to ventilation, each combined with weak or strong spontaneous breathing effort. Inspiratory pressure for low tidal volume ventilation was set at 10 cm H2O and tidal volume at 6 mL/kg. For moderate tidal volume ventilation, the values were 20 cm H2O and 7-9 mL/kg. The groups were: low tidal volume ventilation+spontaneous breathingweak, low tidal volume ventilation+spontaneous breathingstrong, moderate tidal volume ventilation+spontaneous breathingweak, and moderate tidal volume ventilation+spontaneous breathingstrong. Each group had the same settings for positive end-expiratory pressure of 8 cm H2O. Respiratory variables were measured every 60 mins. Distribution of lung aeration and alveolar collapse were histologically evaluated. Low tidal volume ventilation+spontaneous breathingstrong showed the most favorable oxygenation and compliance of respiratory system, and the best lung aeration. By contrast, in moderate tidal volume ventilation+spontaneous breathingstrong, the greatest atelectasis with numerous neutrophils was observed. While we applied settings to maintain plateau pressure at ventilation+spontaneous breathingstrong, transpulmonary pressure rose >33 cm H2O. Both minute ventilation and respiratory rate were higher in the strong spontaneous breathing groups. Even when plateau pressure is limited to mechanical ventilation, transpulmonary pressure and tidal volume should be strictly controlled to prevent further lung injury.

  4. Is the obesity epidemic reversing favorable trends in blood pressure? Evidence from cohorts born between 1890 and 1990 in the United States.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goff, David C; Gillespie, Cathleen; Howard, George; Labarthe, Darwin R

    2012-08-01

    Previous reports have described favorable changes in the relationship between systolic blood pressure and age in recent birth cohorts. The obesity epidemic might threaten that pattern. To update analyses of differences between birth cohorts in the relationship between systolic blood pressure and age and to determine whether increases in obesity have had adverse effects. We examined the systolic blood pressure distributions across birth cohorts born between 1890 and 1990 in 68,070 participants, aged 18-74 years, in the National Health (and Nutrition) Examination Surveys between 1960 and 2008. We postulated that age-adjusted 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentiles of systolic blood pressure had decreased in more recent versus earlier cohorts, and that this pattern had slowed or reversed recently due, at least in part, to obesity. After adjusting for gender, race, age and age(2), the 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentiles of systolic blood pressure were 1.1, 1.4, 1.9, 2.5, and 3.4 mmHg lower for each decade more recently born (all P birth cohort were positive and significant (P distributions are shifted lower relative to earlier cohorts. Decreases of 1.9 mmHg in the median systolic blood pressure per decade translates into 11.4-13.3 mmHg over 6-7 decades, a shift that would contribute importantly to lower rates of cardiovascular diseases. These favorable changes are slowing, perhaps owing, at least in part, to the obesity epidemic. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Strongly correlated electrons at high pressure: an approach by inelastic X-Ray scattering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rueff, J.P.

    2007-06-01

    Inelastic X-ray scattering (IXS) and associated methods has turn out to be a powerful alternative for high-pressure physics. It is an all-photon technique fully compatible with high-pressure environments and applicable to a vast range of materials. Standard focalization of X-ray in the range of 100 microns is typical of the sample size in the pressure cell. Our main aim is to provide an overview of experimental results obtained by IXS under high pressure in 2 classes of materials which have been at the origin of the renewal of condensed matter physics: strongly correlated transition metal oxides and rare-earth compounds. Under pressure, d and f-electron materials show behaviors far more complex that what would be expected from a simplistic band picture of electron delocalization. These spectroscopic studies have revealed unusual phenomena in the electronic degrees of freedom, brought up by the increased density, the changes in the charge-carrier concentration, the over-lapping between orbitals, and hybridization under high pressure conditions. Particularly we discuss about pressure induced magnetic collapse and metal-insulator transitions in 3d compounds and valence fluctuations phenomena in 4f and 5f compounds. Thanks to its superior penetration depth, chemical selectivity and resonant enhancement, resonant inelastic X-ray scattering has appeared extremely well suited to high pressure physics in strongly correlated materials. (A.C.)

  6. Strong stabilization of the Rayleigh-Taylor instability by material strength at Mbar pressures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Park, H S; Lorenz, K T; Cavallo, R M; Pollaine, S M; Prisbrey, S T; Rudd, R E; Becker, R C; Bernier, J V; Remington, B A

    2009-11-19

    Experimental results showing significant reductions from classical in the Rayleigh-Taylor (RT) instability growth rate due to high pressure effective lattice viscosity are presented. Using a laser created ramped drive, vanadium samples are compressed and accelerated quasi-isentropically at {approx}1 Mbar pressures, while maintaining the sample in the solid-state. Comparisons with simulations and theory indicate that the high pressure, high strain rate conditions trigger a phonon drag mechanism, resulting in the observed high effective lattice viscosity and strong stabilization of the RT instability.

  7. A new scalar resonance at 750 GeV: towards a proof of concept in favor of strongly interacting theories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Son, Minho; Urbano, Alfredo

    2016-01-01

    We interpret the recently observed excess in the diphoton invariant mass as a new spin-0 resonant particle. On theoretical grounds, an interesting question is whether this new scalar resonance belongs to a strongly coupled sector or a well-defined weakly coupled theory. A possible UV-completion that has been widely considered in literature is based on the existence of new vector-like fermions whose loop contributions — Yukawa-coupled to the new resonance — explain the observed signal rate. The large total width preliminarily suggested by data seems to favor a large Yukawa coupling, at the border of a healthy perturbative definition. This potential problem can be fixed by introducing multiple vector-like fermions or large electric charges, bringing back the theory to a weakly coupled regime. However, this solution risks to be only a low-energy mirage: large multiplicity or electric charge can dangerously reintroduce the strong regime by modifying the renormalization group running of the dimensionless couplings. This issue is also tightly related to the (in)stability of the scalar potential. First, we study — in the theoretical setup described above — the parametric behavior of the diphoton signal rate, total width, and one-loop β functions. Then, we numerically solve the renormalization group equations, taking into account the observed diphoton signal rate and total width, to investigate the fate of the weakly coupled theory. We find that — with the only exception of few fine-tuned directions — weakly coupled interpretations of the excess are brought back to a strongly coupled regime if the running is taken into account.

  8. Visual evoked potentials show strong positive association with intracranial pressure in patients with cryptococcal meningitis

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    Marcelo Adriano da Cunha Silva Vieira

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available Objective : To verify the relationship between intracranial pressure and flash visual evoked potentials (F-VEP in patients with cryptococcal meningitis. Method The sample included adults diagnosed with cryptococcal meningitis admitted at a reference hospital for infectious diseases. The patients were subjected to F-VEP tests shortly before lumbar puncture. The Pearson’s linear correlation coefficient was calculated and the linear regression analysis was performed. Results : Eighteen individuals were subjected to a total of 69 lumbar punctures preceded by F-VEP tests. At the first lumbar puncture performed in each patient, N2 latency exhibited a strong positive correlation with intracranial pressure (r = 0.83; CI = 0.60 - 0.94; p < 0.0001. The direction of this relationship was maintained in subsequent punctures. Conclusion : The intracranial pressure measured by spinal tap manometry showed strong positive association with the N2 latency F-VEP in patients with cryptococcal meningitis.

  9. STRONG SOLAR WIND DYNAMIC PRESSURE PULSES: INTERPLANETARY SOURCES AND THEIR IMPACTS ON GEOSYNCHRONOUS MAGNETIC FIELDS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zuo, Pingbing; Feng, Xueshang; Wang, Yi; Xie, Yanqiong; Xu, Xiaojun

    2015-01-01

    In this investigation, we first present a statistical result of the interplanetary sources of very strong solar wind dynamic pressure pulses (DPPs) detected by WIND during solar cycle 23. It is found that the vast majority of strong DPPs reside within solar wind disturbances. Although the variabilities of geosynchronous magnetic fields (GMFs) due to the impact of positive DPPs have been well established, there appears to be no systematic investigations on the response of GMFs to negative DPPs. Here, we study both the decompression effects of very strong negative DPPs and the compression from strong positive DPPs on GMFs at different magnetic local time sectors. In response to the decompression of strong negative DPPs, GMFs on the dayside near dawn and near dusk on the nightside, are generally depressed. But near the midnight region, the responses of GMF are very diverse, being either positive or negative. For part of the events when GOES is located at the midnight sector, the GMF is found to abnormally increase as the result of magnetospheric decompression caused by negative DPPs. It is known that under certain conditions magnetic depression of nightside GMFs can be caused by the impact of positive DPPs. Here, we find that a stronger pressure enhancement may have a higher probability of producing the exceptional depression of GMF at the midnight region. Statistically, both the decompression effect of strong negative DPPs and the compression effect of strong positive DPPs depend on the magnetic local time, which are stronger at the noon sector

  10. STRONG SOLAR WIND DYNAMIC PRESSURE PULSES: INTERPLANETARY SOURCES AND THEIR IMPACTS ON GEOSYNCHRONOUS MAGNETIC FIELDS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zuo, Pingbing; Feng, Xueshang; Wang, Yi [SIGMA Weather Group, State Key Laboratory of Space Weather, National Space Science Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing (China); Xie, Yanqiong [College of Meteorology and Oceanography, PLA University of Science and Technology, Nanjing (China); Xu, Xiaojun, E-mail: pbzuo@spaceweather.ac.cn, E-mail: fengx@spaceweather.ac.cn [Space Science Institute, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macao (China)

    2015-10-20

    In this investigation, we first present a statistical result of the interplanetary sources of very strong solar wind dynamic pressure pulses (DPPs) detected by WIND during solar cycle 23. It is found that the vast majority of strong DPPs reside within solar wind disturbances. Although the variabilities of geosynchronous magnetic fields (GMFs) due to the impact of positive DPPs have been well established, there appears to be no systematic investigations on the response of GMFs to negative DPPs. Here, we study both the decompression effects of very strong negative DPPs and the compression from strong positive DPPs on GMFs at different magnetic local time sectors. In response to the decompression of strong negative DPPs, GMFs on the dayside near dawn and near dusk on the nightside, are generally depressed. But near the midnight region, the responses of GMF are very diverse, being either positive or negative. For part of the events when GOES is located at the midnight sector, the GMF is found to abnormally increase as the result of magnetospheric decompression caused by negative DPPs. It is known that under certain conditions magnetic depression of nightside GMFs can be caused by the impact of positive DPPs. Here, we find that a stronger pressure enhancement may have a higher probability of producing the exceptional depression of GMF at the midnight region. Statistically, both the decompression effect of strong negative DPPs and the compression effect of strong positive DPPs depend on the magnetic local time, which are stronger at the noon sector.

  11. Favorable effect of aerobic exercise on arterial pressure and aortic pulse wave velocity during stress testing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Milatz, Florian; Ketelhut, Sascha; Ketelhut, Sascha; Ketelhut, Reinhard G

    2015-07-01

    Increased central pulse wave velocity is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The favorable influence of exercise on arterial stiffness (AS) and blood pressure (BP) has been reported exclusively at rest. The present study investigated the influence of a single bout of acute cycling on AS and BP during recovery and, moreover, during cold pressor stress testing. 32 healthy men (33.7 ± 8 years, BMI 24 ± 2.5 kg/m²) performed a 60 minute endurance exercise on a bicycle ergometer (45 % VO2max). Before and after exercise aortic pulse wave velocity (aPWV) as well as central and peripheral BP were measured non-invasively at rest and at the end of a 2 minute cold pressor test (CPT). Even after 60 minutes of recovery aPWV (- 0.22 ± 0.3 m / sec) was significantly reduced (p Exercise decreased peripheral (- 8 ± 7 mmHg) and central (- 7 ± 8 mmHg) systolic BP as well as peripheral (- 3 ± 5 mmHg) and central (- 4 ± 7 mmHg) diastolic BP (p exercise, there was a significant reduction in aPWV (- 0.19 ± 0.3 m / sec), peripheral (- 6 ± 10 mmHg) and central (- 5 ± 8 mmHg) systolic BP as well as peripheral (- 3 ± 6 mmHg) and central (- 3 ± 6 mmHg) diastolic BP during CPT after exercise (p exercise leads not only to decreased BP but even more reduces aPWV as a measure of AS even after 60 minutes of recovery. In particular, the investigation provides evidence that acute moderate-intensity exercise has a favorable effect on BP and aPWV during stress testing.

  12. Validation of favor code linear elastic fracture solutions for finite-length flaw geometries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dickson, T.L.; Keeney, J.A.; Bryson, J.W.

    1995-01-01

    One of the current tasks within the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)-funded Heavy Section Steel Technology Program (HSST) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is the continuing development of the FAVOR (Fracture, analysis of Vessels: Oak Ridge) computer code. FAVOR performs structural integrity analyses of embrittled nuclear reactor pressure vessels (RPVs) with stainless steel cladding, to evaluate compliance with the applicable regulatory criteria. Since the initial release of FAVOR, the HSST program has continued to enhance the capabilities of the FAVOR code. ABAQUS, a nuclear quality assurance certified (NQA-1) general multidimensional finite element code with fracture mechanics capabilities, was used to generate a database of stress-intensity-factor influence coefficients (SIFICs) for a range of axially and circumferentially oriented semielliptical inner-surface flaw geometries applicable to RPVs with an internal radius (Ri) to wall thickness (w) ratio of 10. This database of SIRCs has been incorporated into a development version of FAVOR, providing it with the capability to perform deterministic and probabilistic fracture analyses of RPVs subjected to transients, such as pressurized thermal shock (PTS), for various flaw geometries. This paper discusses the SIFIC database, comparisons with other investigators, and some of the benchmark verification problem specifications and solutions

  13. Favorable effects of berry consumption on platelet function, blood pressure, and HDL cholesterol.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Erlund, Iris; Koli, Raika; Alfthan, Georg; Marniemi, Jukka; Puukka, Pauli; Mustonen, Pirjo; Mattila, Pirjo; Jula, Antti

    2008-02-01

    Berries are a particularly rich source of polyphenols. They also contain other bioactive substances, such as vitamin C. Previous studies indicated that the consumption of polyphenol-rich foods (eg, cocoa, tea, and red wine) may induce beneficial changes in pathways related to cardiovascular health. Whether the consumption of berries has similar effects is unknown. We aimed to investigate the effects of berry consumption on hemostatic function, serum lipids, and blood pressure (BP). Middle-aged unmedicated subjects (n = 72) with cardiovascular risk factors consumed moderate amounts of berry or control products for 8 wk in a single-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled intervention trial. Berry consumption inhibited platelet function as measured with a platelet function analyzer (using collagen and ADP as platelet activator) [changes: 11% and -1.4% in the berry and control groups, respectively; P = 0.018, analysis of covariance (ANCOVA)]. Plasma biomarkers of platelet activation, coagulation, and fibrinolysis did not change during the intervention. Serum HDL-cholesterol concentrations increased significantly more (P = 0.006, ANCOVA) in the berry than in the control group (5.2% and 0.6%, respectively), but total cholesterol and triacylglycerol remained unchanged. Systolic BP decreased significantly (P = 0.050, ANCOVA); the decrease mostly occurred in subjects with high baseline BP (7.3 mm Hg in highest tertile; P = 0.024, ANCOVA). Polyphenol and vitamin C concentrations in plasma increased, whereas other nutritional biomarkers (ie, folate, tocopherols, sodium, and potassium) were unaffected. The consumption of moderate amounts of berries resulted in favorable changes in platelet function, HDL cholesterol, and BP. The results indicate that regular consumption of berries may play a role in the prevention of cardiovascular disease.

  14. Quasi-isentropic compressibility of a strongly nonideal deuterium plasma at pressures of up to 5500 GPa: Nonideality and degeneracy effects

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mochalov, M. A., E-mail: postmaster@ifv.vniief.ru; Il’kaev, R. I. [Russian Federal Nuclear Center All-Russia Research Institute for Nuclear Physics (Russian Federation); Fortov, V. E. [Russian Academy of Sciences, Joint Institute for High Temperatures (Russian Federation); Mikhailov, A. L.; Blikov, A. O.; Ogorodnikov, V. A. [Russian Federal Nuclear Center All-Russia Research Institute for Nuclear Physics (Russian Federation); Gryaznov, V. K. [Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute for Problems of Chemical Physics (Russian Federation); Iosilevskii, I. L. [Russian Academy of Sciences, Joint Institute for High Temperatures (Russian Federation)

    2017-03-15

    We report on the experimental results on the quasi-isentropic compressibility of a strongly nonideal deuterium plasma that have been obtained on setups of cylindrical and spherical geometries in the pressure range of up to P ≈ 5500 GPa. We describe the characteristics of experimental setups, as well as the methods for the diagnostics and interpretation of the experimental results. The trajectory of metal shells that compress the deuterium plasma was detected using powerful pulsed X-ray sources with a maximal electron energy of up to 60 MeV. The values of the plasma density, which varied from ρ ≈ 0.8 g/cm{sup 3} to ρ ≈ 6 g/cm{sup 3}, which corresponds to pressure P ≈ 5500 GPa (55 Mbar), were determined from the measured value of the shell radius at the instant that it was stopped. The pressure of the compressed plasma was determined using gasdynamic calculations taking into account the actual characteristics of the experimental setups. We have obtained a strongly compressed deuterium plasma in which electron degeneracy effects under the conditions of strong interparticle interaction are significant. The experimental results have been compared with the theoretical models of a strongly nonideal partly degenerate plasma. We have obtained experimental confirmation of the plasma phase transition in the pressure range near 150 GPa (1.5 Mbar), which is in keeping with the conclusion concerning anomaly in the compressibility of the deuterium plasma drawn in [1].

  15. Application of Confined Blasting in Water-Filled Deep Holes to Control Strong Rock Pressure in Hard Rock Mines

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jingxuan Yang

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available In extra-thick coal seams, mining operations can lead to large-scale disturbances, complex overburden structures, and frequent and strong strata behavior in the stope, which are serious threats to mine safety. This study analyzed the overburden structure and strata behavior and proposed the technique of confined blasting in water-filled deep holes as a measure to prevent strong rock pressure. It found that there are two primary reasons for the high effectiveness of the proposed technique in presplitting hard coal and rock. First, the fracture water enables much more efficient transfer of dynamic load due to its incompressibility. Second, the subsequent expansion of water can further split the rock by compression. A mechanical model was used to reveal how the process of confined blasting in water-filled deep holes presplit roof. Moreover, practical implementation of this technique was found to improve the structure of hard, thick roof and prevent strong rock pressure, demonstrating its effectiveness in roof control.

  16. The evolution of systolic blood pressure as a strong predictor of cardiovascular risk and the effectiveness of fixed-dose ARB/CCB combinations in lowering levels of this preferential target

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jean-Jacques Mourad

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available Jean-Jacques MouradHypertension Unit, Avicenne Hospital – AP-HP and Paris XIII University Bobigny, FranceAbstract: Elevated blood pressure is an important cardiovascular risk factor. Although targets for both diastolic blood pressure (DBP and systolic blood pressure (SBP are defined by current guidelines, DBP has historically taken precedence in hypertension management. However, there is strong evidence that SBP is superior to DBP as a predictor of cardiovascular events. Moreover, achieving control of SBP is assuming greater importance amongst an aging population. In spite of the growing recognition of the importance of SBP in reducing cardiovascular risk and the emphasis by current guidelines on SBP control, a substantial proportion of patients still fail to achieve SBP targets, and SBP control is achieved much less frequently than DBP control. Thus, new approaches to the management of hypertension are required in order to control SBP and minimize cardiovascular risk. Fixed-dose combination (FDC therapy is an approach that offers the advantages of multiple drug administration and a reduction in regimen complexity that favors compliance. We have reviewed the latest evidence demonstrating the efficacy in targeting SBP of the most recent FDC products; combinations of the calcium channel blocker (CCB, amlodipine, with angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs, valsartan or olmesartan. In addition, results from studies with new classes of agent are outlined.Keywords: hypertension, systolic blood pressure, angiotensin receptor blocker, calcium channel blocker, combination therapy

  17. Smoking Counteracts the Favorable Effect of Exercise Training on Endothelial Function in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shinji Sato

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Background Exercise training can improve endothelial function in patients with diabetes. We hypothesized that the favorable effect of exercise training on endothelial function in patients with diabetes is counteracted by cigarette smoking. Purpose To assess whether there is a difference in the effect of exercise on endothelial function in smokers and non-smokers with type 2 diabetes. Methods We performed a 3-month controlled trial in 27 never-smoking and 17 smoking individuals with type 2 diabetes who participated in a home-based walking program. The percentage decrease in post-exercise ankle-brachial pressure index (ABI, which is an index of endothelial function, was assessed at baseline and after 3 months. Results Compared to the smoking group, the never-smoking group showed a more significant improvement in post exercise ABI during the 3 months of home-based training (interaction, P < 0.01. Conclusions These results indicate that smoking may counteract the favorable effects of exercise training on endothelial function. Endothelial function plays an important role in the prevention of cardiovascular disease among patients with diabetes. Therefore, a Certified Diabetes Educator should strongly advise diabetic patients not to smoke.

  18. Abdominal obesity is strongly associated to blood pressure in young Mexicans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Urquidez Romero, Rene; Murguía Romero, Miguel; Esparza Romero, Julián; Díaz Torres, Beatriz Araceli; Rodríguez Tadeo, Alejandra; Medrano Donlucas, Gabriel; Ramos Jiménez, Arnulfo; Wall Medrano, Abraham; Gallardo Ortíz, Itzell A; Tapia Pancardo, Diana C Tapia-Pancardo C; Méndez Cruz, A René; Jiménez Flores, J Rafael; Villalobos Molina, Rafael

    2017-03-30

    The objective of this study was to determine associations between abdominal obesity (AOb) and the other components of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in young Mexicans in a cross-sectional survey completed during a 4 year period. This cross-sectional study reports on components and prevalence of MetS by using Alberti et al. (16) criteria, as well as association between AOb and elevated blood pressure (BP) of 2,993 Mexican university students, ages 17 to 25 years (66% women) from central and northern Mexico, over a 4-year survey (2010-2013). The most prevalent MetS components in the total sample were low HDL-C concentration (43.6%) and AOb (41.1%). MetS prevalence was 11.8%, more men than women were classified with MetS (14.3% vs. 10.5%, p < 0.01). BP was the MetS component with the lowest prevalence (8.6%). A strong association between AOb and altered BP with in both men and women was found (OR 4.3, IC95% 2.5-7.4). Even BP was the component with the lowest prevalence, AOb was more strongly associated with it. This fact, could explain the prevalence of hypertension among young Mexican adults.

  19. Early and continuous neurologic improvements after intravenous thrombolysis are strong predictors of favorable long-term outcomes in acute ischemic stroke.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yeo, Leonard L L; Paliwal, Prakash; Teoh, Hock L; Seet, Raymond C; Chan, Bernard P L; Wakerley, Benjamin; Liang, Shen; Rathakrishnan, Rahul; Chong, Vincent F; Ting, Eric Y S; Sharma, Vijay K

    2013-11-01

    CNI. Factors associated with favorable outcomes at 3 months on univariate analysis were younger age, female gender, hypertension, NIHSS score at onset, recanalization on transcranial Doppler (TCD) monitoring or repeat computed tomography (CT) angiography, ENI at 2 hours, and CNI. On multivariate analysis, NIHSS score at onset (OR per 1-point increase: .835, 95% CI: .751-.929, PENI at 2 hours (OR: 2.536, 95% CI: 1.321-5.102; P=.004), and CNI (OR: 7.253, 95% CI: 3.682-15.115; PENI and CNI within the first 24 hours are strong predictors of favorable functional outcomes in thrombolyzed AIS patients. Copyright © 2013 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Institutionalizing Strong Sustainability: A Rawlsian Perspective

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Konrad Ott

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available The article aims to provide some ethical orientation on how sustainability might be actualized by institutions. Since institutionalization is about rules and organization, it presupposes ideas and concepts by which institutions can be substantiated. After outlining terminology, the article deals with underlying ethical and conceptual problems which are highly relevant for any suggestions concerning institutionalization. These problems are: (a the ethical scope of the sustainability perspective (natural capital, poverty, sentient animals, (b the theory of justice on which ideas about sustainability are built (capability approach, Rawlsianism, and (c the favored concept of sustainability (weak, intermediate, and strong sustainability. These problems are analyzed in turn. As a result, a Rawlsian concept of rule-based strong sustainability is proposed. The specific problems of institutionalization are addressed by applying Rawls’s concept of branches. The article concludes with arguments in favor of three transnational duties which hold for states that have adopted Rawlsian strong sustainability.

  1. Dynamic high pressure induced strong and weak hydrogen bonds enhanced by pre-resonance stimulated Raman scattering in liquid water.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Shenghan; Fang, Wenhui; Li, Fabing; Gong, Nan; Li, Zhanlong; Li, Zuowei; Sun, Chenglin; Men, Zhiwei

    2017-12-11

    355 nm pulsed laser is employed to excite pre-resonance forward stimulated Raman scattering (FSRS) of liquid water at ambient temperature. Due to the shockwave induced dynamic high pressure, the obtained Raman spectra begin to exhibit double peaks distribution at 3318 and 3373 cm -1 with the input energy of 17 mJ,which correspond with OH stretching vibration with strong and weak hydrogen (H) bonds. With laser energy rising from 17 to 27 mJ, the Stokes line at 3318 cm -1 shifts to 3255 and 3230 cm -1 because of the high pressure being enlarged. When the energy is up to 32 mJ, only 3373 cm -1 peak exists. The strong and weak H bond exhibit quite different energy dependent behaviors.

  2. Does campaign finance imply political favors? The case of the 1998 Brazilian elections

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Feijen, E.

    2005-01-01

    This paper provides empirical evidence that campaign contributions are strongly associated with expectations of future firm-specific political favors. Using a novel dataset, we find that during the 1998 elections in Brazil higher campaign contributions to federal deputies were robustly associated

  3. Evolution favors protein mutational robustness in sufficiently large populations

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    Venturelli Ophelia S

    2007-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background An important question is whether evolution favors properties such as mutational robustness or evolvability that do not directly benefit any individual, but can influence the course of future evolution. Functionally similar proteins can differ substantially in their robustness to mutations and capacity to evolve new functions, but it has remained unclear whether any of these differences might be due to evolutionary selection for these properties. Results Here we use laboratory experiments to demonstrate that evolution favors protein mutational robustness if the evolving population is sufficiently large. We neutrally evolve cytochrome P450 proteins under identical selection pressures and mutation rates in populations of different sizes, and show that proteins from the larger and thus more polymorphic population tend towards higher mutational robustness. Proteins from the larger population also evolve greater stability, a biophysical property that is known to enhance both mutational robustness and evolvability. The excess mutational robustness and stability is well described by mathematical theory, and can be quantitatively related to the way that the proteins occupy their neutral network. Conclusion Our work is the first experimental demonstration of the general tendency of evolution to favor mutational robustness and protein stability in highly polymorphic populations. We suggest that this phenomenon could contribute to the mutational robustness and evolvability of viruses and bacteria that exist in large populations.

  4. Graft-to-recipient weight ratio lower to 0.7% is safe without portal pressure modulation in right-lobe living donor liver transplantation with favorable conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Seung Duk; Kim, Seong Hoon; Kim, Young-Kyu; Lee, Soon-Ae; Park, Sang-Jae

    2014-02-01

    The low graft-to-recipient weight ratio (GRWR) in adult-to-adult living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) is one of the major risk factors affecting graft survival. The goal of this study was to evaluate whether the lower limit of the GRWR can be safely reduced without portal pressure modulation in right-lobe LDLT. From 2005 to 2011, 317 consecutive patients from a single institute underwent LDLT with right-lobe grafts without portal pressure modulation. Of these, 23 had a GRWR of less than 0.7% (group A), 27 had a GRWR of ≥0.7%, recipient, donor, operation factors, laboratory findings and complications were reviewed retrospectively. The baseline demographics showed low model for end-stage liver disease score (mean 16.3+/-8.9) and high percentage of hepatocellular carcinoma (231 patients, 72.9%). Three groups by GRWR demonstrated similar characteristics except recipient body mass index and donor gender. For small-for-size syndrome, there were 3 (13.0%) in group A, 1 (3.7%) in group B, and 2 patients (0.7%) in group C (Pneed to modulate portal pressure in adult-to-adult LDLT using the right-lobe in favorable conditions including low model for end-stage liver disease score.

  5. Shear induced phase transition in PbO under high pressure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Giefers, Hubertus; Porsch, Felix

    2007-01-01

    We have studied the structural behavior of lead monoxide (PbO) as a function of pressure via angular dispersive X-ray diffraction employing two different pressure transmitting media that were quasi-hydrostatic (N 2 ) and non-hydrostatic (MgO), respectively. Besides litharge (α-PbO) and massicot (β-PbO), which are both stable at ambient pressure, there is an orthorhombic γ-PbO phase which appears upon application of pressure to α-PbO. We have found that the orthorhombic γ-PbO phase is favored by shear stress under non-hydrostatic conditions. α-PbO shows strong anisotropy in compressibility. The a-axis is rather incompressible with a linear stiffness coefficient of K a0 =540(30) GPa whereas the c-axis stiffness is K c0 =25(1) GPa. The bulk modulus of α-PbO is K 0 =23.1(3) GPa and its derivative K 0 ' =7.0(3)

  6. Melodic algorithms for pulse oximetry to allow audible discrimination of abnormal systolic blood pressures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chima, Ranjit S; Ortega, Rafael; Connor, Christopher W

    2014-12-01

    An anesthesiologist must remain vigilant of the patient's clinical status, incorporating many independent physiological measurements. Oxygen saturation and heart rate are represented by continuous audible tones generated by the pulse oximeter, a mandated monitoring device. Other important clinical parameters--notably blood pressure--lack any audible representation beyond arbitrarily-configured threshold alarms. Attempts to introduce further continuous audible tones have apparently foundered; the complexity and interaction of these tones have exceeded the ability of clinicians to interpret them. Instead, we manipulate the tonal and rhythmic structure of the accepted pulse oximeter tone pattern melodically. Three melodic algorithms were developed to apply tonal and rhythmic variations to the continuous pulse oximeter tone, dependent on the systolic blood pressure. The algorithms distort the original audible pattern minimally, to facilitate comprehension of both the underlying pattern and the applied variations. A panel of anesthesia practitioners (attending anesthesiologists, residents and nurse anesthetists) assessed these algorithms in characterizing perturbations in cardiopulmonary status. Twelve scenarios, incorporating combinations of oxygen desaturation, bradycardia, tachycardia, hypotension and hypertension, were tested. A rhythmic variation in which additional auditory information was conveyed only at halftime intervals, with every other "beat" of the pulse oximeter, was strongly favored. The respondents also strongly favored the use of musical chords over single tones. Given three algorithms of tones embedded in the pulse oximeter signal, anesthesiologists preferred a melodic tone to signal a significant change in blood pressure.

  7. Pressure and intracorporal acceleration measurements in pigs exposed to strong shock waves in a free field

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vassout, P.; Franke, R.; Parmentier, G.; Evrard, G.; Dancer, A.

    1987-01-01

    A theoretical study on the propagation of a pressure wave in a diphasic medium, when compared to the onset mechanism of pulmonary lesions in subjects exposed to strong shock waves, shows an increase in the incident overpressure at the interface level. Using hydrophones, intracorporal pressure was measured in pigs. The authors recorded the costal wall acceleration on the side directly exposed to the shock wave and calculated the displacement of the costal wall after a shock wave passed by. These experiments were conducted for shock waves in a free field, at an overpressure peak level ranging from 26 kFPa to 380 kPa and for a first positive phase lasting 2 ms. Sensors placed in an intracorporal position detected no increase of the overpressure level for any value of the incident pressure. A comparison of the costal wall displacement, measured experimentally, relative to the theoretical displacement of the entire animal mass indicates that the largest relative displacement of the costal wall could be the origin of the pulmonary lesions found. 5 refs., 13 figs

  8. Coronary diastolic pressure-flow relation and zero flow pressure explained on the basis of intramyocardial compliance

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Spaan, J. A.

    1985-01-01

    In the controversy about the mechanisms determining the high zero flow pressures and the further interpretation of coronary diastolic pressure flow relations, this paper takes a stand in favor of intramyocardial compliance as the primary cause of the high zero flow pressures. An attempt has been

  9. Development of nanostructured EuAl2O4 phosphors with strong long-UV excitation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hirata, Gustavo A; Bosze, Eric J; McKittrick, Joanna

    2008-12-01

    Fueled by the need to develop novel materials for applications in solid state white-emitting lamps we have improved a new low-cost, clean and efficient technique to produce high luminescence phosphors with strong excitation in the long-UV range (350-400 nm) which makes them useful for applications in GaN-based solid state lamps. In this work, pressurized combustion synthesis has been successfully used to develop EuAl2O4 (europium aluminate), a new green photoluminescent material with monoclinic structure. The combustion synthesis reaction conditions can be adjusted to produce either the AlEuO3 orthorhombic phase at low pressures (0.1 MPa), or the new monoclinic EuAl2O4 phase, which is apparently more thermodynamically favorable at higher combustion reaction pressures (1.4 MPa). The luminescent material is a high surface area powder (approximately 50 m2/g) composed mainly of nanostructured needles and plates with 5-10 nm in diameter and 100-150 nm in length. A broad emission peak centered at 530 nm with a decay time of 1.5 approximately 2 ms is obtained at the maximum excitation wavelength lambda(exc) = 370 nm.

  10. Al-, Y-, and La-doping effects favoring intrinsic and field induced ferroelectricity in HfO2: A first principles study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Materlik, Robin; Künneth, Christopher; Falkowski, Max; Mikolajick, Thomas; Kersch, Alfred

    2018-04-01

    III-valent dopants have shown to be most effective in stabilizing the ferroelectric, crystalline phase in atomic layer deposited, polycrystalline HfO2 thin films. On the other hand, such dopants are commonly used for tetragonal and cubic phase stabilization in ceramic HfO2. This difference in the impact has not been elucidated so far. The prospect is a suitable doping to produce ferroelectric HfO2 ceramics with a technological impact. In this paper, we investigate the impact of Al, Y, and La doping, which have experimentally proven to stabilize the ferroelectric Pca21 phase in HfO2, in a comprehensive first-principles study. Density functional theory calculations reveal the structure, formation energy, and total energy of various defects in HfO2. Most relevant are substitutional electronically compensated defects without oxygen vacancy, substitutional mixed compensated defects paired with a vacancy, and ionically compensated defect complexes containing two substitutional dopants paired with a vacancy. The ferroelectric phase is strongly favored with La and Y in the substitutional defect. The mixed compensated defect favors the ferroelectric phase as well, but the strongly favored cubic phase limits the concentration range for ferroelectricity. We conclude that a reduction of oxygen vacancies should significantly enhance this range in Y doped HfO2 thin films. With Al, the substitutional defect hardly favors the ferroelectric phase before the tetragonal phase becomes strongly favored with the increasing concentration. This could explain the observed field induced ferroelectricity in Al-doped HfO2. Further Al defects are investigated, but do not favor the f-phase such that the current explanation remains incomplete for Al doping. According to the simulation, doping alone shows clear trends, but is insufficient to replace the monoclinic phase as the ground state. To explain this fact, some other mechanism is needed.

  11. Origin of strong coupling in lithium under pressure

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Kasinathan, D.; Koepernik, K.; Kuneš, Jan; Rosner, H.; Pickett, W. E.

    460-462, - (2007), s. 133-136 ISSN 0921-4534 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10100521 Keywords : superconductivity * lithium * high pressure Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 1.079, year: 2007

  12. Mechanically induced strong red emission in samarium ions doped piezoelectric semiconductor CaZnOS for dynamic pressure sensing and imaging

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Wei; Peng, Dengfeng; Zhang, Hanlu; Yang, Xiaohong; Pan, Caofeng

    2017-07-01

    Piezoelectric semiconductor with optical, electrical and mechanical multifunctions has great potential applications in future optoelectronic devices. The rich properties and applications mainly encompass the intrinsic structures and their coupling effects. Here, we report that lanthanide ions doped piezoelectric semiconductor CaZnOS:Sm3+ showing strong red emission induced by dynamic mechanical stress. Under moderate mechanical load, the doped piezoelectric semiconductor exhibits strong visible red emission to the naked eyes even under the day light. A flexible dynamic pressure sensor device is fabricated based on the prepared CaZnOS:Sm3+ powders. The mechanical-induced emission properties of the device are investigated by the optical fiber spectrometer. The linear characteristic emissions are attributed to the 4G5/2→6H5/2 (566 nm), 4G5/2→6H7/2 (580-632 nm), 4G5/2→6H9/2 (653-673 nm) and 4G5/2→6H11/2 (712-735 nm) f-f transitions of Sm3+ ions. The integral emission intensity is proportional to the value of applied pressure. By using the linear relationship between integrated emission intensity and the dynamic pressure, the real-time pressure distribution is visualized and recorded. Our results highlight that the incorporation of lanthanide luminescent ions into piezoelectric semiconductors as smart materials could be applied into the flexible mechanical-optical sensor device without additional auxiliary power, which has great potential for promising applications such as mapping of personalized handwriting, smart display, and human machine interface.

  13. High-pressure tritium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Coffin, D.O.

    1976-01-01

    Some solutions to problems of compressing and containing tritium gas to 200 MPa at 700 0 K are discussed. The principal emphasis is on commercial compressors and high-pressure equipment that can be easily modified by the researcher for safe use with tritium. Experience with metal bellows and diaphragm compressors has been favorable. Selection of materials, fittings, and gauges for high-pressure tritium work is also reviewed briefly

  14. Comparison of MHD pressure losses of liquid-lithium flows in coaxial and parallel ducts, passing through strong transverse magnetic fields

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Trommer, G.

    1979-08-01

    This report deals with theoretical calculations of MHD pressure losses of liquid-lithium flows in tubes of circular cross-section exposed to strong magnetic fields. Some simplifying assumptions were introduced, yielding an analytical solution which allows the pressure drop and losses in double tubes of coaxial geometry to be compared with those in normal flow pipes. The investigations show that coaxial ducts require much more pumping power than normal ones under similar conditions. This great difference of the properties of the two duct types will decrease if the pipes are embedded in materials of good electrical conductivity. In this case the normal duct will afford a drastic increase in the pressure drop, while the coaxial one will be nearly unaffected. But even under these conditions the losses of the latter will dominate. (orig.)

  15. Cadmium body burden and increased blood pressure in middle-aged American Indians: the Strong Heart Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Franceschini, N; Fry, R C; Balakrishnan, P; Navas-Acien, A; Oliver-Williams, C; Howard, A G; Cole, S A; Haack, K; Lange, E M; Howard, B V; Best, L G; Francesconi, K A; Goessler, W; Umans, J G; Tellez-Plaza, M

    2017-03-01

    Cadmium (Cd) is an environmental pollutant that has been associated with cardiovascular disease in populations, but the relationship of Cd with hypertension has been inconsistent. We studied the association between urinary Cd concentrations, a measure of total body burden, and blood pressure in American Indians, a US population with above national average Cd burden. Urinary Cd was measured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, and adjusted for urinary creatinine concentration. Among 3714 middle-aged American Indian participants of the Strong Heart Study (mean age 56 years, 41% male, 67% ever-smokers, 23% taking antihypertensive medications), urinary Cd ranged from 0.01 to 78.48 μg g -1 creatinine (geometric mean=0.94 μg g -1 ) and it was correlated with smoking pack-year among ever-smokers (r 2 =0.16, Pyears), and urinary Cd was similarly elevated in light- and never-smokers (geometric means of 0.88 μg g -1 creatinine for both categories). Log-transformed urinary Cd was significantly associated with higher systolic blood pressure in models adjusted for age, sex, geographic area, body mass index, smoking (ever vs never, and cumulative pack-years) and kidney function (mean blood pressure difference by lnCd concentration (β)=1.64, P=0.002). These associations were present among light- and never-smokers (β=2.03, P=0.002, n=2627), although not significant among never-smokers (β=1.22, P=0.18, n=1260). Cd was also associated with diastolic blood pressure among light- and never-smokers (β=0.94, P=0.004). These findings suggest that there is a relationship between Cd body burden and increased blood pressure in American Indians, a population with increased cardiovascular disease risk.

  16. Strongly correlated electrons at high pressure: an approach by inelastic X-Ray scattering; Electrons correles sous haute pression: une approche par diffusion inelastique des rayons X

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rueff, J.P

    2007-06-15

    Inelastic X-ray scattering (IXS) and associated methods has turn out to be a powerful alternative for high-pressure physics. It is an all-photon technique fully compatible with high-pressure environments and applicable to a vast range of materials. Standard focalization of X-ray in the range of 100 microns is typical of the sample size in the pressure cell. Our main aim is to provide an overview of experimental results obtained by IXS under high pressure in 2 classes of materials which have been at the origin of the renewal of condensed matter physics: strongly correlated transition metal oxides and rare-earth compounds. Under pressure, d and f-electron materials show behaviors far more complex that what would be expected from a simplistic band picture of electron delocalization. These spectroscopic studies have revealed unusual phenomena in the electronic degrees of freedom, brought up by the increased density, the changes in the charge-carrier concentration, the over-lapping between orbitals, and hybridization under high pressure conditions. Particularly we discuss about pressure induced magnetic collapse and metal-insulator transitions in 3d compounds and valence fluctuations phenomena in 4f and 5f compounds. Thanks to its superior penetration depth, chemical selectivity and resonant enhancement, resonant inelastic X-ray scattering has appeared extremely well suited to high pressure physics in strongly correlated materials. (A.C.)

  17. Reaching the limits of reciprocity in favor exchange: The effects of generous, stingy, and matched favor giving on social status.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ouyang, Kan; Xu, Erica; Huang, Xu; Liu, Wu; Tang, Yipeng

    2018-06-01

    Group members gain social status via giving favors to others, but why and when they do so remain unclear in the literature. Building on social exchange theory and social status literature, we identify three types of favor giving among group members (generous, stingy, and matched) and propose that an affective mechanism (i.e., gratitude) and a cognitive mechanism (i.e., perceived competence) underlie the relationship between favor giving and status attainment. Specifically, generous/stingy favor giving has a linear relationship with status attainment through both gratitude and perceived competence, whereas matched favor giving has a curvilinear relationship with status attainment only through perceived competence. An experimental study and a field study lend support to our propositions. Our study complements the literature by offering a complete picture of how three types of favor giving among group members shape their social status in different ways. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

  18. Fracture Analysis of Vessels. Oak Ridge FAVOR, v06.1, Computer Code: Theory and Implementation of Algorithms, Methods, and Correlations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Williams, P. T. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Dickson, T. L. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Yin, S. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

    2007-12-01

    The current regulations to insure that nuclear reactor pressure vessels (RPVs) maintain their structural integrity when subjected to transients such as pressurized thermal shock (PTS) events were derived from computational models developed in the early-to-mid 1980s. Since that time, advancements and refinements in relevant technologies that impact RPV integrity assessment have led to an effort by the NRC to re-evaluate its PTS regulations. Updated computational methodologies have been developed through interactions between experts in the relevant disciplines of thermal hydraulics, probabilistic risk assessment, materials embrittlement, fracture mechanics, and inspection (flaw characterization). Contributors to the development of these methodologies include the NRC staff, their contractors, and representatives from the nuclear industry. These updated methodologies have been integrated into the Fracture Analysis of Vessels -- Oak Ridge (FAVOR, v06.1) computer code developed for the NRC by the Heavy Section Steel Technology (HSST) program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The FAVOR, v04.1, code represents the baseline NRC-selected applications tool for re-assessing the current PTS regulations. This report is intended to document the technical bases for the assumptions, algorithms, methods, and correlations employed in the development of the FAVOR, v06.1, code.

  19. Shewanella oneidensis cytochrome c nitrite reductase (ccNiR) does not disproportionate hydroxylamine to ammonia and nitrite, despite a strongly favorable driving force.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Youngblut, Matthew; Pauly, Daniel J; Stein, Natalia; Walters, Daniel; Conrad, John A; Moran, Graham R; Bennett, Brian; Pacheco, A Andrew

    2014-04-08

    Cytochrome c nitrite reductase (ccNiR) from Shewanella oneidensis, which catalyzes the six-electron reduction of nitrite to ammonia in vivo, was shown to oxidize hydroxylamine in the presence of large quantities of this substrate, yielding nitrite as the sole free nitrogenous product. UV-visible stopped-flow and rapid-freeze-quench electron paramagnetic resonance data, along with product analysis, showed that the equilibrium between hydroxylamine and nitrite is fairly rapidly established in the presence of high initial concentrations of hydroxylamine, despite said equilibrium lying far to the left. By contrast, reduction of hydroxylamine to ammonia did not occur, even though disproportionation of hydroxylamine to yield both nitrite and ammonia is strongly thermodynamically favored. This suggests a kinetic barrier to the ccNiR-catalyzed reduction of hydroxylamine to ammonia. A mechanism for hydroxylamine reduction is proposed in which the hydroxide group is first protonated and released as water, leaving what is formally an NH2(+) moiety bound at the heme active site. This species could be a metastable intermediate or a transition state but in either case would exist only if it were stabilized by the donation of electrons from the ccNiR heme pool into the empty nitrogen p orbital. In this scenario, ccNiR does not catalyze disproportionation because the electron-donating hydroxylamine does not poise the enzyme at a sufficiently low potential to stabilize the putative dehydrated hydroxylamine; presumably, a stronger reductant is required for this.

  20. Message sidedness in advertising: the moderating roles of need for cognition and time pressure in persuasion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kao, Danny Tengti

    2011-08-01

    Persuasion has been extensively researched for decades. Much of this research has focused on different message tactics and their effects on persuasion (e.g., Chang & Chou, 2008; Lafferty, 1999). This research aims to assess whether the persuasion of a specific type of message is influenced by need for cognition (NFC) and time pressure. The 336 undergraduates participated in a 2 (message sidedness: one-sided/two-sided) × 3 (time pressure: low/moderate/high) between-subjects design. Results indicate that two-sided messages tend to elicit more favorable ad attitudes than one-sided messages. As compared with low-NFC individuals, high-NFC individuals are likely to express more favorable ad attitudes, brand attitudes and purchase intention. Moderate time pressure tends to lead to more favorable ad attitudes than low time pressure and high time pressure. In addition, moderate time pressure is likely to elicit more favorable brand attitudes and purchase intentions than high time pressure, but does not elicit more favorable brand attitudes and purchase intentions than low time pressure. Furthermore, when high-NFC individuals are under low or moderate time pressure, two-sided messages are more persuasive than one-sided messages; however, message sidedness does not differentially affect the persuasion when high-NFC individuals are pressed for time. In contrast, one-sided messages are more persuasive than two-sided messages when low-NFC individuals are under low or high time pressure, and two-sided messages are more persuasive than one-sided messages when low-NFC individuals are under moderate time pressure. © 2011 The Author. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology © 2011 The Scandinavian Psychological Associations.

  1. Renal capsule for augmentation cystoplasty in canine model: a favorable biomaterial?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mehdi Salehipour

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT Purpose: To evaluate effectiveness of canine renal capsule for augmentation cystoplasty. Materials and Methods: Ten adult dogs participated in this study. After induction of anesthesia each animal underwent bed side urodynamic study, bladder capacity and bladder pressure was recorded. Then via mid line incision abdominal cavity was entered, right kidney was identified and its capsule was dissected. Bladder augmentation was done by anastomosing the renal capsule to the bladder. After 6 months bed side urodynamic study was performed again and changes in bladder volume and pressure were recorded. Then the animals were sacrificed and the augmented bladders were sent for histopathology evaluation. Results: Mean maximum anatomic bladder capacity before cystoplasty was 334.00±11.40cc which increased to 488.00±14.83cc post-operatively (p=0.039. Mean anatomic bladder pressure before cystoplasty was 19.00±1.58cmH2O which decreased to 12.60±1.14cmH2O post-operatively (p=0.039. Histopathology evaluation revealed epithelialization of the renal capsule with urothelium without evidence of fibrosis, collagen deposits or contracture. Conclusions: Our data shows that renal capsule is a favorable biomaterial for bladder augmentation in a canine model.

  2. SIGNIFICANT ENHANCEMENT OF H{sub 2} FORMATION IN DISK GALAXIES UNDER STRONG RAM PRESSURE

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Henderson, Benjamin; Bekki, Kenji [ICRAR, M468, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009 (Australia)

    2016-05-10

    We show for the first time that H{sub 2} formation on dust grains can be enhanced in disk galaxies under strong ram pressure (RP). We numerically investigate how the time evolution of H i and H{sub 2} components in disk galaxies orbiting a group/cluster of galaxies can be influenced by the hydrodynamical interaction between the gaseous components of the galaxies and the hot intracluster medium. We find that compression of H i caused by RP increases H{sub 2} formation in disk galaxies before RP rapidly strips H i, cutting off the fuel supply and causing a drop in H{sub 2} density. We also find that the level of this H{sub 2} formation enhancement in a disk galaxy under RP depends on the mass of its host cluster dark matter halo, the initial positions and velocities of the disk galaxy, and the disk inclination angle with respect to the orbital plane. We demonstrate that dust growth is a key factor in the evolution of the H i and H{sub 2} mass in disk galaxies under strong RP. We discuss how the correlation between H{sub 2} fractions and surface gas densities of disk galaxies evolves with time in the galaxies under RP. We also discuss whether galaxy-wide star formation rates (SFRs) in cluster disk galaxies can be enhanced by RP if the SFRs depend on H{sub 2} densities.

  3. High-pressure boron hydride phases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barbee, T.W. III; McMahan, A.K.; Klepeis, J.E.; van Schilfgaarde, M.

    1997-01-01

    The stability of boron-hydrogen compounds (boranes) under pressure is studied from a theoretical point of view using total-energy methods. We find that the molecular forms of boranes known to be stable at ambient pressure become unstable at high pressure, while structures with extended networks of bonds or metallic bonding are energetically favored at high pressures. If such structures are metastable on return to ambient pressure, they would be energetic as well as dense hydrogen storage media. An AlH 3 -like structure of BH 3 is particularly interesting in that it may be accessible by high-pressure diamond anvil experiments, and should exhibit both second-order structural and metal-insulator transitions at lower pressures. copyright 1997 The American Physical Society

  4. Why Koreans are More Likely to Favor "Apology," While Americans are More Likely to Favor "Thank You"

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Hye Eun; Park, Hee Sun

    2011-01-01

    Two studies investigated whether apologies or thanks are preferred in asking favors in the United States and Korea, and how this relates to perceptions of reduction in positive and negative face threats. In the first study (n = 224), participants composed an e-mail message where a favor was asked. In the second (n = 807), participants completed…

  5. 11 CFR 7.20 - Gifts, entertainment, and favors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 11 Federal Elections 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Gifts, entertainment, and favors. 7.20 Section... of Special Commission Employees § 7.20 Gifts, entertainment, and favors. Except as provided at 11 CFR... a gift, gratuity, loan, entertainment, or favor for himself or herself, or for another person...

  6. Probabilistic approach to the analysis of reactor pressure vessel integrity during a pressurized thermal shock

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Adamec, P.

    2000-12-01

    Following a general summary of the issue, an overview of international experience (USA; Belgium, France, Germany, Russia, Spain, Sweden, The Netherlands, and the UK; and probabilistic PTS assessment for the reactor pressure vessel at Loviisa-1, Finland) is presented, and the applicable computer codes (VISA-II, OCA-P, FAVOR, ZERBERUS) are highlighted and their applicability to VVER type reactor pressure vessels is outlined. (P.A.)

  7. Hydrogen Storage Capacity of Tetrahydrofuran and Tetra-N-Butylammonium Bromide Hydrates Under Favorable Thermodynamic Conditions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joshua T. Weissman

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available An experimental study was conducted to evaluate the feasibility of employing binary hydrates as a medium for H2 storage. Two reagents, tetrahydrofuran (THF and tetra-n-butylammonium bromide (TBAB, which had been reported previously to have potential to form binary hydrates with H2 under favorable conditions (i.e., low pressures and high temperatures, were investigated using differential scanning calorimetry and Raman spectroscopy. A scale-up facility was employed to quantify the hydrogen storage capacity of THF binary hydrate. Gas chromatography (GC and pressure drop analyses indicated that the weight percentages of H2 in hydrate were less than 0.1%. The major conclusions of this investigation were: (1 H2 can be stored in binary hydrates at relatively modest pressures and temperatures which are probably feasible for transportation applications; and (2 the storage capacity of H2 in binary hydrate formed from aqueous solutions of THF over a concentration range extending from 2.78 to 8.34 mol % and at temperatures above 263 K and pressures below 11 MPa was <0.1 wt %.

  8. Cocoa, blood pressure, and cardiovascular health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferri, Claudio; Desideri, Giovambattista; Ferri, Livia; Proietti, Ilenia; Di Agostino, Stefania; Martella, Letizia; Mai, Francesca; Di Giosia, Paolo; Grassi, Davide

    2015-11-18

    High blood pressure is an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease and cardiovascular events worldwide. Clinical and epidemiological studies suggest that cocoa-rich products reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. According to this, cocoa has a high content in polyphenols, especially flavanols. Flavanols have been described to exert favorable effects on endothelium-derived vasodilation via the stimulation of nitric oxide-synthase, the increased availability of l-arginine, and the decreased degradation of NO. Cocoa may also have a beneficial effect by protecting against oxidative stress alterations and via decreased platelet aggregation, decreased lipid oxidation, and insulin resistance. These effects are associated with a decrease of blood pressure and a favorable trend toward a reduction in cardiovascular events and strokes. Previous meta-analyses have shown that cocoa-rich foods may reduce blood pressure. Long-term trials investigating the effect of cocoa products are needed to determine whether or not blood pressure is reduced on a chronic basis by daily ingestion of cocoa. Furthermore, long-term trials investigating the effect of cocoa on clinical outcomes are also needed to assess whether cocoa has an effect on cardiovascular events. A 3 mmHg systolic blood pressure reduction has been estimated to decrease the risk of cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. This paper summarizes new findings concerning cocoa effects on blood pressure and cardiovascular health, focusing on putative mechanisms of action and "nutraceutical " viewpoints.

  9. Differing Pattern of Ambulatory Blood Pressure in Very Elderly Men Expresses Dynamics in Atherosclerotic Load in the Senescence

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arkadiusz Siennicki-Lantz

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available To assess an impact of vascular risk factors on ambulatory blood pressure measurement (ABPM in the elderly, we followed up a population-based cohort of men from 68 until 82 years, when 104 survivors underwent ABPM. Results. At age 68, hypertension and high clinic blood pressure (CBP did not predict ABPM level. Smoking and low ankle-brachial index (ABI predicted higher ABPM variability and pulse pressure (PP, but not absolute ABPM values. At age 82, hypertension, high or increasing CBP, strongly positively correlated with all variables of ABPM. Carotid stenosis, low or declining ABI during followup, correlated with higher nocturnal ABPM and PP. Concluding. Hypertension and vascular risk factors in a cohort of 68-year-old men do not result in higher ABPM at age 82, possibly due to inflection point in their pressure development. Higher ABPM reflects instead an increasing CBP and aggravating atherosclerosis during the preceding decade in that part of the cohort with previously favorable risk factor status.

  10. Promising reciprocity: When proposing a favor for a request increases compliance even if the favor is not accepted.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guéguen, Nicolas; Meineri, Sébastien; Ruiz, Clément; Pascual, Alexandre

    2016-01-01

    Research has reported that reciprocity is an important social norm in relationships. In previous studies on reciprocity, participants' behavior was examined after receiving a favor from someone. In a series of field studies, we examined the effect of a statement that proved that a solicitor was someone who respected this principle. Confederates solicited participants for money or a cigarette in exchange for stamps or money, respectively. It was found that the participants complied more readily with the request in the promised favor condition, but most of them refused to take the promised favor. We conclude that individuals were led to help those who respected the putative norm of reciprocity in their social interaction.

  11. Declines in populations of Salix caprea L.during forest regeneration after strong herbivore pressure

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Janusz B. Faliński

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Communities of broadleaved forest subject to strong pressure from large herbivores underwent degeneration. The relief of this pressure led to regeneration of the community, in which an important role was played by the sallow Salix caprea and other light-seeded pioneer species of tree (Populus tremula, Betula pendula and B. pubescens. Regeneration involving Salix caprea proceeded following the conservatorial protection of the degenerate stands in a reserve and later in Białowieża National Park. The emergence and development of the population of Salix caprea proceeded following the invasion of spruce, which coincided with the period of enhanced animal pressure on broadleaved forest. Salix caprea filled all the gaps in the tree stand arising as a result of the destruction of trees and undergrowth by herbivores (in the years 1892-1915. It also appeared en masse on old, at that time unforested, clearings and felled areas. In these places, Salix caprea created very abundant populations, with particular trees being in good condition, with a habit typical of forest trees and attaining considerable heights. The majority of trees were 50-60 years old at the time of death, although individuals reached 74 years of age. The process of extinction of the sallow population - observed over 19 years on permanent plots and fixed trees - proceeded very quickly, especially in the first decade of observation. It led to the almost complete disappearance of sallow for the forest communities of Białowieża National Park. The death of individual trees is preceded by impairment of their health and reduced annual increments in the 4-9 last years of life. The extinction of the population is associated with the loss of its primary phenological differentiation and with a change in the sex structure of the population from a prevalence of female trees to a near even distribution of the two sexes. The development of the populations of permanent constituents of the forest

  12. The probabilistic structural integrity assessment of reactor pressure vessels under pressurized thermal shock loading

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chen, Mingya, E-mail: chenmingya@cgnpc.com.cn [Suzhou Nuclear Power Research Institute, 215004 Suzhou, Jiangsu Province (China); Lu, Feng; Wang, Rongshan; Yu, Weiwei [Suzhou Nuclear Power Research Institute, 215004 Suzhou, Jiangsu Province (China); Wang, Donghui [State Nuclear Power Plant Service Company, 200237 Shanghai (China); Zhang, Guodong; Xue, Fei [Suzhou Nuclear Power Research Institute, 215004 Suzhou, Jiangsu Province (China)

    2015-12-01

    Highlights: • The methodology and the case study of the FAVOR software were shown. • The over-conservative parameters in the DFM were shown. • The differences between the PFM and the DFM were discussed. • The limits in the current FAVOR were studied. - Abstract: The pressurized thermal shock (PTS) event poses a potentially significant challenge to the structural integrity of the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) during the long time operation (LTO). In the USA, the “screening criteria” for maximum allowable embrittlement of RPV material, which forms part of the USA regulations, is based on the probabilistic fracture mechanics (PFM). The FAVOR software developed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is used to establish the regulation. As the technical basis of FAVOR is not the most widely-used and codified methodologies, such as the ASME and RCC-M codes, in most countries (with exception of the USA), proving RPV integrity under the PTS load is still based on the deterministic fracture mechanics (DFM). As the maximum nil-ductility-transition temperature (RT{sub NDT}) of the beltline material for the 54 French RPVs after 40 years operation is higher than the critical values in the IAEA-TECDOC-1627 and European NEA/CSNI/R(99)3 reports (while still obviously lower than the “screening criteria” of the USA), it may conclude that the RPV will not be able to run in the LTO based on the DFM. In the FAVOR, the newest developments of fracture mechanics are applied, such as the warm pre-stress (WPS) effect, more accurate estimation of the flaw information and less conservation of the toughness (such as the three-parameter Weibull distribution of the fracture toughness). In this paper, the FAVOR software is first applied to show both the methodology and the results of the PFM, and then the limits in the current FAVOR software (Version 6.1, which represents the baseline for re-assessing the regulation of 10 CFR 50.61), lack of the impact of the constraint effect

  13. Spectral shifting strongly constrains molecular cloud disruption by radiation pressure on dust

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reissl, Stefan; Klessen, Ralf S.; Mac Low, Mordecai-Mark; Pellegrini, Eric W.

    2018-03-01

    Aim. We aim to test the hypothesis that radiation pressure from young star clusters acting on dust is the dominant feedback agent disrupting the largest star-forming molecular clouds and thus regulating the star-formation process. Methods: We performed multi-frequency, 3D, radiative transfer calculations including both scattering and absorption and re-emission to longer wavelengths for model clouds with masses of 104-107 M⊙, containing embedded clusters with star formation efficiencies of 0.009-91%, and varying maximum grain sizes up to 200 μm. We calculated the ratio between radiative and gravitational forces to determine whether radiation pressure can disrupt clouds. Results: We find that radiation pressure acting on dust almost never disrupts star-forming clouds. Ultraviolet and optical photons from young stars to which the cloud is optically thick do not scatter much. Instead, they quickly get absorbed and re-emitted by the dust at thermal wavelengths. As the cloud is typically optically thin to far-infrared radiation, it promptly escapes, depositing little momentum in the cloud. The resulting spectrum is more narrowly peaked than the corresponding Planck function, and exhibits an extended tail at longer wavelengths. As the opacity drops significantly across the sub-mm and mm wavelength regime, the resulting radiative force is even smaller than for the corresponding single-temperature blackbody. We find that the force from radiation pressure falls below the strength of gravitational attraction by an order of magnitude or more for either Milky Way or moderate starbust conditions. Only for unrealistically large maximum grain sizes, and star formation efficiencies far exceeding 50% do we find that the strength of radiation pressure can exceed gravity. Conclusions: We conclude that radiation pressure acting on dust does not disrupt star-forming molecular clouds in any Local Group galaxies. Radiation pressure thus appears unlikely to regulate the star

  14. 12 CFR 560.110 - Most favored lender usury preemption.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 12 Banks and Banking 5 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Most favored lender usury preemption. 560.110... INVESTMENT Lending and Investment Provisions Applicable to all Savings Associations § 560.110 Most favored... permits its most favored lender to charge late fees, then a savings association located in that state may...

  15. Time pressure increases cooperation in competitively framed social dilemmas.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jeremy Cone

    Full Text Available What makes people willing to pay costs to benefit others? Does such cooperation require effortful self-control, or do automatic, intuitive processes favor cooperation? Time pressure has been shown to increase cooperative behavior in Public Goods Games, implying a predisposition towards cooperation. Consistent with the hypothesis that this predisposition results from the fact that cooperation is typically advantageous outside the lab, it has further been shown that the time pressure effect is undermined by prior experience playing lab games (where selfishness is the more advantageous strategy. Furthermore, a recent study found that time pressure increases cooperation even in a game framed as a competition, suggesting that the time pressure effect is not the result of social norm compliance. Here, we successfully replicate these findings, again observing a positive effect of time pressure on cooperation in a competitively framed game, but not when using the standard cooperative framing. These results suggest that participants' intuitions favor cooperation rather than norm compliance, and also that simply changing the framing of the Public Goods Game is enough to make it appear novel to participants and thus to restore the time pressure effect.

  16. Time pressure increases cooperation in competitively framed social dilemmas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cone, Jeremy; Rand, David G

    2014-01-01

    What makes people willing to pay costs to benefit others? Does such cooperation require effortful self-control, or do automatic, intuitive processes favor cooperation? Time pressure has been shown to increase cooperative behavior in Public Goods Games, implying a predisposition towards cooperation. Consistent with the hypothesis that this predisposition results from the fact that cooperation is typically advantageous outside the lab, it has further been shown that the time pressure effect is undermined by prior experience playing lab games (where selfishness is the more advantageous strategy). Furthermore, a recent study found that time pressure increases cooperation even in a game framed as a competition, suggesting that the time pressure effect is not the result of social norm compliance. Here, we successfully replicate these findings, again observing a positive effect of time pressure on cooperation in a competitively framed game, but not when using the standard cooperative framing. These results suggest that participants' intuitions favor cooperation rather than norm compliance, and also that simply changing the framing of the Public Goods Game is enough to make it appear novel to participants and thus to restore the time pressure effect.

  17. The role of p53 in radiation therapy outcomes for favorable-to-intermediate-risk prostate cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ritter, Mark A.; Gilchrist, Kennedy W.; Voytovich, Marta; Chappell, Richard J.; Verhoven, Bret M.

    2002-01-01

    actuarial biochemical control was found to strongly and independently correlate with p53 status. Patients with higher p53 labeling indices demonstrated significantly higher PSA failure rates (p<0.001). In contrast, p53 status did not correlate with pretreatment PSA, grade, or tumor stage. Similarly, pretreatment PSA (log-rank 0.22), Gleason score (log-rank 0.93), and T stage (log-rank 0.15) were not prognostic for outcome in this group of patients selected for their relatively favorable clinical characteristics. Conclusions: (1) p53 status in pretreatment biopsies strongly predicted for long-term biochemical control after radiation therapy in favorable-to-intermediate-risk prostate cancer patients. (2) If validated in other independent clinical data sets, p53 status should be considered as a stratification factor in future clinical trials and could be useful in guiding treatment. Abnormal p53 status might favor surgical management, aggressive dose escalation, or p53-targeted therapy

  18. Evolutionary Inference across Eukaryotes Identifies Specific Pressures Favoring Mitochondrial Gene Retention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnston, Iain G; Williams, Ben P

    2016-02-24

    Since their endosymbiotic origin, mitochondria have lost most of their genes. Although many selective mechanisms underlying the evolution of mitochondrial genomes have been proposed, a data-driven exploration of these hypotheses is lacking, and a quantitatively supported consensus remains absent. We developed HyperTraPS, a methodology coupling stochastic modeling with Bayesian inference, to identify the ordering of evolutionary events and suggest their causes. Using 2015 complete mitochondrial genomes, we inferred evolutionary trajectories of mtDNA gene loss across the eukaryotic tree of life. We find that proteins comprising the structural cores of the electron transport chain are preferentially encoded within mitochondrial genomes across eukaryotes. A combination of high GC content and high protein hydrophobicity is required to explain patterns of mtDNA gene retention; a model that accounts for these selective pressures can also predict the success of artificial gene transfer experiments in vivo. This work provides a general method for data-driven inference of the ordering of evolutionary and progressive events, here identifying the distinct features shaping mitochondrial genomes of present-day species. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Superconductivity in hydrogen-rich materials at high pressures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Drozdov, Alexander

    2016-07-01

    A room temperature superconductor is probably one of the most desired systems in solid state physics. The highest critical temperature (T{sub c}) that has been achieved so far is in the copper oxide system: 133 kelvin (K) at ambient pressure ([82]Schilling et al. 1993) and 160 K under pressure ([42]Gao et al. 1994). The nature of superconductivity in the cuprates and in the recently discovered iron-based superconductor family (T{sub c}=57 K) is still not fully understood. In contrast, there is a class of superconductors which is well-described by the Bardeen, Cooper, Schrieffer (BCS) theory - conventional superconductors. Great efforts were spent in searching for high-temperature (T{sub c} > 77 K) conventional superconductor but only T{sub c} = 39 K has been reached in MgB2 ([68]Nagamatsu et al. 2001). BCS theory puts no bounds for T{sub c} as follows from Eliashberg's formulation of BCS theory. T{sub c} can be high, if there is a favorable combination of high-frequency phonons, strong electron-phonon coupling, and a high density of states. It does not predict however in which materials all three parameters are large. At least it gives a clear indication that materials with light elements are favorable as light elements provide high frequencies in the phonon spectrum. The lightest element is hydrogen, and Ashcroft made a first prediction that metallic hydrogen will be a high-temperature superconductor ([6]Ashcroft 1968). As pressure of hydrogen metallization was too high (about 400-500 GPa) for experimental techniques then he proposed that compounds dominated by hydrogen (hydrides) also might be good high temperature superconductors ([6]Ashcroft 1968; [7]Ashcroft 2004). A lot of the followed calculations supported this idea. T{sub c} in the range of 50-235 kelvin was predicted for many hydrides. Unfortunately, only a moderate T{sub c} of 17 kelvin has been observed experimentally ([27]Eremets et al. 2008) so far. A goal of the present work is to find a

  20. Pressurized Martian-Like Pure CO2 Atmosphere Supports Strong Growth of Cyanobacteria, and Causes Significant Changes in their Metabolism

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murukesan, Gayathri; Leino, Hannu; Mäenpää, Pirkko; Ståhle, Kurt; Raksajit, Wuttinun; Lehto, Harry J.; Allahverdiyeva-Rinne, Yagut; Lehto, Kirsi

    2016-03-01

    Surviving of crews during future missions to Mars will depend on reliable and adequate supplies of essential life support materials, i.e. oxygen, food, clean water, and fuel. The most economical and sustainable (and in long term, the only viable) way to provide these supplies on Martian bases is via bio-regenerative systems, by using local resources to drive oxygenic photosynthesis. Selected cyanobacteria, grown in adequately protective containment could serve as pioneer species to produce life sustaining substrates for higher organisms. The very high (95.3 %) CO2 content in Martian atmosphere would provide an abundant carbon source for photo-assimilation, but nitrogen would be a strongly limiting substrate for bio-assimilation in this environment, and would need to be supplemented by nitrogen fertilizing. The very high supply of carbon, with rate-limiting supply of nitrogen strongly affects the growth and the metabolic pathways of the photosynthetic organisms. Here we show that modified, Martian-like atmospheric composition (nearly 100 % CO2) under various low pressure conditions (starting from 50 mbar to maintain liquid water, up to 200 mbars) supports strong cellular growth. Under high CO2 / low N2 ratio the filamentous cyanobacteria produce significant amount of H2 during light due to differentiation of high amount of heterocysts.

  1. Dynamics of pollutant indicators during flood events in a small river under strong anthropogenic pressures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brion, Natacha; Carbonnel, Vincent; Elskens, Marc; Claeys, Philippe; Verbanck, Michel A.

    2017-04-01

    In densely populated regions, human activities profoundly modify natural water circulation as well as water quality, with increased hydrological risks (floods, droughts,…) and chemical hazards (untreated sewage releases, industrial pollution,…) as consequence. In order to assess water and pollutants dynamics and their mass-balance in strongly modified river system, it is important to take into account high flow events as a significant fraction of water and pollutants loads may occur during these short events which are generally underrepresented in classical mass balance studies. A good example of strongly modified river systems is the Zenne river in and around the city of Brussels (Belgium).The Zenne River (Belgium) is a rather small but dynamic rain fed river (about 10 m3/s in average) that is under the influence of strong contrasting anthropogenic pressures along its stretch. While the upstream part of its basin is rather characterized by agricultural land-use, urban and industrial areas dominate the downstream part. In particular, the city of Brussels (1.1M inhabitants) discharges in the Zenne River amounts of wastewater that are large compared to the natural riverine flow. In order to assess water and pollutants dynamics and their mass-balance in the Zenne hydrographic network, we followed water flows and concentrations of several water quality tracers during several flood episodes with an hourly frequency and at different locations along the stretch of the River. These parameters were chosen as indicators of a whole range of pollutions and anthropogenic activities. Knowledge of the high-frequency pollutants dynamics during floods is required for establishing accurate mass-balances of these elements. We thus report here the dynamics of selected parameters during entire flood events, from the baseline to the decreasing phase and at hourly frequency. Dynamics at contrasting locations, in agricultural or urban environments are compared. In particular, the

  2. Addressing the strong CP problem with quark mass ratios

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Diaz-Cruz, J.L.; Saldana-Salazar, U.J. [Benemerita Univ. Autonoma de Puebla (Mexico). Facultad de Ciencias Fisico-Matematicas; Hollik, W.G. [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg (Germany)

    2016-05-15

    The strong CP problem is one of many puzzles in the theoretical description of elementary particles physics that still lacks an explanation. Solutions to that problem usually comprise new symmetries or fields or both. The main problem seems to be how to achieve small CP in the strong interactions despite large CP violation in weak interactions. Observation of CP violation is exclusively through the Higgs-Yukawa interactions. In this letter, we show that with minimal assumptions on the structure of mass (Yukawa) matrices the strong CP problem does not exist in the Standard Model and no extension to solve this is needed. However, to solve the flavor puzzle, models based on minimal SU(3) flavor groups leading to the proposed flavor matrices are favored.

  3. Addressing the strong CP problem with quark mass ratios

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Diaz-Cruz, J.L.; Saldana-Salazar, U.J.

    2016-05-01

    The strong CP problem is one of many puzzles in the theoretical description of elementary particles physics that still lacks an explanation. Solutions to that problem usually comprise new symmetries or fields or both. The main problem seems to be how to achieve small CP in the strong interactions despite large CP violation in weak interactions. Observation of CP violation is exclusively through the Higgs-Yukawa interactions. In this letter, we show that with minimal assumptions on the structure of mass (Yukawa) matrices the strong CP problem does not exist in the Standard Model and no extension to solve this is needed. However, to solve the flavor puzzle, models based on minimal SU(3) flavor groups leading to the proposed flavor matrices are favored.

  4. Effects of pressurization procedures on calibration results for precise pressure transducers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kajikawa, Hiroaki; Kobata, Tokihiko

    2010-01-01

    The output of electromechanical pressure gauges depends on not only the currently applied pressure, but also the pressurization history. Thus, the calibration results of gauges are affected by the pressurization procedure. In this paper, among several important factors influencing the results, we report the effects of the interval between the calibration cycles and the effects of the preliminary pressurizations. In order to quantitatively evaluate these effects, we developed a fully automated system that uses a pressure balance to calibrate pressure gauges. Subsequently, gauges containing quartz Bourdon-type pressure transducers were calibrated in a stepwise manner for pressures between 10 MPa and 100 MPa. The typical standard deviation of the data over three cycles was reduced to a few parts per million (ppm). The interval between the calibration cycles, which ranges from zero to more than 12 h, exerts a strong influence on the results in the process of increasing the pressure, where at 10 MPa the maximum difference between the results was approximately 40 ppm. The preliminary pressurization immediately before the calibration cycle reduces the effects of the interval on the results in certain cases. However, in turn, the influence of the waiting time between the preliminary pressurization and the main calibration cycle becomes strong. In the present paper, we outline several possible measures for obtaining calibration results with high reproducibility

  5. Health care provider experience with canagliflozin in real-world clinical practice: favorability, treatment patterns, and patient outcomes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bolge SC

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Susan C Bolge,1 Natalia M Flores,2 Shu Huang,3 Jennifer Cai1 1Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC, Titusville, NJ, 2Kantar Health, Foster City, CA, 3Kantar Health, New York, NY, USA Purpose: This study describes how health care providers approach canagliflozin for the treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM in the real world.Patients and methods: An Internet-based questionnaire was completed by 101 endocrinologists, 101 primary care physicians, and 100 nurse practitioners/physician assistants (NP/PAs. Health care providers were required to have experience prescribing or managing patients using canagliflozin to be included in the study. Health care providers compared canagliflozin with other T2DM medication classes on clinical characteristics, costs, and patient satisfaction. Confidence in canagliflozin was also measured. Health care providers reported their canagliflozin prescribing experience and good candidate characteristics for treatment. Finally, providers reported on patient outcomes among those receiving canagliflozin. All variables were compared across provider type.Results: Health care providers reported higher favorability for canagliflozin for blood pressure and body weight compared with dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4 inhibitors and higher favorability for effect on blood pressure, body weight, treatment satisfaction, and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c compared with sulfonylureas (SUs, with differences observed for effect on blood pressure. Health care providers reported being very/extremely confident (55%–74% with canagliflozin as a second- to fourth-line treatment. The top 3 characteristics reported by the providers, in terms of describing a good candidate for canagliflozin, include those concerned about their weight, insurance coverage/affordability, and avoiding injectable treatments. Finally, providers reported often/always observing patients’ lowering or controlling HbA1c (82%–88% and improvement in overall

  6. Strong imploding shock, the representative curve

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mishkin, E.A.; Alejaldre, C.

    1981-01-01

    The representative curve of the ideal gas behind the front of a spherically, or cylindrically, symmetric strong imploding shock is shown to pass through the point where the reduced pressure is maximum, P(xisub(m)) = Psub(m)sub(a)sub(x). (orig.)

  7. Plasma pressure and anisotropy inferred from the Tsyganenkomagnetic field model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    F. Cao

    Full Text Available A numerical procedure has been developed to deduce the plasma pressure and anisotropy from the Tsyganenko magnetic field model. The Tsyganenko empirical field model, which is based on vast satellite field data, provides a realistic description of magnetic field configuration in the magnetosphere. When the force balance under the static condition is assumed, the electromagnetic <strong>J×B> force from the Tsyganenko field model can be used to infer the plasma pressure and anisotropy distributions consistent with the field model. It is found that the <strong>J×B> force obtained from the Tsyganenko field model is not curl-free. The curl-free part of the <strong>J×B> force in an empirical field model can be balanced by the gradient of the isotropic pressure, while the nonzero curl of the <strong>J×B> force can only be associated with the pressure anisotropy. The plasma pressure and anisotropy in the near-Earth plasma sheet are numerically calculated to obtain a static equilibrium consistent with the Tsyganenko field model both in the noon-midnight meridian and in the equatorial plane. The plasma pressure distribution deduced from the Tsyganenko 1989 field model is highly anisotropic and shows this feature early in the substorm growth phase. The pressure anisotropy parameter αP, defined as αP=1-PVertP, is typically ~0.3 at x ≈ -4.5RE and gradually decreases to a small negative value with an increasing tailward distance. The pressure anisotropy from the Tsyganenko 1989 model accounts for 50% of the cross-tail current at maximum and only in a highly localized region near xsim-10RE. In comparison, the plasma pressure anisotropy inferred from the Tsyganenko 1987 model is much smaller. We also find that the boundary

  8. Favorability for uranium in tertiary sedimentary rocks, southwestern Montana

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wopat, M.A.; Curry, W.E.; Robins, J.W.; Marjaniemi, D.K.

    1977-10-01

    Tertiary sedimentary rocks in the basins of southwestern Montana were studied to determine their favorability for potential uranium resources. Uranium in the Tertiary sedimentary rocks was probably derived from the Boulder batholith and from silicic volcanic material. The batholith contains numerous uranium occurrences and is the most favorable plutonic source for uranium in the study area. Subjective favorability categories of good, moderate, and poor, based on the number and type of favorable criteria present, were used to classify the rock sequences studied. Rocks judged to have good favorability for uranium deposits are (1) Eocene and Oligocene strata and undifferentiated Tertiary rocks in the western Three Forks basin and (2) Oligocene rocks in the Helena basin. Rocks having moderate favorability consist of (1) Eocene and Oligocene strata in the Jefferson River, Beaverhead River, and lower Ruby River basins, (2) Oligocene rocks in the Townsend and Clarkston basins, (3) Miocene and Pliocene rocks in the Upper Ruby River basin, and (4) all Tertiary sedimentary formations in the eastern Three Forks basin, and in the Grasshopper Creek, Horse Prairie, Medicine Lodge Creek, Big Sheep Creek, Deer Lodge, Big Hole River, and Bull Creek basins. The following have poor favorability: (1) the Beaverhead Conglomerate in the Red Rock and Centennial basins, (2) Eocene and Oligocene rocks in the Upper Ruby River basin, (3) Miocene and Pliocene rocks in the Townsend, Clarkston, Smith River, and Divide Creek basins, (4) Miocene through Pleistocene rocks in the Jefferson River, Beaverhead River, and Lower Ruby River basins, and (5) all Tertiary sedimentary rocks in the Boulder River, Sage Creek, Muddy Creek, Madison River, Flint Creek, Gold Creek, and Bitterroot basins

  9. Some Common Issues and the Application of more Favorable Criminal Law for Crimes against the Person according to the New Criminal Code

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ion Rusu

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The paper examines the main common issues of crimes against the person, and some other situations of more favorable criminal law enforcement. The innovations consist in the conducted examination and the views expressed on some situations in which the more favorable criminal law should be applied. The main change with a strong preventive feature is to introduce the two institutions, namely, the renunciation of applying the punishment and postponing the punishment, which generally is given a favoring regime to physical or legal entities being at their first conflict with the law or in the case of committing crimes whose seriousness is reduced. The paper continues other papers published in the field, and it can be useful both to academics and practitioners in the domain of preventing and combating crime of this kind.

  10. A bottom-up approach to the strong CP problem

    Science.gov (United States)

    Diaz-Cruz, J. L.; Hollik, W. G.; Saldana-Salazar, U. J.

    2018-05-01

    The strong CP problem is one of many puzzles in the theoretical description of elementary particle physics that still lacks an explanation. While top-down solutions to that problem usually comprise new symmetries or fields or both, we want to present a rather bottom-up perspective. The main problem seems to be how to achieve small CP violation in the strong interactions despite the large CP violation in weak interactions. In this paper, we show that with minimal assumptions on the structure of mass (Yukawa) matrices, they do not contribute to the strong CP problem and thus we can provide a pathway to a solution of the strong CP problem within the structures of the Standard Model and no extension at the electroweak scale is needed. However, to address the flavor puzzle, models based on minimal SU(3) flavor groups leading to the proposed flavor matrices are favored. Though we refrain from an explicit UV completion of the Standard Model, we provide a simple requirement for such models not to show a strong CP problem by construction.

  11. Noise Radiation Of A Strongly Pulsating Tailpipe Exhaust

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peizi, Li; Genhua, Dai; Zhichi, Zhu

    1993-11-01

    The method of characteristics is used to solve the problem of the propagation of a strongly pulsating flow in an exhaust system tailpipe. For a strongly pulsating exhaust, the flow may shock at the pipe's open end at some point in a pulsating where the flow pressure exceeds its critical value. The method fails if one insists on setting the flow pressure equal to the atmospheric pressure as the pipe end boundary condition. To solve the problem, we set the Mach number equal to 1 as the boundary condition when the flow pressure exceeds its critical value. For a strongly pulsating flow, the fluctuations of flow variables may be much higher than their respective time averages. Therefore, the acoustic radiation method would fail in the computation of the noise radiation from the pipe's open end. We simulate the exhaust flow out of the open end as a simple sound source to compute the noise radiation, which has been successfully applied in reference [1]. The simple sound source strength is proportional to the volume acceleration of exhaust gas. Also computed is the noise radiation from the turbulence of the exhaust flow, as was done in reference [1]. Noise from a reciprocating valve simulator has been treated in detail. The radiation efficiency is very low for the pressure range considered and is about 10 -5. The radiation efficiency coefficient increases with the square of the frequency. Computation of the pipe length dependence of the noise radiation and mass flux allows us to design a suitable length for an aerodynamic noise generator or a reciprocating internal combustion engine. For the former, powerful noise radiation is preferable. For the latter, maximum mass flux is desired because a freer exhaust is preferable.

  12. Inhaled Beta Agonist Bronchodilator Does Not Affect Trans-diaphragmatic Pressure Gradient but Decreases Lower Esophageal Sphincter Retention Pressure in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Del Grande, Leonardo M; Herbella, Fernando A M; Bigatao, Amilcar M; Jardim, Jose R; Patti, Marco G

    2016-10-01

    Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients have a high incidence of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) whose pathophysiology seems to be linked to an increased trans-diaphragmatic pressure gradient and not to a defective esophagogastric barrier. Inhaled beta agonist bronchodilators are a common therapy used by patients with COPD. This drug knowingly not only leads to a decrease in the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) resting pressure, favoring GERD, but also may improve ventilatory parameters, therefore preventing GERD. This study aims to evaluate the effect of inhaled beta agonist bronchodilators on the trans-diaphragmatic pressure gradient and the esophagogastric barrier. We studied 21 patients (mean age 67 years, 57 % males) with COPD and GERD. All patients underwent high-resolution manometry and esophageal pH monitoring. Abdominal and thoracic pressure, trans-diaphragmatic pressure gradient (abdominal-thoracic pressure), and the LES retention pressure (LES basal pressure-transdiaphragmatic gradient) were measured before and 5 min after inhaling beta agonist bronchodilators. The administration of inhaled beta agonist bronchodilators leads to the following: (a) a simultaneous increase in abdominal and thoracic pressure not affecting the trans-diaphragmatic pressure gradient and (b) a decrease in the LES resting pressure with a reduction of the LES retention pressure. In conclusion, inhaled beta agonist bronchodilators not only increase the thoracic pressure but also lead to an increased abdominal pressure favoring GERD by affecting the esophagogastric barrier.

  13. Interaction Heterogeneity can Favorably Impact Colloidal Crystal Nucleation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jenkins, Ian C.; Crocker, John C.; Sinno, Talid

    2017-10-01

    Colloidal particles with short-ranged attractions, e.g., micron-scale spheres functionalized with single-stranded DNA oligomers, are susceptible to becoming trapped in disordered configurations even when a crystalline arrangement is the ground state. Moreover, for reasons that are not well understood, seemingly minor variations in the particle formulation can lead to dramatic changes in the crystallization outcome. We demonstrate, using a combination of equilibrium and nonequilibrium computer simulations, that interaction heterogeneity—variations in the energetic interactions among different particle pairs in the population—may favorably impact crystal nucleation. Specifically, interaction heterogeneity is found to lower the free energy barrier to nucleation via the formation of clusters comprised preferentially of strong-binding particle pairs. Moreover, gelation is inhibited by "spreading out over time" the nucleation process, resulting in a reduced density of stable nuclei, allowing each to grow unhindered and larger. Our results suggest a simple and robust approach for enhancing colloidal crystallization near the "sticky sphere" limit, and support the notion that differing extents of interaction heterogeneity arising from various particle functionalization protocols may contribute to the otherwise unexplained variations in crystallization outcomes reported in the literature.

  14. Robust mesoscopic superposition of strongly correlated ultracold atoms

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hallwood, David W.; Ernst, Thomas; Brand, Joachim

    2010-01-01

    We propose a scheme to create coherent superpositions of annular flow of strongly interacting bosonic atoms in a one-dimensional ring trap. The nonrotating ground state is coupled to a vortex state with mesoscopic angular momentum by means of a narrow potential barrier and an applied phase that originates from either rotation or a synthetic magnetic field. We show that superposition states in the Tonks-Girardeau regime are robust against single-particle loss due to the effects of strong correlations. The coupling between the mesoscopically distinct states scales much more favorably with particle number than in schemes relying on weak interactions, thus making particle numbers of hundreds or thousands feasible. Coherent oscillations induced by time variation of parameters may serve as a 'smoking gun' signature for detecting superposition states.

  15. Communication: Thermodynamics of condensed matter with strong pressure-energy correlations

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ingebrigtsen, Trond; Bøhling, Lasse; Schrøder, Thomas

    2012-01-01

    We show that for any liquid or solid with strong correlation between its NVT virial and potential-energy equilibrium fluctuations, the temperature is a product of a function of excess entropy per particle and a function of density, T = f(s)h(ρ). This implies that (1) the system's isomorphs (curve...

  16. One-loop QCD thermodynamics in a strong homogeneous and static magnetic field

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rath, Shubhalaxmi; Patra, Binoy Krishna

    2017-12-01

    We have studied how the equation of state of thermal QCD with two light flavors is modified in a strong magnetic field. We calculate the thermodynamic observables of hot QCD matter up to one-loop, where the magnetic field affects mainly the quark contribution and the gluon part is largely unaffected except for the softening of the screening mass. We have first calculated the pressure of a thermal QCD medium in a strong magnetic field, where the pressure at fixed temperature increases with the magnetic field faster than the increase with the temperature at constant magnetic field. This can be understood from the dominant scale of thermal medium in the strong magnetic field, being the magnetic field, in the same way that the temperature dominates in a thermal medium in the absence of magnetic field. Thus although the presence of a strong magnetic field makes the pressure of hot QCD medium larger, the dependence of pressure on the temperature becomes less steep. Consistent with the above observations, the entropy density is found to decrease with the temperature in the presence of a strong magnetic field which is again consistent with the fact that the strong magnetic field restricts the dynamics of quarks to two dimensions, hence the phase space becomes squeezed resulting in the reduction of number of microstates. Moreover the energy density is seen to decrease and the speed of sound of thermal QCD medium increases in the presence of a strong magnetic field. These findings could have phenomenological implications in heavy ion collisions because the expansion dynamics of the medium produced in non-central ultra-relativistic heavy ion collisions is effectively controlled by both the energy density and the speed of sound.

  17. Hydrostatic pressure effects on oxygen-related irradiation-produced defects in silicon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stein, H.J.; Samara, G.A.

    1989-01-01

    Hydrostatic pressure has been used to investigate the E c -0.164 eV acceptor level for the oxygen-vacancy (O-V) defect in γ-ray irradiated Si, and the annealing/formation of oxygen-related defects in neutron-irradiated Si. The acceptor level is found to move closer to the conduction band and away from the valence band. There is also a relatively large inward (outward) breathing mode lattice relaxation accompanying electron emission (capture) from this level. Both results reflect the antibonding nature of the level and are qualitatively consistent with the Watkins-Corbett model for the O-V defect. The annealing rate was found to increase with pressure for the O-V defect at 350 0 C with a derived activation volume of -4.5A 3 /defect, where the negative sign implies inward relaxation (contraction) on annealing. Pressure has relatively little effect on annealing of the C-Si-O C(3) defect which is interstitial in nature, but strongly favors the formation of the dioxygen defect. The intensity of the O 2 -V band after annealing at 20 kbar is 5 times higher than that following similar annealing at 0 kbar. This intensity is higher than that achievable by any isochronal or isothermal annealing steps at 0 kbar. These results are discussed qualitatively in terms of models for the various defects. (author)

  18. Studies Comparing Ambulatory Blood Pressure and Home Blood Pressure on Cardiovascular Disease and Mortality Outcomes: A Systematic Review

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shimbo, Daichi; Abdalla, Marwah; Falzon, Louise; Townsend, Raymond R.; Muntner, Paul

    2015-01-01

    Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) is more commonly recommended for assessing out-of-clinic blood pressure than home blood pressure monitoring (HBPM). We conducted a systematic review to examine whether ABPM or HBPM is more strongly associated with cardiovascular disease events and/or mortality. Of 1,007 abstracts published through July 20, 2015, nine articles, reporting results from seven cohorts, were identified. After adjustment for blood pressure on HBPM, blood pressure on ABPM was associated with an increased risk of outcomes in two of four cohorts for systolic blood pressure and two of three cohorts for diastolic blood pressure. After adjustment for blood pressure on ABPM, systolic blood pressure on HBPM was associated with outcomes in zero of three cohorts; an association was present in one of two cohorts for diastolic blood pressure on HBPM. There is a lack of strong empiric evidence supporting ABPM or HBPM over the other approach for predicting cardiovascular events or mortality. PMID:26822864

  19. Favorable prognostic value of SOCS2 and IGF-I in breast cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Haffner, Michael C; Petridou, Barbara; Peyrat, Jean Phillipe; Révillion, Françoise; Müller-Holzner, Elisabeth; Daxenbichler, Günter; Marth, Christian; Doppler, Wolfgang

    2007-01-01

    Suppressor of cytokine signaling (SOCS) proteins comprise a protein family, which has initially been described as STAT induced inhibitors of the Jak/Stat pathway. Recent in vivo and in vitro studies suggest that SOCS proteins are also implicated in cancer. The STAT5 induced IGF-I acts as an endocrine and para/autocrine growth and differentiation factor in mammary gland development. Whereas high levels of circulating IGF-I have been associated with increased cancer risk, the role of autocrine acting IGF-I is less clear. The present study is aimed to elucidate the clinicopathological features associated with SOCS1, SOCS2, SOCS3, CIS and IGF-I expression in breast cancer. We determined the mRNA expression levels of SOCS1, SOCS2, SOCS3, CIS and IGF-I in 89 primary breast cancers by reverse transcriptase PCR. SOCS2 protein expression was further evaluated by immuno-blot and immunohistochemistry. SOCS2 expression inversely correlated with histopathological grade and ER positive tumors exhibited higher SOCS2 levels. Patients with high SOCS2 expression lived significantly longer (108.7 vs. 77.7 months; P = 0.015) and high SOCS2 expression proved to be an independent predictor for good prognosis (HR = 0.45, 95% CI 0.23 – 0.91, P = 0.026). In analogy to SOCS2, high IGF-I expression was an independent predictor for good prognosis in the entire patient cohort. In the subgroup of patients with lymph-node negative disease, high IGF-I was a strong predictor for favorable outcome in terms of overall survival and relapse free survival (HR = 0.075, 95% CI 0.014 – 0.388, P = 0.002). This is the first report on the favorable prognostic value of high SOCS2 expression in primary mammary carcinomas. Furthermore a strong association of high IGF-I expression levels with good prognosis was observed especially in lymph-node negative patients. Our results suggest that high expression of the STAT5 target genes SOCS2 and IGF-I is a feature of differentiated and less malignant tumors

  20. Effects of endurance training on blood pressure, blood pressure-regulating mechanisms, and cardiovascular risk factors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cornelissen, Véronique A; Fagard, Robert H

    2005-10-01

    Previous meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials on the effects of chronic dynamic aerobic endurance training on blood pressure reported on resting blood pressure only. Our aim was to perform a comprehensive meta-analysis including resting and ambulatory blood pressure, blood pressure-regulating mechanisms, and concomitant cardiovascular risk factors. Inclusion criteria of studies were: random allocation to intervention and control; endurance training as the sole intervention; inclusion of healthy sedentary normotensive or hypertensive adults; intervention duration of > or =4 weeks; availability of systolic or diastolic blood pressure; and publication in a peer-reviewed journal up to December 2003. The meta-analysis involved 72 trials, 105 study groups, and 3936 participants. After weighting for the number of trained participants and using a random-effects model, training induced significant net reductions of resting and daytime ambulatory blood pressure of, respectively, 3.0/2.4 mm Hg (Phypertensive study groups (-6.9/-4.9) than in the others (-1.9/-1.6; Pendurance training decreases blood pressure through a reduction of vascular resistance, in which the sympathetic nervous system and the renin-angiotensin system appear to be involved, and favorably affects concomitant cardiovascular risk factors.

  1. Hypernuclear matter in strong magnetic field

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sinha, Monika [Institute for Theoretical Physics, J.W. Goethe-University, D-60438 Frankfurt am Main (Germany); Indian Institute of Technology Rajasthan, Old Residency Road, Ratanada, Jodhpur 342011 (India); Mukhopadhyay, Banibrata [Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012 (India); Sedrakian, Armen, E-mail: sedrakian@th.physik.uni-frankfurt.de [Institute for Theoretical Physics, J.W. Goethe-University, D-60438 Frankfurt am Main (Germany)

    2013-01-17

    Compact stars with strong magnetic fields (magnetars) have been observationally determined to have surface magnetic fields of order of 10{sup 14}–10{sup 15} G, the implied internal field strength being several orders larger. We study the equation of state and composition of dense hypernuclear matter in strong magnetic fields in a range expected in the interiors of magnetars. Within the non-linear Boguta–Bodmer–Walecka model we find that the magnetic field has sizable influence on the properties of matter for central magnetic field B⩾10{sup 17} G, in particular the matter properties become anisotropic. Moreover, for the central fields B⩾10{sup 18} G, the magnetized hypernuclear matter shows instability, which is signalled by the negative sign of the derivative of the pressure parallel to the field with respect to the density, and leads to vanishing parallel pressure at the critical value B{sub cr}≃10{sup 19} G. This limits the range of admissible homogeneously distributed fields in magnetars to fields below the critical value B{sub cr}.

  2. Rethinking spontaneous giving: Extreme time pressure and ego-depletion favor self-regarding reactions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Capraro, Valerio; Cococcioni, Giorgia

    2016-06-02

    Previous experimental studies suggest that cooperation in one-shot anonymous interactions is, on average, spontaneous, rather than calculative. To explain this finding, it has been proposed that people internalize cooperative heuristics in their everyday life and bring them as intuitive strategies in new and atypical situations. Yet, these studies have important limitations, as they promote intuitive responses using weak time pressure or conceptual priming of intuition. Since these manipulations do not deplete participants' ability to reason completely, it remains unclear whether cooperative heuristics are really automatic or they emerge after a small, but positive, amount of deliberation. Consistent with the latter hypothesis, we report two experiments demonstrating that spontaneous reactions in one-shot anonymous interactions tend to be egoistic. In doing so, our findings shed further light on the cognitive underpinnings of cooperation, as they suggest that cooperation in one-shot interactions is not automatic, but appears only at later stages of reasoning.

  3. Rethinking spontaneous giving: Extreme time pressure and ego-depletion favor self-regarding reactions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Capraro, Valerio; Cococcioni, Giorgia

    2016-01-01

    Previous experimental studies suggest that cooperation in one-shot anonymous interactions is, on average, spontaneous, rather than calculative. To explain this finding, it has been proposed that people internalize cooperative heuristics in their everyday life and bring them as intuitive strategies in new and atypical situations. Yet, these studies have important limitations, as they promote intuitive responses using weak time pressure or conceptual priming of intuition. Since these manipulations do not deplete participants’ ability to reason completely, it remains unclear whether cooperative heuristics are really automatic or they emerge after a small, but positive, amount of deliberation. Consistent with the latter hypothesis, we report two experiments demonstrating that spontaneous reactions in one-shot anonymous interactions tend to be egoistic. In doing so, our findings shed further light on the cognitive underpinnings of cooperation, as they suggest that cooperation in one-shot interactions is not automatic, but appears only at later stages of reasoning. PMID:27251762

  4. Preconception Blood Pressure Levels and Reproductive Outcomes in a Prospective Cohort of Women Attempting Pregnancy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nobles, Carrie J; Mendola, Pauline; Mumford, Sunni L; Naimi, Ashley I; Yeung, Edwina H; Kim, Keewan; Park, Hyojun; Wilcox, Brian; Silver, Robert M; Perkins, Neil J; Sjaarda, Lindsey; Schisterman, Enrique F

    2018-05-01

    Elevated blood pressure in young adulthood is an early risk marker for cardiovascular disease. Despite a strong biological rationale, little research has evaluated whether incremental increases in preconception blood pressure have early consequences for reproductive health. We evaluated preconception blood pressure and fecundability, pregnancy loss, and live birth in the EAGeR trial (Effects of Aspirin on Gestational and Reproduction; 2007-2011), a randomized clinical trial of aspirin and reproductive outcomes among 1228 women attempting pregnancy with a history of pregnancy loss. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure were measured during preconception in the first observed menstrual cycle and in early pregnancy and used to derive mean arterial pressure. Fecundability was assessed as number of menstrual cycles until pregnancy, determined through human chorionic gonadotropin testing. Pregnancy loss included both human chorionic gonadotropin-detected and clinical losses. Analyses adjusted for treatment assignment, age, body mass index, race, marital status, smoking, parity, and time since last loss. Mean preconception systolic and diastolic blood pressure were 111.6 mm Hg (SD, 12.1) and 72.5 (SD, 9.4) mm Hg. Risk of pregnancy loss increased 18% per 10 mm Hg increase in diastolic blood pressure (95% confidence interval, 1.03-1.36) and 17% per 10 mm Hg increase in mean arterial pressure (95% confidence interval, 1.02-1.35) in adjusted analyses. Findings were similar for early pregnancy blood pressure. Preconception blood pressure was not related to fecundability or live birth in adjusted analyses. Findings suggest that preconception blood pressure among healthy women is associated with pregnancy loss, and lifestyle interventions targeting blood pressure among young women may favorably impact reproductive health. URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00467363. © 2018 American Heart Association, Inc.

  5. Quasi-dynamic pressure and temperature

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zaug, J M.; Farber, D L; Blosch, L L; Craig, I M; Hansen, D W; Aracne-Ruddle, C M; Shuh, D K

    1998-01-01

    The phase transformation of(beta)-HMX ( and lt; 0.5% RDX) to the(delta) phase has been studied for over twenty years and more recently with an optically sensitive second harmonic generation technique. Shock studies of the plastic binder composites of HMX have indicated that the transition is perhaps irreversible, a result that concurs with the static pressure results published by F. Goetz et al.[l] in 1978. However the stability field favors the(beta) polymorph over(delta) as pressure is increased (up to 5.4 GPa) along any sensible isotherm. In this experiment strict control of pressure and temperature is maintained while x-ray and optical diagnostics are applied to monitor the conformational dynamics of HMX. Unlike the temperature induced(beta) - and gt;(delta) transition, the pressure induced is heterogeneous in nature. The room pressure and temperature(delta) - and gt;(beta) transition is not immediate although it seems to occur over tens of hours. Transition points and kinetics are path dependent and so this paper describes our work in progress

  6. Colonization of a territory by a stochastic population under a strong Allee effect and a low immigration pressure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Be'er, Shay; Assaf, Michael; Meerson, Baruch

    2015-06-01

    We study the dynamics of colonization of a territory by a stochastic population at low immigration pressure. We assume a sufficiently strong Allee effect that introduces, in deterministic theory, a large critical population size for colonization. At low immigration rates, the average precolonization population size is small, thus invalidating the WKB approximation to the master equation. We circumvent this difficulty by deriving an exact zero-flux solution of the master equation and matching it with an approximate nonzero-flux solution of the pertinent Fokker-Planck equation in a small region around the critical population size. This procedure provides an accurate evaluation of the quasistationary probability distribution of population sizes in the precolonization state and of the mean time to colonization, for a wide range of immigration rates. At sufficiently high immigration rates our results agree with WKB results obtained previously. At low immigration rates the results can be very different.

  7. Equation of state of strange quark matter in a strong magnetic field

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Isayev, A.A.; Yang, J.

    2012-01-01

    Thermodynamic properties of strange quark matter (SQM) in strong magnetic fields H up to 10 20 G are considered at zero temperature within the MIT bag model. The effects of the pressure anisotropy, exhibiting in the difference between the pressures along and perpendicular to the field direction, become essential at H>H t h , with the estimate 10 17 t h 18 G. The longitudinal pressure vanishes in the critical field H c , which can be somewhat less or larger than 10 18 G, depending on the total baryon number density and bag pressure. As a result, the longitudinal instability occurs in strongly magnetized SQM. The appearance of such instability sets the upper bound on the magnetic field strength which can be reached in the interior of a neutron star with the quark core. The longitudinal and transverse pressures as well as the anisotropic equation of state of SQM are determined under the conditions relevant for the cores of magnetars

  8. Spherical strong-shock generation for shock-ignition inertial fusion

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Theobald, W.; Seka, W.; Lafon, M.; Anderson, K. S.; Hohenberger, M.; Marshall, F. J.; Michel, D. T.; Solodov, A. A.; Stoeckl, C.; Edgell, D. H.; Yaakobi, B.; Shvydky, A. [Laboratory for Laser Energetics and Fusion Science Center, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14623 (United States); Nora, R.; Betti, R. [Laboratory for Laser Energetics and Fusion Science Center, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14623 (United States); Department of Mechanical Engineering and Department of Physics, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14623 (United States); Casner, A.; Reverdin, C. [CEA, DAM, DIF, F-91297 Arpajon (France); Ribeyre, X.; Vallet, A. [Université de Bordeaux-CNRS-CEA, CELIA (Centre Lasers Intenses et Applications) UMR 5107 F-33400 Talence (France); Peebles, J.; Beg, F. N. [University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093 (United States); and others

    2015-05-15

    Recent experiments on the Laboratory for Laser Energetics' OMEGA laser have been carried out to produce strong shocks in solid spherical targets with direct laser illumination. The shocks are launched at pressures of several hundred Mbars and reach Gbar upon convergence. The results are relevant to the validation of the shock-ignition scheme and to the development of an OMEGA experimental platform to study material properties at Gbar pressures. The experiments investigate the strength of the ablation pressure and the hot-electron production at incident laser intensities of ∼2 to 6 × 10{sup 15 }W/cm{sup 2} and demonstrate ablation pressures exceeding 300 Mbar, which is crucial to developing a shock-ignition target design for the National Ignition Facility. The timing of the x-ray flash from shock convergence in the center of the solid plastic target is used to infer the ablation and shock pressures. Laser–plasma instabilities produce hot-electrons with a moderate temperature (<100 keV). The instantaneous conversion efficiencies of laser power into hot-electron power reached up to ∼15% in the intensity spike. The large amount of hot electrons is correlated with an earlier x-ray flash and a strong increase in its magnitude. This suggests that hot electrons contribute to the augmentation of the shock strength.

  9. Fracture risk assessment for the pressurized water reactor pressure vessel under pressurized thermal shock events

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chou, Hsoung-Wei; Huang, Chin-Cheng

    2016-01-01

    Highlight: • The PTS loading conditions consistent with the USNRC's new PTS rule are applied as the loading condition for a Taiwan domestic PWR. • The state-of-the-art PFM technique is employed to analyze a reactor pressure vessel. • Novel flaw model and embrittlement correlation are considered in the study. • The RT-based regression formula of NUREG-1874 was also utilized to evaluate the failure risks of RPV. • For slightly embrittled RPV, the SO-1 type PTSs play more important role than other types of PTS. - Abstract: The fracture risk of the pressurized water reactor pressure vessel of a Taiwan domestic nuclear power plant has been evaluated according to the technical basis of the U.S.NRC's new pressurized thermal shock (PTS) screening criteria. The ORNL's FAVOR code and the PNNL's flaw models were employed to perform the probabilistic fracture mechanics analysis associated with plant specific parameters of the domestic reactor pressure vessel. Meanwhile, the PTS thermal hydraulic and probabilistic risk assessment data analyzed from a similar nuclear power plant in the United States for establishing the new PTS rule were applied as the loading conditions. Besides, an RT-based regression formula derived by the U.S.NRC was also utilized to verify the through-wall cracking frequencies. It is found that the through-wall cracking of the analyzed reactor pressure vessel only occurs during the PTS events resulted from the stuck-open primary safety relief valves that later reclose, but with only an insignificant failure risk. The results indicate that the Taiwan domestic PWR pressure vessel has sufficient structural margin for the PTS attack until either the current license expiration dates or during the proposed extended operation periods.

  10. A Favorable Course of Palliative Sedation: Searching for Indicators Using Caregivers' Perspectives

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Brinkkemper, T.; Rietjens, J.A.C.; Deliens, L.; Ribbe, M.W.; Swart, S.J.; Loer, S.A.; Zuurmond, W.W.A.; Perez, R.S.G.M.

    2015-01-01

    Objective:Comparing characteristics of a favorable sedation course during palliative sedation to a less favorable course based on the reports Dutch physicians and nurses.Results:Cases identified as having a favorable sedation course less often concerned a male patient (P = .019 nurses' cases),

  11. Exploring high-pressure FeB{sub 2}: Structural and electronic properties predictions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Harran, Ismail [School of Physical Science and Technology, Key Laboratory of Advanced Technologies of Materials, Ministry of Education of China, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, 610031 (China); Al Fashir University (Sudan); Wang, Hongyan [School of Physical Science and Technology, Key Laboratory of Advanced Technologies of Materials, Ministry of Education of China, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, 610031 (China); Chen, Yuanzheng, E-mail: cyz@calypso.org.cn [School of Physical Science and Technology, Key Laboratory of Advanced Technologies of Materials, Ministry of Education of China, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, 610031 (China); Jia, Mingzhen [School of Physical Science and Technology, Key Laboratory of Advanced Technologies of Materials, Ministry of Education of China, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, 610031 (China); Wu, Nannan [School of Mathematics, Physics and Biological Engineering, Inner Mongolia University of Science & Technology, Baotou, 014010 (China)

    2016-09-05

    The high pressure (HP) structural phase of FeB{sub 2} compound is investigated by using first-principles crystal structure prediction based on the CALYPSO technique. A thermodynamically stable phase of FeB{sub 2} with space group Imma is predicted at pressure above 225 GPa, which is characterized by a layered orthorhombic structure containing puckered graphite-like boron layers. Its electronic and mechanical properties are identified and analyzed. The feature of band structures favors the occurrence of superconductivity, whereas, the calculated Pugh's ratio reveals that the HP Imma structure exhibits ductile mechanical property. - Highlights: • The high pressure structural phase of FeB{sub 2} compound is firstly investigated by the CALYPSO technique. • A thermodynamically stable Imma phase of FeB{sub 2} is predicted at pressure above 225 GPa. • The Imma structure is characterized by a 2D boron network containing puckered graphite-like boron layers. • The band feature of Imma structure favors the occurrence of superconductivity. • The calculated Pugh's ratio suggests that the Imma structure exhibits ductile mechanical property.

  12. Pressure effect on the structural transition of liquid Au

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Yanning; Wang Li; Wang Weimin; Liu Xiangfa; Tian Xuelei; Zhang Peng

    2004-01-01

    We present a molecular dynamics simulation within the framework of empirical tight-binding potential on the liquid structure of Au under different pressures during the rapid cooling process. The pair correlation function (PCF) and the pair analysis (PA) technique are used to reveal the structural characteristics of liquid Au under normal and high pressures. The split of the second peak of g(r) is associated with the glass transition at the cooling rate of 2.06x10 13 K/s under different pressures. The nearest distance is shortened under high pressures. High-pressure is in favor of FCC-type and BCC-type atomic clusters. The number of icosahedral structures increases in the high temperature region as pressure increase, while high-pressure is not preferable for icosahedra at low temperature. With the increase of the pressure, the possibility that the system forms crystalline structure is enhanced. The influence of a higher pressure on the microstructure of liquid metal is much clearer than that of a lower pressure

  13. Consistent Dalitz plot analysis of Cabibbo-favored D+ → K bar ππ+ decays

    Science.gov (United States)

    Niecknig, Franz; Kubis, Bastian

    2018-05-01

    We resume the study of the Cabibbo-favored charmed-meson decays D+ → K bar ππ+ in a dispersive framework that satisfies unitarity, analyticity, and crossing symmetry by construction. The formalism explicitly describes the strong final-state interactions between all three decay products and relies on pion-pion and pion-kaon phase shift input. For the first time, we show that the D+ →KSπ0π+ Dalitz plot obtained by the BESIII collaboration as well as the D+ →K-π+π+ Dalitz plot data by CLEO and FOCUS can be described consistently, exploiting the isospin relation between the two coupled decay channels that provides better constraints on the subtraction constants.

  14. High pressure dielectric studies on the structural and orientational glass.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaminska, E; Tarnacka, M; Jurkiewicz, K; Kaminski, K; Paluch, M

    2016-02-07

    High pressure dielectric studies on the H-bonded liquid D-glucose and Orientationally Disordered Crystal (ODIC) 1,6-anhydro-D-glucose (levoglucosan) were carried out. It was shown that in both compounds, the structural relaxation is weakly sensitive to compression. It is well reflected in the low pressure coefficient of the glass transition and orientational glass transition temperatures which is equal to 60 K/GPa for both D-glucose and 1,6-anhydro-D-glucose. Although it should be noted that ∂Tg(0)/∂p evaluated for the latter compound seems to be enormously high with respect to other systems forming ODIC phase. We also found that the shape of the α-loss peak stays constant for the given relaxation time independently on the thermodynamic condition. Consequently, the Time Temperature Pressure (TTP) rule is satisfied. This experimental finding seems to be quite intriguing since the TTP rule was shown to work well in the van der Waals liquids, while in the strongly associating compounds, it is very often violated. We have also demonstrated that the sensitivity of the structural relaxation process to the temperature change measured by the steepness index (mp) drops with pressure. Interestingly, this change is much more significant in the case of D-glucose with respect to levoglucosan, where the fragility changes only slightly with compression. Finally, kinetics of ODIC-crystal phase transition was studied at high compression. It is worth mentioning that in the recent paper, Tombari and Johari [J. Chem. Phys. 142, 104501 (2015)] have shown that ODIC phase in 1,6-anhydro-D-glucose is stable in the wide range of temperatures and there is no tendency to form more ordered phase at ambient pressure. On the other hand, our isochronal measurements performed at varying thermodynamic conditions indicated unquestionably that the application of pressure favors solid (ODIC)-solid (crystal) transition in 1,6-anhydro-D-glucose. This result mimics the impact of pressure on the

  15. The enhanced local pressure model for the accurate analysis of fluid pressure driven fracture in porous materials

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Remij, E.W.; Remmers, J.J.C.; Huyghe, J.M.R.J.; Smeulders, D.M.J.

    2015-01-01

    In this paper, we present an enhanced local pressure model for modelling fluid pressure driven fractures in porous saturated materials. Using the partition-of-unity property of finite element shape functions, we describe the displacement and pressure fields across the fracture as a strong

  16. Novel Pressure-Sensing Smart Insole System Used for the Prevention of Pressure Ulceration in the Insensate Foot

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Allyson R. Alfonso, BS, BA

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Summary:. Wounds of the foot challenge reconstructive surgeons to manage multiple factors: sensibility, stability, and durability. In this article, we focus on the insensate foot, which poses challenges to wound prevention with its propensity to develop pressure ulceration. The authors present the innovative use of a pressure-sensing smart insole system (SurroSense Rx, Orpyx Medical Technologies Inc., Calgary, Canada in the management of the insensate foot in a patient following foot reconstruction. The pressure-sensing smart insole system provided unique feedback to both patient and provider in ways that contributed to the prevention of pressure ulcer recurrence, as well as highlight the importance of prescribed footwear in both the affected and unaffected foot. Wearable real-time monitoring and feedback faces the challenge of patient adherence. Future studies are indicated to examine the specific behaviors that are associated with favorable outcomes and long-term behavior changes.

  17. 45 CFR 73.735-502 - Permissible acceptance of gifts, entertainment, and favors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... acceptance of gifts, entertainment, and favors. (a) An employee may accept a gift, gratuity, favor, entertainment, loan or similar favor of monetary value which stems from a family relationship such as that between the employee and his or her parents, spouse or children, if it is clear that the relationship is...

  18. Favoring the unfavored: Selective electrochemical nitrogen fixation using a reticular chemistry approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Hiang Kwee; Koh, Charlynn Sher Lin; Lee, Yih Hong; Liu, Chong; Phang, In Yee; Han, Xuemei; Tsung, Chia-Kuang; Ling, Xing Yi

    2018-03-01

    Electrochemical nitrogen-to-ammonia fixation is emerging as a sustainable strategy to tackle the hydrogen- and energy-intensive operations by Haber-Bosch process for ammonia production. However, current electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) progress is impeded by overwhelming competition from the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) across all traditional NRR catalysts and the requirement for elevated temperature/pressure. We achieve both excellent NRR selectivity (~90%) and a significant boost to Faradic efficiency by 10 percentage points even at ambient operations by coating a superhydrophobic metal-organic framework (MOF) layer over the NRR electrocatalyst. Our reticular chemistry approach exploits MOF's water-repelling and molecular-concentrating effects to overcome HER-imposed bottlenecks, uncovering the unprecedented electrochemical features of NRR critical for future theoretical studies. By favoring the originally unfavored NRR, we envisage our electrocatalytic design as a starting point for high-performance nitrogen-to-ammonia electroconversion directly from water vapor-abundant air to address increasing global demand of ammonia in (bio)chemical and energy industries.

  19. Favorable prognostic value of SOCS2 and IGF-I in breast cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daxenbichler Günter

    2007-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Suppressor of cytokine signaling (SOCS proteins comprise a protein family, which has initially been described as STAT induced inhibitors of the Jak/Stat pathway. Recent in vivo and in vitro studies suggest that SOCS proteins are also implicated in cancer. The STAT5 induced IGF-I acts as an endocrine and para/autocrine growth and differentiation factor in mammary gland development. Whereas high levels of circulating IGF-I have been associated with increased cancer risk, the role of autocrine acting IGF-I is less clear. The present study is aimed to elucidate the clinicopathological features associated with SOCS1, SOCS2, SOCS3, CIS and IGF-I expression in breast cancer. Methods We determined the mRNA expression levels of SOCS1, SOCS2, SOCS3, CIS and IGF-I in 89 primary breast cancers by reverse transcriptase PCR. SOCS2 protein expression was further evaluated by immuno-blot and immunohistochemistry. Results SOCS2 expression inversely correlated with histopathological grade and ER positive tumors exhibited higher SOCS2 levels. Patients with high SOCS2 expression lived significantly longer (108.7 vs. 77.7 months; P = 0.015 and high SOCS2 expression proved to be an independent predictor for good prognosis (HR = 0.45, 95% CI 0.23 – 0.91, P = 0.026. In analogy to SOCS2, high IGF-I expression was an independent predictor for good prognosis in the entire patient cohort. In the subgroup of patients with lymph-node negative disease, high IGF-I was a strong predictor for favorable outcome in terms of overall survival and relapse free survival (HR = 0.075, 95% CI 0.014 – 0.388, P = 0.002. Conclusion This is the first report on the favorable prognostic value of high SOCS2 expression in primary mammary carcinomas. Furthermore a strong association of high IGF-I expression levels with good prognosis was observed especially in lymph-node negative patients. Our results suggest that high expression of the STAT5 target genes SOCS2 and IGF

  20. Modeling, Parameters Identification, and Control of High Pressure Fuel Cell Back-Pressure Valve

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fengxiang Chen

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The reactant pressure is crucial to the efficiency and lifespan of a high pressure PEMFC engine. This paper analyses a regulated back-pressure valve (BPV for the cathode outlet flow in a high pressure PEMFC engine, which can achieve precisely pressure control. The modeling, parameters identification, and nonlinear controller design of a BPV system are considered. The identified parameters are used in designing active disturbance rejection controller (ADRC. Simulations and extensive experiments are conducted with the xPC Target and show that the proposed controller can not only achieve good dynamic and static performance but also have strong robustness against parameters’ disturbance and external disturbance.

  1. A favorable course of palliative sedation: searching for indicators using caregivers' perspectives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brinkkemper, Tijn; Rietjens, Judith A C; Deliens, Luc; Ribbe, Miel W; Swart, Siebe J; Loer, Stephan A; Zuurmond, Wouter W A; Perez, Roberto S G M

    2015-03-01

    Comparing characteristics of a favorable sedation course during palliative sedation to a less favorable course based on the reports Dutch physicians and nurses. Cases identified as having a favorable sedation course less often concerned a male patient (P = .019 nurses' cases), reached the intended sedation depth significantly quicker (P sedation (P = .015 physicians' cases), and had a shorter total duration of sedation compared (P sedation course. A favorable course during palliative sedation seems more probable when health care professionals report on a (relatively) shorter time to reach the required depth of sedation and when a deeper level of sedation can be obtained. © The Author(s) 2013.

  2. Increases in cerebrospinal fluid caffeine concentration are associated with favorable outcome after severe traumatic brain injury in humans

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sachse, Kathleen T; Jackson, Edwin K; Wisniewski, Stephen R; Gillespie, Delbert G; Puccio, Ava M; Clark, Robert SB; Dixon, C Edward; Kochanek, Patrick M

    2013-01-01

    Caffeine, the most widely consumed psychoactive drug and a weak adenosine receptor antagonist, can be neuroprotective or neurotoxic depending on the experimental model or neurologic disorder. However, its contribution to pathophysiology and outcome in traumatic brain injury (TBI) in humans is undefined. We assessed serial cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) concentrations of caffeine and its metabolites (theobromine, paraxanthine, and theophylline) by high-pressure liquid chromatography/ultraviolet in 97 ventricular CSF samples from an established bank, from 30 adults with severe TBI. We prospectively selected a threshold caffeine level of ≥1 μmol/L (194 ng/mL) as clinically significant. Demographics, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score, admission blood alcohol level, and 6-month dichotomized Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) score were assessed. Mean time from injury to initial CSF sampling was 10.77±3.13 h. On initial sampling, caffeine was detected in 24 of 30 patients, and the threshold was achieved in 9 patients. Favorable GOS was seen more often in patients with CSF caffeine concentration ≥ versus theobromine and paraxanthine were also associated with favorable outcome (P = 0.018 and 0.056, respectively). Caffeine and its metabolites are commonly detected in CSF in patients with severe TBI and in an exploratory assessment are associated with favorable outcome. We speculate that caffeine may be neuroprotective by long-term upregulation of adenosine A1 receptors or acute inhibition of A2a receptors. PMID:17684518

  3. Cordilleran metamorphic core complexes and their uranium favorability

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Coney, P.J.; Reynolds, S.J.

    1980-11-01

    The objective of this report is to provide a descriptive body of knowledge on Cordilleran metamorphic core complexes including their lithologic and structural characteristics, their distribution within the Cordillera, and their evolutionary history and tectonic setting. The occurrence of uranium in the context of possibility for uranium concentration is also examined. This volume contains appendices of the following: annotated bibliography of Cordilleran metamorphic core complexes; annotated bibliography of the uranium favorability of Cordilleran metamorphic core complexes; uranium occurrences in the Cordilleran metamorphic core complex belt; and geology, uranium favorability, uranium occurrences and tectonic maps of individual Cordilleran metamorphic core complexes; and locations, lithologic descriptions, petrographic information and analytical data for geochemical samples

  4. Pressure drop-flow rate curves for single-phase steam in Combustion Engineering type steam generator U-tubes during severe accidents

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fynan, Douglas A.; Ahn, Kwang-Il, E-mail: kiahn@kaeri.re.kr

    2016-12-15

    Highlights: • Pressure drop-flow rate curves for superheated steam in U-tubes were generated. • Forward flow of hot steam is favored in the longer and taller U-tubes. • Reverse flow of cold steam is favored in short U-tubes. • Steam generator U-tube bundle geometry and tube diameter are important. • Need for correlation development for natural convention heat transfer coefficient. - Abstract: Characteristic pressure drop-flow rate curves are generated for all row numbers of the OPR1000 steam generators (SGs), representative of Combustion Engineering (CE) type SGs featuring square bend U-tubes. The pressure drop-flow rate curves are applicable to severe accident natural circulations of single-phase superheated steam during high pressure station blackout sequences with failed auxiliary feedwater and dry secondary side which are closely related to the thermally induced steam generator tube rupture event. The pressure drop-flow rate curves which determine the recirculation rate through the SG tubes are dependent on the tube bundle geometry and hydraulic diameter of the tubes. The larger CE type SGs have greater variation of tube length and height as a function of row number with forward flow of steam favored in the longer and taller high row number tubes and reverse flow favored in the short low row number tubes. Friction loss, natural convection heat transfer coefficients, and temperature differentials from the primary to secondary side are dominant parameters affecting the recirculation rate. The need for correlation development for natural convection heat transfer coefficients for external flow over tube bundles currently not modeled in system codes is discussed.

  5. Nutrients, High Light and Shallow Depths Favor the Expansion of the Brown Macroalgae Turbinaria ornata in the Coral Reefs of Mo'orea, French Polynesia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nieves, M.; Cordoba, G.; Rogers, J.

    2016-02-01

    Coral reefs provide food, recreation and economic resources for billions of people. Despite this importance, anthropogenic stressors including climate change and nutrification threaten coral reefs globally, causing phase-shifts to algal dominated ecosystems and loss of coral habitats. Throughout the tropical South Pacific, the brown macroalgae Turbinaria ornata is expanding its range and now dominates areas where corals used to thrive, especially shallow areas on fringing reefs of French Polynesia. Abiotic factors like light and nutrient availability could enhance the expansion of T. ornata by promoting its growth or by making it physically tougher, which could reduce herbivory pressure and enhance its survival in high energy zones. To understand the abiotic factors favoring growth and survival of T. ornata in Mo'orea, French Polynesia, we conducted a field experiment testing the effect of nutrients (+/- fertilizer), depth (1m within Turbinaria zone, 1.5m at border, 2m below depth distribution), and light (+/- shade) on the growth and toughness of T. ornata. Three-factor ANOVA showed that an interaction between nutrients and light favored T. ornata biomass accumulation (p=0.04). In addition, T. ornata from shallow depths were significantly tougher than those at intermediate depths (p=0.01). These results imply that nutrient enrichment combined with high light levels common in shallow coral reefs may promote growth and expansion of T. ornata to near-shore reef environments. Increased survival and population growth is likely further enhanced by increased toughness of T. ornata in shallow areas, which may limit herbivore grazing and improve survival in strong wave action or currents. Future research should examine whether reducing nutrient loading to coastal waters may limit the expansion of T. ornata in the South Pacific.

  6. Simulation Analysis of Computer-Controlled pressurization for Mixture Ratio Control

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alexander, Leslie A.; Bishop-Behel, Karen; Benfield, Michael P. J.; Kelley, Anthony; Woodcock, Gordon R.

    2005-01-01

    A procedural code (C++) simulation was developed to investigate potentials for mixture ratio control of pressure-fed spacecraft rocket propulsion systems by measuring propellant flows, tank liquid quantities, or both, and using feedback from these measurements to adjust propellant tank pressures to set the correct operating mixture ratio for minimum propellant residuals. The pressurization system eliminated mechanical regulators in favor of a computer-controlled, servo- driven throttling valve. We found that a quasi-steady state simulation (pressure and flow transients in the pressurization systems resulting from changes in flow control valve position are ignored) is adequate for this purpose. Monte-Carlo methods are used to obtain simulated statistics on propellant depletion. Mixture ratio control algorithms based on proportional-integral-differential (PID) controller methods were developed. These algorithms actually set target tank pressures; the tank pressures are controlled by another PID controller. Simulation indicates this approach can provide reductions in residual propellants.

  7. Pairing from strong repulsion in triangular lattice Hubbard model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Shang-Shun; Zhu, Wei; Batista, Cristian D.

    2018-04-01

    We propose a pairing mechanism between holes in the dilute limit of doped frustrated Mott insulators. Hole pairing arises from a hole-hole-magnon three-body bound state. This pairing mechanism has its roots on single-hole kinetic energy frustration, which favors antiferromagnetic (AFM) correlations around the hole. We demonstrate that the AFM polaron (hole-magnon bound state) produced by a single hole propagating on a field-induced polarized background is strong enough to bind a second hole. The effective interaction between these three-body bound states is repulsive, implying that this pairing mechanism is relevant for superconductivity.

  8. Strong to fragile transition in a model of liquid silica

    OpenAIRE

    Barrat, Jean-Louis; Badro, James; Gillet, Philippe

    1996-01-01

    The transport properties of an ionic model for liquid silica at high temperatures and pressure are investigated using molecular dynamics simulations. With increasing pressure, a clear change from "strong" to "fragile" behaviour (according to Angell's classification of glass-forming liquids) is observed, albeit only on the small viscosity range that can be explored in MD simulations.. This change is related to structural changes, from an almost perfect four-fold coordination to an imperfect fi...

  9. Competition favors elk over beaver in a riparian willow ecosystem

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baker, B.W.; Peinetti, H.R.; Coughenour, M.C.; Johnson, T.L.

    2012-01-01

    Beaver (Castor spp.) conservation requires an understanding of their complex interactions with competing herbivores. Simulation modeling offers a controlled environment to examine long-term dynamics in ecosystems driven by uncontrollable variables. We used a new version of the SAVANNA ecosystem model to investigate beaver (C. Canadensis) and elk (Cervus elapses) competition for willow (Salix spp.). We initialized the model with field data from Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, USA, to simulate a 4-ha riparian ecosystem containing beaver, elk, and willow. We found beaver persisted indefinitely when elk density was or = 30 elk km_2. The loss of tall willow preceded rapid beaver declines, thus willow condition may predict beaver population trajectory in natural environments. Beaver were able to persist with slightly higher elk densities if beaver alternated their use of foraging sites in a rest-rotation pattern rather than maintained continuous use. Thus, we found asymmetrical competition for willow strongly favored elk over beaver in a simulated montane ecosystem. Finally, we discuss application of the SAVANNA model and mechanisms of competition relative to beaver persistence as metapopulations, ecological resistance and alternative state models, and ecosystem regulation.

  10. School Psychologists' Management of Administrative Pressure to Practice Unethically

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boccio, Dana E.; Weisz, Gaston; Lefkowitz, Rebecca

    2016-01-01

    In their role as child advocates, school psychologists strive to promote policies and practices that increase the availability of necessary academic and mental health services and enhance the well-being of children. However, administrative pressure to disregard ethical and legal mandates in favor of decisions that would prioritize the needs of the…

  11. Menor valor: ¿oferta más favorable?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Iván Alirio Ramírez Rusinque

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available La más importante transformación establecida por la Ley 1150 de 2007 en la contratación estatal radicó en la determinación del menor valor como la oferta más favorable para las entidades estatales, cuando se trate de la adquisición o suministro de bienes y servicios de características técnicas uniformes y de común utilización. Por ello, reviste de gran importancia realizar un análisis desde el punto de vista jurídico y normativo, que permita establecer si la mutación sufrida al concepto de oferta más favorable trajo consigo los fines perseguidos por la reforma, o en su defecto fue perjudicial la solución, al afectar el deber de selección objetiva, los principios de la contratación estatal de igualdad, eficacia, transparencia, planeación y equilibrio financiero del contrato y el principio constitucional de la libre competencia. Para de esta forma establecer si el modelo del menor valor como criterio de la oferta más favorable resulta eficiente jurídicamente en el campo de la contratación estatal, y si las reglas establecidas en la actualidad permiten el desarrollo armónico del sistema establecido por la Ley 1150 de 2007.

  12. Job-related resources and the pressures of working life.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schieman, Scott

    2013-03-01

    Data from a 2011 representative sample of Canadian workers are used to test the resource versus the stress of higher status hypotheses. Drawing on the Job Demands-Resources model (JD-R), the resource hypothesis predicts that job-related resources reduce job pressure. The stress of higher status hypothesis predicts that job-related resources increase job pressure. Findings tend to favor the resource hypothesis for job autonomy and schedule control, while supporting the stress of higher status for job authority and challenging work. These findings help elaborate on the "resource" concept in the JD-R model and identify unique ways that such resources might contribute to the pressures of working life. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Ammonia Synthesis at Low Pressure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cussler, Edward; McCormick, Alon; Reese, Michael; Malmali, Mahdi

    2017-08-23

    Ammonia can be synthesized at low pressure by the use of an ammonia selective absorbent. The process can be driven with wind energy, available locally in areas requiring ammonia for synthetic fertilizer. Such wind energy is often called "stranded," because it is only available far from population centers where it can be directly used. In the proposed low pressure process, nitrogen is made from air using pressure swing absorption, and hydrogen is produced by electrolysis of water. While these gases can react at approximately 400 °C in the presence of a promoted conventional catalyst, the conversion is often limited by the reverse reaction, which makes this reaction only feasible at high pressures. This limitation can be removed by absorption on an ammine-like calcium or magnesium chloride. Such alkaline metal halides can effectively remove ammonia, thus suppressing the equilibrium constraints of the reaction. In the proposed absorption-enhanced ammonia synthesis process, the rate of reaction may then be controlled not by the chemical kinetics nor the absorption rates, but by the rate of the recycle of unreacted gases. The results compare favorably with ammonia made from a conventional small scale Haber-Bosch process.

  14. A generalização a partir do tratamento com fricativas: ambientes favoráveis versus ambientes pouco favoráveis e neutros The generalization through the treatment with fricatives: favorable environments versus unfavorable and neutral environments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fernanda Marafiga Wiethan

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar e comparar a ocorrência e os tipos de generalização observados a partir do tratamento das fricativas /z/, /ζ/ e /k/ em dois grupos de crianças, um utilizando palavras com contextos fonológicos favoráveis e outro os contextos pouco favoráveis e neutros. Seis crianças com desvio fonológico e idades entre 4:7 e 7:8 participaram do estudo com a autorização dos responsáveis. Realizaram-se avaliações fonoaudiológicas e complementares para o diagnóstico do desvio fonológico. Os sujeitos foram pareados de acordo com a gravidade do desvio, sexo, faixa etária e aspectos do sistema fonológico em relação aos fonemas alterados. Metade das crianças foi tratada com palavras em que os fonemas /z/, /ζ/ e /k/ encontravam-se em ambientes fonológicos favoráveis e a outra metade com ambientes pouco favoráveis e neutros. Foram realizadas oito sessões e, após estas, nova avaliação de fala foi realizada para verificar os tipos de generalização obtidos. Os percentuais de generalizações foram comparados entre os grupos por meio do teste estatístico de Mann-Whitney (pThe aim of this study was to analyze and compare the occurrence and the types of generalization observed through the treatment of the fricatives /z/, /ζ/ and /k/ in two groups of children, one using words with favorable phonological contexts and another with unfavorable and neutral contexts. Six children with phonological disorder between 4:7 and 7:8 year-old participated in the study, with their parents' authorization. There were speech-language and complementary evaluations to diagnose the phonological disorder. The subjects were matched according to the severity of the phonological disorder, sex, age and aspects of the phonological system in relation to the altered phonemes. Half the children were treated with words in which the phonemes /z/, /ζ/ and /k/ were in favorable phonological environments and the other half with unfavorable

  15. Evolution of the Fermi surface of the strongly correlated f electron system under hydrostatic and uniaxial pressures

    CERN Document Server

    Aoki, H; Endo, M; Nakayama, M; Takei, H; Kimura, N; Kunii, S; Terashima, T; Uji, S; Matsumoto, T

    2002-01-01

    We report our recent developments of experimental systems for measuring the de Haas-van Alphen (dHvA) effect under hydrostatic and uniaxial pressures. The dHvA effect of CeB sub 6 has been studied under both hydrostatic and uniaxial pressures and the effects of the pressures on the electronic structure are discussed.

  16. The Mediterranean Diet Score Is More Strongly Associated with Favorable Cardiometabolic Risk Factors over 2 Years Than Other Diet Quality Indexes in Puerto Rican Adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mattei, Josiemer; Sotos-Prieto, Mercedes; Bigornia, Sherman J; Noel, Sabrina E; Tucker, Katherine L

    2017-04-01

    Background: Multiple diet quality scores have been used to evaluate adherence to specific dietary recommendations or to consumption of healthful foods and nutrients. It remains unknown which score can more strongly predict longitudinal changes in cardiometabolic risk factors. Objective: We aimed to determine associations of 5 diet quality scores [AHA diet score (AHA-DS), Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-2005, Mediterranean diet score (MeDS), and Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI)] with 2-y changes in cardiometabolic risk factors in adults 45-75 y old. Methods: Data from the Boston Puerto Rican Health Study were analyzed ( n = 1194). Diet quality scores were calculated from a baseline-validated food-frequency questionnaire. Multivariable-adjusted, repeated-subjects, mixed-effects models, adjusted for baseline measures, estimated associations between each z score and 14 individual cardiometabolic factors measured at 2 y. Results: MeDS was significantly associated with lower 2-y waist circumference (β coefficient ± SE: -0.52 ± 0.26, P = 0.048); body mass index (BMI; -0.23 ± 0.08, P = 0.005); log-insulin (-0.06 ± 0.02, P = 0.005); log-homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR; -0.05 ± 0.02, P = 0.030), and log-C-reactive protein (-0.13 ± 0.03, P = 0.0002). Similar but weaker associations were observed for the AHEI with BMI, insulin, and HOMA-IR. The AHA-DS was inversely associated with BMI (-0.17 ± 0.08, P = 0.033). Neither the HEI-2005 nor DASH was significantly associated with any variable. Traditional Puerto Rican foods consumed by individuals with high MeDSs included vegetables and meats in homemade soups, orange juice, oatmeal, beans and legumes, fish, whole milk, corn oil, and beer. Conclusions: The MeDS comprises food components and scores associated with a favorable cardiometabolic profile over 2 y in Puerto Rican adults. An overall healthy diet may be particularly beneficial for

  17. Evolutionary dynamics of fluctuating populations with strong mutualism

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chotibut, Thiparat; Nelson, David

    2013-03-01

    Evolutionary game theory with finite interacting populations is receiving increased attention, including subtle phenomena associated with number fluctuations, i.e., ``genetic drift.'' Models of cooperation and competition often utilize a simplified Moran model, with a strictly fixed total population size. We explore a more general evolutionary model with independent fluctuations in the numbers of two distinct species, in a regime characterized by ``strong mutualism.'' The model has two absorbing states, each corresponding to fixation of one of the two species, and allows exploration of the interplay between growth, competition, and mutualism. When mutualism is favored, number fluctuations eventually drive the system away from a stable fixed point, characterized by cooperation, to one of the absorbing states. Well-mixed populations will thus be taken over by a single species in a finite time, despite the bias towards cooperation. We calculate both the fixation probability and the mean fixation time as a function of the initial conditions and carrying capacities in the strong mutualism regime, using the method of matched asymptotic expansions. Our results are compared to computer simulations.

  18. Origins of pressure-induced protein transitions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chalikian, Tigran V; Macgregor, Robert B

    2009-12-18

    The molecular mechanisms underlying pressure-induced protein denaturation can be analyzed based on the pressure-dependent differences in the apparent volume occupied by amino acids inside the protein and when they are exposed to water in an unfolded conformation. We present here an analysis for the peptide group and the 20 naturally occurring amino acid side chains based on volumetric parameters for the amino acids in the interior of the native state, the micelle-like interior of the pressure-induced denatured state, and the unfolded conformation modeled by N-acetyl amino acid amides. The transfer of peptide groups from the protein interior to water becomes increasingly favorable as pressure increases. Thus, solvation of peptide groups represents a major driving force in pressure-induced protein denaturation. Polar side chains do not appear to exhibit significant pressure-dependent changes in their preference for the protein interior or solvent. The transfer of nonpolar side chains from the protein interior to water becomes more unfavorable as pressure increases. We conclude that a sizeable population of nonpolar side chains remains buried inside a solvent-inaccessible core of the pressure-induced denatured state. At elevated pressures, this core may become packed almost as tightly as the interior of the native state. The presence and partial disappearance of large intraglobular voids is another driving force facilitating pressure-induced denaturation of individual proteins. Our data also have implications for the kinetics of protein folding and shed light on the nature of the folding transition state ensemble.

  19. Not a mystery. Inner containment of the pressurized water reactor (EPR trademark type)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ostermann, Dirk; Wienand, Burkhard; Krumb, Christian [AREVA NP GmbH (Germany)

    2012-11-01

    The containment of the advanced pressurized water reactor EPR trademark type is developed on the basis of the French nuclear power plant operational experience and consists of - The reinforced outer containment structure, designed to withstand external hazards (e.g. APC), - The pre-stressed inner containment structure, designed to bear the loads resulting from internal hazards (LOCA), - The steel liner, designed to provide leak tightness resulting from internal hazards. The main advantage of the pre-stressed inner containment design is that the structure remains in linear-elastic behavior during the whole life-time. Even in case of postulated design accidents (LOCA) concrete tensile strains are strongly limited. Due to pre-stressing the concrete structure remains practically free of cracks. Due to pre-stressing the leak tightness ensuring steel liner, embedded into the inner concrete shell, is exposed to more favorable compression loads. In addition to detailed calculations several test programs have been performed to verify and confirm the predicted behavior in normal operation and in accident condition. (orig.)

  20. [Biological and social correlates of favorable and unfavorable neurosis course].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sarsembaev, K T

    2003-01-01

    Four hundred ninety seven patients with neurosis of Astana (Kazakhstan) community, 116 men and 381 women, have been studied. The patients were traced in 5-year follow up study. Favorable and unfavorable types of the disorder were established, the latter being characterized by transforming into neurotic personality development. The influence of endogenous and environmental factors on neurosis prognosis was examined. To elaborate adequate measures for preventing neurotic personality development, criteria for favorable and unfavorable prognosis of neurotic disorders were suggested.

  1. Spin quenching assisted by a strongly anisotropic compression behavior in MnP

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Han, Fei; Wang, Di; Wang, Yonggang; Li, Nana; Bao, Jin-Ke; Li, Bing; Botana, Antia S.; Xiao, Yuming; Chow, Paul; Chung, Duck Young; Chen, Jiuhua; Wan, Xiangang; Kanatzidis, Mercouri G.; Yang, Wenge; Mao, Ho-Kwang

    2018-02-01

    We studied the crystal structure and spin state of MnP under high pressure with synchrotron X-ray diffraction and X-ray emission spectroscopy. MnP has an exceedingly strong anisotropy in compressibility, with the primary compressible direction along the b axis of the Pnma structure. X-ray emission spectroscopy reveals a pressure-driven quenching of the spin state in MnP. First-principles calculations suggest that the strongly anisotropic compression behavior significantly enhances the dispersion of the Mn d-orbitals and the splitting of the d-orbital levels compared to the hypothetical isotropic compression behavior. Thus, we propose spin quenching results mainly from the significant enhancement of the itinerancy of d electrons and partly from spin rearrangement occurring in the split d-orbital levels near the Fermi level. This explains the fast suppression of magnetic ordering in MnP under high pressure. The spin quenching lags behind the occurrence of superconductivity at ~8 GPa implying that spin fluctuations govern the electron pairing for superconductivity.

  2. Uranium favorability of the San Rafael Swell area, east-central Utah

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mickle, D.G.; Jones, C.A.; Gallagher, G.L.; Young, P.; Dubyk, W.S.

    1977-10-01

    The San Rafael Swell project area in east-central Utah is approximately 3,000 sq mi and includes the San Rafael Swell anticline and the northern part of the Waterpocket Fold monocline at Capitol Reef. Rocks in the area are predominantly sedimentary rocks of Pennsylvanian through Cretaceous age. Important deposits of uranium in the project area are restricted to two formations, the Chinle (Triassic) and Morrison (Jurassic) Formations. A third formation, the White Rim Sandstone (Permian), was also studied because of reported exploration activity. The White Rim Sandstone is considered generally unfavorable on the basis of lithologic characteristics, distance from a possible source of uranium, lack of apparent mineralization, and the scarcity of anomalies on gamma-ray logs or in rock, water, and stream-sediment samples. The lower Chinle from the Moss Back Member down to the base of the formation is favorable because it is a known producer. New areas for exploration are all subsurface. Both Salt Wash and Brushy Basin Members of the Morrison Formation are favorable. The Salt Wash Member is favorable because it is a known producer. The Brushy Basin Member is favorable as a low-grade resource

  3. MEASUREMENT OF FRICTIONAL PRESSURE DIFFERENTIALS DURING A VENTILATION SURVEY

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    B.S. Prosser, PE; I.M. Loomis, PE, PhD

    2003-01-01

    During the course of a ventilation survey, both airflow quantity and frictional pressure losses are measured and quantified. The measurement of airflow has been extensively studied as the vast majority of ventilation standards/regulations are tied to airflow quantity or velocity. However, during the conduct of a ventilation survey, measurement of airflow only represents half of the necessary parameters required to directly calculate the airway resistance. The measurement of frictional pressure loss is an often misunderstood and misapplied part of the ventilation survey. This paper compares the two basic methods of frictional pressure drop measurements; the barometer and the gauge and tube. Personal experiences with each method will be detailed along with the authors' opinions regarding the applicability and conditions favoring each method

  4. Fifty shades of gradients: does the pressure gradient in venous sinus stenting for idiopathic intracranial hypertension matter? A systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McDougall, Cameron M; Ban, Vin Shen; Beecher, Jeffrey; Pride, Lee; Welch, Babu G

    2018-03-02

    OBJECTIVE The role of venous sinus stenting (VSS) for idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is not well understood. The aim of this systematic review is to attempt to identify subsets of patients with IIH who will benefit from VSS based on the pressure gradients of their venous sinus stenosis. METHODS MEDLINE/PubMed was searched for studies reporting venous pressure gradients across the stenotic segment of the venous sinus, pre- and post-stent pressure gradients, and clinical outcomes after VSS. Findings are reported according to the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. RESULTS From 32 eligible studies, a total of 186 patients were included in the analysis. Patients who had favorable outcomes had higher mean pressure gradients (22.8 ± 11.5 mm Hg vs 17.4 ± 8.0 mm Hg, p = 0.033) and higher changes in pressure gradients after stent placement (19.4 ± 10.0 mm Hg vs 12.0 ± 6.0 mm Hg, p = 0.006) compared with those with unfavorable outcomes. The post-stent pressure gradients between the 2 groups were not significantly different (2.8 ± 4.0 mm Hg vs 2.7 ± 2.0 mm Hg, p = 0.934). In a multivariate stepwise logistic regression controlling for age, sex, body mass index, CSF opening pressure, pre-stent pressure gradient, and post-stent pressure gradient, the change in pressure gradient with stent placement was found to be an independent predictor of favorable outcome (p = 0.028). Using a pressure gradient of 21 as a cutoff, 81/86 (94.2%) of patients with a gradient > 21 achieved favorable outcomes, compared with 82/100 (82.0%) of patients with a gradient ≤ 21 (p = 0.022). CONCLUSIONS There appears to be a relationship between the pressure gradient of venous sinus stenosis and the success of VSS in IIH. A randomized controlled trial would help elucidate this relationship and potentially guide patient selection.

  5. Generalized virial theorem and pressure relation for a strongly correlated Fermi gas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tan, Shina

    2008-01-01

    For a two-component Fermi gas in the unitarity limit (i.e., with infinite scattering length), there is a well-known virial theorem, first shown by J.E. Thomas et al. A few people rederived this result, and extended it to few-body systems, but their results are all restricted to the unitarity limit. Here I show that there is a generalized virial theorem for FINITE scattering lengths. I also generalize an exact result concerning the pressure to the case of imbalanced populations

  6. Capturing the Energy of Peer Pressure: Insights from a Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Cigarette Smoking.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Newman, Ian M.

    1984-01-01

    Studies indicate that adolescents smoke to obtain a desirable image, rather than from direct pressure from peers. Suggestions for using peer influence to make favorable changes in health behaviors are offered. (DF)

  7. The Norwood procedure: in favor of the RV-PA conduit.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barron, David J

    2013-01-01

    Evolution of the Norwood procedure has culminated in there currently being three treatment strategies available for initial management: the 'classical' Norwood (utilizing a Blalock-Taussig shunt), the Norwood with right-ventricle to pulmonary artery (RV-PA) conduit, and the 'hybrid' Norwood procedure utilizing bilateral pulmonary artery banding and ductal stenting. Each variant has its potential advantages and disadvantages, and this paper looks to examine the evidence in favor of each strategy, with emphasis on the supportive data for the RV-PA conduit. The 'classical' procedure has the benefit of the greatest accumulated surgical experience and avoids any incision into the ventricle. However, the diastolic run-off of the Blalock-Taussig shunt can cause hemodynamic instability and unpredictable coronary steal phenomenon. The RV-PA conduit has the advantage of maintaining diastolic pressure with a more stable postoperative course, but at the cost of a ventriculotomy that may have detrimental long-term sequelae. The 'hybrid' procedure has the advantage of avoiding cardiopulmonary bypass, but does not always secure coronary blood flow and has a high inter-stage morbidity and reintervention rate. The evidence shows that each technique may have its place in future management, and that treatment algorithms could emerge that direct the choice of procedure for specific patient groups. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Driving environment in Iran increases blood pressure even in healthy taxi drivers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Soodabeh Navadeh Khodadadi

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available

    • <strong>BACKGROUND>: Nowadays, driving is an unseparated part of our new modern lifestyle; and we are exposed to this environment all the days for several hours whether as drivers or as riders. Many reports indicated that Iran is on the top rank of automobile-related morbidity and mortality among developed and even many developing countries that can be due to dangerous driving habits in Iran. We designed this study to find out if environment of driving have clinically important effects on blood pressure (BP and how strong is the effect. We also examined if there were any predictors for the BP rises in driving time.
    • <strong>METHODS>: In a cross-sectional study, 31 healthy male taxi drivers were included through a multistage proportional sampling method in winter and spring 2007. They were referred to the clinic of hypertension in Shafa Hospital, Kerman. A trained nurse measured the BPs. She also did set up the Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitor (ABPM on the drivers’ left arms for BP recording every 30 minutes during the day. Based on the diurnal recorded BPs, the subjects were allocated into normotensive and hypertensive (systolic BP > 135 or diastolic BP > 85mmHg groups. The difference among the clinic BPs and the driving BPs was examined by t-test in Stata version 8, followed by a multivariate analysis for exploring the main predictors for BP rises in driving time.
    • <strong>RESULTS>: Both mean systolic and mean diastolic BPs were significantly increased from 116.85 (SE 2.28 and 74.44 (SE 2.22 mmHg in clinic to 138.64 (SE 2.77 and 95.70 (SE 2.55 mmHg during driving, respectively (P = 0.0001. Pulse pressure remained constant (P = 0.87. The difference between clinic's and driving time measurements was higher in hypertensive group. Those with higher systolic blood pressures in clinic had more frequent and higher BP rises in driving time (P = 0.02.
    • <strong>CONCLUSIONS>: Driving

    • 18 CFR 706.202 - Gifts, entertainment, and favors.

      Science.gov (United States)

      2010-04-01

      ... to: (1) Obvious family or personal relationships, such as those between the employee and his parents... EMPLOYEE RESPONSIBILITIES AND CONDUCT Conduct and Responsibilities of Employees § 706.202 Gifts, entertainment, and favors. (a) Except as provided in paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section, an employee shall...

    • Pressure Dome for High-Pressure Electrolyzer

      Science.gov (United States)

      Norman, Timothy; Schmitt, Edwin

      2012-01-01

      A high-strength, low-weight pressure vessel dome was designed specifically to house a high-pressure [2,000 psi (approx. = 13.8 MPa)] electrolyzer. In operation, the dome is filled with an inert gas pressurized to roughly 100 psi (approx. = 690 kPa) above the high, balanced pressure product oxygen and hydrogen gas streams. The inert gas acts to reduce the clamping load on electrolyzer stack tie bolts since the dome pressure acting axially inward helps offset the outward axial forces from the stack gas pressure. Likewise, radial and circumferential stresses on electrolyzer frames are minimized. Because the dome is operated at a higher pressure than the electrolyzer product gas, any external electrolyzer leak prevents oxygen or hydrogen from leaking into the dome. Instead the affected stack gas stream pressure rises detectably, thereby enabling a system shutdown. All electrical and fluid connections to the stack are made inside the pressure dome and require special plumbing and electrical dome interfaces for this to be accomplished. Further benefits of the dome are that it can act as a containment shield in the unlikely event of a catastrophic failure. Studies indicate that, for a given active area (and hence, cell ID), frame outside diameter must become ever larger to support stresses at higher operating pressures. This can lead to a large footprint and increased costs associated with thicker and/or larger diameter end-plates, tie-rods, and the frames themselves. One solution is to employ rings that fit snugly around the frame. This complicates stack assembly and is sometimes difficult to achieve in practice, as its success is strongly dependent on frame and ring tolerances, gas pressure, and operating temperature. A pressure dome permits an otherwise low-pressure stack to operate at higher pressures without growing the electrolyzer hardware. The pressure dome consists of two machined segments. An O-ring is placed in an O-ring groove in the flange of the bottom

    • Combinatorial description of space and strong interactions

      International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

      Zenczykowski, P.

      1988-01-01

      A reinterpretation is given of a successful phenomenological approach to hadron self-energy effects known as the unitarized quark model. General arguments are given that the proper description of strong interactions may require abandoning the assignment of a primary role to continuous concepts such as position and momentum in favor of discrete ones such as spin or W-spin. The reinterpretation exploits an analogy between the W-spin diagrams occurring in the calculations of hadronic loop effects and the spin network idea of Penrose. A connection between the S-matrix approach to hadron masses and the purely algebraic approach characteristic of the quark model is indicated. Several hadron mass relations generated by a resulting SU(6)/sub w/-group-theoretic expression are presented and discussed. Results of an attempt to generalize the scheme to the description of hadron vertices are reported

    • Preliminary evaluation of the uranium favorability in the area northeast of Gunnison, Colorado

      International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

      Gallagher, G.L.; Edmond, C.L.; D'Andrea, R.F. Jr.

      1977-08-01

      Rock and steam-sediment samples were collected to define areas favorable for uranium deposits northeast of Gunnison, Colorado. Areas considered most favorable for further exploration are: (1) the Bronco Mountain area, approximately 10 mi south of Taylor Park Reservoir, (2) the area near the Big Red mine, and (3) the area 5 mi north-northeast of Taylor Park Reservoir. On the basis of known deposits in the Marshall Pass and Cochetopa districts, fault contacts between Precambrian granites and Paleozoic or Mesozoic sedimentary rocks are favorable structural sites

    • Adaptive pressure-controlled cellular structures for shape morphing: II. Numerical and experimental validation

      International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

      Luo, Quantian; Tong, Liyong

      2013-01-01

      This part presents finite element analysis to verify the present formulations on mechanics of the pressurized cellular structures derived in Part I and experimental testing for a pressurized cellular actuator to demonstrate feasibility and realization of the proposed pressurized cellular structures. Linear and nonlinear finite element analyses are implemented in a commercial finite element analysis package and the numerical results are compared with those of the novel formulations given in Part I. A pressurized cellular structure specimen with 3 cells is fabricated and tested. The fabricated 3-cell cellular structure is capable of yielding a free actuation strain of around 24%. The measured pressure-induced displacement and blocking force compare favorably with the numerical results predicted by the finite element analysis and analytical formulations. (paper)

    • Leakage Reduction in Water Distribution Systems with Efficient Placement and Control of Pressure Reducing Valves Using Soft Computing Techniques

      Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

      A. Gupta

      2017-04-01

      Full Text Available Reduction of leakages in a water distribution system (WDS is one of the major concerns of water industries. Leakages depend on pressure, hence installing pressure reducing valves (PRVs in the water network is a successful techniques for reducing leakages. Determining the number of valves, their locations, and optimal control setting are the challenges faced. This paper presents a new algorithm-based rule for determining the location of valves in a WDS having a variable demand pattern, which results in more favorable optimization of PRV localization than that caused by previous techniques. A multiobjective genetic algorithm (NSGA-II was used to determine the optimized control value of PRVs and to minimize the leakage rate in the WDS. Minimum required pressure was maintained at all nodes to avoid pressure deficiency at any node. Proposed methodology is applied in a benchmark WDS and after using PRVs, the average leakage rate was reduced by 6.05 l/s (20.64%, which is more favorable than the rate obtained with the existing techniques used for leakage control in the WDS. Compared with earlier studies, a lower number of PRVs was required for optimization, thus the proposed algorithm tends to provide a more cost-effective solution. In conclusion, the proposed algorithm leads to more favorable optimized localization and control of PRV with improved leakage reduction rate.

    • Bentonite swelling pressure in strong NaCl solutions. Correlation of model calculations to experimentally determined data

      International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

      Karnland, O.

      1998-01-01

      A number of quite different quantitative models concerning swelling pressure in bentonite clay have been proposed. This report discusses a number of models which possibly can be used also for saline conditions. A discrepancy between calculated and measured values was noticed for all models at brine conditions. In general the models predicted a too low swelling pressure compared to what was experimentally found. An osmotic component in the clay/water system is proposed in order to improve the previous conservative use of the thermodynamic model. Calculations of this osmotic component is proposed to be made by use of the clay cation exchange capacity and Donnan equilibrium. Calculations made by this approach showed considerably better correlation to literature laboratory data, compared to calculations made by the previous conservative use of the thermodynamic model. A few verifying laboratory tests were made and are briefly described in the report. The improved model predicts a substantial bentonite swelling pressure also in a saturated sodium chloride solution if the density of the system is sufficiently high. This means in practice that the buffer in a KBS-3 repository will give rise to an acceptable swelling pressure, but that the positive effects of mixing bentonite into a backfill material will be lost if the system is exposed to brines. (orig.)

    • Pressure anisotropy and radial stress balance in the Jovian neutral sheet

      Science.gov (United States)

      Paranicas, C. P.; Mauk, B. H.; Krimigis, S. M.

      1991-01-01

      By examining particle and magnetic field data from the Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft, signatures were found indicating that the (greater than about 28 keV) particle pressure parallel to the magnetic field is greater than the pressure perpendicular to the field within the nightside neutral sheet (three nightside neutral sheet crossings, with favorable experimental conditions, were used). By incorporating the pressure anisotropy into the calculation of radial forces within the hightside neutral sheet, it is found that (1) force balance is approximately achieved and (2) the anisotropy force term provides the largest contribution of the other particle forces considered (pressure gradients and the corotation centrifugal force). With regard to the problem of understanding the balance of radial forces within the dayside neutral sheet (McNutt, 1984; Mauk and Krimigis, 1987), the nightside pressure anisotropy force is larger than the dayside pressure gradient forces at equivalent radial distances; however, a full accounting of the dayside regions remains to be achieved.

    • Mark II pressure suppression containment systems: an analytical model of the pool swell phenomenon

      International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

      Ernst, R.J.; Ward, M.G.

      1976-12-01

      A one-dimensional pool swell model of the dynamic and thermodynamic conditions in the suppression chamber following a postulated loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA) is described. The pool swell phenomena is approximated by a constant thickness water slug, which is accelerated upward by the difference between the air bubble pressure acting below the pool and the wetwell air space pressure acting above the pool surface. The transient bubble pressure is computed using the known drywell pressure history and a quasi-steady compressible vent flow model. Comparisons of model predictions with pool swell experimental data are favorable and show the model is based on a conservative interpretation of the physical phenomena involved

    • Negative pressure pulmonary oedema after septoplasty.

      Science.gov (United States)

      García de Hombre, Alina M; Cuffini, Alejandro; Bonadeo, Alejandro

      2013-01-01

      Negative pressure pulmonary oedema (NPPO) is an anaesthetic complication due to acute obstruction of the upper airway, whose main cause is laryngospasm. The pathophysiology involves a strong negative intrapleural pressure during inspiration against a closed glottis, which triggers excessive pressure in the pulmonary microvasculature. Although its diagnosis can be difficult, its recognition helps to minimise morbidity and mortality. This article presents a case of NPPO due to postextubation laryngospasm. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.

    • HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE AND HI IMAGING OF STRONG RAM PRESSURE STRIPPING IN THE COMA SPIRAL NGC 4921: DENSE CLOUD DECOUPLING AND EVIDENCE FOR MAGNETIC BINDING IN THE ISM

      Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

      Kenney, Jeffrey D. P.; Abramson, Anne [Yale University Astronomy Department, P.O. Box 208101, New Haven, CT 06520-8101 (United States); Bravo-Alfaro, Hector, E-mail: jeff.kenney@yale.edu [Institut d’Astrophysique de Paris, CNRS/UPMC, 98bis, Boulevard Arago F-75014, Paris (France)

      2015-08-15

      Remarkable dust extinction features in the deep Hubble Space Telescope (HST) V and I images of the face-on Coma cluster spiral galaxy NGC 4921 show in unprecedented ways how ram pressure strips the ISM from the disk of a spiral galaxy. New VLA HI maps show a truncated and highly asymmetric HI disk with a compressed HI distribution in the NW, providing evidence for ram pressure acting from the NW. Where the HI distribution is truncated in the NW region, HST images show a well-defined, continuous front of dust that extends over 90° and 20 kpc. This dust front separates the dusty from dust-free regions of the galaxy, and we interpret it as galaxy ISM swept up near the leading side of the ICM–ISM interaction. We identify and characterize 100 pc–1 kpc scale substructure within this dust front caused by ram pressure, including head–tail filaments, C-shaped filaments, and long smooth dust fronts. The morphology of these features strongly suggests that dense gas clouds partially decouple from surrounding lower density gas during stripping, but decoupling is inhibited, possibly by magnetic fields that link and bind distant parts of the ISM.

    • Uranium favorability of late Eocene through Pliocene rocks of the South Texas Coastal Plain

      Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

      Quick, J.V.; Thomas, N.G.; Brogdon, L.D.; Jones, C.A.; Martin, T.S.

      1977-02-01

      The results of a subsurface uranium favorability study of Tertiary rocks (late Eocene through Pliocene) in the Coastal Plain of South Texas are given. In ascending order, these rock units include the Yegua Formation, Jackson Group, Frio Clay, Catahoula Tuff, Oakville Sandstone, and Goliad Sand. The Vicksburg Group, Anahuac Formation, and Fleming Formation were not considered because they have unfavorable lithologies. The Yegua Formation, Jackson Group, Frio Clay, Catahoula Tuff, Oakville Sandstone, and Goliad Sand contain sandstones that may be favorable uranium hosts under certain environmental and structural conditions. All except the Yegua are known to contain ore-grade uranium deposits. Yegua and Jackson sandstones are found in strand plain-barrier bar systems that are aligned parallel to depositional and structural strike. These sands grade into shelf muds on the east, and lagoonal sediments updip toward the west. The lagoonal sediments in the Jackson are interrupted by dip-aligned fluvial systems. In both units, favorable areas are found in the lagoonal sands and in sands on the updip side of the strand-plain system. Favorable areas are also found along the margins of fluvial systems in the Jackson. The Frio and Catahoula consist of extensive alluvial-plain deposits. Favorable areas for uranium deposits are found along the margins of the paleo-channels where favorable structural features and numerous optimum sands are present. The Oakville and Goliad Formations consist of extensive continental deposits of fluvial sandstones. In large areas, these fluvial sandstones are multistoried channel sandstones that form very thick sandstone sequences. Favorable areas are found along the margins of the channel sequences. In the Goliad, favorable areas are also found on the updip margin of strand-plain sandstones where there are several sandstones of optimum thickness.

  1. Uranium favorability of late Eocene through Pliocene rocks of the South Texas Coastal Plain

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Quick, J.V.; Thomas, N.G.; Brogdon, L.D.; Jones, C.A.; Martin, T.S.

    1977-02-01

    The results of a subsurface uranium favorability study of Tertiary rocks (late Eocene through Pliocene) in the Coastal Plain of South Texas are given. In ascending order, these rock units include the Yegua Formation, Jackson Group, Frio Clay, Catahoula Tuff, Oakville Sandstone, and Goliad Sand. The Vicksburg Group, Anahuac Formation, and Fleming Formation were not considered because they have unfavorable lithologies. The Yegua Formation, Jackson Group, Frio Clay, Catahoula Tuff, Oakville Sandstone, and Goliad Sand contain sandstones that may be favorable uranium hosts under certain environmental and structural conditions. All except the Yegua are known to contain ore-grade uranium deposits. Yegua and Jackson sandstones are found in strand plain-barrier bar systems that are aligned parallel to depositional and structural strike. These sands grade into shelf muds on the east, and lagoonal sediments updip toward the west. The lagoonal sediments in the Jackson are interrupted by dip-aligned fluvial systems. In both units, favorable areas are found in the lagoonal sands and in sands on the updip side of the strand-plain system. Favorable areas are also found along the margins of fluvial systems in the Jackson. The Frio and Catahoula consist of extensive alluvial-plain deposits. Favorable areas for uranium deposits are found along the margins of the paleo-channels where favorable structural features and numerous optimum sands are present. The Oakville and Goliad Formations consist of extensive continental deposits of fluvial sandstones. In large areas, these fluvial sandstones are multistoried channel sandstones that form very thick sandstone sequences. Favorable areas are found along the margins of the channel sequences. In the Goliad, favorable areas are also found on the updip margin of strand-plain sandstones where there are several sandstones of optimum thickness

  2. On a free boundary problem for a strongly degenerate quasilinear parabolic equation with an application to a model of pressure filtration

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Buerger, R.; Frid, H.; Karlsen, K.H.

    2002-07-01

    We consider a free boundary problem of a quasilinear strongly degenerate parabolic equation arising from a model of pressure filtration of flocculated suspensions. We provide definitions of generalized solutions of the free boundary problem in the framework of L2 divergence-measure fields. The formulation of boundary conditions is based on a Gauss-Green theorem for divergence-measure fields on bounded domains with Lipschitz deformable boundaries and avoids referring to traces of the solution. This allows to consider generalized solutions from a larger class than BV. Thus it is not necessary to derive the usual uniform estimates on spatial and time derivatives of the solutions of the corresponding regularized problem requires in the BV approach. We first prove existence and uniqueness of the solution of the regularized parabolic free boundary problem and then apply the vanishing viscosity method to prove existence of a generalized solution to the degenerate free boundary problem. (author)

  3. Field measurement of wind pressure and wind-induced vibration of large-span spatial cable-truss system under strong wind or typhoon

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    ZHANG Zhihong

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available In order to ensure wind-resistance safety of large-span pre-stressed flexible system in southeast coast area of China,and to prepare something for revising of current codes of practice or technical standards,the present paper conducts field measurement of wind pressure and wind-induced vibration of a practical and typical large-span spatial cable-truss system-lunar stadium in Yueqing city.Wind loading and wind effects on full-scale structure under strong wind or typhoon in real architectural environment can be obtained directly and effectively.Field measurement is the best way to investigate the wind loading property,wind effects,and wind-structure interactions of large-span flexible system.Measured data will be highly valuable for scientific research and practical design.On the other hand,it also provides the basis of wind-resistance safety design of this kind of tension structures.If any creative development,it would dramatically improve the research level of large-span pre-stressed flexible system in our country.

  4. Recent progress in high-pressure studies on organic conductors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Syuma Yasuzuka and Keizo Murata

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Recent high-pressure studies of organic conductors and superconductors are reviewed. The discovery of the highest Tc superconductivity among organics under high pressure has triggered the further progress of the high-pressure research. Owing to this finding, various organic conductors with the strong electron correlation were investigated under high pressures. This review includes the pressure techniques using the cubic anvil apparatus, as well as high-pressure studies of the organic conductors up to 10 GPa showing extraordinary temperature and pressure dependent transport phenomena.

  5. Effects of hormone therapy on blood pressure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Issa, Zeinab; Seely, Ellen W; Rahme, Maya; El-Hajj Fuleihan, Ghada

    2015-04-01

    Although hormone therapy remains the most efficacious option for the management of vasomotor symptoms of menopause, its effects on blood pressure remain unclear. This review scrutinizes evidence of the mechanisms of action of hormone therapy on signaling pathways affecting blood pressure and evidence from clinical studies. Comprehensive Ovid MEDLINE searches were conducted for the terms "hypertension" and either of the following "hormone therapy and menopause" or "selective estrogen receptor modulator" from year 2000 to November 2013. In vitro and physiologic studies did not reveal a clear deleterious effect of hormone therapy on blood pressure. The effect of oral therapy was essentially neutral in large trials conducted in normotensive women with blood pressure as primary outcome. Results from all other trials had several limitations. Oral therapy had a neutral effect on blood pressure in hypertensive women. Transdermal estrogen and micronized progesterone had a beneficial effect on blood pressure in normotensive women and, at most, a neutral effect on hypertensive women. In general, tibolone and raloxifene had a neutral effect on blood pressure in both hypertensive and normotensive women. Large randomized trials are needed to assess the effect of oral hormone therapy on blood pressure as a primary outcome in hypertensive women and the effect of transdermal preparations on both normotensive and hypertensive women. Transdermal preparations would be the preferred mode of therapy for hypertensive women, in view of their favorable physiologic and clinical profiles. The decision regarding the use of hormone therapy should be individualized, and blood pressure should be monitored during the course of treatment.

  6. Magnetic and Superconducting Materials at High Pressures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Struzhkin, Viktor V. [Carnegie Inst. of Washington, Washington, DC (United States)

    2015-03-24

    The work concentrates on few important tasks in enabling techniques for search of superconducting compressed hydrogen compounds and pure hydrogen, investigation of mechanisms of high-Tc superconductivity, and exploring new superconducting materials. Along that route we performed several challenging tasks, including discovery of new forms of polyhydrides of alkali metal Na at very high pressures. These experiments help us to establish the experimental environment that will provide important information on the high-pressure properties of hydrogen-rich compounds. Our recent progress in RIXS measurements opens a whole field of strongly correlated 3d materials. We have developed a systematic approach to measure major electronic parameters, like Hubbard energy U, and charge transfer energy Δ, as function of pressure. This technique will enable also RIXS studies of magnetic excitations in iridates and other 5d materials at the L edge, which attract a lot of interest recently. We have developed new magnetic sensing technique based on optically detected magnetic resonance from NV centers in diamond. The technique can be applied to study superconductivity in high-TC materials, to search for magnetic transitions in strongly correlated and itinerant magnetic materials under pressure. Summary of Project Activities; development of high-pressure experimentation platform for exploration of new potential superconductors, metal polyhydrides (including newly discovered alkali metal polyhydrides), and already known superconductors at the limit of static high-pressure techniques; investigation of special classes of superconducting compounds (high-Tc superconductors, new superconducting materials), that may provide new fundamental knowledge and may prove important for application as high-temperature/high-critical parameter superconductors; investigation of the pressure dependence of superconductivity and magnetic/phase transformations in 3d transition metal compounds, including

  7. Bentonite swelling pressure in strong NaCl solutions. Correlation between model calculations and experimentally determined data

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Karnland, O.

    1997-12-01

    A number of quite different quantitative models concerning swelling pressure in bentonite clay have been proposed by different researchers over the years. The present report examines some of the models which possibly may be used also for saline conditions. A discrepancy between calculated and measured values was noticed for all models at brine conditions. In general the models predicted a too low swelling pressure compared to what was experimentally found. An osmotic component in the clay/water system is proposed in order to improve the previous conservative use of the thermodynamic model. Calculations of this osmotic component is proposed to be made by use of the clay cation exchange capacity and Donnan equilibrium. Calculations made by this approach showed considerably better correlation to literature laboratory data, compared to calculations made by the previous conservative use of the thermodynamic model. A few verifying laboratory tests were made and are briefly described in the report. The improved thermodynamic model predicts substantial bentonite swelling pressures also in saturated sodium chloride solution if the density of the system is high enough. In practice, the model predicts a substantial swelling pressure for the buffer in a KBS-3 repository if the system is exposed to brines, but the positive effects of mixing bentonite into a backfill material will be lost, since the available compaction technique does not give a sufficiently high bentonite density

  8. Bentonite swelling pressure in strong NaCl solutions. Correlation of model calculations to experimentally determined data

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Karnland, O. [Clay Technology, Lund (Sweden)

    1998-01-01

    A number of quite different quantitative models concerning swelling pressure in bentonite clay have been proposed. This report discusses a number of models which possibly can be used also for saline conditions. A discrepancy between calculated and measured values was noticed for all models at brine conditions. In general the models predicted a too low swelling pressure compared to what was experimentally found. An osmotic component in the clay/water system is proposed in order to improve the previous conservative use of the thermodynamic model. Calculations of this osmotic component is proposed to be made by use of the clay cation exchange capacity and Donnan equilibrium. Calculations made by this approach showed considerably better correlation to literature laboratory data, compared to calculations made by the previous conservative use of the thermodynamic model. A few verifying laboratory tests were made and are briefly described in the report. The improved model predicts a substantial bentonite swelling pressure also in a saturated sodium chloride solution if the density of the system is sufficiently high. This means in practice that the buffer in a KBS-3 repository will give rise to an acceptable swelling pressure, but that the positive effects of mixing bentonite into a backfill material will be lost if the system is exposed to brines. (orig.). 14 refs.

  9. Clayey landslide initiation and acceleration strongly modulated by soil swelling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schulz, William; Smith, Joel B.; Wang, Gonghui; Jiang, Yao; Roering, Joshua J.

    2018-01-01

    Largely unknown mechanisms restrain motion of clay-rich, slow-moving landslides that are widespread worldwide and rarely accelerate catastrophically. We studied a clayey, slow-moving landslide typical of thousands in northern California, USA, to decipher hydrologic-mechanical interactions that modulate landslide dynamics. Similar to some other studies, observed pore-water pressures correlated poorly with landslide reactivation and speed. In situ and laboratory measurements strongly suggested that variable pressure along the landslide's lateral shear boundaries resulting from seasonal soil expansion and contraction modulated its reactivation and speed. Slope-stability modeling suggested that the landslide's observed behavior could be predicted by including transient swell pressure as a resistance term, whereas modeling considering only transient hydrologic conditions predicted movement 5–6 months prior to when it was observed. All clayey soils swell to some degree; hence, our findings suggest that swell pressure likely modulates motion of many landslides and should be considered to improve forecasts of clayey landslide initiation and mobility.

  10. Morning pulse pressure is associated more strongly with elevated albuminuria than systolic blood pressure in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: post hoc analysis of a cross-sectional multicenter study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ushigome, Emi; Fukui, Michiaki; Hamaguchi, Masahide; Matsumoto, Shinobu; Mineoka, Yusuke; Nakanishi, Naoko; Senmaru, Takafumi; Yamazaki, Masahiro; Hasegawa, Goji; Nakamura, Naoto

    2013-09-01

    Recently, focus has been directed toward pulse pressure as a potentially independent risk factor for micro- and macrovascular disease. This study was designed to examine the relationship between pulse pressure taken at home and elevated albuminuria in patients with type 2 diabetes. This study is a post hoc analysis of a cross-sectional multicenter study. Home blood pressure measurements were performed for 14 consecutive days in 858 patients with type 2 diabetes. We investigated the relationship between systolic blood pressure or pulse pressure in the morning or in the evening and urinary albumin excretion using univariate and multivariate analyses. Furthermore, we measured area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC) to compare the ability to identify elevated albuminuria, defined as urinary albumin excretion equal to or more than 30 mg/g creatinine, of systolic blood pressure or pulse pressure. Morning systolic blood pressure (β=0.339, Ppressure (β=0.378, PAUC for elevated albuminuria in morning systolic blood pressure and morning pulse pressure were 0.668 (0.632-0.705; PAUC of morning pulse pressure was significantly greater than that of morning systolic blood pressure (P=0.040). Our findings implicate that morning pulse pressure is associated with elevated albuminuria in patients with type 2 diabetes, which suggests that lowering morning pulse pressure could prevent the development and progression of diabetic nephropathy. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Hydrodynamical flows in dielectric liquid in strong inhomogeneous pulsed electric field

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tereshonok, Dmitry V; Babaeva, Natalia Yu; Naidis, George V; Smirnov, Boris M

    2016-01-01

    We consider a hydrodynamical flow of dielectric liquid near a high voltage needle-shaped electrode in a strong inhomogeneous pulsed electric field. It was shown that under a small rise time, a negative pressure area (pressure is less than critical pressure) appears near the electrode leading to the formation of a cavity in which electric breakdown can develop. A comparison of the dependence of the velocity of fluid near an electrode for two cases (taking into account the dependence of dielectric permeability of the liquid on the electric field and without taking it into account) was made. A field-dependent dielectric coefficient leads to the appearance of two local maximums of the velocities and increases the minimum pressure, thus lowering the possibility of cavitation. While under the constant value of dielectric permeability only one local maximum appears. (paper)

  12. Teaching accreditation exams reveal grading biases favor women in male-dominated disciplines in France.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Breda, Thomas; Hillion, Mélina

    2016-07-29

    Discrimination against women is seen as one of the possible causes behind their underrepresentation in certain STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) subjects. We show that this is not the case for the competitive exams used to recruit almost all French secondary and postsecondary teachers and professors. Comparisons of oral non-gender-blind tests with written gender-blind tests for about 100,000 individuals observed in 11 different fields over the period 2006-2013 reveal a bias in favor of women that is strongly increasing with the extent of a field's male-domination. This bias turns from 3 to 5 percentile ranks for men in literature and foreign languages to about 10 percentile ranks for women in math, physics, or philosophy. These findings have implications for the debate over what interventions are appropriate to increase the representation of women in fields in which they are currently underrepresented. Copyright © 2016, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

  13. Science Curriculum Components Favored by Taiwanese Biology Teachers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Chen-Yung; Hu, Reping; Changlai, Miao-Li

    2005-09-01

    The new 1-9 curriculum framework in Taiwan provides a remarkable change from previous frameworks in terms of the coverage of content and the powers of teachers. This study employs a modified repertory grid technique to investigate biology teachers' preferences with regard to six curriculum components. One hundred and eighty-five in-service and pre-service biology teachers were asked to determine which science curriculum components they liked and disliked most of all to include in their biology classes. The data show that the rank order of these science curriculum components, from top to bottom, was as follows: application of science, manipulation skills, scientific concepts, social/ethical issues, problem-solving skills, and the history of science. They also showed that pre-service biology teachers, as compared with in-service biology teachers, favored problem-solving skills significantly more than manipulative skills, while in-service biology teachers, as compared with pre-service biology teachers, favored manipulative skills significantly more than problem-solving skills. Some recommendations for ensuring the successful implementation of the Taiwanese 1-9 curriculum framework are also proposed.

  14. Pressure Effects on Solid State Phase Transformation of Aluminium Bronze in Cooling Process

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hai-Yan, Wang; Jian-Hua, Liu; Gui-Rong, Peng; Yan, Chen; Yu-Wen, Liu; Fei, Li; Wen-Kui, Wang

    2009-01-01

    Effects of high pressure (6 GPa) on the solid state phase transformation kinetic parameters of aluminum bronze during the cooling process are investigated, based on the measurement and calculation of its solid state phase transformation temperature, duration and activation energy and the observation of its microstructures. The results show that high pressure treatment can reduce the solid phase transformation temperature and activation energy in the cooling process and can shorten the phase transformation duration, which is favorable when forming fine-grained aluminum bronze

  15. Graphene Squeeze-Film Pressure Sensors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dolleman, Robin J; Davidovikj, Dejan; Cartamil-Bueno, Santiago J; van der Zant, Herre S J; Steeneken, Peter G

    2016-01-13

    The operating principle of squeeze-film pressure sensors is based on the pressure dependence of a membrane's resonance frequency, caused by the compression of the surrounding gas which changes the resonator stiffness. To realize such sensors, not only strong and flexible membranes are required, but also minimization of the membrane's mass is essential to maximize responsivity. Here, we demonstrate the use of a few-layer graphene membrane as a squeeze-film pressure sensor. A clear pressure dependence of the membrane's resonant frequency is observed, with a frequency shift of 4 MHz between 8 and 1000 mbar. The sensor shows a reproducible response and no hysteresis. The measured responsivity of the device is 9000 Hz/mbar, which is a factor 45 higher than state-of-the-art MEMS-based squeeze-film pressure sensors while using a 25 times smaller membrane area.

  16. Cerebral blood flow in normal pressure hydrocephalus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mamo, H.L.; Meric, P.C.; Ponsin, J.C.; Rey, A.C.; Luft, A.G.; Seylaz, J.A.

    1987-01-01

    A xenon-133 method was used to measure cerebral blood flow (CBF) before and after cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) removal in patients with normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH). Preliminary results suggested that shunting should be performed on patients whose CBF increased after CSF removal. There was a significant increase in CBF in patients with NPH, which was confirmed by the favorable outcome of 88% of patients shunted. The majority of patients with senile and presenile dementia showed a decrease or no change in CBF after CSF removal. It is suggested that although changes in CBF and clinical symptoms of NPH may have the same cause, i.e., changes in the cerebral intraparenchymal pressure, there is no simple direct relation between these two events. The mechanism underlying the loss of autoregulation observed in NPH is also discussed

  17. Comparison of ASME pressure–temperature limits on the fracture probability for a pressurized water reactor pressure vessel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chou, Hsoung-Wei; Huang, Chin-Cheng

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • P-T limits based on ASME K_I_a curve, K_I_C curve and RI method are presented. • Probabilistic and deterministic methods are used to evaluate P-T limits on RPV. • The feasibility of substituting P-T curves with more operational is demonstrated. • Warm-prestressing effect is critical in determining the fracture probability. - Abstract: The ASME Code Section XI-Appendix G defines the normal reactor startup (heat-up) and shut-down (cool-down) operation limits according to the fracture toughness requirement of reactor pressure vessel (RPV) materials. This paper investigates the effects of different pressure-temperature limit operations on structural integrity of a Taiwan domestic pressurized water reactor (PWR) pressure vessel. Three kinds of pressure-temperature limits based on different fracture toughness requirements – the K_I_a fracture toughness curve of ASME Section XI-Appendix G before 1998 editions, the K_I_C fracture toughness curve of ASME Section XI-Appendix G after 2001 editions, and the risk-informed revision method supplemented in ASME Section XI-Appendix G after 2013 editions, respectively, are established as the loading conditions. A series of probabilistic fracture mechanics analyses for the RPV are conducted employing ORNL’s FAVOR code considering various radiation embrittlement levels under these pressure-temperature limit conditions. It is found that the pressure-temperature operation limits which provide more operational flexibility may lead to higher fracture risks to the RPV. The cladding-induced shallow surface breaking flaws are the most critical and dominate the fracture probability of the RPV under pressure-temperature limit transients. Present study provides a risk-informed reference for the operation safety and regulation viewpoint of PWRs in Taiwan.

  18. Preschoolers Reduce Inequality While Favoring Individuals with More

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Vivian; Spitzer, Brian; Olson, Kristina R.

    2014-01-01

    Inequalities are everywhere, yet little is known about how children respond to people affected by inequalities. This article explores two responses--minimizing inequalities and favoring those who are advantaged by them. In Studies 1a (N = 37) and 1b (N = 38), 4- and 5-year-olds allocated a resource to a disadvantaged recipient, but judged…

  19. Uranium favorability of tertiary sedimentary rocks of the Pend Oreille River valley, Washington

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marjaniemi, D.K.; Robins, J.W.

    1975-08-01

    Tertiary sedimentary rocks in the Pend Oreille River valley were investigated in a regional study to determine the favorability for potential uranium resources of northeastern Washington. This project involved measurement and sampling of surface sections, collection of samples from isolated outcrops, chemical and mineralogical analyses of samples, and examination of available water well logs. The Box Canyon Dam area north of Ione is judged to have very high favorability. Thick-bedded conglomerates interbedded with sandstones and silty sandstones compose the Tiger Formation in this area, and high radioactivity levels are found near the base of the formation. Uranophane is found along fracture surfaces or in veins. Carbonaceous material is present throughout the Tiger Formation in the area. Part of the broad Pend Oreille valley surrounding Cusick, Washington, is an area of high favorability. Potential host rocks in the Tiger Formation, consisting of arkosic sandstones interbedded with radioactive shales, probably extend throughout the subsurface part of this area. Carbonaceous material is present and some samples contain high concentrations of uranium. In addition, several other possible chemical indicators were found. The Tiger-Lost Creek area is rated as having medium favorability. The Tiger Formation contains very hard, poorly sorted granite conglomerate with some beds of arkosic sandstone and silty sandstone. The granite conglomerate was apparently derived from source rocks having relatively high uranium content. The lower part of the formation is more favorable than the upper part because of the presence of carbonaceous material, anomalously high concentrations of uranium, and other possible chemical indicators. The area west of Ione is judged to have low favorability, because of the very low permeability of the rocks and the very low uranium content

  20. Bentonite swelling pressure in strong NaCl solutions. Correlation between model calculations and experimentally determined data

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Karnland, O. [Clay Technology, Lund (Sweden)

    1997-12-01

    A number of quite different quantitative models concerning swelling pressure in bentonite clay have been proposed by different researchers over the years. The present report examines some of the models which possibly may be used also for saline conditions. A discrepancy between calculated and measured values was noticed for all models at brine conditions. In general the models predicted a too low swelling pressure compared to what was experimentally found. An osmotic component in the clay/water system is proposed in order to improve the previous conservative use of the thermodynamic model. Calculations of this osmotic component is proposed to be made by use of the clay cation exchange capacity and Donnan equilibrium. Calculations made by this approach showed considerably better correlation to literature laboratory data, compared to calculations made by the previous conservative use of the thermodynamic model. A few verifying laboratory tests were made and are briefly described in the report. The improved thermodynamic model predicts substantial bentonite swelling pressures also in saturated sodium chloride solution if the density of the system is high enough. In practice, the model predicts a substantial swelling pressure for the buffer in a KBS-3 repository if the system is exposed to brines, but the positive effects of mixing bentonite into a backfill material will be lost, since the available compaction technique does not give a sufficiently high bentonite density 37 refs, 15 figs

  1. Measurement of strong interaction parameters in antiprotonic hydrogen and deuterium

    CERN Document Server

    Augsburger, M A; Borchert, G L; Chatellard, D; Egger, J P; El-Khoury, P; Gorke, H; Gotta, D; Hauser, P R; Indelicato, P J; Kirch, K; Lenz, S; Siems, T; Simons, L M

    1999-01-01

    In the PS207 experiment at CERN, X-rays from antiprotonic hydrogen and deuterium have been measured at low pressure. The strong interaction shift and the broadening of the K/sub alpha / transition in antiprotonic hydrogen were $9 determined. Evidence was found for the individual hyperfine components of the protonium ground state. (7 refs).

  2. Non-Random Inversion Landscapes in Prokaryotic Genomes Are Shaped by Heterogeneous Selection Pressures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Repar, Jelena; Warnecke, Tobias

    2017-08-01

    Inversions are a major contributor to structural genome evolution in prokaryotes. Here, using a novel alignment-based method, we systematically compare 1,651 bacterial and 98 archaeal genomes to show that inversion landscapes are frequently biased toward (symmetric) inversions around the origin-terminus axis. However, symmetric inversion bias is not a universal feature of prokaryotic genome evolution but varies considerably across clades. At the extremes, inversion landscapes in Bacillus-Clostridium and Actinobacteria are dominated by symmetric inversions, while there is little or no systematic bias favoring symmetric rearrangements in archaea with a single origin of replication. Within clades, we find strong but clade-specific relationships between symmetric inversion bias and different features of adaptive genome architecture, including the distance of essential genes to the origin of replication and the preferential localization of genes on the leading strand. We suggest that heterogeneous selection pressures have converged to produce similar patterns of structural genome evolution across prokaryotes. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.

  3. WHn under pressure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zaleski-Ejgierd, Patryk; Ashcroft, N W; Labet, Vanessa; Hoffmann, Roald; Strobel, Timothy A

    2012-01-01

    An initial observation of the formation of WH under pressure from W gaskets surrounding hydrogen in diamond anvil cells led to a theoretical study of tungsten hydride phases. At P = 1 atm no stoichiometry is found to be stable with respect to separation into the elements, but as the pressure is raised WH n (n = 1-6, 8) stoichiometries are metastable or stable. WH and WH 4 are calculated to be stable at P > 15 GPa, WH 2 becomes stable at P > 100 GPa and WH 6 at P > 150 GPa. In agreement with experiment, the structure computed for WH is anti-NiAs. WH 2 shares with WH a hexagonal arrangement of tungsten atoms, with hydrogen atoms occupying octahedral and tetrahedral holes. For WH 4 the W atoms are in a distorted fcc arrangement. As the number of hydrogens rises, the coordination of W by H increases correspondingly, leading to a twelve-coordinated W in WH 6 . In WH 8 H 2 units also develop. All of the hydrides considered should be metallic at high pressure, though the Fermi levels of WH 4 and WH 6 lie in a deep pseudogap. Prodded by these theoretical studies, experiments were then undertaken to seek phases other than WH, exploring a variety of experimental conditions that would favor further reaction. Though a better preparation and characterization of WH resulted, no higher hydrides have as yet been found. (paper)

  4. Xenon capture on silver-loaded zeolites: characterization of very strong adsorption sites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Daniel, Cecile; Elbaraoui, Adnane; Aguado, Sonia; Schuurman, Yves; Farrusseng, David; Springuel-Huet, Marie-Anne; Nossov, Andrei; Fontaine, Jean-Pierre; Topin, Sylvain; Taffary, Thomas; Deliere, Ludovic

    2013-01-01

    The number and strength of adsorption sites for Xe in silver-modified zeolites are estimated from isotherm measurements at various temperatures over a broad range of pressure (from 1 ppm to atmospheric pressure). Fully and partially exchanged silver zeolites were synthesized starting from Na-ZSM-5(25), Na-ZSM-5(40), Na-Beta, NaX, and NaY. We have discovered that silver-modified zeolites may present one or two distinct adsorption sites depending on the nature of the material and silver loadings. The strongest adsorption sites are characterized by isosteric heat of adsorption in the order of -40 to -50 kJ.mol -1 . For Pentasil-type zeolites, we observe a linear 2:1 correlation between the total amount of silver and the number of strong sites. The highest concentration of strong sites is found for fully silver exchanged ZSM-5 (5.7 * 10 -4 mol/g), which presents the largest silver content for Pentasil-type zeolite. The equilibrium constant of Ag-ZSM-5 at low pressure is about 50 times larger than that of AgX. Qualitative correlations were established between Xe adsorption isotherms and Xe NMR signals. We show that Xe NMR could be used as a quantitative method for the characterization of the strength and of the number of strong Xe adsorption sites on silver-exchanged zeolites. The numbers of strong adsorption sites responsible for the Xe adsorption at 10-1000 ppm can be determined by the length of the plateau observed at low Xe uptake. In practice, our findings give guidelines for the discovery and optimization of silver-loaded zeolites for the capture of Xe at ppm levels. It appears that the amount of silver is a key parameter. Silver-modified ZSM-5 shows adsorption capacities 2-3 orders of magnitude larger than currently applied adsorbents for atmospheric Xe capture. (authors)

  5. Strong coupling electrostatics for randomly charged surfaces: antifragility and effective interactions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghodrat, Malihe; Naji, Ali; Komaie-Moghaddam, Haniyeh; Podgornik, Rudolf

    2015-05-07

    We study the effective interaction mediated by strongly coupled Coulomb fluids between dielectric surfaces carrying quenched, random monopolar charges with equal mean and variance, both when the Coulomb fluid consists only of mobile multivalent counterions and when it consists of an asymmetric ionic mixture containing multivalent and monovalent (salt) ions in equilibrium with an aqueous bulk reservoir. We analyze the consequences that follow from the interplay between surface charge disorder, dielectric and salt image effects, and the strong electrostatic coupling that results from multivalent counterions on the distribution of these ions and the effective interaction pressure they mediate between the surfaces. In a dielectrically homogeneous system, we show that the multivalent counterions are attracted towards the surfaces with a singular, disorder-induced potential that diverges logarithmically on approach to the surfaces, creating a singular but integrable counterion density profile that exhibits an algebraic divergence at the surfaces with an exponent that depends on the surface charge (disorder) variance. This effect drives the system towards a state of lower thermal 'disorder', one that can be described by a renormalized temperature, exhibiting thus a remarkable antifragility. In the presence of an interfacial dielectric discontinuity, the singular behavior of counterion density at the surfaces is removed but multivalent counterions are still accumulated much more strongly close to randomly charged surfaces as compared with uniformly charged ones. The interaction pressure acting on the surfaces displays in general a highly non-monotonic behavior as a function of the inter-surface separation with a prominent regime of attraction at small to intermediate separations. This attraction is caused directly by the combined effects from charge disorder and strong coupling electrostatics of multivalent counterions, which dominate the surface-surface repulsion due to

  6. Efficacy and duration of benazepril plus amlodipine or hydrochlorothiazide on 24-hour ambulatory systolic blood pressure control.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jamerson, Kenneth A; Devereux, Richard; Bakris, George L; Dahlöf, Björn; Pitt, Bertram; Velazquez, Eric J; Weir, Matthew; Kelly, Roxzana Y; Hua, Tsushung A; Hester, Allen; Weber, Michael A

    2011-02-01

    The combination of benazepril plus amlodipine was shown to be more effective than benazepril plus hydrochlorothiazide in reducing cardiovascular events in the Avoiding Cardiovascular Events through Combination Therapy in Patients Living with Systolic Hypertension (ACCOMPLISH) trial. There was a small difference in clinic systolic blood pressure between the treatment arms favoring benazepril plus amlodipine. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring provides a more rigorous estimate of blood pressure effects. A subset of 573 subjects underwent ambulatory blood pressure monitoring during year 2. Readings were obtained every 20 minutes during a 24-hour period. Between-treatment differences (benazepril plus amlodipine versus benazepril plus hydrochlorothiazide) in mean values were analyzed using ANOVA. Treatment comparisons with respect to categorical variables were made using Pearson's χ². At year 2, the treatment groups did not differ significantly in 24-hour mean daytime or nighttime blood pressures (values of 123.9, 125.9, and 118.1 mm Hg for benazepril plus amlodipine group versus 122.3, 124.1, and 116.9 for the benazepril plus hydrochlorothiazide group), with mean between-group differences of 1.6, 1.8, and 1.2 mm Hg, respectively. Blood pressure control rates (24-hour mean systolic blood pressure <130 mm Hg on ambulatory blood pressure monitoring) were greater than 80% in both groups. Nighttime systolic blood pressure provided additional risk prediction after adjusting for the effects of drugs. The 24-hour blood pressure control was similar in both treatment arms, supporting the interpretation that the difference in cardiovascular outcomes favoring a renin angiotensin system blocker combined with amlodipine rather than hydrochlorothiazide shown in the ACCOMPLISH trial was not caused by differences in blood pressure, but instead intrinsic properties (metabolic or hemodynamic) of the combination therapies.

  7. Decoupling Analysis on Pressure Fluctuation and Needle Valve Response for High Pressure Common Rail Injector

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hao Wang

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available In the process of multiple injections, the influence of different injections makes the controlling of cycle fuel injection quantity more difficult. The high pressure common rail (HPCR simulation model is established in AMESim environment. Through the method of combining numerical simulation and experiment test, it is found that the strong coupling of pressure fluctuation and needle valve response is the fundamental reason, which leads to the fluctuation of main injection fuel quantity (MIFQ with dwell time (DT. The result shows that the largest fluctuation quantity is 3.6mm3 when the reference value of main injection is 60.0mm3. Non-damping LC hydraulic system model is also established. Through the analysis of the model, reducing the length-diameter ratio of internal oil duct and the delivery chamber volume are decoupling methods to the strong coupling.

  8. A significant shift in favor of nuclear energy since 2005

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    2008-01-01

    A new opinion poll shows a general trend in Europe in favor of nuclear energy: 44% of the people interrogated are for nuclear energy while only 37% were for in 2005. About 40% of the people against nuclear energy would change their mind if a safe and definitive solution for the management of radioactive waste was found. The survey also shows that more people are aware of the assets of nuclear energy in terms of energy independence and greenhouse gas emission. The countries where the support is the strongest are the Czech Republic (64%), Lithuania (64%), Sweden (62%) and Finland (61%). In France, the biggest nuclear energy producer in Europe, the rate of favorable opinion for nuclear energy remains constant at 52%. (A.C.)

  9. Most children with eosinophilic esophagitis have a favorable outcome as young adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bohm, M; Jacobs, J W; Gupta, A; Gupta, S; Wo, J M

    2017-01-01

    The disease progression of eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) from childhood into adulthood is unclear. To determine the clinical outcome of patients who were diagnosed with EoE as children, and who now are young adults. Children (adults (≥18 years old) were identified, and a structured telephone interview was conducted to obtain follow-up data on symptom prevalence (dysphagia to solids and liquids, nausea/vomiting, abdominal pain, and heartburn/regurgitation), food impaction, medication usage, health-care utilization, and resolution of atopy/food allergies. A favorable outcome was defined if EoE symptoms were resolved or improved by subjects' assessment. Unfavorable outcomes was defined as symptoms same or worse. Clinical variables that predicted a favorable outcome as an adult were examined. Mayo Dysphagia Scale (MDQ-30: scored 0-100) was administered to validate the outcome assessment. Mantel-Haenszel odds ratio and unpaired t-test were used. Fifty-eight subjects (64% male) who met study criteria were enrolled. Mean age at diagnosis was 12 years (range 4-17) and mean duration of follow-up was 8.3 years (2-16). As children, the most common presenting symptoms were abdominal pain (54%), dysphagia (33%), and vomiting (24%). As young adults, 47 subjects (81%) had a favorable outcome. Total MDQ-30 scores were 4.6 (0-30) and 14.1 (0-50) in subjects with favorable outcome and unfavorable outcome, respectively (P = 0.015). Two-thirds of subjects did not use steroids or proton pump inhibitors in the preceeding 12 months. Male children with EoE were four times more likely to have a favorable outcome as young adults compared with female children. Females were more likely to report nausea/vomiting as young adults (odds ratio 3.23, CI 0.97-10.60). Of all presenting symptoms in EoE children, dysphagia was the most likely to persist into adulthood (odds ratio 6.29, CI 1.85-21.38). Eighty one percent of EoE children had a favorable outcome as young adults. Most patients

  10. Predictors of favorable soft tissue profile outcomes following Class II Twin-block treatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Ji-Eun; Mah, Su-Jung; Kim, Tae-Woo; Kim, Su-Jung; Park, Ki-Ho; Kang, Yoon-Goo

    2018-01-01

    The aim of this study was to determine cephalometric factors that help predict favorable soft-tissue profile outcomes following treatment with the Class II Twin-block appliance. Pre- and post-treatment lateral cephalograms of 45 patients treated with the Class II Twin-block appliance were retrospectively analyzed. Profile silhouettes were drawn from the cephalograms and evaluated by three orthodontists in order to determine the extent of improvement. Samples were divided into a favorable group (upper 30% of visual analogue scale [VAS] scores, n = 14) and an unfavorable group (lower 30% of VAS scores, n = 14). Skeletal and soft-tissue measurements were performed on the cephalograms and an intergroup comparison was conducted. An independent t -test revealed that the following pre-treatment values were lower in the favorable group compared to the unfavorable group: lower incisor to mandibular plane angle, lower incisor to pogonion distance, point A-nasion-point B angle, sella-nasion line (SN) to maxillary plane angle, SN to mandibular plane angle, gonial angle, and symphysis inclination. The favorable group had a larger incisor inclination to occlusal plane. Moreover, the favorable group showed larger post-treatment changes in gonial angle, B point projection, and pogonion projection than did the unfavorable group. Class II malocclusion patients with a low divergent skeletal pattern and reduced lower incisor protrusions are likely to show more improvement in soft-tissue profile outcomes following Class II Twin-block treatment.

  11. Development of pressurized internally circulating fluidized bed combustion technology; Kaatsu naibu junkan ryudosho boiler no kaihatsu

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ishihara, I [Center for Coal Utilization, Japan, Tokyo (Japan); Nagato, S; Toyoda, S [Ebara Corp., Tokyo (Japan)

    1996-09-01

    The paper introduced support research on element technology needed for the design of hot models of the pressurized internally circulating fluidized bed combustion boiler in fiscal 1995 and specifications for testing facilities of 4MWt hot models after finishing the basic plan. The support research was conduced as follows: (a) In the test for analysis of cold model fluidization, it was confirmed that each characteristic value of hot models is higher than the target value. Further, calculation parameters required for computer simulation were measured and data on the design of air diffusion nozzle for 1 chamber wind box were sampled. (b) In the CWP conveyance characteristic survey, it was confirmed that it is possible to produce CWP having favorable properties. It was also confirmed that favorable conveyability can be maintained even if the piping size was reduced down to 25A. (c) In the gas pressure reducing test, basic data required for the design of gas pressure reducing equipment were sampled. Specifications for the fluidized bed combustion boiler of hot models are as follows: evaporation amount: 3070kg/h, steam pressure: 1.77MPa, fuel supply amount: 600kg-coal/h, boiler body: cylinder shape water tube internally circulating fluidized bed combustion boiler. 4 refs., 4 figs.

  12. Design integration of favorable geometry, structural support and containment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Purcell, J.A.; McGehee, G.A.

    1991-07-01

    In designs for fissile processes at Savannah River site, different approaches have been used to provide engineered margins of safety for criticality with containment and seismic resistance as additional requirements. These requirements are frequently at odds in engineered systems. This paper proposes a plan to take advantage of vessels with favorable geometry to provide seismic resistance and to support a glovebox for containment. Thin slab tanks, small diameter pencil tanks, annular tanks, and other novel designs have been used for criticality safety. The requirement for DBE seismic resistance and rigid control of dimensions leads the designer to consider annular tanks for meeting these requirements. The high strength of annular tanks may logically be used to support secondary containment. Hands-on access to all instruments, piping etc. within containment can be provided through gloveports, thus a specialized glovebox. This paper examines the advantages of using an annular tank design to provide favorable geometry, structural support and containment

  13. Uranium favorability of southwestern Oklahoma and north-central Texas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stanton, G.D.; Brogdon, L.D.; Quick, J.V.; Thomas, N.G.; Martin, T.S.

    1977-10-01

    Results are presented of a project to identify and delineate units and (or) facies that are favorable for uranium in the Upper Pennsylvanian and Lower Permian strata of north-central Texas and southwestern Oklahoma. To aid in this evaluation, an assessment of the probable uranium rocks (Wichita and Arbuckle Mountains) was necessary. Surface samples were collected from igneous and sedimentary rocks. Stream-sediment samples were also collected. However, the main emphasis of the investigation of the sedimentary units was on the identification of sedimentary facies trends in the subsurface and an evaluation of the uranium favorability within units studied. The area investigated centers along the Red River, the boundary between Texas and Oklahoma. The project area encompasses approximately 17,000 sq. mi. It includes all or parts of Cooke, Montague, Clay, Wichita, Wilbarger, Hardeman, Baylor, Knox, and Archer Counties in Texas and Love, Jefferson, Cotton, Tillman, Jackson, Stephens, Carter, Comanche, Harmon, and Greer Counties in Oklahoma

  14. Pressure drop and heat transfer of a mercury single-phase flow and an air-mercury two-phase flow in a helical tube under a strong magnetic field

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takahashi, Minoru; Momozaki, Yoichi

    2000-01-01

    For the reduction of a large magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) pressure drop of a liquid metal single-phase flow, a liquid metal two-phase flow cooling system has been proposed. As a fundamental study, MHD pressure drops and heat transfer characteristics of a mercury single-phase flow and an air-mercury two-phase flow were experimentally investigated. A strong transverse magnetic field relevant to the fusion reactor conditions was applied to the mercury single-phase flow and the air-mercury two-phase flow in a helically coiled tube that was inserted in the vertical bore of a solenoidal superconducting magnet. It was found that MHD pressure drops of a mercury single-phase flow in the helically coiled tube were nearly equal to those in a straight tube. The Nusselt number at an outside wall was higher than that at an inside wall both in the mercury single-phase flow in the absence and presence of a magnetic field. The Nusselt number of the mercury single-phase flow decreased, increased and again decreased with an increase in the magnetic flux density. MHD pressure drops did not decrease appreciably by injecting air into a mercury flow and changing the mercury flow into the air-mercury two-phase flow. Remarkable heat transfer enhancement did not appear by the air injection. The injection of air into the mercury flow enhanced heat transfer in the ranges of high mercury flow rate and low magnetic flux density, possibly due to the agitation effect of air bubbles. The air injection deteriorated heat transfer in the range of low mercury flow rates possibly because of the occupation of air near heating wall

  15. Association mapping and favorable QTL alleles for fiber quality traits ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    A total of 201 markers were polymorphic and generated 394 ... identified favorable QTL alleles and typical accessions for fiber quality are excellent genetic resources for future cotton .... Field management followed respective local practices.

  16. Optimization and Control of Pressure Swing Adsorption Processes Under Uncertainty

    KAUST Repository

    Khajuria, Harish; Pistikopoulos, Efstratios N.

    2012-01-01

    The real-time periodic performance of a pressure swing adsorption (PSA) system strongly depends on the choice of key decision variables and operational considerations such as processing steps and column pressure temporal profiles, making its design

  17. High pressure sample container for thermal neutron spectroscopy and diffraction on strongly scattering fluids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Verkerk, P.; Pruisken, A.M.M.

    1979-01-01

    A description is presented of the construction and performance of a container for thermal neutron scattering on a fluid sample with about 1.5 cm -1 macroscopic cross section (neglecting absorption). The maximum pressure is about 900 bar. The container is made of 5052 aluminium capillary with inner diameter 0.75 mm and wall thickness 0.25 mm; it covers a neutron beam with a cross section of 9 X 2.5 cm 2 . The container has been successfully used in neutron diffraction and time-of-flight experiments on argon-36 at 120 K and several pressures up to 850 bar. It is shown that during these measurements the temperature gradient over the sample as well as the error in the absolute temperature were both less than 0.05 K. Subtraction of the Bragg peaks due to container scattering in diffraction experiments may be dfficult, but seems feasible because of the small amount of aluminium in the neutron beam. Correction for container scattering and multiple scattering in time-of-flight experiments may be difficult only in the case of coherently scattering samples and small scattering angles. (Auth.)

  18. A parametric study of adverse pressure gradient turbulent boundary layers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Monty, J.P.; Harun, Z.; Marusic, I.

    2011-01-01

    There are many open questions regarding the behaviour of turbulent boundary layers subjected to pressure gradients and this is confounded by the large parameter space that may affect these flows. While there have been many valuable investigations conducted within this parameter space, there are still insufficient data to attempt to reduce this parameter space. Here, we consider a parametric study of adverse pressure gradient turbulent boundary layers where we restrict our attention to the pressure gradient parameter, β, the Reynolds number and the acceleration parameter, K. The statistics analyzed are limited to the streamwise fluctuating velocity. The data show that the mean velocity profile in strong pressure gradient boundary layers does not conform to the classical logarithmic law. Moreover, there appears to be no measurable logarithmic region in these cases. It is also found that the large-scale motions scaling with outer variables are energised by the pressure gradient. These increasingly strong large-scale motions are found to be the dominant contributor to the increase in turbulence intensity (scaled with friction velocity) with increasing pressure gradient across the boundary layer.

  19. When and why are reliable organizations favored?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ethiraj, Sendil; Yi, Sangyoon

    of the ensuing work examined only corollary implications of this observation. We treat the observation as a research question and ask: when and why are reliable organizations favored by evolutionary forces? Using a simple theoretical model, we direct attention at a minimal set of variables that are implicated...... shocks, reliable organizations can in fact outperform their less reliable counterparts if they can take advantage of the knowledge resident in their historical choices. While these results are counter-intuitive, the caveat is that our results are only an existence proof for our theory rather than...

  20. The influence of chemistry concentration on the fracture risk of a reactor pressure vessel subjected to pressurized thermal shocks

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Huang, Pin-Chiun [Institute of Nuclear Engineering and Science, National Tsing-Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan, ROC (China); Chou, Hsoung-Wei, E-mail: hwchou@iner.gov.tw [Institute of Nuclear Energy Research, Taoyuan 32546, Taiwan, ROC (China); Ferng, Yuh-Ming [Institute of Nuclear Engineering and Science, National Tsing-Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan, ROC (China)

    2016-02-15

    Highlights: • Probabilistic fracture mechanics method was used to analyze a reactor pressure vessel. • Effects of copper and nickel contents on RPV fracture probability under PTS were investigated and discussed. • Representative PTS transients of Beaver Valley nuclear power plant were utilized. • The range of copper and nickel contents of the RPV materials were suggested. • With different embrittlement levels the dominated PTS category is different. - Abstract: The radiation embrittlement behavior of reactor pressure vessel shell is influenced by the chemistry concentration of metal materials. This paper aims to study the effects of copper and nickel content variations on the fracture risk of pressurized water reactor (PWR) pressure vessel subjected to pressurized thermal shock (PTS) transients. The probabilistic fracture mechanics (PFM) code, FAVOR, which was developed by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the United States, is employed to perform the analyses. A Taiwan domestic PWR pressure vessel assumed with varied copper and nickel contents of beltline region welds and plates is investigated in the study. Some PTS transients analyzed from Beaver Valley Unit 1 for establishing the U.S. NRC's new PTS rule are applied as the loading condition. It is found that the content variation of copper and nickel will significantly affect the radiation embrittlement and the fracture probability of PWR pressure vessels. The results can be regarded as the risk incremental factors for comparison with the safety regulation requirements on vessel degradation as well as a reference for the operation of PWR plants in Taiwan.

  1. The use of high pressure in basic, materials, and life sciences

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schilling, James S.

    2000-01-01

    Four of the most important applications of the high pressure technique in today's science are: (1) to help identify the materials which reside deep within our earth or other heavenly bodies and determine their properties, (2) to uncover underlying systematics and critically test theoretical models, (3) to synthesize novel and useful materials not readily available by other means, and (4) to determine the effect of pressure on living organisms and explore the conditions favorable for the origin of life itself. High pressure studies currently enjoy an increasing popularity which is fueled by recent advances in the notably difficult experimental techniques. In this paper I will attempt to capture some of the current excitement in this field by offering brief synopses of selected experiments in the basic, materials, and life sciences

  2. High pressure synthesis of zeolite/polymer nanocomposites

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Haines, Julien; Thibaud, Jean-Marc; Rouquette, Jerome; Cambon, Olivier; Di Renzo, Francesco, E-mail: julien.haines@univ-montp2.fr [Institut Charles Gerhardt Montpellier (France); Lee, Arie van der [Institut Europeen des Membranes, Montpellier (France); Scelta, Demetrio; Ceppatelli, Matteo; Dziubek, Kamil; Gorelli, Federico; Bini, Roberto; Santoro, Mario [European Laboratory for Non Linear Spectroscopy, Firenze (Italy)

    2016-07-01

    Full text: Polymerization of simple organic molecules under high pressure in the subnanometric pores of pure SiO{sub 2} zeolites can be used to produce novel nanocomposite materials, which can be recovered at ambient P and have remarkable mechanical, electrical or optical properties. Polymerization of ethylene in silicalite was studied in situ at high pressure by IR and results in a nanocomposite with isolated chains of non-conducting polyethylene strongly confined in the pores based on single crystal x-ray diffraction data. The nanocomposite is much less compressible than silicalite and has a positive rather than a negative thermal expansion coefficient. In order to target novel electrical and optical properties, isolated chains of conducting polymers can also be prepared in the pores of zeolite hosts at high pressure, such as polyacetylene, which was polymerized under pressure in the pores of the 1-D zeolite TON. The structure of this nanocomposite was determined by synchrotron x-ray powder diffraction data with complete pore filling corresponding to one planar polymer chain confined in each pore with a zig-zag configuration in the yz plane. This very strong confinement can be expected to strongly modify the electrical properties of polyacetylene. In this nanocomposite, our theoretical calculations indicate that the electronic density of states of polyacetylene exhibit van Hove singularities related to quantum 1D confinement, which could lead to future technological applications. This new material is susceptible to have applications in nanoelectronics, nanophotonics and energy and light harvesting. Completely novel nanocomposites were prepared by the polymerization of carbon monoxide CO in silicalite and TON. In these materials, isolated, ideal polycarbonyl chains are obtained in contrast to the non-stoichiometric, branched bulk polymers obtained by high pressure polymerization of this simple system. These poly CO/zeolite composites could be interesting energetic

  3. High pressure 129I Moessbauer studies of GeI4 molecular crystals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pasternak, M.P.; Taylor, R.D.

    1989-01-01

    The Moessbauer effect in 129 I in conjunction with Diamond-Anvil-Cell high pressure techniques was applied to investigate the high pressure phase(s) of the molecular crystal GeI 4 . The 129 I Quadrupole Interaction was the main probe for characterizing the intermolecular structural transformation with pressure. With increasing pressure, at about 15 GPAa, the onset of a partial molecular-association phase (HP1) is first observed. In HP1 two out of the four iodines strongly overlap to form linear chains of GeI 4 . The HP1 phase coexists with the low pressure (LP) molecular phase, but its population increases with increasing pressure. At P ∼20 GPa a second high pressure phase (HP2) is identified where all four iodines strongly overlap to form a three dimensional, fully molecular-associated structure. With increasing pressure and at P > 20 GPa, HP2 is the only phase up to P = 34 GPa, the highest pressure used. A significant hysteresis of the relative abundances with pressure is observed. The isomer shift of the HP2 and HP1 structures is considerably larger than that of the LP one. 11 refs., 3 figs

  4. High pressure 129I Moessbauer studies of GeI4 molecular crystals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pasternak, M.P.; Los Alamos National Lab.; Taylor, R.D.

    1990-01-01

    The Moessbauer effect in 129 I in cunjunction with Diamond-Anvil-Cell high pressure techniques was applied to investigate the high pressure phase(s) of the molecular crystal GeI 4 . The 129 I Quadrupole Interaction was the main probe for characterizing the intermolecular structural transformation with pressure. With increasing pressure, at about 15 GPa, the onset of a partial molecular-association phase (HP1) is first observed. In HP1 two out of the four iodines strongly overlap to form linear chains of GeI 4 . The HP1 phase coexists with the low pressure (LP) molecular phase, but its population increases with increasing pressure. At P≅20 GPa a second high pressure phase (HP2) is identified where all four iodines strongly overlap to form a three dimensional, fully molecular-associated structure. With increasing pressure and at P>20 GPa, HP2 is the only phase up to P=34 GPa, the highest pressure used. A significant hysteresis of the relative abundances with pressure is observed. The isomer shift of the HP2 and HP1 structures is considerably larger than that of the LP one. (orig.)

  5. Quasi-particle description of strongly interacting matter: Towards a foundation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bluhm, M.; Kaempfer, B.; Schulze, R.; Seipt, D.

    2007-01-01

    We confront our quasi-particle model for the equation of state of strongly interacting matter with recent first-principle QCD calculations. In particular, we test its applicability at finite baryon densities by comparing with Taylor expansion coefficients of the pressure for two quark flavours. We outline a chain of approximations starting from the Φ-functional approach to QCD which motivates the quasi-particle picture. (orig.)

  6. Positive Surgical Margins in Favorable-Stage Differentiated Thyroid Cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mercado, Catherine E; Drew, Peter A; Morris, Christopher G; Dziegielewski, Peter T; Mendenhall, William M; Amdur, Robert J

    2018-04-16

    The significance of positive margin in favorable-stage well-differentiated thyroid cancer is controversial. We report outcomes of positive-margin patients with a matched-pair comparison to a negative-margin group. A total of 25 patients with classic-histology papillary or follicular carcinoma, total thyroidectomy +/- node dissection, stage T1-3N0-1bM0, positive surgical margin at primary site, adjuvant radioactive iodine (I-131), and age older than 18 years were treated between 2003 and 2013. Endpoints were clinical and biochemical (thyroglobulin-only) recurrence-free survival. Matched-pair analysis involved a 1:1 match with negative-margin cases matched for overall stage and I-131 dose. Recurrence-free survival in positive-margin patients was 71% at 10 years. No patient was successfully salvaged with additional treatment. Only 1 patient died of thyroid cancer. Recurrence-free survival at 10 years was worse with a positive (71%) versus negative (90%) margin (P=0.140). Cure with a microscopically positive margin was suboptimal (71%) despite patients having classic-histology papillary and follicular carcinoma, favorable stage, and moderate-dose I-131 therapy.

  7. Low-level wind response to mesoscale pressure systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garratt, J. R.; Physick, W. L.

    1983-09-01

    Observations are presented which show a strong correlation between low-level wind behaviour (e.g., rotation near the surface) and the passage of mesoscale pressure systems. The latter are associated with frontal transition zones, are dominated by a pressure-jump line and a mesoscale high pressure area, and produce locally large horizontal pressure gradients. The wind observations are simulated by specifying a time sequence of perturbation pressure gradient and subsequently solving the vertically-integrated momentum equations with appropriate initial conditions. Very good agreement is found between observed and calculated winds; in particular, (i) a 360 ° rotation in wind on passage of the mesoscale high; (ii) wind-shift lines produced dynamically by the pressure-jump line; (iii) rapid linear increase in wind speed on passage of the pressure jump.

  8. Hydrostatic pressure and strain effects in short period InN/GaN superlattices

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gorczyca, I.; Suski, T.; Christensen, Niels Egede

    2012-01-01

    The electronic structures of short-period pseudomorphically grown superlattices (SLs) of the form mInN/nGaN are calculated and the band gap variation with the well and the barrier thicknesses is discussed including hydrostatic pressure effects. The calculated band gap shows a strong dependence...... strongly on the strain conditions and SL geometry, but weakly on the applied external hydrostatic pressure....

  9. Pressure tuning of the optical properties of GaAs nanowires

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Zardo, I.; Yazji, S.; Marini, C.; Uccelli, E.; Morral, A.F.I.; Abstreiter, G.; Postorino, P.

    2012-01-01

    The tuning of the optical and electronic properties of semiconductor nanowires can be achieved by crystal phase engineering. Zinc-blende and diamond semiconductors exhibit pressure-induced structural transitions as well as a strong pressure dependence of the band gaps. When reduced to nanoscale

  10. Experimental Study and Engineering Practice of Pressured Water Coupling Blasting

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. X. Yang

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Overburden strata movement in large space stope is the major reason that induces the appearance of strong mining pressure. Presplitting blasting for hard coal rocks is crucial for the prevention and control of strong pressure in stope. In this study, pressured water coupling blasting technique was proposed. The process and effect of blasting were analyzed by orthogonal test and field practice. Results showed that the presence of pressure-bearing water and explosive cartridges in the drill are the main influence factors of the blasting effect of cement test block. The high load-transmitting performance of pore water and energy accumulation in explosive cartridges were analyzed. Noxious substances produced during the blasting process were properly controlled because of the moistening, cooling, and diluting effect of pore water. Not only the goal of safe and static rock fragmentation by high-explosive detonation but also a combination of superdynamic blast loading and static loading effect of the pressured water was achieved. Then the practice of blasting control of hard coal rocks in Datong coal mine was analyzed to determine reasonable parameters of pressured water coupling blasting. A good presplitting blasting control effect was achieved for the hard coal rocks.

  11. Tax havens under international pressure: How do they react?

    OpenAIRE

    Patrice Pieretti; Giuseppe Pulina

    2015-01-01

    This paper contributes to the literature about tax havens by providing a more comprehensive analysis of their role. The aim is to analyze how low-tax jurisdictions can react to growing international pressure exerted, by high-tax countries, to enforce compliance with anti aggressive tax planning standards. To this end, we model how a small tax haven tries to be attractive to multinationals located in a high-tax region by providing aggressive tax planning services and/or a favorable environment...

  12. Detecting Two-Spirit erotics: The fiction of Carole laFavor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tatonetti, Lisa

    2016-01-01

    This article examines the life and novels of Carole laFavor, arguing for her importance to and influence in Two-Spirit studies. Along with being a writer, laFavor was a powerful voice for social justice and Indigenous health sovereignty in Minnesota and the nation. Her two novels, Along the Journey River and Evil Dead Center, which both focus on Anishinaabe lesbian detective protagonist Renee LaRoche, are the first lesbian detective fiction published by a Native author. Renee's embrace of a specifically Two-Spirit erotics anchors her to family and brings her tribal community a powerful healing when she employs her skills to protect her people from instances of racism, abuse, and injustice. This article, then, reads these novels as the first of an emerging genre of texts that claim an overtly Two-Spirit erotic as well as vital precursors to the present embrace of sovereign erotics in Indigenous studies.

  13. Cytoskeleton-centric protein transportation by exosomes transforms tumor-favorable macrophages

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cui, Yizhi; Zhou, Yanlong; Yin, Xingfeng; Guo, Jiahui; Zhang, Gong; Wang, Tong; He, Qing-Yu

    2016-01-01

    The exosome is a key initiator of pre-metastatic niche in numerous cancers, where macrophages serve as primary inducers of tumor microenvironment. However, the proteome that can be exosomally transported from cancer cells to macrophages has not been sufficiently characterized so far. Here, we used colorectal cancer (CRC) exosomes to educate tumor-favorable macrophages. With a SILAC-based mass spectrometry strategy, we successfully traced the proteome transported from CRC exosomes to macrophages. Such a proteome primarily focused on promoting cytoskeleton rearrangement, which was biologically validated with multiple cell lines. We reproduced the exosomal transportation of functional vimentin as a proof-of-concept example. In addition, we found that some CRC exosomes could be recognized by macrophages via Fc receptors. Therefore, we revealed the active and necessary role of exosomes secreted from CRC cells to transform cancer-favorable macrophages, with the cytoskeleton-centric proteins serving as the top functional unit. PMID:27602764

  14. Cytoskeleton-centric protein transportation by exosomes transforms tumor-favorable macrophages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Zhipeng; Yang, Lijuan; Cui, Yizhi; Zhou, Yanlong; Yin, Xingfeng; Guo, Jiahui; Zhang, Gong; Wang, Tong; He, Qing-Yu

    2016-10-11

    The exosome is a key initiator of pre-metastatic niche in numerous cancers, where macrophages serve as primary inducers of tumor microenvironment. However, the proteome that can be exosomally transported from cancer cells to macrophages has not been sufficiently characterized so far. Here, we used colorectal cancer (CRC) exosomes to educate tumor-favorable macrophages. With a SILAC-based mass spectrometry strategy, we successfully traced the proteome transported from CRC exosomes to macrophages. Such a proteome primarily focused on promoting cytoskeleton rearrangement, which was biologically validated with multiple cell lines. We reproduced the exosomal transportation of functional vimentin as a proof-of-concept example. In addition, we found that some CRC exosomes could be recognized by macrophages via Fc receptors. Therefore, we revealed the active and necessary role of exosomes secreted from CRC cells to transform cancer-favorable macrophages, with the cytoskeleton-centric proteins serving as the top functional unit.

  15. Sewage sludge solubilization by high-pressure homogenization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yuxuan; Zhang, Panyue; Guo, Jianbin; Ma, Weifang; Fang, Wei; Ma, Boqiang; Xu, Xiangzhe

    2013-01-01

    The behavior of sludge solubilization using high-pressure homogenization (HPH) treatment was examined by investigating the sludge solid reduction and organics solubilization. The sludge volatile suspended solids (VSS) decreased from 10.58 to 6.67 g/L for the sludge sample with a total solids content (TS) of 1.49% after HPH treatment at a homogenization pressure of 80 MPa with four homogenization cycles; total suspended solids (TSS) correspondingly decreased from 14.26 to 9.91 g/L. About 86.15% of the TSS reduction was attributed to the VSS reduction. The increase of homogenization pressure from 20 to 80 MPa or homogenization cycle number from 1 to 4 was favorable to the sludge organics solubilization, and the protein and polysaccharide solubilization linearly increased with the soluble chemical oxygen demand (SCOD) solubilization. More proteins were solubilized than polysaccharides. The linear relationship between SCOD solubilization and VSS reduction had no significant change under different homogenization pressures, homogenization cycles and sludge solid contents. The SCOD of 1.65 g/L was solubilized for the VSS reduction of 1.00 g/L for the three experimental sludge samples with a TS of 1.00, 1.49 and 2.48% under all HPH operating conditions. The energy efficiency results showed that the HPH treatment at a homogenization pressure of 30 MPa with a single homogenization cycle for the sludge sample with a TS of 2.48% was the most energy efficient.

  16. Effect of External Pressure Drop on Loop Heat Pipe Operating Temperature

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jentung, Ku; Ottenstein, Laura; Rogers, Paul; Cheung, Kwok; Obenschain, Arthur F. (Technical Monitor)

    2002-01-01

    This paper discusses the effect of the pressure drop on the operating temperature in a loop heat pipe (LHP). Because the evaporator and the compensation chamber (CC) both contain two-phase fluid, a thermodynamic constraint exists between the temperature difference and the pressure drop for these two components. As the pressure drop increases, so will the temperature difference. The temperature difference in turn causes an increase of the heat leak from the evaporator to the CC, resulting in a higher CC temperature. Furthermore, the heat leak strongly depends on the vapor void fraction inside the evaporator core. Tests were conducted by installing a valve on the vapor line so as to vary the pressure drop, and by charging the LHP with various amounts of fluid. Test results verify that the LHP operating temperature increases with an increasing differential pressure, and the temperature increase is a strong function of the fluid inventory in the loop.

  17. The pressure is all in your head: A cilia-driven high-pressure pump in the head of a deep-sea animal

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nawroth, Janna; Katija, Kakani; Shelley, Michael; Kanso, Eva

    2017-11-01

    Motile cilia are microscopic, hair-like structures on the cell surface that can sense and propel the extracellular fluid environment. In many ciliated systems found in nature, such as the mammalian airways and marine sponges, the organization and collective behavior of the cilia favors the pumping of fluids at low pressures and high volumes. We recently discovered an alternate design located in the head of a deep-sea animal called Larvacean. Here, cilia morphology, kinematics and flow indicate a role in maintaining the hydrostatic skeleton of the animal by generating a high-pressure flow. We describe our empirical and computational approaches toward understanding the design principles and dynamic range of this newly discovered pumping mechanism. In ongoing work, we further explore the fluid dynamic constraints on the morphological diversity of cilia and the resulting categories of fluid transport functions.

  18. Balanced bilinguals favor lexical processing in their opaque language and conversion system in their shallow language.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buetler, Karin A; de León Rodríguez, Diego; Laganaro, Marina; Müri, René; Nyffeler, Thomas; Spierer, Lucas; Annoni, Jean-Marie

    2015-11-01

    Referred to as orthographic depth, the degree of consistency of grapheme/phoneme correspondences varies across languages from high in shallow orthographies to low in deep orthographies. The present study investigates the impact of orthographic depth on reading route by analyzing evoked potentials to words in a deep (French) and shallow (German) language presented to highly proficient bilinguals. ERP analyses to German and French words revealed significant topographic modulations 240-280 ms post-stimulus onset, indicative of distinct brain networks engaged in reading over this time window. Source estimations revealed that these effects stemmed from modulations of left insular, inferior frontal and dorsolateral regions (German>French) previously associated to phonological processing. Our results show that reading in a shallow language was associated to a stronger engagement of phonological pathways than reading in a deep language. Thus, the lexical pathways favored in word reading are reinforced by phonological networks more strongly in the shallow than deep orthography. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. The trade-off characteristics of acoustic and pressure sensors for the NASP

    Science.gov (United States)

    Winkler, Martin; Bush, Chuck

    1992-01-01

    Results of a trade study for the development of pressure and acoustic sensors for use on the National Aerospace Plane (NASP) are summarized. Pressure sensors are needed to operate to 100 psia; acoustic sensors are needed that can give meaningful information about a 200 dB sound pressure level (SPL) environment. Both sensors will have to operate from a high temperature of 2000 F down to absolute zero. The main conclusions of the study are the following: (1) Diaphragm materials limit minimum size and maximum frequency response attainable. (2) No transduction is available to meet all the NASP requirements with existing technology. (3) Capacitive sensors are large relative to the requirement, have limited resolution and frequency response due to noise, and cable length is limited to approximately 20 feet. (4) Eddy current sensors are large relative to the requirement and have limited cable lengths. (5) Fiber optic sensors provide the possibility for a small sensor, even though present developments do not exhibit that characteristic. The need to use sapphire at high temperature complicates the design. Present high temperature research sensors suffer from poor resolution. A significant development effort will be required to realize the potential of fiber optics. (6) Short-term development seems to favor eddy current techniques with the penalty of larger size and reduced dynamic range for acoustic sensors. (7) Long-term development may favor fiber optics with the penalties of cost, schedule, and uncertainty.

  20. Association and Validation of Yield-Favored Alleles in Chinese Cultivars of Common Wheat (Triticumaestivum L..

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jie Guo

    Full Text Available Common wheat is one of the most important crops in China, which is the largest producer in the world. A set of 230 cultivars was used to identify yield-related loci by association mapping. This set was tested for seven yield-related traits, viz. plant height (PH, spike length (SL, spikelet number per spike (SNPS, kernel number per spike (KNPS, thousand-kernel weight (TKW, kernel weight per spike (KWPS, and sterile spikelet number (SSN per plant in four environments. A total of 106 simple sequence repeat (SSR markers distributed on all 21 chromosomes were used to screen the set. Twenty-one and 19 of them were associated with KNPS and TKW, respectively. Association mapping detected 73 significant associations across 50 SSRs, and the phenotypic variation explained (R2 by the associations ranged from 1.54 to 23.93%. The associated loci were distributed on all chromosomes except 4A, 7A, and 7D. Significant and potentially new alleles were present on 8 chromosomes, namely 1A, 1D, 2A, 2D, 3D, 4B, 5B, and 6B. Further analysis showed that genetic effects of associated loci were greatly influenced by association panels, and the R2 of crucial loci were lower in modern cultivars than in the mini core collection, probably caused by strong selection in wheat breeding. In order to confirm the results of association analysis, yield-related favorable alleles Xgwm135-1A138, Xgwm337-1D186, Xgwm102-2D144, and Xgwm132-6B128 were evaluated in a double haploid (DH population derived from Hanxuan10 xLumai14.These favorable alleles that were validated in various populations might be valuable in breeding for high-yield.

  1. Pressure-induced phase transitions in acentric BaHf(BO{sub 3}){sub 2}

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mączka, Mirosław, E-mail: m.maczka@int.pan.wroc.pl [Institute of Low Temperature and Structure Research, Polish Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 1410, 50-950 Wrocław 2 (Poland); Szymborska-Małek, Katarzyna [Institute of Low Temperature and Structure Research, Polish Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 1410, 50-950 Wrocław 2 (Poland); Sousa Pinheiro, Gardenia de [Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal do Piauí, Teresina, PI 64049-550 (Brazil); Cavalcante Freire, Paulo Tarso [Departamento de Fisica, Universidade Federal do Ceara, Fortaleza CE-60455-970 (Brazil); Majchrowski, Andrzej [Institute of Applied Physics, Military University of Technology, 2 Kaliskiego Street, 00-908 Warszawa (Poland)

    2015-08-15

    High-pressure Raman scattering studies revealed that BaHf(BO{sub 3}){sub 2} is more compressible than calcite-type orthoborates and calcite, aragonite or dolomite carbonates. It undergoes a first-order reversible pressure-induced phase transition in the 3.9–4.4 GPa pressure range. Second structural change is observed at 9.2 GPa. The intermediate phase is most likely trigonal. However, Raman results suggest increase in the number of distinct BO{sub 3} groups from two in the ambient pressure phase to at least three in the intermediate phase. This intermediate phase is also strongly compressible and strong pressure dependence of the lattice modes proves that the main changes under pressure occur within the layers built from BaO{sub 6} and HfO{sub 6} octahedra. The second phase transition leads most likely to lowering of the trigonal symmetry, as evidenced by significant increase of the number of observed bands. The pressure coefficients of the Raman bands of the high-pressure phase are relatively small, suggesting more dense arrangement of the metal–oxygen polyhedra and BO{sub 3} groups in this phase. It is worth noting that the high-pressure phase was not reached in the second compression experiment up to 10 GPa. This behavior can be most likely attributed to worse hydrostatic conditions of the first experiment. - Graphical abstract: Raman spectra of BaHf(BO{sub 3}){sub 2} recorded at different pressures during compression showing onset of pressure-induced phase transitions. - Highlights: • High-pressure Raman spectra were measured for BaHf(BO{sub 3}){sub 2.} • BaHf(BO{sub 3}){sub 2} undergoes a reversible first-order phase transition at 3.9–4.4 GPa into a trigonal phase. • The intermediate trigonal phase is strongly compressible second structural transformation is observed at 9.2 GPa under non-perfect hydrostatic conditions.

  2. Non-equilbrium behavior of low-pressure plasma jets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chang, C.H.; Pfender, E.

    1989-01-01

    After establishing the basic equations, some sample calculations are presented to examine the thermodynamic state of the plasma from atmospheric to low pressures (80 mbar). These results indicate the validity of local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) at atmospheric pressure as well as strong deviations from LTE at lower pressures especially in terms of chemical equilibrium. Departures from kinetic equilibrium are not as severe as those from chemical equilibrium along the centerline of the jet. However, there are some departures from transitional equilibrium in the fringes of the jet. It is demonstrated that conventional methods based on the LTE assumption are not appropriate for describing low-pressure plasma jets

  3. Balloon measurements of the cosmic microwave background strongly favor a flat cosmos

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schwarzschild, Bertram

    2000-01-01

    In 1998 two related but independent groups sent balloon-borne microwave telescopes aloft to study fluctuations in the cosmic microwave background (CMB) at fine angular resolution. In August of that year, the Maxima telescope spent one night at 40 km above Texas. And at the end of the year, its ''sister'' telescope, called Boomerang, took advantage of the steady circumpolar winds of the austral summer to complete a 10-day stratospheric circumnavigation of Antarctica. (c) 2000 American Institute of Physics

  4. HAWC Observations Strongly Favor Pulsar Interpretations of the Cosmic-Ray Positron Excess

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hooper, Dan [Fermilab; Cholis, Ilias [Johns Hopkins U.; Linden, Tim [Ohio State U., CCAPP; Fang, Ke [Maryland U.

    2017-11-17

    Recent measurements of the Geminga and B0656+14 pulsars by the gamma-ray telescope HAWC (along with earlier measurements by Milagro) indicate that these objects generate significant fluxes of very high-energy electrons. In this paper, we use the very high-energy gamma-ray intensity and spectrum of these pulsars to calculate and constrain their expected contributions to the local cosmic-ray positron spectrum. Among models that are capable of reproducing the observed characteristics of the gamma-ray emission, we find that pulsars invariably produce a flux of high-energy positrons that is similar in spectrum and magnitude to the positron fraction measured by PAMELA and AMS-02. In light of this result, we conclude that it is very likely that pulsars provide the dominant contribution to the long perplexing cosmic-ray positron excess.

  5. [Population pressure: a factor of political destabilization].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tallon, F

    1993-04-01

    Political stability throughout the world appears to be greater in countries with slowly growing populations than in those with rapid growth. Population is not the only influence on political stability, however. The relationship between political stability and development is strong. The rich countries with the slowest growth are the most stable, while poor developing countries with rapid growth suffer from chronic instability. Demographic pressure and density are not the same thing and must be distinguished. A fragile environment like that of the Sahel will experience demographic pressure despite low density. Japan has a greater population density than Rwanda and little cultivable land, but the population has a high standard of living. demographic pressure is not comparable in Japan and Rwanda because Japan has slow population growth and stable democratic political institutions. The rate of growth seems to be a more important element in destabilization than density. Rapid growth creates enormous political tensions especially when profound ethnic divisions exist, and it complicates problems of government by encouraging rapid urbanization. The unbalanced age structures resulting from rapid growth hinder the satisfaction of employment, educational, and health care needs for the ever-increasing masses of young people. 49% of Rwanda's population is under 15 and 66% is under 25. Rwanda is already densely populated, with around 300 inhabitants/sq km, and its population is projected to double in 20 years. 95% of the population is dependent on agriculture, but by 1988 the average landholding per family was only 1.25 hectares and 58% of families did not grown sufficient food for household needs. Further reduction in the size of holdings or a growing landless population will have multiple consequences. Urban migration will inevitably increase, bringing with it all the problems so evident in other poor countries where the process is more advanced than in Rwanda. Chaotic

  6. Strong deflection gravitational lensing by a modified Hayward black hole

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhao, Shan-Shan; Xie, Yi [Nanjing University, School of Astronomy and Space Science, Nanjing (China); Nanjing University, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Modern Astronomy and Astrophysics, Nanjing (China)

    2017-05-15

    A modified Hayward black hole is a nonsingular black hole. It is proposed that it would form when the pressure generated by quantum gravity can stop matter's collapse as the matter reaches the Planck density. Strong deflection gravitational lensing occurring nearby its event horizon might provide some clues of these quantum effects in its central core. We investigate observables of the strong deflection lensing, including angular separations, brightness differences and time delays between its relativistic images, and we estimate their values for the supermassive black hole in the Galactic center. We find that it is possible to distinguish the modified Hayward black hole from a Schwarzschild one, but it demands a very high resolution, beyond current stage. (orig.)

  7. Influence of a High-Pressure Comminution Technology on Concentrate Yields in Copper Ore Flotation Processes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Saramak D.

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available The article concerns the issues of flotation process effectiveness in relationship to the operating conditions of a high-pressure comminution process course. Experimental programme covering a flotation laboratory batch tests was a verification technique of a high-pressure crushing operations course. The most favorable values of flotation concentrate weight recoveries were obtained for the pressing force 6 kN and 4% of the feed moisture. It was also determined the model of the concentrate weight recovery as a function of pressing force in the press and feed moisture content. This model was the basis for the optimization of effects of copper ore flotation processes preceded in high-pressure crushing operation in roller presses.

  8. Pressure effect on iron based superconductors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arumugam, S.; Kanagaraj, M.

    2011-01-01

    A tuning of macroscopic thermo dynamical parameters such as temperature, pressure and volume play a crucial role in strongly correlated electron systems especially high T c superconductors, which leads to increasing conductivity as well as effective way of reducing intrinsic magnetic moments. Application of chemical and external pressure exhibits significant increases of critical temperature of recently discovered iron pnictides and chalcogenides superconductors. In this present report, we have investigated hydrostatic pressure effects on resistivity and magnetization of some 1111 type based oxypnictide superconductors such as Co doped CeFeAsO, La 0.8 Th 0.2 FeAsO, Ce 0.6 Y 0.4 FeAsO 0.8 F 0.2 and Yb doped CeFeAsO systems respectively. The initially applied pressure increases the T c and its down to lower value when beyond increasing pressure also has been observed and pressure effects on crystal structure were also discussed. From that all the obtained results reveal that controlling of magnetic instability and structure distortion at higher pressure is a dominant way to further developing of T c of these new ferropnictides compounds. (author)

  9. A noninvasive estimation of cerebral perfusion pressure using critical closing pressure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Varsos, Georgios V; Kolias, Angelos G; Smielewski, Peter; Brady, Ken M; Varsos, Vassilis G; Hutchinson, Peter J; Pickard, John D; Czosnyka, Marek

    2015-09-01

    Cerebral blood flow is associated with cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP), which is clinically monitored through arterial blood pressure (ABP) and invasive measurements of intracranial pressure (ICP). Based on critical closing pressure (CrCP), the authors introduce a novel method for a noninvasive estimator of CPP (eCPP). Data from 280 head-injured patients with ABP, ICP, and transcranial Doppler ultrasonography measurements were retrospectively examined. CrCP was calculated with a noninvasive version of the cerebrovascular impedance method. The eCPP was refined with a predictive regression model of CrCP-based estimation of ICP from known ICP using data from 232 patients, and validated with data from the remaining 48 patients. Cohort analysis showed eCPP to be correlated with measured CPP (R = 0.851, p area under the curve of 0.913 (95% CI 0.883-0.944). When each recording session of a patient was assessed individually, eCPP could predict CPP with a 95% CI of the SD for estimating CPP between multiple recording sessions of 1.89-5.01 mm Hg. Overall, CrCP-based eCPP was strongly correlated with invasive CPP, with sensitivity and specificity for detection of low CPP that show promise for clinical use.

  10. High-resolution thermal expansion measurements under helium-gas pressure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manna, Rudra Sekhar; Wolf, Bernd; de Souza, Mariano; Lang, Michael

    2012-08-01

    We report on the realization of a capacitive dilatometer, designed for high-resolution measurements of length changes of a material for temperatures 1.4 K ⩽ T ⩽ 300 K and hydrostatic pressure P ⩽ 250 MPa. Helium (4He) is used as a pressure-transmitting medium, ensuring hydrostatic-pressure conditions. Special emphasis has been given to guarantee, to a good approximation, constant-pressure conditions during temperature sweeps. The performance of the dilatometer is demonstrated by measurements of the coefficient of thermal expansion at pressures P ≃ 0.1 MPa (ambient pressure) and 104 MPa on a single crystal of azurite, Cu3(CO3)2(OH)2, a quasi-one-dimensional spin S = 1/2 Heisenberg antiferromagnet. The results indicate a strong effect of pressure on the magnetic interactions in this system.

  11. Influence of heat treatments on thermoelectric power of pressure vessel steels: effect of microstructural evolutions of strongly segregated areas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Houze, M.

    2002-12-01

    Thermoelectric power measurement (TEP) is a very potential non destructive evaluation method considered to follow ageing under neutron irradiation of pressure vessel steel of nuclear reactor. Prior to these problems, the aim of this study is to establish correlations between TEP variations and microstructural evolutions of pressure vessel steels during heat treatments. Different steels, permitting to simulate heterogeneities of pressure vessel steels and to deconvoluate main metallurgical phenomenons effects were studied. This work allowed to emphasize effect on TEP of: austenitizing and cooling conditions and therefore of microstructure, metallurgical transformations during tempering (recovery, precipitation of alloying elements), and particularly molybdenum precipitation associated to secondary hardening, residual austenite amount or partial austenitizing. (author)

  12. Treatment of ischial pressure sores using a modified gracilis myofasciocutaneous flap.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Haodong; Hou, Chunlin; Chen, Aimin; Xu, Zhen

    2010-04-01

    Despite the availability of a variety of flap reconstruction options, ischial pressure sores continue to be the most difficult pressure sores to treat. This article describes a successful surgical procedure for the coverage of ischial ulcers using a modified gracilis myofasciocutaneous flap. From August 2000 to April 2004, 12 patients with ischial sores were enrolled in the study. All patients underwent early aggressive surgical debridement followed by surgical reconstruction with a modified gracilis myofasciocutaneous flap. The follow-up period ranged from 13 to 86 months, with a mean of 44 months. Overall, 91.7% of the flaps (11 of 12) survived primarily. Partial flap necrosis occurred in one patient. Primary wound healing occurred without complications at both the donor and recipient sites in all cases. In one patient, grade II ischial pressure sores recurred 13 months after the operation. There was no recurrence in other 11 patients. A modified gracilis myofasciocutaneous flap provides a good cover for ischial pressure sores. Because it is easy to use and has favorable results, it can be used in the primary treatment for large and deep ischial pressure sores. Copyright Thieme Medical Publishers.

  13. Tetrel Bonding as a Vehicle for Strong and Selective Anion Binding

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Steve Scheiner

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Tetrel atoms T (T = Si, Ge, Sn, and Pb can engage in very strong noncovalent interactions with nucleophiles, which are commonly referred to as tetrel bonds. The ability of such bonds to bind various anions is assessed with a goal of designing an optimal receptor. The Sn atom seems to form the strongest bonds within the tetrel family. It is most effective in the context of a -SnF3 group and a further enhancement is observed when a positive charge is placed on the receptor. Connection of the -SnF3 group to either an imidazolium or triazolium provides a strong halide receptor, which can be improved if its point of attachment is changed from the C to an N atom of either ring. Aromaticity of the ring offers no advantage nor is a cyclic system superior to a simple alkyl amine of any chain length. Placing a pair of -SnF3 groups on a single molecule to form a bipodal dicationic receptor with two tetrel bonds enhances the binding, but falls short of a simple doubling. These two tetrel groups can be placed on opposite ends of an alkyl diamine chain of any length although SnF3+NH2(CH2nNH2SnF3+ with n between 2 and 4 seems to offer the strongest halide binding. Of the various anions tested, OH− binds most strongly: OH− > F− > Cl− > Br− > I−. The binding energy of the larger NO3− and HCO3− anions is more dependent upon the charge of the receptor. This pattern translates into very strong selectivity of binding one anion over another. The tetrel-bonding receptors bind far more strongly to each anion than an equivalent number of K+ counterions, which leads to equilibrium ratios in favor of the former of many orders of magnitude.

  14. The employment of cellulose pressure columns for the chromatographic separation of radioactive nuclides

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Meier, H.; Zimmerhackl, E.; Unger, E.; Zeitler, G.; Albrecht, W.; Boesche, D.; Hecker, W.; Menge, P.

    1975-01-01

    A study was made of the separation properties of cellulose pressure columns operating at a slight over-pressure of around 1 atmosphere, with respect to the length of the column packing, the flow rate, and the load. The optimal separation stage heights of the columns are situated at H=0.16 mm. Since as a consequence of the favorable separation stage heights observed at column lengths of 3 to 7 cm, separation stage numbers of 200 to 400 are attained, and hence it is possible to attain separations within several minutes with flow rates of 1 ml/min. The choice of the mobile phase is made easier by the fact that paper chromatographic Rsub(f)-values can be transferred to the cellulose pressure column with the aid of a transfer function. (author)

  15. High pressure in-situ X-ray diffraction study on Zn-doped magnetite nanoparticles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferrari, S.; Bilovol, V.; Pampillo, L. G.; Grinblat, F.; Errandonea, D.

    2018-03-01

    We have performed high pressure synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction experiments on two different samples of Zn-doped magnetite nanoparticles (formula Fe(3-x)ZnxO4; x = 0.2, 0.5). The structural behavior of then a noparticles was studied up to 13.5 GPa for x = 0.2, and up to 17.4 GPa for x = 0.5. We have found that both systems remain in the cubic spinel structure as expected for this range of applied pressures. The analysis of the unit cell volume vs. pressure results in bulk modulus values lower than in both end-members, magnetite (Fe3O4) and zinc ferrite (ZnFe2O4), suggesting that chemical disorder may favor compressibility, which is expected to improve the increase of the Neel temperature under compression.

  16. Properties of low-pressure drift chambers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Breskin, A.; Trautner, N.

    1976-01-01

    Drift chambers operated with methylal vapour or ethylene at pressures in the range of 10-110 torr are described. A systematic study of position resolution, pulse height and rise time shows that especially for ethylene they are strongly influenced by electron diffusion. Intrinsic position resolution was found to be at least as good as found at atmospheric pressure. A relative pulse height resolution of 10% was obtained with 5.5 MeV alpha-particles. A simple mathematical model which can describe the processes in the drift chamber is presented. (Auth.)

  17. Social-and-economic mechanism of formation of favorable investment attractiveness of the region

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tereshkina, Tatiana; Mottaeva, Angela; Andreeva, Larisa; Larinina, Tatyana

    2017-10-01

    The article is devoted to the matters of investment attractiveness of regions. The factors making the regional investments possible. The authors argue, that social-and-economic development of regions is connected with the formation of the financial mechanism, representing the set of forms and methods of the organization, planning and stimulation of financial-and-economic activity in the certain social-and-economic space. The proper mechanism of formation of favorable investment attractiveness are offered. Besides, the ways of elimination of limiting factors in formation of favorable investment attractiveness are offered.

  18. Arguments in Favor of Moving to a Sustainable Business Model in the Apiary Industry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Panța Nancy Diana

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Today’s society faces major challenges in meeting future global food demands and solving biodiversity loss, and it quickly needs to find ways in addressing these issues. The places to look for solutions come from the economic sectors that employ the most powerful pressure on these issues such as agriculture. Apiculture, as a branch of agriculture is being more and more recognized as sustaining human life and contributing to sustainability. However, the sector records a progressive decline of honey bees. Therefore, a rapid restructuring needs to take place in agricultural markets, in general, as well as in apiary agribusinesses. Although important, technological progress is insufficient in providing the necessary changes to achieve long-term economic, social and environmental sustainability, which should be considered both within and between generations. Consequently, sustainable business models encourage sustainable development through a triple bottom line approach and provide an analytical tool for firms into assessing the different aspects that are combined in order to create value. Since literature has paid little attention to the sustainable development in the apiary agribusiness, the present paper aims to link the two using a business model perspective and bring arguments in favor of moving to a sustainable business model.

  19. Catalytically favorable surface patterns in Pt-Au nanoclusters

    KAUST Repository

    Mokkath, Junais Habeeb

    2013-01-01

    Motivated by recent experimental demonstrations of novel PtAu nanoparticles with highly enhanced catalytic properties, we present a systematic theoretical study that explores principal catalytic indicators as a function of the particle size and composition. We find that Pt electronic states in the vicinity of the Fermi level combined with a modified electron distribution in the nanoparticle due to Pt-to-Au charge transfer are the origin of the outstanding catalytic properties. From our model we deduce the catalytically favorable surface patterns that induce ensemble and ligand effects. © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2013.

  20. Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring in Clinical Practice: A Review

    Science.gov (United States)

    Viera, Anthony J.; Shimbo, Daichi

    2016-01-01

    Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring offers the ability to collect blood pressure readings several times an hour across a 24-hour period. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring facilitates the identification of white-coat hypertension, the phenomenon whereby certain individuals who are not on antihypertensive medication show elevated blood pressure in a clinical setting but show non-elevated blood pressure averages when assessed by ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. Additionally, readings can be segmented into time windows of particular interest, e.g., mean daytime and nighttime values. During sleep, blood pressure typically decreases, or dips, such that mean sleep blood pressure is lower than mean awake blood pressure. A non-dipping pattern and nocturnal hypertension are strongly associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Approximately 70% of individuals dip ≥10% at night, while 30% have non-dipping patterns, when blood pressure remains similar to daytime average, or occasionally rises above daytime average. The various blood pressure categorizations afforded by ambulatory blood pressure monitoring are valuable for clinical management of high blood pressure since they increase accuracy for diagnosis and the prediction of cardiovascular risk. PMID:25107387

  1. Diet, blood pressure, and multicollinearity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reed, D; McGee, D; Yano, K; Hankin, J

    1985-01-01

    Recent reports of an inverse association between dietary calcium intake and hypertension stimulated this analysis of the relationship of blood pressure to more than 20 dietary factors among a group of 8000 Japanese men in Hawaii. Reported intakes of potassium, calcium, protein, and milk were all inversely associated with blood pressure levels when examined one at a time while controlling for other risk factors. Alcohol intake was directly associated with blood pressure, and was treated as a confounding variable in the analysis. The association of potassium intake with blood pressure was relatively stronger than the associations for other nutrients, but the intake of potassium was so highly correlated with intakes of calcium, milk, and protein that it was not statistically possible to identify the independent association of potassium and blood pressure. Calcium intake was strongly correlated with milk and potassium intakes, and only calcium from dairy sources was associated with blood pressure. These data thus indicate that several dietary factors are inversely related to blood pressure levels independently of other risk factors such as age, body mass, and alcohol intake. The high degree of intercorrelation (multicollinearity) among these dietary factors, however, indicates that the independent role of any specific nutrient cannot be conclusively separated from the possible effects of other nutrients in this type of study.

  2. Global health actors no longer in favor of user fees: a documentary study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robert, Emilie; Ridde, Valéry

    2013-07-26

    Since the advent of health user fees in low- and middle-income countries in the 1980s, the discourse of global health actors (GHAs) has changed to the disadvantage of this type of healthcare financing mechanism. The aim of the study was to identify and analyze the stance of GHAs in the debate on user fees. We conducted documentary research using public documents published by and officially attributed to GHAs from 2005 to 2011. We categorized GHAs into four groups: intergovernmental organizations, international non-governmental organizations, government agencies, and working groups and networks. We then classified the GHAs according to their stance relative to the abolition of user fees, and conducted a thematic analysis of their discourse to understand the arguments used by each GHA to justify its stance. We identified 56 GHAs, for which we analyzed 140 documents. Among them, 55% were in favor of the abolition of user fees or in favor of free care at the point of delivery. None of the GHAs stated that they were in favor of user fees; however, 30% did not take a stand. Only the World Bank declares that it is both in favor of user fees and in favor of free care at point of service. GHAs generally circumscribe their stance to specific populations (pregnant women, children under 5 years, etc.) or to specific health services (primary, basic, essential). Three types of arguments are used by GHAs to justify their stance: economic, moral and ethical, and pragmatic. The principle of "user pays" seems to have fizzled. Production and dissemination of evidence, as well as certain advocacy networks, may have contributed to this change in discourse. However, GHAs should go a step further and translate their words into action, so that free healthcare at the point of delivery becomes a reality in low- and middle-income countries. They should provide technical and financial support to those countries that have chosen to implement user fee exemption policies, sometimes influenced

  3. Flow rate-pressure drop relation for deformable shallow microfluidic channels

    Science.gov (United States)

    Christov, Ivan C.; Cognet, Vincent; Shidhore, Tanmay C.; Stone, Howard A.

    2018-04-01

    Laminar flow in devices fabricated from soft materials causes deformation of the passage geometry, which affects the flow rate--pressure drop relation. For a given pressure drop, in channels with narrow rectangular cross-section, the flow rate varies as the cube of the channel height, so deformation can produce significant quantitative effects, including nonlinear dependence on the pressure drop [{Gervais, T., El-Ali, J., G\\"unther, A. \\& Jensen, K.\\ F.}\\ 2006 Flow-induced deformation of shallow microfluidic channels.\\ \\textit{Lab Chip} \\textbf{6}, 500--507]. Gervais et. al. proposed a successful model of the deformation-induced change in the flow rate by heuristically coupling a Hookean elastic response with the lubrication approximation for Stokes flow. However, their model contains a fitting parameter that must be found for each channel shape by performing an experiment. We present a perturbation approach for the flow rate--pressure drop relation in a shallow deformable microchannel using the theory of isotropic quasi-static plate bending and the Stokes equations under a lubrication approximation (specifically, the ratio of the channel's height to its width and of the channel's height to its length are both assumed small). Our result contains no free parameters and confirms Gervais et. al.'s observation that the flow rate is a quartic polynomial of the pressure drop. The derived flow rate--pressure drop relation compares favorably with experimental measurements.

  4. Kinetics on the reaction of 6-chloroquinoline and p-substituted benzoylchlorides under high pressures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Eung Ryul; Lim, Jong Wan; Kim, Se Kyong; Ko, Young Shin

    2002-01-01

    The reactions rates of substituted 6-chloroquinoline, with p-substituted benzoyichlorides (p-CH 3 , p-H, p-NO 2 ) have been measured by conductometry in acetonitrile, and the rate constants are determined at various temperatures (10,15,20,25 .deg. C) and pressures (1, 200, 500, 1000 bar). From the values of rate constants, the activation parameters (Ea, ΔV ≠ , ΔH ≠ , ΔS ≠ , and ΔG ≠ ) and the pressure dependence of Hammett ρ values were determined. The rate constants increased with increasing temperatures and pressures, and are further increased to introduction to the electron donor substituents in substrate (p-NO 2 ) with 6-chloroquinoline. When, the activation volume and the activation entropy are all negative. And the Hammett ρ values are positive for the substrate over the pressure and temperature range studied. The results of kinetic studies for pressure and substituent show that thease reactions proceed in typical S N 2 reaction mechanism and 'associative S N 2' in bond formation favored with increasing pressures

  5. Methodology and technology for peripheral and central blood pressure and blood pressure variability measurement: current status and future directions - Position statement of the European Society of Hypertension Working Group on blood pressure monitoring and cardiovascular variability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stergiou, George S; Parati, Gianfranco; Vlachopoulos, Charalambos; Achimastos, Apostolos; Andreadis, Emanouel; Asmar, Roland; Avolio, Alberto; Benetos, Athanase; Bilo, Grzegorz; Boubouchairopoulou, Nadia; Boutouyrie, Pierre; Castiglioni, Paolo; de la Sierra, Alejandro; Dolan, Eamon; Head, Geoffrey; Imai, Yutaka; Kario, Kazuomi; Kollias, Anastasios; Kotsis, Vasilis; Manios, Efstathios; McManus, Richard; Mengden, Thomas; Mihailidou, Anastasia; Myers, Martin; Niiranen, Teemu; Ochoa, Juan Eugenio; Ohkubo, Takayoshi; Omboni, Stefano; Padfield, Paul; Palatini, Paolo; Papaioannou, Theodore; Protogerou, Athanasios; Redon, Josep; Verdecchia, Paolo; Wang, Jiguang; Zanchetti, Alberto; Mancia, Giuseppe; O'Brien, Eoin

    2016-09-01

    Office blood pressure measurement has been the basis for hypertension evaluation for almost a century. However, the evaluation of blood pressure out of the office using ambulatory or self-home monitoring is now strongly recommended for the accurate diagnosis in many, if not all, cases with suspected hypertension. Moreover, there is evidence that the variability of blood pressure might offer prognostic information that is independent of the average blood pressure level. Recently, advancement in technology has provided noninvasive evaluation of central (aortic) blood pressure, which might have attributes that are additive to the conventional brachial blood pressure measurement. This position statement, developed by international experts, deals with key research and practical issues in regard to peripheral blood pressure measurement (office, home, and ambulatory), blood pressure variability, and central blood pressure measurement. The objective is to present current achievements, identify gaps in knowledge and issues concerning clinical application, and present relevant research questions and directions to investigators and manufacturers for future research and development (primary goal).

  6. Sustained favorable long-term outcome in the treatment of schizophrenia: a 3-year prospective observational study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ascher-Svanum Haya

    2011-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background This study of chronically ill patients with schizophrenia aimed to identify patients who achieve sustained favorable long-term outcome - when the outcome incorporates severity of symptoms, level of functioning, and use of acute care services - and to identify the best baseline predictors of achieving this sustained favorable long-term outcome. Methods Using data from the United States Schizophrenia Care and Assessment Program (US-SCAP (N = 2327, a large 3-year prospective, multisite, observational study of individuals treated for schizophrenia in the US, a hierarchical cluster analysis was performed to group patients based upon baseline symptom severity. Symptom severity was assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS scores, level of functioning, and use of acute care services. Level of functioning reflected patient-reported productivity and clinician-rated occupational role functioning. Use of acute care services reflected self-reported psychiatric hospitalization and emergency service use. Change of health state was determined over the 3-year period. A patient was classified as having a sustained favorable long-term outcome if their health state values had the closest distance to the defined "best baseline cluster" at each point over the length of the study. Stepwise logistic regression was used to determine baseline predictors of sustained favorable long-term outcome. Results At baseline, 5 distinct health state clusters were identified, ranging from "best" to "worst." Of 1635 patients with sufficient data, only 157 (10% experienced sustained favorable long-term outcome during the 2-years postbaseline. The baseline predictors associated with sustained favorable long-term outcome included better quality of life, more daily activities, patient-reported clearer thinking from medication, better global functioning, being employed, not being a victim of a crime, not having received individual therapy, and not

  7. Characteristics of turbulent heat transfer in an annulus at supercritical pressure

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Peeters, J.W.R.; Pecnik, R.; Rohde, M.; van der Hagen, T.H.J.J.; Boersma, B.J.

    2017-01-01

    Heat transfer to fluids at supercritical pressure is different from heat transfer at lower pressures due to strong variations of the thermophysical properties with the temperature. We present and analyze results of direct numerical simulations of heat transfer to turbulent CO2 at 8 MPa in an

  8. A new class of strongly coupled plasmas inspired by sonoluminescence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bataller, Alexander; Plateau, Guillaume; Kappus, Brian; Putterman, Seth

    2014-10-01

    Sonoluminescence originates in a strongly coupled plasma with a near liquid density and a temperature of ~10,000 K. This plasma is in LTE and therefore, it should be a general thermodynamic state. To test the universality of sonoluminescence, similar plasma conditions were generated using femtosecond laser breakdown in high pressure gases. Calibrated streak spectroscopy reveals both transport and thermodynamic properties of a strongly coupled plasma. A blackbody spectrum, which persists long after the exciting laser has turned off, indicates the presence of a highly ionized LTE microplasma. In parallel with sonoluminescence, this thermodynamic state is achieved via a considerable reduction in the ionization potential. We gratefully acknowledge support from DARPA MTO for research on microplasmas. We thank Brian Naranjo, Keith Weninger, Carlos Camara, Gary Williams, and John Koulakis for valuable discussions.

  9. Quasi-dynamic pressure and temperature initiated βδ solid phase transitions in HMX

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zaug, Joseph M.; Farber, Daniel L.; Craig, Ian M.; Blosch, Laura L.; Shuh, David K.; Hansen, Donald W.; Aracne-Ruddle, Chantel M.

    2000-04-01

    The phase transformation of β-HMX (>0.5% RDX) to δ phase has been studied for over twenty years and more recently with an high-contrast optical second harmonic generation technique. Shock studies of the plastic binder composites of HMX have indicated that the transition is perhaps irreversible, a result that concurs with the static pressure results published by F. Goetz et al. [1] in 1978. However, the stability field favors the β polymorph over δ as pressure is increased (up to 5.4 GPa) along any thermodynamically reasonable isotherm. In this experiment, strict control of pressure and temperature is maintained while x-ray and optical diagnostics are applied to monitor the conformational dynamics of HMX. Unlike the temperature induced β→δ transition, the pressure induced is heterogeneous in nature. The 1 bar 25 °C δ→β transition is not immediate, occuring over tens of hours. Transition points and kinetics are path dependent and consequently this paper describes our work in progress.

  10. Strongly luminescent monolayered MoS2 prepared by effective ultrasound exfoliation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Štengl, Václav; Henych, Jiří

    2013-04-21

    Intense ultrasound in a pressurized batch reactor was used for preparation of monolayered MoS2 nanosheets from natural mineral molybdenite. Exfoliation of bulk MoS2 using ultrasound is an attractive route to large-scale preparation of monolayered crystals. To evaluate the quality of delamination, methods like X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy and microscopic techniques (TEM and AFM) were employed. From single- or few-layered products obtained from intense sonication, MoS2 quantum dots (MoSQDs) were prepared by a one-pot reaction by refluxing exfoliated nanosheets of MoS2 in ethylene glycol under atmospheric pressure. The synthesised MoSQDs were characterised by photoluminescence spectroscopy and laser-scattering particle size analysis. Our easy preparation leads to very strongly green luminescing quantum dots.

  11. Integrating sustainable hunting in biodiversity protection in Central Africa: hot spots, weak spots, and strong spots.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    John E Fa

    Full Text Available Wild animals are a primary source of protein (bushmeat for people living in or near tropical forests. Ideally, the effect of bushmeat harvests should be monitored closely by making regular estimates of offtake rate and size of stock available for exploitation. However, in practice, this is possible in very few situations because it requires both of these aspects to be readily measurable, and even in the best case, entails very considerable time and effort. As alternative, in this study, we use high-resolution, environmental favorability models for terrestrial mammals (N = 165 in Central Africa to map areas of high species richness (hot spots and hunting susceptibility. Favorability models distinguish localities with environmental conditions that favor the species' existence from those with detrimental characteristics for its presence. We develop an index for assessing Potential Hunting Sustainability (PHS of each species based on their ecological characteristics (population density, habitat breadth, rarity and vulnerability, weighted according to restrictive and permissive assumptions of how species' characteristics are combined. Species are classified into five main hunting sustainability classes using fuzzy logic. Using the accumulated favorability values of all species, and their PHS values, we finally identify weak spots, defined as high diversity regions of especial hunting vulnerability for wildlife, as well as strong spots, defined as high diversity areas of high hunting sustainability potential. Our study uses relatively simple models that employ easily obtainable data of a species' ecological characteristics to assess the impacts of hunting in tropical regions. It provides information for management by charting the geography of where species are more or less likely to be at risk of extinction from hunting.

  12. Metastable phase transformation and hcp-ω transformation pathways in Ti and Zr under high hydrostatic pressures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gao, Lei; Ding, Xiangdong; Sun, Jun; Lookman, Turab; Salje, E. K. H.

    2016-01-01

    The energy landscape of Zr at high hydrostatic pressure suggests that its transformation behavior is strongly pressure dependent. This is in contrast to the known transition mechanism in Ti, which is essentially independent of hydrostatic pressure. Generalized solid-state nudged elastic band calculations at constant pressure shows that α-Zr transforms like Ti only at the lowest pressure inside the stability field of ω-phase. Different pathways apply at higher pressures where the energy landscape contains several high barriers so that metastable states are expected, including the appearance of a transient bcc phase at ca. 23 GPa. The global driving force for the hcp-ω transition increases strongly with increasing pressure and reaches 23.7 meV/atom at 23 GPa. Much of this energy relates to the excess volume of the hcp phase compared with its ω phase.

  13. Metastable phase transformation and hcp-ω transformation pathways in Ti and Zr under high hydrostatic pressures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gao, Lei; Ding, Xiangdong, E-mail: dingxd@mail.xjtu.edu.cn, E-mail: ekhard@esc.cam.ac.uk; Sun, Jun [State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an 710049 (China); Lookman, Turab [Theoretical Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 (United States); Salje, E. K. H., E-mail: dingxd@mail.xjtu.edu.cn, E-mail: ekhard@esc.cam.ac.uk [State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an 710049 (China); Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EQ (United Kingdom)

    2016-07-18

    The energy landscape of Zr at high hydrostatic pressure suggests that its transformation behavior is strongly pressure dependent. This is in contrast to the known transition mechanism in Ti, which is essentially independent of hydrostatic pressure. Generalized solid-state nudged elastic band calculations at constant pressure shows that α-Zr transforms like Ti only at the lowest pressure inside the stability field of ω-phase. Different pathways apply at higher pressures where the energy landscape contains several high barriers so that metastable states are expected, including the appearance of a transient bcc phase at ca. 23 GPa. The global driving force for the hcp-ω transition increases strongly with increasing pressure and reaches 23.7 meV/atom at 23 GPa. Much of this energy relates to the excess volume of the hcp phase compared with its ω phase.

  14. Strongly enhanced flow effect from Landau-Vlasov versus Vlasov-Uehling-Uhlenbeck approach

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gregoire, C.; Remaud, B.; Sebille, F.; Schuck, P.

    1988-01-01

    The simulation of the collision integral in the Landau-Vlasov approach for heavy ion collisions is examined. It turns out that quantities like the nucleon mean free path can be compared with parallel ensemble models. Convergency of results with time step and sampling is clearly established. Quadratic quantities, like the internal pressure, are found to be strongly underestimated in parallel ensemble models

  15. Experimental and numerical study of the strong interaction between wakes of cylindrical obstacles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brun, Ch.

    1998-01-01

    In the context of thermal-hydraulics of nuclear reactors, strong interaction between wakes is encountered in the bottom of reactor vessels where control and measurement rods of variable size and disposition interact with the overall wakes generated in these flow zones. This study deals with the strong interaction between two wakes developed downstream of two parallel cylinders with a small spacing. The analysis focusses on the effect of the Reynolds regime which controls the equilibrium between the inertia and viscosity forces of the fluid and influences the large scale behaviour of the flow with the development of hydrodynamic instabilities and turbulence. The document is organized as follows: the characteristic phenomena of wakes formation downstream of cylindrical obstacles are recalled in the first chapter (single cylinder, interaction between two tubes, case of a bundle of tubes perpendicular to the flow). The experimental setup (hydraulic loop, velocity and pressure measurement instrumentation) and the statistical procedures applied to the signals measured are detailed in chapters 2 and 3. Chapter 4 is devoted to the experimental study of the strong interaction between two tubes. Laser Doppler velocity measurements in the wakes close to cylinders and pressure measurements performed on tube walls are reported in this chapter. In chapter 5, a 2-D numerical simulation of two typical cases of interaction (Re = 1000 and Re = 5000) is performed. In the last chapter, a more complex application of strong interactions inside and downstream of a bunch of staggered tubes is analyzed experimentally for equivalent Reynolds regimes. (J.S.)

  16. Water-Soluble Polymers with Strong Photoluminescence through an Eco-Friendly and Low-Cost Route.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Zhaoyan; Ru, Yue; Song, Wenbo; Liu, Zhenjie; Zhang, Xiaohong; Qiao, Jinliang

    2017-07-01

    Photoluminescence (PL) of nonconjugated polymers brings a favorable opportunity for low-cost and nontoxic luminescent materials, while most of them still exhibit relatively weak emission. Strong PL from poly[(maleic anhydride)-alt-(vinyl acetate)] (PMV) from low-cost monomer has been found in organic solvents, yet the necessity of noxious solvents would hinder its practical applications. Herein, through a novel, eco-friendly, and one-step route, PMV-derived PL polymers can be fabricated with the highest quantum yield of 87% among water-soluble nonconjugated PL polymers ever reported. These PMV-derived polymers emit strong blue emission in both solutions and solids, and can be transformed into red-emission agents easily. These PL polymers exhibit application potentials in light-conversion agricultural films. It is assumed that this work not only puts forward a convenient preparation routine for nonconjugated polymers with high PL, but also provides an industrial application possibility for them. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  17. Strong and radiative decays of the Ds0*(2317) and Ds1(2460)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cleven, Martin; Griesshammer, Harald W.; Guo, Feng-Kun; Hanhart, Christoph; Meissner, Ulf G.

    2014-01-01

    Since their discovery in 2003, the open charm states D s0 * and D s1 (2460) provide a challenge to the conventional quark model. In recent years, theoretical evidence has been accumulated for both states in favor of a predominantly DK and D * K molecular nature, respectively. However, a direct experimental proof of this hypothesis still needs to be found. Since radiative decays are generally believed to be sensitive to the inner structure of the decaying particles, we study in this work the radiative and strong decays of both the D s0 * (2317) and D s1 (2460), as well as of their counterparts in the bottom sector. While the strong decays are indeed strongly enhanced for molecular states, the radiative decays are of similar order of magnitude in different pictures. Thus, the experimental observable that allows one to conclusively quantify the molecular components of the D s0 * (2317) and D s1 (2460) is the hadronic width, and not the radiative one, in contradistinction to common belief. We also find that radiative decays of the sibling states in the bottom sector are significantly more frequent than the hadronic ones. Based on this, we identify their most promising discovery channels. (orig.)

  18. Excessively High Vapor Pressure of Al-based Amorphous Alloys

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jae Im Jeong

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Aluminum-based amorphous alloys exhibited an abnormally high vapor pressure at their approximate glass transition temperatures. The vapor pressure was confirmed by the formation of Al nanocrystallites from condensation, which was attributed to weight loss of the amorphous alloys. The amount of weight loss varied with the amorphous alloy compositions and was inversely proportional to their glass-forming ability. The vapor pressure of the amorphous alloys around 573 K was close to the vapor pressure of crystalline Al near its melting temperature, 873 K. Our results strongly suggest the possibility of fabricating nanocrystallites or thin films by evaporation at low temperatures.

  19. Quantification of abnormal intracranial pressure waves and isotope cisternography for diagnosis of occult communicating hydrocephalus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cardoso, E.R.; Piatek, D.; Del Bigio, M.R.; Stambrook, M.; Sutherland, J.B.

    1989-01-01

    Nineteen consecutive patients with suspected occult communicating hydrocephalus were investigated by means of clinical evaluation, neuropsychological testing, isotope cisternography, computed tomography scanning, and continuous intracranial pressure monitoring. Semi-quantitative grading systems were used in the evaluation of the clinical, neuropsychological, and cisternographic assessments. Clinical examination, neuropsychological testing, and computed tomography scanning were repeated 3 months after ventriculoperitoneal shunting. All patients showed abnormal intracranial pressure waves and all improved after shunting. There was close correlation between number, peak, and pulse pressures of B waves and the mean intracranial pressure. However, quantification of B waves by means of number, frequency, and amplitude did not help in predicting the degree of clinical improvement postshunting. The most sensitive predictor of favorable response to shunting was enlargement of the temporal horns on computed tomography scan. Furthermore, the size of temporal horns correlated with mean intracranial pressure. There was no correlation between abnormalities on isotope cisternography and clinical improvement

  20. 8 CFR 316.11 - Attachment to the Constitution; favorable disposition towards the good order and happiness.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... disposition towards the good order and happiness. 316.11 Section 316.11 Aliens and Nationality DEPARTMENT OF... the Constitution; favorable disposition towards the good order and happiness. (a) General. An... favorably disposed toward the good order and happiness of the United States. Attachment implies a depth of...

  1. Modeling steam pressure under martian lava flows

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dundas, Colin M.; Keszthelyi, Laszlo P.

    2013-01-01

    Rootless cones on Mars are a valuable indicator of past interactions between lava and water. However, the details of the lava–water interactions are not fully understood, limiting the ability to use these features to infer new information about past water on Mars. We have developed a model for the pressurization of a dry layer of porous regolith by melting and boiling ground ice in the shallow subsurface. This model builds on previous models of lava cooling and melting of subsurface ice. We find that for reasonable regolith properties and ice depths of decimeters, explosive pressures can be reached. However, the energy stored within such lags is insufficient to excavate thick flows unless they draw steam from a broader region than the local eruption site. These results indicate that lag pressurization can drive rootless cone formation under favorable circumstances, but in other instances molten fuel–coolant interactions are probably required. We use the model results to consider a range of scenarios for rootless cone formation in Athabasca Valles. Pressure buildup by melting and boiling ice under a desiccated lag is possible in some locations, consistent with the expected distribution of ice implanted from atmospheric water vapor. However, it is uncertain whether such ice has existed in the vicinity of Athabasca Valles in recent history. Plausible alternative sources include surface snow or an aqueous flood shortly before the emplacement of the lava flow.

  2. Strong-coupling effects in superfluid 3He in aerogel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aoyama, Kazushi; Ikeda, Ryusuke

    2007-01-01

    Effects of impurity scatterings on the strong-coupling (SC) contribution, stabilizing the ABM (axial) pairing state, to the quartic term of the Ginzburg-Landau free energy of superfluid 3 He are theoretically studied to examine recent observations suggestive of an anomalously small SC effect in superfluid 3 He in aerogels. To study the SC corrections, two approaches are used. One is based on a perturbation in the short-range repulsive interaction, and the other is a phenomenological approach used previously for the bulk liquid by Sauls and Serene [Phys. Rev. B 24, 183 (1981)]. It is found that the impurity scattering favors the BW pairing state and shrinks the region of the ABM pairing state in the T-P phase diagram. In the phenomenological approach, the resulting shrinkage of the ABM region is especially substantial and, if assuming an anisotropy over a large scale in aerogel, leads to justifying the phase diagrams determined experimentally

  3. EDITORIAL: Strongly correlated electron systems Strongly correlated electron systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ronning, Filip; Batista, Cristian

    2011-03-01

    Strongly correlated electrons is an exciting and diverse field in condensed matter physics. This special issue aims to capture some of that excitement and recent developments in the field. Given that this issue was inspired by the 2010 International Conference on Strongly Correlated Electron Systems (SCES 2010), we briefly give some history in order to place this issue in context. The 2010 International Conference on Strongly Correlated Electron Systems was held in Santa Fe, New Mexico, a reunion of sorts from the 1989 International Conference on the Physics of Highly Correlated Electron Systems that also convened in Santa Fe. SCES 2010—co-chaired by John Sarrao and Joe Thompson—followed the tradition of earlier conferences, in this century, hosted by Buzios (2008), Houston (2007), Vienna (2005), Karlsruhe (2004), Krakow (2002) and Ann Arbor (2001). Every three years since 1997, SCES has joined the International Conference on Magnetism (ICM), held in Recife (2000), Rome (2003), Kyoto (2006) and Karlsruhe (2009). Like its predecessors, SCES 2010 topics included strongly correlated f- and d-electron systems, heavy-fermion behaviors, quantum-phase transitions, non-Fermi liquid phenomena, unconventional superconductivity, and emergent states that arise from electronic correlations. Recent developments from studies of quantum magnetism and cold atoms complemented the traditional subjects and were included in SCES 2010. 2010 celebrated the 400th anniversary of Santa Fe as well as the birth of astronomy. So what's the connection to SCES? The Dutch invention of the first practical telescope and its use by Galileo in 1610 and subsequent years overturned dogma that the sun revolved about the earth. This revolutionary, and at the time heretical, conclusion required innovative combinations of new instrumentation, observation and mathematics. These same combinations are just as important 400 years later and are the foundation of scientific discoveries that were discussed

  4. Care in prevention of pressure ulcers of bedridden patients at home

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arlene Laurenti M. Ayala

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available This study was carried out in the catchment area of a Basic Health Unit in Joinville/SC patients bedridden at home. We aimed to characterize the risk of bedridden for developing pressure ulcers, describing the factors favorable to its emergence, and evaluate adherence to treatment prescribed to prevent this injury. This is a descriptive study. Data collection was carried out through an instrument containing identification data, clinical conditions of patients and the application of the Braden scale. It was evaluated 12 patients bedridden. The average age of the patients evaluated was 80.5 years. Most were white, with low education and dependent on public health services. All patients had some underlying disease, the most frequent the Stroke (CVA. The laid up time was 67 months (± 53. The mobility and sensory perception were completely or limited to 83% and 50% of the evaluated, respectively. 67% of users had very poor nutritional status or inadequate and 92% constantly moist or too moist skin. Low fluid intake was present for all participants. Adherence to prescribed care of the caregivers was partial. At the end of the study it was found that the findings are consistent with the literature data and the studied patients had an elevated risk for developing pressure ulcers, since the factors favorable to the appearance of the lesion showed with high frequencies.

  5. Microcontrolled air-mattress for ulcer by pressure prevention

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pasluosta, Cristian F.; Fontana, Juan M.; Beltramone, Diego A.; Taborda, Ricardo A. M.

    2007-11-01

    An ulcer by pressure is produced when a constant pressure is exerted over the skin. This generates the collapse of the blood vessels and, therefore, a lack in the contribution of the necessary nutrients for the affected zone. As a consequence, the skin deteriorates, eventually causing an ulcer. In order to prevent it, a protocol must be applied to the patient, which is reflected on time and cost of treatment. There are some air mattresses available for this purpose, but whose performance does not fulfill all requirements. The prototype designed in our laboratory is based on the principle of the air mattress. Its objective is to improve on existing technologies and, due to an increased automation, reduce time dedication for personnel in charge of the patient. A clinical experience was made in the local Emergencies Hospital and also in an institution dedicated to aged patients care. In both cases, the results obtained and the comments from the personnel involved were favorable.

  6. Microcontrolled air-mattress for ulcer by pressure prevention

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pasluosta, Cristian F; Fontana, Juan M; Beltramone, Diego A; Taborda, Ricardo A M

    2007-01-01

    An ulcer by pressure is produced when a constant pressure is exerted over the skin. This generates the collapse of the blood vessels and, therefore, a lack in the contribution of the necessary nutrients for the affected zone. As a consequence, the skin deteriorates, eventually causing an ulcer. In order to prevent it, a protocol must be applied to the patient, which is reflected on time and cost of treatment. There are some air mattresses available for this purpose, but whose performance does not fulfill all requirements. The prototype designed in our laboratory is based on the principle of the air mattress. Its objective is to improve on existing technologies and, due to an increased automation, reduce time dedication for personnel in charge of the patient. A clinical experience was made in the local Emergencies Hospital and also in an institution dedicated to aged patients care. In both cases, the results obtained and the comments from the personnel involved were favorable

  7. Microcontrolled air-mattress for ulcer by pressure prevention

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pasluosta, Cristian F; Fontana, Juan M; Beltramone, Diego A; Taborda, Ricardo A M [Universidad Nacional de Cordoba. Cordoba (Argentina)

    2007-11-15

    An ulcer by pressure is produced when a constant pressure is exerted over the skin. This generates the collapse of the blood vessels and, therefore, a lack in the contribution of the necessary nutrients for the affected zone. As a consequence, the skin deteriorates, eventually causing an ulcer. In order to prevent it, a protocol must be applied to the patient, which is reflected on time and cost of treatment. There are some air mattresses available for this purpose, but whose performance does not fulfill all requirements. The prototype designed in our laboratory is based on the principle of the air mattress. Its objective is to improve on existing technologies and, due to an increased automation, reduce time dedication for personnel in charge of the patient. A clinical experience was made in the local Emergencies Hospital and also in an institution dedicated to aged patients care. In both cases, the results obtained and the comments from the personnel involved were favorable.

  8. Pressure driven currents near magnetic islands in 3D MHD equilibria: Effects of pressure variation within flux surfaces and of symmetry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reiman, Allan H.

    2016-07-01

    In toroidal, magnetically confined plasmas, the heat and particle transport is strongly anisotropic, with transport along the field lines sufficiently strong relative to cross-field transport that the equilibrium pressure can generally be regarded as constant on the flux surfaces in much of the plasma. The regions near small magnetic islands, and those near the X-lines of larger islands, are exceptions, having a significant variation of the pressure within the flux surfaces. It is shown here that the variation of the equilibrium pressure within the flux surfaces in those regions has significant consequences for the pressure driven currents. It is further shown that the consequences are strongly affected by the symmetry of the magnetic field if the field is invariant under combined reflection in the poloidal and toroidal angles. (This symmetry property is called "stellarator symmetry.") In non-stellarator-symmetric equilibria, the pressure-driven currents have logarithmic singularities at the X-lines. In stellarator-symmetric MHD equilibria, the singular components of the pressure-driven currents vanish. These equilibria are to be contrasted with equilibria having B ṡ∇p =0 , where the singular components of the pressure-driven currents vanish regardless of the symmetry. They are also to be contrasted with 3D MHD equilibrium solutions that are constrained to have simply nested flux surfaces, where the pressure-driven current goes like 1 /x near rational surfaces, where x is the distance from the rational surface, except in the case of quasi-symmetric flux surfaces. For the purpose of calculating the pressure-driven currents near magnetic islands, we work with a closed subset of the MHD equilibrium equations that involves only perpendicular force balance, and is decoupled from parallel force balance. It is not correct to use the parallel component of the conventional MHD force balance equation, B ṡ∇p =0 , near magnetic islands. Small but nonzero values of B

  9. Comparison of job stress and obesity in nurses with favorable and unfavorable work schedules.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Han, Kihye; Trinkoff, Alison M; Storr, Carla L; Geiger-Brown, Jeanne; Johnson, Karen L; Park, Sungae

    2012-08-01

    To compare obesity-related factors between female nurses with favorable work schedules (WSs) and unfavorable WSs. In a cross-sectional study, 1724 female nurses were stratified by WS (favorable vs unfavorable). For each schedule type, the odds of obesity were related to health behaviors, home demands, and job stress using logistic regression models. Among nurses with unfavorable WSs, healthy behaviors (exercise, sleep) were inversely associated with obesity, whereas for those with favorable WSs, obese nurses reported significantly more unhealthy behaviors (smoking, alcohol use; odds ratio [OR], 1.19; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02-1.38), more physical lifting of children/dependents (OR, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.06-1.93), having more nurse input into their jobs (OR, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.02-1.44), yet less boss support at work (OR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.68-0.99). Considering impacts of WSs on obesity and potential obesity-related health outcomes, healthful scheduling should be provided to nurses.

  10. The Study of Relationship Between Work Teams and Favoring Knowledge Management (Case: Bank Keshavarzi

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hamze Jamshidi Kohsari

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available Knowledge management is a process that has been recently generated as an activity which isvery important in the dynamic environment, and in the competitive scene. We believe that KM is aprocess which its organizational knowledge is created from the individual knowledge of themembers of the organization. The relevant studies have indicated that organizing based on workteams could be considered a way to create the appropriate context for KM. However, thisorganizing based on work teams is not enough; it only has the necessary characteristics of the workteams that favor KM. Moreover, based on studies done, we distinguish which characteristics ofwork teams favor the KM process in its different phases (i.e. creation, transfer and integration. Inthis study, we conducted multiple regression and analysis of variance.Complementary skills (H2 and a climate of trust (H3 in work teams were more importantfactors that favor the management of organizational knowledge.This research is based on the Zarraga and Perez studies in 2006.

  11. Superconductivity in the unconventional high pressure phase bismuth-III

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Semeniuk, Konstantin; Brown, Philip; Vasiljkovic, Aleksandar; Grosche, Malte [University of Cambridge (United Kingdom)

    2015-07-01

    One of the most surprising developments in high pressure research was the realisation that many elements assume very unexpected high pressure structures, described in terms of extremely large or even infinite unit cells. Elemental bismuth, which has been known to undergo a series of pressure induced structural transitions between 25 kbar and 80 kbar, is an interesting example: the intermediate pressure Bi-III phase has a complex 'host-guest' structure consisting of two incommensurate sublattices. Since the unit cell is infinitely large, the description of electronic and lattice excitations is problematic. Apart from its metallic character and the observation of superconductivity at low temperature, little is known about the electronic structure in this phase. We investigate the electrical resistivity within the metallic Bi-III phase under high hydrostatic pressure and in applied magnetic field using a piston cylinder cell. Superconductivity is observed below 7.1 K, and we extract the temperature dependence of the upper critical field, which exceeds 2 T at low temperature. The normal state resistivity exhibits an approximately linear temperature dependence. This could be attributed to strong scattering from low-lying excitations, as caused by an unusually soft phonon spectrum. The results suggest that strong coupling superconductivity arises within the host-guest structure of Bi-III out of an unusual electronic state.

  12. Airfoil Trailing Edge Noise Generation and Its Surface Pressure Fluctuation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zhu, Wei Jun; Shen, Wen Zhong

    2015-01-01

    In the present work, Large Eddy Simulation (LES) of turbulent flows over a NACA 0015 airfoil is performed. The purpose of such numerical study is to relate the aerodynamic surface pressure with the noise generation. The results from LES are validated against detailed surface pressure measurements...... where the time history pressure data are recorded by the surface pressure microphones. After the flow-field is stabilized, the generated noise from the airfoil Trailing Edge (TE) is predicted using the acoustic analogy solver, where the results from LES are the input. It is found that there is a strong...

  13. Two-demensional analysis of heat and mass transfer in porous media using the strongly implicit procedure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Curry, D. M.

    1974-01-01

    Numerical results of the heat and mass transfer in a porous matrix are presented. The coupled, nonlinear partial differential equations describing this physical phenomenon are solved in finite difference form for two dimensions, using a new iterative technique (the strongly implicit procedure). The influence of the external environment conditions (heating and pressure) is shown to produce two-dimensional flow in the porous matrix. Typical fluid and solid temperature distributions in the porous matrix and internal pressure distributions are presented.

  14. Pressure dependence of dynamical heterogeneity in water

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Teboul, Victor

    2008-01-01

    Using molecular dynamics simulations we investigate the effect of pressure on the dynamical heterogeneity in water. We show that the effect of a pressure variation in water is qualitatively different from the effect of a temperature variation on the dynamical heterogeneity in the liquid. We observe a strong decrease of the aggregation of molecules of low mobility together with a decrease of the characteristic time associated with this aggregation. However, the aggregation of the most mobile molecules and the characteristic time of this aggregation are only slightly affected. In accordance with this result, the non-Gaussian parameter shows an important decrease with pressure while the characteristic time t* of the non-Gaussian parameter is only slightly affected. These results highlight then the importance of pressure variation investigations in low temperature liquids on approach to the glass transition

  15. Thermal expansion and pressure effect in MnWO4

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chaudhury, R.P.; Yen, F.; Cruz, C.R. de la; Lorenz, B.; Wang, Y.Q.; Sun, Y.Y.; Chu, C.W.

    2008-01-01

    MnWO 4 has attracted attention because of its ferroelectric property induced by frustrated helical spin order. Strong spin-lattice interaction is necessary to explain ferroelectricity associated with this type of magnetic order. We have conducted thermal expansion measurements along the a, b, c axes revealing the existence of strong anisotropic lattice anomalies at T 1 =7.8 K, the temperature of the magnetic lock-in transition into a commensurate low-temperature (reentrant paraelectric) phase. The effect of hydrostatic pressure up to 1.8 GPa on the FE phase is investigated by measuring the dielectric constant and the FE polarization. The low-temperature commensurate and paraelectric phase is stabilized and the stability range of the ferroelectric phase is diminished under pressure

  16. Developing a Mobile App for Prevention and Treatment of Pressure Injuries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salomé, Geraldo Magela; Ferreira, Lydia Masako

    2018-02-01

    This descriptive study describes the planning and development of a mobile application (app) for prevention and treatment of pressure injuries for use by providers in a university research center. The app delineates risk factors for pressure injury development, provides an evaluation of the wound, recommends wound cleansing procedures, performs pressure injury staging, and recommends treatment interventions. A mobile app was developed using a contextualized instructional design, which involves a constructivist proposal and planning, developing, and applying specific didactic situations, thus incorporating mechanisms that favor contextualization. A literature search was conducted to identify relevant studies for the construction of the mobile app. The development process involved the selection of app tools, definition of the navigation structure, and planning of the environment configuration. The environment for downloading the app software on the Internet and installing it on the mobile device was created. The literature search yielded 18 articles, 2 books, and 1 master's degree thesis. A mobile app was created with an easy-to-use graphic interface. The app stores the patient's demographic characteristics and provides an evaluation of his/her wound, a list of risk factors for pressure injury development, wound cleansing procedures, and treatment interventions. The developed app may be useful in clinical practice, helping to prevent pressure injuries and promote select nursing interventions for the treatment of patients with pressure injury.

  17. Studying pressure denaturation of a protein by molecular dynamics simulations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sarupria, Sapna; Ghosh, Tuhin; García, Angel E; Garde, Shekhar

    2010-05-15

    Many globular proteins unfold when subjected to several kilobars of hydrostatic pressure. This "unfolding-up-on-squeezing" is counter-intuitive in that one expects mechanical compression of proteins with increasing pressure. Molecular simulations have the potential to provide fundamental understanding of pressure effects on proteins. However, the slow kinetics of unfolding, especially at high pressures, eliminates the possibility of its direct observation by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Motivated by experimental results-that pressure denatured states are water-swollen, and theoretical results-that water transfer into hydrophobic contacts becomes favorable with increasing pressure, we employ a water insertion method to generate unfolded states of the protein Staphylococcal Nuclease (Snase). Structural characteristics of these unfolded states-their water-swollen nature, retention of secondary structure, and overall compactness-mimic those observed in experiments. Using conformations of folded and unfolded states, we calculate their partial molar volumes in MD simulations and estimate the pressure-dependent free energy of unfolding. The volume of unfolding of Snase is negative (approximately -60 mL/mol at 1 bar) and is relatively insensitive to pressure, leading to its unfolding in the pressure range of 1500-2000 bars. Interestingly, once the protein is sufficiently water swollen, the partial molar volume of the protein appears to be insensitive to further conformational expansion or unfolding. Specifically, water-swollen structures with relatively low radii of gyration have partial molar volume that are similar to that of significantly more unfolded states. We find that the compressibility change on unfolding is negligible, consistent with experiments. We also analyze hydration shell fluctuations to comment on the hydration contributions to protein compressibility. Our study demonstrates the utility of molecular simulations in estimating volumetric properties

  18. Thermodynamically Controlled High-Pressure High-Temperature Synthesis of Crystalline Fluorinated sp 3 -Carbon Networks

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Klier, Kamil; Landskron, Kai

    2015-11-19

    We report the feasibility of the thermodynamically controlled synthesis of crystalline sp3-carbon networks. We show that there is a critical pressure below which decomposition of the carbon network is favored and above which the carbon network is stable. Based on advanced, highly accurate quantum mechanical calculations using the all-electron full-potential linearized augmented plane-wave method (FP-LAPW) and the Birch–Murnaghan equation of state, this critical pressure is 26.5 GPa (viz. table of contents graphic). Such pressures are experimentally readily accessible and afford thermodynamic control for suppression of decomposition reactions. The present results further suggest that a general pattern of pressure-directed control exists for many isolobal conversions of sp2 to sp3 allotropes, relating not only to fluorocarbon chemistry but also extending to inorganic and solid-state materials science.

  19. <strong>Mini-project>

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Katajainen, Jyrki

    2008-01-01

    In this project the goal is to develop the safe * family of containers for the CPH STL. The containers to be developed should be safer and more reliable than any of the existing implementations. A special focus should be put on strong exception safety since none of the existing prototypes available...

  20. Vertebrate pressure-gradient receivers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christensen-Dalsgaard, Jakob

    2011-01-01

    The eardrums of all terrestrial vertebrates (tetrapods) are connected through Eustachian tubes or interaural canals. In some of the animals, these connections create pressure-gradient directionality, an enhanced directionality by interaction of sound arriving at both sides of the eardrum and stro......The eardrums of all terrestrial vertebrates (tetrapods) are connected through Eustachian tubes or interaural canals. In some of the animals, these connections create pressure-gradient directionality, an enhanced directionality by interaction of sound arriving at both sides of the eardrum....... Recent vertebrates form a continuum from perfect interaural transmission (0 dB in a certain frequency band) and pronounced eardrum directionality (30-40 dB) in the lizards, over somewhat attenuated transmission and limited directionality in birds and frogs, to the strongly attenuated interaural...

  1. The influence of As/III pressure ratio on nitrogen nearest-neighbor environments in as-grown GaInNAs quantum wells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kudrawiec, R.; Poloczek, P.; Misiewicz, J.; Korpijaervi, V.-M.; Laukkanen, P.; Pakarinen, J.; Dumitrescu, M.; Guina, M.; Pessa, M.

    2009-01-01

    The energy fine structure, corresponding to different nitrogen nearest-neighbor environments, was observed in contactless electroreflectance (CER) spectra of as-grown GaInNAs quantum wells (QWs) obtained at various As/III pressure ratios. In the spectral range of the fundamental transition, two CER resonances were detected for samples grown at low As pressures whereas only one CER resonance was observed for samples obtained at higher As pressures. This resonance corresponds to the most favorable nitrogen nearest-neighbor environment in terms of the total crystal energy. It means that the nitrogen nearest-neighbor environment in GaInNAs QWs can be controlled in molecular beam epitaxy process by As/III pressure ratio.

  2. Treatment of pressure sores in spina bifida patients with calcium alginate and foam dressings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ausili, E; Paolucci, V; Triarico, S; Maestrini, C; Murolo, D; Focarelli, B; Rendeli, C

    2013-06-01

    Prospective study on local treatment of pressure sores using calcium alginate and foam dressings in spina bifida patients. Investigate if this sequential approach is valid and safe for selected patients with neurological impairments. Using European Pressure Ulcer Grading System, after clinical evaluation of local sore, selected patients of Spina Bifida Center of Rome were treated with sequential calcium alginate and foam dressings for 12 weeks. Pressure ulcere surfaces were measured monthly by ulcer tracing. The endpoints were the mean absolute areas surface reduction during every month and number of patients achieving a 50% or more during study. 14 patients (7 males aged 12-24 years) with spina bifida and pressure sores were treated. Mean and standard deviation of mean surface area reduction were 12.5 ± 7.5 cm 2 at start of the study versus 3.7 ± 5.2 cm 2 after 12 weeks, p pressure sores in selected patients with spina bifida. In fact, they protect the wound and create an environment favorable to healing.

  3. Timing of favorable conditions, competition and fertility interact to govern recruitment of invasive Chinese tallow tree in stressful environments.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christopher A Gabler

    Full Text Available The rate of new exotic recruitment following removal of adult invaders (reinvasion pressure influences restoration outcomes and costs but is highly variable and poorly understood. We hypothesize that broad variation in average reinvasion pressure of Triadica sebifera (Chinese tallow tree, a major invader arises from differences among habitats in spatiotemporal availability of realized recruitment windows. These windows are periods of variable duration long enough to permit establishment given local environmental conditions. We tested this hypothesis via a greenhouse mesocosm experiment that quantified how the duration of favorable moisture conditions prior to flood or drought stress (window duration, competition and nutrient availability influenced Triadica success in high stress environments. Window duration influenced pre-stress seedling abundance and size, growth during stress and final abundance; it interacted with other factors to affect final biomass and germination during stress. Stress type and competition impacted final size and biomass, plus germination, mortality and changes in size during stress. Final abundance also depended on competition and the interaction of window duration, stress type and competition. Fertilization interacted with competition and stress to influence biomass and changes in height, respectively, but did not affect Triadica abundance. Overall, longer window durations promoted Triadica establishment, competition and drought (relative to flood suppressed establishment, and fertilization had weak effects. Interactions among factors frequently produced different effects in specific contexts. Results support our 'outgrow the stress' hypothesis and show that temporal availability of abiotic windows and factors that influence growth rates govern Triadica recruitment in stressful environments. These findings suggest that native seed addition can effectively suppress superior competitors in stressful environments. We also

  4. Experimental evidence that density dependence strongly influences plant invasions through fragmented landscapes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Williams, Jennifer L; Levine, Jonathan M

    2018-04-01

    Populations of range expanding species encounter patches of both favorable and unfavorable habitat as they spread across landscapes. Theory shows that increasing patchiness slows the spread of populations modeled with continuously varying population density when dispersal is not influence by the environment or individual behavior. However, as is found in uniformly favorable landscapes, spread remains driven by fecundity and dispersal from low density individuals at the invasion front. In contrast, when modeled populations are composed of discrete individuals, patchiness causes populations to build up to high density before dispersing past unsuitable habitat, introducing an important influence of density dependence on spread velocity. To test the hypothesized interaction between habitat patchiness and density dependence, we simultaneously manipulated these factors in a greenhouse system of annual plants spreading through replicated experimental landscapes. We found that increasing the size of gaps and amplifying the strength of density dependence both slowed spread velocity, but contrary to predictions, the effect of amplified density dependence was similar across all landscape types. Our results demonstrate that the discrete nature of individuals in spreading populations has a strong influence on how both landscape patchiness and density dependence influence spread through demographic and dispersal stochasticity. Both finiteness and landscape structure should be critical components to theoretical predictions of future spread for range expanding native species or invasive species colonizing new habitat. © 2018 by the Ecological Society of America.

  5. On Localized Vapor Pressure Gradients Governing Condensation and Frost Phenomena.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nath, Saurabh; Boreyko, Jonathan B

    2016-08-23

    Interdroplet vapor pressure gradients are the driving mechanism for several phase-change phenomena such as condensation dry zones, interdroplet ice bridging, dry zones around ice, and frost halos. Despite the fundamental nature of the underlying pressure gradients, the majority of studies on these emerging phenomena have been primarily empirical. Using classical nucleation theory and Becker-Döring embryo formation kinetics, here we calculate the pressure field for all possible modes of condensation and desublimation in order to gain fundamental insight into how pressure gradients govern the behavior of dry zones, condensation frosting, and frost halos. Our findings reveal that in a variety of phase-change systems the thermodynamically favorable mode of nucleation can switch between condensation and desublimation depending upon the temperature and wettability of the surface. The calculated pressure field is used to model the length of a dry zone around liquid or ice droplets over a broad parameter space. The long-standing question of whether the vapor pressure at the interface of growing frost is saturated or supersaturated is resolved by considering the kinetics of interdroplet ice bridging. Finally, on the basis of theoretical calculations, we propose that there exists a new mode of frost halo that is yet to be experimentally observed; a bimodal phase map is developed, demonstrating its dependence on the temperature and wettability of the underlying substrate. We hope that the model and predictions contained herein will assist future efforts to exploit localized vapor pressure gradients for the design of spatially controlled or antifrosting phase-change systems.

  6. Strong tobacco control program requirements and secure funding are not enough: lessons from Florida.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kennedy, Allison; Sullivan, Sarah; Hendlin, Yogi; Barnes, Richard; Glantz, Stanton

    2012-05-01

    Florida's Tobacco Pilot Program (TPP; 1998-2003), with its edgy Truth media campaign, achieved unprecedented youth smoking reductions and became a model for tobacco control programming. In 2006, 3 years after the TPP was defunded, public health groups restored funding for tobacco control programming by convincing Florida voters to amend their constitution. Despite the new program's strong legal structure, Governor Charlie Crist's Department of Health implemented a low-impact program. Although they secured the program's strong structure and funding, Florida's nongovernmental public health organizations did not mobilize to demand a high-impact program. Implementation of Florida's Amendment 4 demonstrates that a strong programmatic structure and secure funding are insufficient to ensure a successful public health program, without external pressure from nongovernmental groups.

  7. Terapascal static pressure generation with ultrahigh yield strength nanodiamond.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dubrovinskaia, Natalia; Dubrovinsky, Leonid; Solopova, Natalia A; Abakumov, Artem; Turner, Stuart; Hanfland, Michael; Bykova, Elena; Bykov, Maxim; Prescher, Clemens; Prakapenka, Vitali B; Petitgirard, Sylvain; Chuvashova, Irina; Gasharova, Biliana; Mathis, Yves-Laurent; Ershov, Petr; Snigireva, Irina; Snigirev, Anatoly

    2016-07-01

    Studies of materials' properties at high and ultrahigh pressures lead to discoveries of unique physical and chemical phenomena and a deeper understanding of matter. In high-pressure research, an achievable static pressure limit is imposed by the strength of available strong materials and design of high-pressure devices. Using a high-pressure and high-temperature technique, we synthesized optically transparent microballs of bulk nanocrystalline diamond, which were found to have an exceptional yield strength (~460 GPa at a confining pressure of ~70 GPa) due to the unique microstructure of bulk nanocrystalline diamond. We used the nanodiamond balls in a double-stage diamond anvil cell high-pressure device that allowed us to generate static pressures beyond 1 TPa, as demonstrated by synchrotron x-ray diffraction. Outstanding mechanical properties (strain-dependent elasticity, very high hardness, and unprecedented yield strength) make the nanodiamond balls a unique device for ultrahigh static pressure generation. Structurally isotropic, homogeneous, and made of a low-Z material, they are promising in the field of x-ray optical applications.

  8. Electronic and structural ground state of heavy alkali metals at high pressure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fabbris, G.; Lim, J.; Veiga, L. S. I.; Haskel, D.; Schilling, J. S.

    2015-02-01

    Alkali metals display unexpected properties at high pressure, including emergence of low-symmetry crystal structures, which appear to occur due to enhanced electronic correlations among the otherwise nearly free conduction electrons. We investigate the high-pressure electronic and structural ground state of K, Rb, and Cs using x-ray absorption spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction measurements together with a b i n i t i o theoretical calculations. The sequence of phase transitions under pressure observed at low temperature is similar in all three heavy alkalis except for the absence of the o C 84 phase in Cs. Both the experimental and theoretical results point to pressure-enhanced localization of the valence electrons characterized by pseudogap formation near the Fermi level and strong s p d hybridization. Although the crystal structures predicted to host magnetic order in K are not observed, the localization process appears to drive these alkalis closer to a strongly correlated electron state.

  9. Strong-coupling electron-phonon superconductivity in H{sub 3}S

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pickett, Warren E. [University of California, Davis, CA (United States); Quan, Yundi [Beijing Normal University, Beijing (China)

    2016-07-01

    The superconducting phase of hydrogen sulfide at T{sub c} = 200 K observed by Eremets' group at pressures around 200 GPa is simple bcc Im-3m H{sub 3}S. Remarkably, this record high temperature superconductor was predicted beforehand by Duan et al., so the theory would seem to be in place. Here we will discuss why this is not true. Several extremes are involved: extreme pressure, meaning reduction of volume;extremely high H phonon energy scale around 1400 K; unusually narrow peak in the density of states at the Fermi level; extremely high temperature for a superconductor. Analysis of the H3S electronic structure and two important van Hove singularities (vHs) reveal the effect of sulfur. The implications for the strong coupling Migdal-Eliashberg theory will be discussed. Followed by comments on ways of increasing T{sub c} in H{sub 3}S-like materials.

  10. Guest Induced Strong Cooperative One- and Two-Step Spin Transitions in Highly Porous Iron(II) Hofmann-Type Metal-Organic Frameworks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Piñeiro-López, Lucı A; Valverde-Muñoz, Francisco Javier; Seredyuk, Maksym; Muñoz, M Carmen; Haukka, Matti; Real, José Antonio

    2017-06-19

    The synthesis, crystal structure, magnetic, calorimetric, and Mössbauer studies of a series of new Hofmann-type spin crossover (SCO) metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) is reported. The new SCO-MOFs arise from self-assembly of Fe II , bis(4-pyridyl)butadiyne (bpb), and [Ag(CN) 2 ] - or [M II (CN) 4 ] 2- (M II = Ni, Pd). Interpenetration of four identical 3D networks with α-Po topology are obtained for {Fe(bpb)[Ag I (CN) 2 ] 2 } due to the length of the rod-like bismonodentate bpb and [Ag(CN) 2 ] - ligands. The four networks are tightly packed and organized in two subsets orthogonally interpenetrated, while the networks in each subset display parallel interpenetration. This nonporous material undergoes a very incomplete SCO, which is rationalized from its intricate structure. In contrast, the single network Hofmann-type MOFs {Fe(bpb)[M II (CN) 4 ]}·nGuest (M II = Ni, Pd) feature enhanced porosity and display complete one-step or two-step cooperative SCO behaviors when the pores are filled with two molecules of nitrobenzene or naphthalene that interact strongly with the pyridyl and cyano moieties of the bpb ligands via π-π stacking. The lack of these guest molecules favors stabilization of the high-spin state in the whole range of temperatures. However, application of hydrostatic pressure induces one- and two-step SCO.

  11. Pressure-induced transition in Tl2MoO4

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Machon, Denis; Friese, Karen; Breczewski, Tomasz; Grzechnik, Andrzej

    2010-01-01

    Tl 2 MoO 4 has been studied under high-pressure by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and optical absorption measurements. A first-order phase transition is observed at 3.5±0.5 GPa. The nature (ordered vs. disordered) of the high-pressure phase strongly depends on the local hydrostatic conditions. Optical absorption measurements tend to show that this transition is concomitant with an electronic structure transformation. Prior to the transition, single crystal X-ray diffraction shows that pressure induces interactions between MoO 4 fragments and the Mo coordination number tends to increase. In addition, the stereoactivity of the lone-pair electrons on the three symmetrically independent Tl-sites is not uniform; while for two sites the stereoactivity decreases with increasing pressures for the third site the stereoactivity increases. - Graphical Abstract: (up) Structural evolutions of Tl 2 MoO 4 in the low-pressure phase. (Down) Optical properties of the high-pressure phase as a function of pressure. Display Omitted

  12. Kinetics on the reaction of substituted quinolines and p-substituted benzoylchlorides under various pressures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Young Cheul; Lim, Jong Wan; Choi, Sung Yong; Kim, Se Kyong

    1999-01-01

    The reaction rates of substituted quinolines(6-CH 3 C 9 H 7 N, C 9 H 7 N) with p-substituted benzoylchlorides(p-CH 3 , p-H, p-NO 2 ) have been measured by conductometry in acetonitrile, and the rate constants are determined at various temperatures (10,15, 20, 25 .deg. C) and pressures(1, 200, 500, 1000bar). From the values of rate constants, the activation parameters(Ea, ΔV ≠ , ΔS ≠ , and ΔG ≠ ) and the pressure dependence of Hammett ρ values were determined. The rate constants increase as a function of temperatures and pressures, and are further increase by introduction the electron donor substituents in nucleophile(p-CH 3 ) or electron acceptor(p-NO 2 ) substituents in substrate. The activation volume, and the activation entropy are all negative. Hammett ρ values are also negative for nucleophile (ρ X ) and positive for the substrate (ρ Y ) over the pressure range studied. The results of kinetic studies for pressure and substituent show that these reactions proceed in typical S N 2 reaction mechanism and 'associative S N 2' in which bond formation favored with increasing pressures

  13. L-tyrosine hydrochloride crystals under high pressures via Raman Spectroscopy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Santos, C.A.A.S.; Facanha Filho, P.F.; Santos, A.O. dos; Ribeiro, L.H.L.; Victor, F.M.S.; Abreu, D.C.; Carvalho, J.O.; Soares, R.A.; Sousa, J.C.F.; Lima, R.C.; Cavaignac, A.O. [Universidade Federal do Maranhao (UFMA), MA (Brazil)

    2016-07-01

    Full text: Amino acid single crystals have been attracted researchers in recent years due to their potential applications as second harmonic generator. The goal of this work is to produce semi organic single crystals of L-tyrosine hydrochloride (LTHCl) and verify the behavior of their vibrational normal modes under high pressures and the stability of material in these conditions extremes. The LTHCl single crystals were produced for solubilization of amino acid L-tyrosine in hydrochloric acid by slow evaporation technique of the solvent in room temperature. The technique of X-ray diffraction (XRD) and the refinement of structure by the Rietveld method were used to confirm the crystal structure. The LTHCl crystal belongs to the monoclinic crystal system having two molecules per unit cell. The refinement by the Rietveld method showed good results with Rwp = 8.49% and Rp = 6.29% with S = 1.13. Raman scattering measurements as a function of pressure was performed in a piece of crystal from the ambient pressure to 7.2 GPa and Nujol was used as pressure medium. It was observed the appearance of a weak band around 163 cm-1 between pressures of 0.5 and 1.0 GPa, which characterize an phase transition undergone by the crystal. Moreover, this band gains intensity as pressure increases while gradual decreasing relative intensity of the very strong band at 123 cm-1 for all range of pressure also was observed. In fact, almost all bands of the spectra have undergone strong decreasing up to 7.2 GPa. However, on release of pressure the crystal has reached the original phase again. Therefore, the results showed this material cannot be suitable for the application (NLO) in this range of pressure. (author)

  14. First-principles study on oxidation effects in uranium oxides and high-pressure high-temperature behavior of point defects in uranium dioxide

    Science.gov (United States)

    Geng, Hua Y.; Song, Hong X.; Jin, K.; Xiang, S. K.; Wu, Q.

    2011-11-01

    Formation Gibbs free energy of point defects and oxygen clusters in uranium dioxide at high-pressure high-temperature conditions are calculated from first principles, using the LSDA+U approach for the electronic structure and the Debye model for the lattice vibrations. The phonon contribution on Frenkel pairs is found to be notable, whereas it is negligible for the Schottky defect. Hydrostatic compression changes the formation energies drastically, making defect concentrations depend more sensitively on pressure. Calculations show that, if no oxygen clusters are considered, uranium vacancy becomes predominant in overstoichiometric UO2 with the aid of the contribution from lattice vibrations, while compression favors oxygen defects and suppresses uranium vacancy greatly. At ambient pressure, however, the experimental observation of predominant oxygen defects in this regime can be reproduced only in a form of cuboctahedral clusters, underlining the importance of defect clustering in UO2+x. Making use of the point defect model, an equation of state for nonstoichiometric oxides is established, which is then applied to describe the shock Hugoniot of UO2+x. Furthermore, the oxidization and compression behavior of uranium monoxide, triuranium octoxide, uranium trioxide, and a series of defective UO2 at 0 K are investigated. The evolution of mechanical properties and electronic structures with an increase of the oxidation degree are analyzed, revealing the transition of the ground state of uranium oxides from metallic to Mott insulator and then to charge-transfer insulator due to the interplay of strongly correlated effects of 5f orbitals and the shift of electrons from uranium to oxygen atoms.

  15. THE INFLUENCE OF PRESSURE-DEPENDENT VISCOSITY ON THE THERMAL EVOLUTION OF SUPER-EARTHS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Stamenkovic, Vlada; Noack, Lena; Spohn, Tilman [Institute of Planetology, Westfaelische Wilhelms-Universitaet Muenster, Wilhelm-Klemm-Str. 10, 48149 Muenster (Germany); Breuer, Doris, E-mail: Vlada.Stamenkovic@dlr.de, E-mail: Lena.Noack@dlr.de, E-mail: Doris.Breuer@dlr.de, E-mail: Tilman.Spohn@dlr.de [Institute of Planetary Research, German Aerospace Center DLR, Rutherfordstrasse 2, 12489 Berlin (Germany)

    2012-03-20

    We study the thermal evolution of super-Earths with a one-dimensional (1D) parameterized convection model that has been adopted to account for a strong pressure dependence of the viscosity. A comparison with a 2D spherical convection model shows that the derived parameterization satisfactorily represents the main characteristics of the thermal evolution of massive rocky planets. We find that the pressure dependence of the viscosity strongly influences the thermal evolution of super-Earths-resulting in a highly sluggish convection regime in the lower mantles of those planets. Depending on the effective activation volume and for cooler initial conditions, we observe with growing planetary mass even the formation of a conductive lid above the core-mantle boundary (CMB), a so-called CMB-lid. For initially molten planets our results suggest no CMB-lids but instead a hot lower mantle and core as well as sluggish lower mantle convection. This implies that the initial interior temperatures, especially in the lower mantle, become crucial for the thermal evolution-the thermostat effect suggested to regulate the interior temperatures in terrestrial planets does not work for massive planets if the viscosity is strongly pressure dependent. The sluggish convection and the potential formation of the CMB-lid reduce the convective vigor throughout the mantle, thereby affecting convective stresses, lithospheric thicknesses, and heat fluxes. The pressure dependence of the viscosity may therefore also strongly affect the propensity of plate tectonics, volcanic activity, and the generation of a magnetic field of super-Earths.

  16. THE INFLUENCE OF PRESSURE-DEPENDENT VISCOSITY ON THE THERMAL EVOLUTION OF SUPER-EARTHS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stamenković, Vlada; Noack, Lena; Spohn, Tilman; Breuer, Doris

    2012-01-01

    We study the thermal evolution of super-Earths with a one-dimensional (1D) parameterized convection model that has been adopted to account for a strong pressure dependence of the viscosity. A comparison with a 2D spherical convection model shows that the derived parameterization satisfactorily represents the main characteristics of the thermal evolution of massive rocky planets. We find that the pressure dependence of the viscosity strongly influences the thermal evolution of super-Earths—resulting in a highly sluggish convection regime in the lower mantles of those planets. Depending on the effective activation volume and for cooler initial conditions, we observe with growing planetary mass even the formation of a conductive lid above the core-mantle boundary (CMB), a so-called CMB-lid. For initially molten planets our results suggest no CMB-lids but instead a hot lower mantle and core as well as sluggish lower mantle convection. This implies that the initial interior temperatures, especially in the lower mantle, become crucial for the thermal evolution—the thermostat effect suggested to regulate the interior temperatures in terrestrial planets does not work for massive planets if the viscosity is strongly pressure dependent. The sluggish convection and the potential formation of the CMB-lid reduce the convective vigor throughout the mantle, thereby affecting convective stresses, lithospheric thicknesses, and heat fluxes. The pressure dependence of the viscosity may therefore also strongly affect the propensity of plate tectonics, volcanic activity, and the generation of a magnetic field of super-Earths.

  17. Autoras africanas: A favor de las mujeres=African authors: In favor of women

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Socorro Suárez Lafuente

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Resumen: La cultura occidental produce binomios de poder fuertemente inscritos en el lenguaje y el imaginario colectivo. Las subversiones aparecen primero en la zona dominante, como el feminismo, que se extiende, posteriormente, a otros feminismos, igualmente lógicos y reivindicativos, pero con menos capacidad de visibilización en un mundo globalizado. Las mujeres de grupos minorizados que han conseguido acceder a la educación han levantado sus voces y utilizado su potencial creativo a favor de las silenciadas de su cultura, a las que no alcanzaban el feminismo blanco occidental. Amma Darko, Bessie Head y Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie son algunos de los nombres que encabezan un movimiento africano feminista, que prioriza la libertad individual de las mujeres y les hace sentirse orgullosas de ser africanas.   Abstract Western culture produces binaries of power that are deeply inscribed both in language and in the collective imaginarium. Subversions tend to appear in the more affluent class, as is the case with feminism, which later extend to other feminisms, equally important and vindicatory, but with fewer opportunities to become visible within a globalized world. Many women from minoritized groups have had access to education, have been able to use their creative force and have become the voice of many silent women who were not included in the successive waves of Western feminisms. Amma Darko, Bessie Head and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie are but a few names at the forefront of African feminism, a movement that fights for the individual rights of women and makes them feel proud of their Africanism.

  18. Competitive Pressures and Transition to Entrepreneurship

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Failla, Virgilio; Melillo, Francesca; Reichstein, Toke

    This paper investigates whether the likelihood of entrepreneurial activity is associated with the competitive pressures for promotion within a firm. We argue that competitive pressures increase the relative attractiveness of entrepreneurship as a career option. We test our prediction using...... a comprehensive matched employer-employee longitudinal data set from Denmark. To mitigate endogeneity concerns, we exploit variation in the gender composition of established firms as women are systematically found to be less competitive than man. We find that workers are more likely to become entrepreneurs...... to entrepreneurship has a positive non-linear effect. Our results have strong implications for managers, prospect entrepreneurs and policy makers....

  19. Stability of Hydrogen-Bonded Supramolecular Architecture under High Pressure Conditions: Pressure-Induced Amorphization in Melamine-Boric Acid Adduct

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, K.; Duan, D.; Wang, R.; Lin, A.; Cui, Q.; Liu, B.; Cui, T.; Zou, B.; Zhang, X.

    2009-01-01

    The effects of high pressure on the structural stability of the melamine-boric acid adduct (C3N6H6 2H3BO3, M 2B), a three-dimensional hydrogen-bonded supramolecular architecture, were studied by in situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy. M 2B exhibited a high compressibility and a strong anisotropic compression, which can be explained by the layerlike crystal packing. Furthermore, evolution of XRD patterns and Raman spectra indicated that the M 2B crystal undergoes a reversible pressure-induced amorphization (PIA) at 18 GPa. The mechanism for the PIA was attributed to the competition between close packing and long-range order. Ab initio calculations were also performed to account for the behavior of hydrogen bonding under high pressure.

  20. 41 CFR 101-39.404 - Claims in favor of the Government.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... VEHICLES 39-INTERAGENCY FLEET MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS 39.4-Accidents and Claims § 101-39.404 Claims in favor of... Interagency Fleet Management System (IFMS) vehicle is at fault and that party can be reasonably identified... pertaining to the accident and its investigation to the servicing GSA IFMS fleet management center. The GSA...

  1. Pressure Dependence of the Electrical Resistivity in Polymer Polyaniline

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daihui Huang

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Polyaniline (PAN was prepared by using a technique of chemical synthesis to obtain the insulating emeraldine base form. And then PAN was doped with toluenesulfonic acid (TSA, HCl, or camphor sulfonic acid (CSA to protonate it into conducting salt form. The morphologies and electrical property of PAN under atmospheric pressure were investigated. Subsequently, the high pressure using a Bridgman anvil cell was applied on the doped PAN, and the effect of high pressure on the properties of doped PAN was analyzed. At normal pressure, the conductivity of PAN increases as the PH value increases. While at high pressures, the conductivity of PAN increases, and then it becomes independent of pressure. The results indicate that the conductivity of PAN is related to the presence of the polaron band, and the doped PAN under high pressure will be enhanced strongly in conductivity because of overlap of polaron band and π band. However, with the further increase of the applied pressure, scattering mechanisms of carriers limit the conductivity of PAN.

  2. In situ neutron diffraction studies of high density amorphous ice under pressure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Klotz, Stefan; Straessle, Th; Saitta, A M; Rousse, G; Hamel, G; Nelmes, R J; Loveday, J S; Guthrie, M

    2005-01-01

    We review recent in situ neutron diffraction studies on the structural pressure dependence and the recrystallization of dense amorphous ices up to 2 GPa. Progress in high pressure techniques and data analysis methods allows the reliable determination of all three partial structure factors of amorphous ice under pressure. The strong pressure dependence of the g OO (r) correlation function shows that the isothermal compression of high density amorphous ice (HDA) at 100 K is achieved by a contraction (∼ 20%) of the second-neighbour coordination shell leading to a strong increase in coordination. The g DD (r) and g OD (r) structure factors are, in contrast, only weakly sensitive to pressure. These data allow a comparison with structural features of the recently reported 'very high density amorphous ice' (VHDA) which indicates that VHDA at ambient pressure is very similar to compressed HDA, at least up to the second-neighbour shell. The recrystallization of HDA has been investigated in the range 0.3-2 GPa. It is shown that hydrogen-disordered phases are produced which normally grow only from the liquid, such as ice XII, and in particular ice IV. These findings are in good agreement with results on quench-recovered samples

  3. Linear pressure profile estimation along a penstock associated with transients due to severe defects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kueny, J. L.; Combes, G.; Lourenço, M.; Clary, V.; Ballester, J. L.

    2014-03-01

    The purpose of this article is to show how the pressure load profile along a penstock of an hydroplant and the corresponding flow rate is obtained from the pressure signal using a code called ACHYL CF. In particular the paper will present how it is possible to reconstruct the history of the incident after a strong transient state, in the case of two plants with Pelton turbines and one DSPCF device on a branch of the circuit. For plant1 the DSPCF device observes an overrun of the maximal allowed pressure after the filling of the injector branch and for plant_2, a strong transient leads to the rupture of the penstock.

  4. Linear pressure profile estimation along a penstock associated with transients due to severe defects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kueny, J L; Clary, V; Combes, G; Lourenço, M; Ballester, J L

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this article is to show how the pressure load profile along a penstock of an hydroplant and the corresponding flow rate is obtained from the pressure signal using a code called ACHYL CF. In particular the paper will present how it is possible to reconstruct the history of the incident after a strong transient state, in the case of two plants with Pelton turbines and one DSPCF device on a branch of the circuit. For plant 1 the DSPCF device observes an overrun of the maximal allowed pressure after the filling of the injector branch and for plant 2 , a strong transient leads to the rupture of the penstock

  5. Pressure-assisted sintering of high purity barium titanate

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van den Cruijsem, S.; Varst, van der P.G.T.; With, de G.; Bortzmeyer, D.; Boussuge, M.; Chartier, Th.; Hausonne, J.M.; Mocellin, A.; Rousset, A.; Thevenot, F.

    1997-01-01

    The dielectric behaviour of High Purity Barium titanate (HPB) ceramics is strongly dependent on the grain size and porosity. For applications, control of grain size and porosity is required. Pressure-assisted sintering techniques at relatively low temperatures meet these requirements. In this study,

  6. Cerebral perfusion pressure, microdialysis biochemistry and clinical outcome in patients with traumatic brain injury

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paraforou Theoniki

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI is a major cause of death and disability. It has been postulated that brain metabolic status, intracranial pressure (ICP and cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP are related to patients' outcome. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between CPP, ICP and microdialysis parameters and clinical outcome in TBIs. Results Thirty four individuals with severe brain injury hospitalized in an intensive care unit participated in this study. Microdialysis data were collected, along with ICP and CPP values. Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS was used to evaluate patient outcome at 6 months after injury. Fifteen patients with a CPP greater than 75 mmHg, L/P ratio lower than 37 and Glycerol concentration lower than 72 mmol/l had an excellent outcome (GOS 4 or 5, as opposed to the remaining 19 patients. No patient with a favorable outcome had a CPP lower than 75 mmHg or Glycerol concentration and L/P ratio greater than 72 mmol/l and 37 respectively. Data regarding L/P ratio and Glycerol concentration were statistically significant at p = 0.05 when patients with favorable and unfavorable outcome were compared. In a logistic regression model adjusted for age, sex and Glasgow Coma Scale on admission, a CPP greater than 75 mmHg was marginally statistically significantly related to outcome at 6 months after injury. Conclusions Patients with favorable outcome had certain common features in terms of microdialysis parameters and CPP values. An individualized approach regarding CPP levels and cut -off points for Glycerol concentration and L/P ratio are proposed.

  7. More evidence in favor of light dark matter particles?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boehm, Celine; Ascasibar, Yago

    2004-01-01

    In a previous work, it was found that the light dark matter scenario could be a possible explanation to the 511 keV emission line detected at the center of our galaxy. Here, we show that hints of this scenario may also have been discovered in particle physics experiments. This could explain the discrepancy between the measurement of the fine structure constant and the value referenced in the CODATA. Finally, our results indicate that some of the light dark matter features could be tested in accelerators. Their discovery might favor N=2 supersymmetry

  8. Stability and anisotropy of (FexNi1-x)2O under high pressure and implications in Earth's and super-Earths' core.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Shengxuan; Wu, Xiang; Qin, Shan

    2018-01-10

    Oxygen is thought to be an important light element in Earth's core but the amount of oxygen in Earth's core remains elusive. In addition, iron-rich iron oxides are of great interest and significance in the field of geoscience and condensed matter physics. Here, static calculations based on density functional theory demonstrate that I4/mmm-Fe 2 O is dynamically and mechanically stable and becomes energetically favorable with respect to the assemblage of hcp-Fe and [Formula: see text]-FeO above 270 GPa, which indicates that I4/mmm-Fe 2 O can be a strong candidate phase for stable iron-rich iron oxides at high pressure, perhaps even at high temperature. The elasticity and anisotropy of I4/mmm-(Fe x Ni 1-x ) 2 O at high pressures are also determined. Based on these results, we have derived the upper limit of oxygen to be 4.3 wt% in Earth's lower outer core. On the other hand, I4/mmm-(Fe x Ni 1-x ) 2 O with high AV S is likely to exist in a super-Earth's or an ocean planet's solid core causing the locally seismic heterogeneity. Our results not only give some clues to explore and synthesize novel iron-rich iron oxides but also shed light on the fundamental information of oxygen in the planetary core.

  9. Pressurizer and steam-generator behavior under PWR transient conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wahba, A.B.; Berta, V.T.; Pointner, W.

    1983-01-01

    Experiments have been conducted in the Loss-of-Fluid Test (LOFT) pressurized water reactor (PWR), at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, in which transient phenomena arising from accident events with and without reactor scram were studied. The main purpose of the LOFT facility is to provide data for the development of computer codes for PWR transient analyses. Significant thermal-hydraulic differences have been observed between the measured and calculated results for those transients in which the pressurizer and steam generator strongly influence the dominant transient phenomena. Pressurizer and steam generator phenomena that occurred during four specific PWR transients in the LOFT facility are discussed. Two transients were accompanied by pressurizer inflow and a reduction of the heat transfer in the steam generator to a very small value. The other two transients were accompanied by pressurizer outflow while the steam generator behavior was controlled

  10. Meshed-Pumpkin Super-Pressure Balloon Design

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, Jack; Yavrouian, Andre

    2003-01-01

    An improved, lightweight design has been proposed for super-pressure balloons used to carry scientific instruments at high altitudes in the atmosphere of Earth for times as long as 100 days. [A super-pressure balloon is one in which the pressure of the buoyant gas (typically, helium) is kept somewhat above ambient pressure in order to maintain approximately constant density and thereby regulate the altitude.] The proposed design, called "meshed pumpkin," incorporates the basic concept of the pumpkin design, which is so named because of its appearance. The pumpkin design entails less weight than does a spherical design, and the meshed-pumpkin design would reduce weight further. The basic idea of the meshed-pumpkin design is to reinforce the membrane of a pumpkin balloon by attaching a strong, lightweight fabric mesh to its outer surface. The reinforcement would make it possible to reduce the membrane mass to one-third or less of that of the basic pumpkin design while retaining sufficient strength to enable the balloon to remain at approximately constant altitude for months.

  11. Numerical Investigation of Periodically Unsteady Pressure Field in a High Power Centrifugal Diffuser Pump

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ji Pei

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available Pressure fluctuations are the main factors that can give rise to reliability problems in centrifugal pumps. The periodically unsteady pressure characteristics caused by rotor-stator interaction have been investigated by CFD calculation in a residual heat removal pump. Side chamber flow effect is also considered for the simulation to accurately predict the flow in whole flow passage. The pressure fluctuation results in time and frequency domains were considered for several typical monitoring points in impeller and diffuser channels. In addition, the pressure fluctuation intensity coefficient (PFIC based on standard deviation was defined on each grid node for entire space and impeller revolution period. The results show that strong pressure fluctuation intensity can be found in the gap between impeller and diffuser. As a source, the fluctuation can spread to the upstream and downstream flow channels as well as the side chamber channels. Meanwhile, strong pressure fluctuation intensity can be found in the discharge tube of the circular casing. In addition, the obvious influence of operational flow rate on the PFIC distribution can be found. The analysis indicates that the pressure fluctuations in the aspects of both frequency and intensity can be used to comprehensively evaluate the unsteady pressure characteristics in centrifugal pumps.

  12. The effect of surface distortions on the pressure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Riveros, O.J.; Claro, F.H.

    1985-08-01

    We show that the pressure in a solid can be expressed as a sum of two contributions: a bulk pressure Psub(int) and a surface term Psub(sur). The first is a translationally invariant virial of the forces acting on each atom and the second arises from deformations at the surface. This splitting allows a direct comparison of a term that may be computed accurately, Psub(int), with a term that depends strongly on surface detail and is therefore a test on models of the surface. (author)

  13. Is there a relationship between patient satisfaction and favorable outcomes?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kennedy, Gregory D; Tevis, Sarah E; Kent, K Craig

    2014-10-01

    Patient satisfaction with the health care experience has become a top priority for Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. With resources and efforts directed at patient satisfaction, we evaluated whether high patient satisfaction measured by HCAHPS (Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems) surveys correlates with favorable outcomes. Medical centers were identified from the University HealthSystem Consortium database from 2011 to 2012. Variables included hospital characteristics, process measure compliance, and surgical outcomes. Chi-squared analysis was used to evaluate for variables associated with high patient satisfaction (defined as hospitals that scored above the 50th percentile of top box scores). We identified 171 hospitals with complete data. The following variables were significantly associated with high overall patient satisfaction: large hospitals, high surgical volume, and low mortality (P patient satisfaction. Low mortality index was consistently found to be associated with high satisfaction across 9 of 10 HCAHPS domains. We found that hospital size, surgical volume, and low mortality were associated with high overall patient satisfaction. However, with the exception of low mortality, favorable surgical outcomes were not consistently associated with high HCAHPS scores. With existing satisfaction surveys, we conclude that factors outside of surgical outcomes appear to influence patients' perceptions of their care.

  14. Superconductivity and magnetic fluctuations developing in the vicinity of strong first-order magnetic transition in CrAs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kotegawa, H; Matsushima, K; Nakahara, S; Tou, H; Kaneyoshi, J; Nishiwaki, T; Matsuoka, E; Sugawara, H; Harima, H

    2017-01-01

    We report single crystal preparation, resistivity, and nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) measurements for new pressure-induced superconductor CrAs. In the first part, we present the difference between crystals made by different thermal sequences and methods, and show the sample dependence of superconductivity in CrAs. In the latter part, we show NQR data focusing the microscopic electronic state at the phase boundary between the helimagnetic and the paramagnetic phases. They suggest strongly that a quantum critical point is absent on the pressure-temperature phase diagram of CrAs, because of the strong first-order character of the magnetic transition; however, the spin fluctuations are observed in the paramagnetic phase. The close relationship between the spin fluctuations and superconductivity can be seen even in the vicinity of the first-order magnetic transition in CrAs. (paper)

  15. Osmosis-Based Pressure Generation: Dynamics and Application

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Suyi; Billeh, Yazan N.; Wang, K. W.; Mayer, Michael

    2014-01-01

    This paper describes osmotically-driven pressure generation in a membrane-bound compartment while taking into account volume expansion, solute dilution, surface area to volume ratio, membrane hydraulic permeability, and changes in osmotic gradient, bulk modulus, and degree of membrane fouling. The emphasis lies on the dynamics of pressure generation; these dynamics have not previously been described in detail. Experimental results are compared to and supported by numerical simulations, which we make accessible as an open source tool. This approach reveals unintuitive results about the quantitative dependence of the speed of pressure generation on the relevant and interdependent parameters that will be encountered in most osmotically-driven pressure generators. For instance, restricting the volume expansion of a compartment allows it to generate its first 5 kPa of pressure seven times faster than without a restraint. In addition, this dynamics study shows that plants are near-ideal osmotic pressure generators, as they are composed of many small compartments with large surface area to volume ratios and strong cell wall reinforcements. Finally, we demonstrate two applications of an osmosis-based pressure generator: actuation of a soft robot and continuous volume delivery over long periods of time. Both applications do not need an external power source but rather take advantage of the energy released upon watering the pressure generators. PMID:24614529

  16. Osmosis-based pressure generation: dynamics and application.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bruhn, Brandon R; Schroeder, Thomas B H; Li, Suyi; Billeh, Yazan N; Wang, K W; Mayer, Michael

    2014-01-01

    This paper describes osmotically-driven pressure generation in a membrane-bound compartment while taking into account volume expansion, solute dilution, surface area to volume ratio, membrane hydraulic permeability, and changes in osmotic gradient, bulk modulus, and degree of membrane fouling. The emphasis lies on the dynamics of pressure generation; these dynamics have not previously been described in detail. Experimental results are compared to and supported by numerical simulations, which we make accessible as an open source tool. This approach reveals unintuitive results about the quantitative dependence of the speed of pressure generation on the relevant and interdependent parameters that will be encountered in most osmotically-driven pressure generators. For instance, restricting the volume expansion of a compartment allows it to generate its first 5 kPa of pressure seven times faster than without a restraint. In addition, this dynamics study shows that plants are near-ideal osmotic pressure generators, as they are composed of many small compartments with large surface area to volume ratios and strong cell wall reinforcements. Finally, we demonstrate two applications of an osmosis-based pressure generator: actuation of a soft robot and continuous volume delivery over long periods of time. Both applications do not need an external power source but rather take advantage of the energy released upon watering the pressure generators.

  17. Osmosis-based pressure generation: dynamics and application.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Brandon R Bruhn

    Full Text Available This paper describes osmotically-driven pressure generation in a membrane-bound compartment while taking into account volume expansion, solute dilution, surface area to volume ratio, membrane hydraulic permeability, and changes in osmotic gradient, bulk modulus, and degree of membrane fouling. The emphasis lies on the dynamics of pressure generation; these dynamics have not previously been described in detail. Experimental results are compared to and supported by numerical simulations, which we make accessible as an open source tool. This approach reveals unintuitive results about the quantitative dependence of the speed of pressure generation on the relevant and interdependent parameters that will be encountered in most osmotically-driven pressure generators. For instance, restricting the volume expansion of a compartment allows it to generate its first 5 kPa of pressure seven times faster than without a restraint. In addition, this dynamics study shows that plants are near-ideal osmotic pressure generators, as they are composed of many small compartments with large surface area to volume ratios and strong cell wall reinforcements. Finally, we demonstrate two applications of an osmosis-based pressure generator: actuation of a soft robot and continuous volume delivery over long periods of time. Both applications do not need an external power source but rather take advantage of the energy released upon watering the pressure generators.

  18. Orthorhombic Intermediate State in the Zinc Blende to Rocksalt Transformation Path of SiC at High Pressure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Catti, Michele

    2001-01-01

    The mechanism of the B3/B1 phase transition of SiC has been investigated by periodic LCAO-DFT least-enthalpy calculations. A new transformation pathway, based on a Pmm2 orthorhombic intermediate state with two SiC units per cell, is found to be energetically favored over the traditional R3m mechanism. The computed activation enthalpy is 0.75eV/SiC unit at the predicted transition pressure of 92GPa (B3LYP functional). Activation enthalpy and activation volume vs pressure are analyzed to characterize the kinetic aspects of the transformation

  19. Influence of the helium-pressure on diode-pumped alkali-vapor laser

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Fei; Chen, Fei; Xie, Ji-jiang; Zhang, Lai-ming; Li, Dian-jun; Yang, Gui-long; Guo, Jing

    2013-05-01

    Diode-pumped alkali-vapor laser (DPAL) is a kind of laser attracted much attention for its merits, such as high quantum efficiency, excellent beam quality, favorable thermal management, and potential scalability to high power and so on. Based on the rate-equation theory of end-pumped DPAL, the performances of DPAL using Cs-vapor collisionally broadened by helium are simulated and studied. With the increase of helium pressure, the numerical results show that: 1) the absorption line-width increases and the stimulated absorption cross-section decreases contrarily; 2) the threshold pumping power decreases to minimum and then rolls over to increase linearly; 3) the absorption efficiency rises to maximum initially due to enough large stimulated absorption cross-section in the far wings of collisionally broadened D2 transition (absorption transition), and then begins to reduce; 4) an optimal value of helium pressure exists to obtain the highest output power, leading to an optimal optical-optical efficiency. Furthermore, to generate the self-oscillation of laser, a critical value of helium pressure occurs when small-signal gain equals to the threshold gain.

  20. Temperature measurement in the liquid helium range at pressure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Itskevich, E.S.; Krajdenov, V.F.

    1978-01-01

    The use of bronze and germanium resistance thermometers and the use of a (Au + 0.07 % Fe)-Cu thermocouple for temperature measurements from 1.5 to 4.2 K in the hydrostatic compression of up to 10 kbar are considered. To this aim, the thermometer resistance as a function of temperature and pressure is measured. It is revealed that pressure does not change the thermometric response of the bronze resistance thermometer but only shifts it to the region of lower temperatures. The identical investigations of the germanium resistance thermometer shows that strong temperature dependence and the shift of its thermometric response under the influence of pressure make the use of germanium resistance thermometers in high-pressure chambers very inconvenient. The results of the analysis of the (Au + 0.07 % Fe) - Cu thermocouple shows that with a 2 per cent accuracy the thermocouple Seebeck coefficient does not depend on pressure. It permits to use this thermocouple for temperature measurements at high pressures

  1. Foam glass obtained through high-pressure sintering

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Østergaard, Martin Bonderup; Petersen, Rasmus Rosenlund; König, Jakob

    2018-01-01

    Foam glasses are usually prepared through a chemical approach, that is, by mixing glass powder with foaming agents, and heating the mixture to a temperature above the softening point (106.6 Pa s) of the glass. The foaming agents release gas, enabling expansion of the sintered glass. Here, we use...... a physical foaming approach to prepare foam glass. First, closed pores filled with inert gases (He, Ar, or N2) are physically introduced into a glass body by sintering cathode ray tube (CRT) panel glass powder at high gas pressure (5‐25 MPa) at 640°C and, then cooled to room temperature. The sintered bodies...... are subjected to a second heat treatment above the glass transition temperature at atmospheric pressure. This heat treatment causes expansion of the pores due to high internal gas pressure. We found that the foaming ability strongly depends on the gas pressure applied during sintering, and on the kinetic...

  2. On the physics of the pressure and temperature gradients in the edge of tokamak plasmas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stacey, Weston M.

    2018-04-01

    An extended plasma fluid theory including atomic physics, radiation, electromagnetic and themodynamic forces, external sources of particles, momentum and energy, and kinetic ion orbit loss is employed to derive theoretical expressions that display the role of the various factors involved in the determination of the pressure and temperature gradients in the edge of tokamak plasmas. Calculations for current experiments are presented to illustrate the magnitudes of various effects including strong radiative and atomic physics edge cooling effects and strong reduction in ion particle and energy fluxes due to ion orbit loss in the plasma edge. An important new insight is the strong relation between rotation and the edge pressure gradient.

  3. [Comparison of the quick Gram stain method to the B&M modified and favor methods].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Osawa, Kayo; Kataoka, Nobumasa; Maruo, Toshio

    2011-01-01

    The Gram stain is an established method for bacterial identification, but the time needed to carry out this stain is 2-3 min. We attempted to shorten this time and stained a total of 70 clinical specimens isolated from using the Bartholomew & Mittwer (B&M) modified or Favor methods with a 3 s duration for washing and staining steps. Results were plotted and analyzed using a Hue Saturation Intensity (HSI) model. The range based on a plot of the two methods with the HSI model was presented as a reference interval. Our results indicated that 100% (35/35) of strains were Gram positive and 97.1% (34/35) were Gram negative for the quick B&M modified method. In the quick Favor method, 80.0% (28/35) were Gram positive and 68.6% (24/35) of strains were Gram negative. We propose that the quick B&M modified method is equivalent to the standard Gram staining method and is superior to the quick Favor method.

  4. Do professional norms in the banking industry favor risk-taking?

    OpenAIRE

    Cohn, Alain; Fehr, Ernst; Maréchal, Michel André

    2017-01-01

    In recent years, the banking industry has witnessed several cases of excessive risk-taking that frequently have been attributed to problematic professional norms. We conduct experiments with employees from several banks in which we manipulate the saliency of their professional identity and subsequently measure their risk aversion in a real stakes investment task. If bank employees are exposed to professional norms that favor risk-taking, they should become more willing to take risks when thei...

  5. Generation of a strong core-centering force in a submillimeter compound droplet system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, M.C.; Feng, I.; Elleman, D.D.; Wang, T.G.; Young, A.T.

    1981-01-01

    By amplitude-modulating the driving voltage of an acoustic levitating apparatus, a strong core-centering force can be generated in a submillimeter compound droplet system suspended by the radiation pressure in a gaseous medium. Depending on the acoustic characteristics of the droplet system, it has been found that the technique can be utilized advantageously in the multiple-layer coating of an inertial-confinement-fusion pellet

  6. Trends in high pressure developments for new perspectives

    Science.gov (United States)

    Largeteau, Alain; Prakasam, Mythili

    2018-06-01

    Temperature and Pressure are two parameters in the universe, where pressure represents the largest scale in comparison to temperature. The design of high pressure equipment depends mainly on the media used which could be gas, liquid or solid and the objective could be synthesis of materials or in situ characterization. The development of new research fields requiring high pressure equipment which are currently in Bordeaux - France are based on the historical development of high pressure domain initiated by Professor Gerard DEMAZEAU and his team during the last half century, which is discussed here. The main concepts governing the effect of pressure on materials synthesis is by the combination of high pressure and high temperature which are described with apt examples. There is an upsurge in various technologies for strong development for the synthesis of materials to drive several possibilities, for example: to reach very high density to obtain optical ceramics (by conventional SPS), to diminish parameters (P, T, t) of synthesis (by HP-SPS), to sinter at low temperature thermal sensitive composition (by HyS), to consolidate porous materials (by FIP), to densify biocomposite with cold decontamination (by HHP) simultaneously, etc.

  7. Sodium-blood pressure interrelationship in pregnancy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Franx, A; Steegers, E A; de Boo, T; Thien, T; Merkus, J M

    1999-03-01

    In non-pregnant individuals, a strong positive association of sodium intake with blood pressure has been established, but the relationship between sodium intake and blood pressure in human pregnancy remains obscure up to date. The aim of this prospective observational cohort study was to assess the relationship between urinary sodium excretion (as a measure for intake) and blood pressure from the early second trimester onwards throughout pregnancy. The study group consisted of 667 low-risk women with singleton pregnancies, of whom 350 were nulliparous and 317 parous. Blood pressure was measured in a standardised fashion at predetermined intervals from the first antenatal visit prior to 16 weeks gestation until delivery. Urinary sodium excretion was measured in 24-h urine collections on at least four occasions between 16 and 38 weeks gestation. Main outcome measures were the coefficients of correlation between changes in urinary sodium output and changes in blood pressure during six different gestational epochs. No significant correlations were found between changes in urinary sodium output and changes in blood pressure. Correlation coefficients were alike for nulliparous and parous women and for different gestational intervals. Prior to 32 weeks gestation, no differences were observed in sodium excretion between women who remained normotensive and those who developed gestational hypertension. These results suggest that changes in sodium intake are not associated with blood pressure changes in low-risk pregnant women. Blood pressure increases as observed in the second half of normotensive and hypertensive pregnancies are unlikely to be caused by changes in renal sodium handling.

  8. Self-regulation and social pressure reduce prejudiced responding and increase the motivation to be non-prejudiced.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buzinski, Steven G; Kitchens, Michael B

    2017-01-01

    Self-regulation constrains the expression of prejudice, but when self-regulation falters, the immediate environment can act as an external source of prejudice regulation. This hypothesis derives from work demonstrating that external controls and internal self-regulation can prompt goal pursuit in the absence of self-imposed controls. Across four studies, we found support for this complementary model of prejudice regulation. In Study 1, self-regulatory fatigue resulted in less motivation to be non-prejudiced, compared to a non-fatigued control. In Study 2, strong (vs. weak) perceived social pressure was related to greater motivation to be non-prejudiced. In Study 3, dispositional self-regulation predicted non-prejudice motivation when perceived social pressure was weak or moderate, but not when it was strong. Finally, in Study 4 self-regulatory fatigue increased prejudice when social pressure was weak but not when it was strong.

  9. Fast electronic structure methods for strongly correlated molecular systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Head-Gordon, Martin; Beran, Gregory J O; Sodt, Alex; Jung, Yousung

    2005-01-01

    A short review is given of newly developed fast electronic structure methods that are designed to treat molecular systems with strong electron correlations, such as diradicaloid molecules, for which standard electronic structure methods such as density functional theory are inadequate. These new local correlation methods are based on coupled cluster theory within a perfect pairing active space, containing either a linear or quadratic number of pair correlation amplitudes, to yield the perfect pairing (PP) and imperfect pairing (IP) models. This reduces the scaling of the coupled cluster iterations to no worse than cubic, relative to the sixth power dependence of the usual (untruncated) coupled cluster doubles model. A second order perturbation correction, PP(2), to treat the neglected (weaker) correlations is formulated for the PP model. To ensure minimal prefactors, in addition to favorable size-scaling, highly efficient implementations of PP, IP and PP(2) have been completed, using auxiliary basis expansions. This yields speedups of almost an order of magnitude over the best alternatives using 4-center 2-electron integrals. A short discussion of the scope of accessible chemical applications is given

  10. The effect of high pressure on the luminescent properties of coumarin 153

    CERN Document Server

    Li Hong; He Li Ming; Wu Shi Kang; Li Yi; Yang Guo Qiang

    2002-01-01

    A dual-fluorescence emitting behaviour of coumarin 153 powder has been detected at high pressure while at ambient pressure the dye exhibits only single-band emission. Because of the strong electron-withdrawal group at site 7, these two fluorescent peaks can be ascribed to local excited state emission and charge transfer state emission, respectively.

  11. 3D pressure field in lipid membranes and membrane-protein complexes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ollila, O H Samuli; Risselada, H Jelger; Louhivuori, Martti

    2009-01-01

    We calculate full 3D pressure fields for inhomogeneous nanoscale systems using molecular dynamics simulation data. The fields represent systems with increasing level of complexity, ranging from semivesicles and vesicles to membranes characterized by coexistence of two phases, including also...... a protein-membrane complex. We show that the 3D pressure field is distinctly different for curved and planar bilayers, the pressure field depends strongly on the phase of the membrane, and that an integral protein modulates the tension and elastic properties of the membrane....

  12. Electromotive force in strongly compressible magnetohydrodynamic turbulence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yokoi, N.

    2017-12-01

    Variable density fluid turbulence is ubiquitous in geo-fluids, not to mention in astrophysics. Depending on the source of density variation, variable density fluid turbulence may be divided into two categories: the weak compressible (entropy mode) turbulence for slow flow and the strong compressible (acoustic mode) turbulence for fast flow. In the strong compressible turbulence, the pressure fluctuation induces a strong density fluctuation ρ ', which is represented by the density variance ( denotes the ensemble average). The turbulent effect on the large-scale magnetic-field B induction is represented by the turbulent electromotive force (EMF) (u': velocity fluctuation, b': magnetic-field fluctuation). In the usual treatment in the dynamo theory, the expression for the EMF has been obtained in the framework of incompressible or weak compressible turbulence, where only the variation of the mean density , if any, is taken into account. We see from the equation of the density fluctuation ρ', the density variance is generated by the large mean density variation ∂ coupled with the turbulent mass flux . This means that in the region where the mean density steeply changes, the density variance effect becomes relevant for the magnetic field evolution. This situation is typically the case for phenomena associated with shocks and compositional discontinuities. With the aid of the analytical theory of inhomogeneous compressible magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence, the expression for the turbulent electromotive force is investigated. It is shown that, among others, an obliqueness (misalignment) between the mean density gradient ∂ and the mean magnetic field B may contribute to the EMF as ≈χ B×∂ with the turbulent transport coefficient χ proportional to the density variance (χ ). This density variance effect is expected to strongly affect the EMF near the interface, and changes the transport properties of turbulence. In the case of an interface under the MHD slow

  13. Structure of high-density amorphous ice under pressure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Klotz, S.; Hamel, G.; Loveday, J.S.; Nelmes, R.J.; Guthrie, M.; Soper, A.K.

    2002-01-01

    We report in situ neutron diffraction studies of high-density amorphous ice (HDA) at 100 K at pressures up to 2.2 GPa. We find that the compression is achieved by a strong contraction (∼20%) of the second neighbor coordination shell, so that at 2.2 GPa it closely approaches the first coordination shell, which itself remains intact in both structure and size. The hydrogen bond orientations suggest an absence of hydrogen bonding between first and second shells and that HDA has increasingly interpenetrating hydrogen bond networks under pressure

  14. A strong shock tube problem calculated by different numerical schemes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Wen Ho; Clancy, Sean P.

    1996-05-01

    Calculated results are presented for the solution of a very strong shock tube problem on a coarse mesh using (1) MESA code, (2) UNICORN code, (3) Schulz hydro, and (4) modified TVD scheme. The first two codes are written in Eulerian coordinates, whereas methods (3) and (4) are in Lagrangian coordinates. MESA and UNICORN codes are both of second order and use different monotonic advection method to avoid the Gibbs phenomena. Code (3) uses typical artificial viscosity for inviscid flow, whereas code (4) uses a modified TVD scheme. The test problem is a strong shock tube problem with a pressure ratio of 109 and density ratio of 103 in an ideal gas. For no mass-matching case, Schulz hydro is better than TVD scheme. In the case of mass-matching, there is no difference between them. MESA and UNICORN results are nearly the same. However, the computed positions such as the contact discontinuity (i.e. the material interface) are not as accurate as the Lagrangian methods.

  15. Studies on the structural stability of Co2P2O7 under pressure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, W. P.; Pang, H.; Jin, M. L.; Shen, X.; Yao, Y.; Wang, Y. G.; Li, Y. C.; Li, X. D.; Jin, C. Q.; Yu, R. C.

    2018-05-01

    The crystal structural evolution of Co2P2O7 was studied by using in situ high pressure angle dispersive x-ray diffraction with synchrotron radiation. The results demonstrate that the α phase of Co2P2O7 goes through a partially irreversible structural transformation to β phase under pressure. The pressure is conductive to reduce the longest Cosbnd O bond length of the α phase, and then more uniform Cosbnd O bonds and regular hexagonal arrangement of CoO6 octahedra of the β phase are favored. According to the Birch-Murnaghan equation, the fitted bulk modulus B0 is 158.1(±5.6) GPa for α phase and 276.5(±6.5) GPa for β phase. Furthermore, the first-principles calculations show that these two phases of Co2P2O7 have almost equal total energies, and also have similar band structures and spin-polarized density of states at their ground states. This may be the reason why these two phases of Co2P2O7 can coexist in the pressure released state. It is found that the band gap energies decrease with increasing pressure for both phases.

  16. Are meteorological conditions favoring hail precipitation change in Southern Europe? Analysis of the period 1948-2015

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanchez, J. L.; Merino, A.; Melcón, P.; García-Ortega, E.; Fernández-González, S.; Berthet, C.; Dessens, J.

    2017-12-01

    In the context of a warming climate, one of the variables currently under investigation is related to the detection of possible changes in hail precipitation. In this work, we analyze hail frequencies in one of the most affected areas by this phenomenon in Europe, southern France. Here, an extensive hail detection network has been in operation since 1988. In general, the detection of hailfall is very uncertain. To overcome the constraints of scarcity and poor standardization of hail detection and monitoring systems, some relationships between hailstorm occurrence and synoptic, mesoscale or thermodynamic atmospheric characteristics have been proposed in different areas. Therefore, we analyzed meteorological fields at synoptic scale that are related to the formation of hailstorms in the study area, i.e., geopotential height at 500 hPa, sea level pressure, and lapse-rate between 850 and 500 hPa. These fields describe the state of the atmosphere at low and mid levels, and facilitate the evaluation of thermal and dynamic instability. Using the Mann-Kendall test and Sen estimator, we examined trends in the three fields during the period 1948-2015 and their spatial patterns, revealing an evolution toward synoptic environments that favor hail precipitation in the Mediterranean region.

  17. Near 7-day response of ocean bottom pressure to atmospheric surface pressure and winds in the northern South China Sea

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Kun; Zhu, Xiao-Hua; Zhao, Ruixiang

    2018-02-01

    Ocean bottom pressures, observed by five pressure-recording inverted echo sounders (PIESs) from October 2012 to July 2014, exhibit strong near 7-day variability in the northern South China Sea (SCS) where long-term in situ bottom pressure observations are quite sparse. This variability was strongest in October 2013 during the near two years observation period. By joint analysis with European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) data, it is shown that the near 7-day ocean bottom pressure variability is closely related to the local atmospheric surface pressure and winds. Within a period band near 7 days, there are high coherences, exceeding 95% significance level, of observed ocean bottom pressure with local atmospheric surface pressure and with both zonal and meridional components of the wind. Ekman pumping/suction caused by the meridional component of the wind in particular, is suggested as one driving mechanism. A Kelvin wave response to the near 7-day oscillation would propagate down along the continental slope, observed at the Qui Nhon in the Vietnam. By multiple and partial coherence analyses, we find that local atmospheric surface pressure and Ekman pumping/suction show nearly equal influence on ocean bottom pressure variability at near 7-day periods. A schematic diagram representing an idealized model gives us a possible mechanism to explain the relationship between ocean bottom pressure and local atmospheric forcing at near 7-day periods in the northern SCS.

  18. Prostacyclin influences the pressure reactivity in patients with severe traumatic brain injury treated with an ICP-targeted therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koskinen, Lars-Owe D; Eklund, Anders; Sundström, Nina; Olivecrona, Magnus

    2015-02-01

    This prospective consecutive double-blinded randomized study investigated the effect of prostacyclin on pressure reactivity (PR) in severe traumatic brain injured patients. Other aims were to describe PR over time and its relation to outcome. Blunt head trauma patients, Glasgow coma scale ≤8, age 15-70 years were included and randomized to prostacyclin treatment (n = 23) or placebo (n = 25). Outcome was assessed using the extended Glasgow outcome scale (GOSE) at 3 months. PR was calculated as the regression coefficient between the hourly mean values of ICP versus MAP. Pressure active/stable was defined as PR ≤0. Mean PR over 96 h (PRtot) was 0.077 ± 0.168, in the prostacyclin group 0.030 ± 0.153 and in the placebo group 0.120 ± 0.173 (p GOSE score (p GOSE 1-4) and 0.029 ± 0.140 in the favorable outcome group (GOSE 5-8). Area under the curve for prediction of death (ROC) was 0.742 and for favorable outcome 0.628. Prostacyclin influenced the PR in a direction of increased pressure stability and a lower PRtot was associated with improved outcome. The individual PR varied substantially over time. The predictive value of PRtot for outcome was not solid enough to be used in the clinical situation.

  19. Effect of pressure on transport properties of CeIrIn5

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takaesu, Y; Aso, N; Tamaki, Y; Hedo, M; Nakama, T; Uchima, K; Ishikawa, Y; Deguchi, K; Sato, N K

    2011-01-01

    Electrical resistivity ρ and thermoelectric power S of a heavy-fermion superconductor CeIrIn 5 have been measured at temperatures from 2.0 K to 300 K under hydrostatic pressures up to 2.2 GPa. The thermoelectric power S exhibits a large positive value up to 90 μV/K, which is characteristic of heavy-fermion systems. S also shows a sharp maximum in its temperature dependence and its maximum temperature T s,max increases with pressure, while its maximum value is constant independent of pressure. These experimental results strongly indicate that the Kondo temperature of CeIrIn 5 increases by applying the pressure.

  20. Electronic structure and superconductivity of divalent metals under very high pressure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bireckoven, B.

    1987-05-01

    A single crystal, high-pressure diamond cell has been developed for the study of superconductors under pressures to over 50 GPa. A high sensitivity AC-SQUID magnetometer has been employed to detect the diamagnetic response of the very small samples at T C . The T C (p)-dependence of the lead-manometer has been calibrated against the ruby-pressure-scale up to pressures of 30 GPa. In spite of the well-known fcc/hcp-transition at 13 GPa lead shows a smooth T C (p)-behaviour and thus is a very suitable manometer. Band structure calculations for the alkaline earth metals indicate an appreciable s-to-d transfer with increasing pressure. In fact, superconductivity was previously observed in the pressure induced d-transition metals Sr and Ba (however not yet in Ca). For the first time the author presents a quantitative investigation of T C as a function of p up to 50 GPa. Both elements turn out to be ''good'' superconductors featuring T C 's of about 7 K. The possibility of a generalized phase diagram for the alkaline earth metals will be critically discussed. At any rate, the occurrence of such high T C 's is rather strong evidence for a substantial d-transition metal character at high p. Investigations of very dilute BaEu-alloys up to 45 GPa reveal a strong monotonic increase of ΔT C = T C Ba -T C BaEu . (orig./GSCH)

  1. Effect of pressure on thermal expansion of UNiGa

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Honda, F.; Andreev, A.V.; Havela, L.; Prokes, K.; Sechovsky, V.

    1997-01-01

    The thermal expansion of single crystalline UNiGa has been measured along the crystallographic axes (a and c) under pressures up to 1.1 GPa. The linear thermal expansion both in the paramagnetic and antiferromagnetic ranges is strongly anisotropic. The antiferromagnetic ordering is accompanied by considerable (10 -4 ) linear spontaneous magnetostrictions (along the a- and c-axis) of different signs (-0.8 x 10 -4 and 1.8 x 10 -4 ). The mutual compensation of these two effects causes the volume effect to be rather small (∝10 -5 ). Two of the four magnetic phase transitions in UNiGa indicated by the expansion anomalies under ambient pressure are suppressed by pressures above 0.5 GPa. Results of our experiments allow to construct a pressure-temperature (p-T) magnetic phase diagram. (orig.)

  2. Structural phase transitions in Zn(CN)2 under high pressures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Poswal, H.K.; Tyagi, A.K.; Lausi, Andrea; Deb, S.K.; Sharma, Surinder M.

    2009-01-01

    High pressure behavior of zinc cyanide (Zn(CN) 2 ) has been investigated with the help of synchrotron-based X-ray diffraction measurements. Our studies reveal that under pressure this compound undergoes phase transformations and the structures of the new phases depend on whether the pressure is hydrostatic or not. Under hydrostatic conditions, Zn(CN) 2 transforms from cubic to orthorhombic to cubic-II to amorphous phases. In contrast, the non-hydrostatic pressure conditions drive the ambient cubic phase to a partially disordered crystalline phase, which eventually evolves to a substantially disordered phase. The final disordered phase in the latter case is distinct from the amorphous phase observed under the hydrostatic pressures. - Graphical abstract: High pressure X-ray diffraction investigations on Zn(CN) 2 show three phase transformations i.e., cubic→orthorhombic→cubic-II→amorphous. However, the results strongly depend upon the nature of stress

  3. Contributions of social context to blood pressure: findings from a multilevel analysis of social capital and systolic blood pressure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamano, Tsuyoshi; Fujisawa, Yoshikazu; Yamasaki, Masayuki; Ito, Katsuhisa; Nabika, Toru; Shiwaku, Kuninori

    2011-06-01

    In recent years, few studies have quantified the effect of residential context on blood pressure. Although these studies have emphasized the importance of socioeconomic influences such as education or poverty levels, the association between the features of social structure such as social capital and blood pressure remain unclear. Therefore, we investigated whether social capital was associated with systolic blood pressure after controlling for individual potential confounders. We analyzed data from the Shimane Study conducted from 2006 to 2008 in rural mountainous regions of Japan. After excluding the missing data and data of participants taking hypertension medication, we conducted a multilevel analysis of the data for 335 individuals nested within 30 postcode sectors. Systolic blood pressure increased with increasing age and body mass index. We also found that a higher systolic blood pressure was observed among smokers and those taking medication for diabetes. Regarding the contextual effects of social capital, systolic blood pressure increased with an increasing proportion of lack of fairness, after adjustment for individual confounders. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to investigate the association between social capital and systolic blood pressure by using a multilevel methodological framework. Surprisingly, we found that lack of fairness had a strong effect on systolic blood pressure. However, we could not find any significant associations between other items of social capital and systolic blood pressure. Further studies are needed to clarify the mechanism by which lack of fairness may have an effect on systolic blood pressure.

  4. Pressure-accelerated azide-alkyne cycloaddition: micro capillary versus autoclave reactor performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Borukhova, Svetlana; Seeger, Andreas D; Noël, Timothy; Wang, Qi; Busch, Markus; Hessel, Volker

    2015-02-01

    Pressure effects on regioselectivity and yield of cycloaddition reactions have been shown to exist. Nevertheless, high pressure synthetic applications with subsequent benefits in the production of natural products are limited by the general availability of the equipment. In addition, the virtues and limitations of microflow equipment under standard conditions are well established. Herein, we apply novel-process-window (NPWs) principles, such as intensification of intrinsic kinetics of a reaction using high temperature, pressure, and concentration, on azide-alkyne cycloaddition towards synthesis of Rufinamide precursor. We applied three main activation methods (i.e., uncatalyzed batch, uncatalyzed flow, and catalyzed flow) on uncatalyzed and catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition. We compare the performance of two reactors, a specialized autoclave batch reactor for high-pressure operation up to 1800 bar and a capillary flow reactor (up to 400 bar). A differentiated and comprehensive picture is given for the two reactors and the three methods of activation. Reaction speedup and consequent increases in space-time yields is achieved, while the process window for favorable operation to selectively produce Rufinamide precursor in good yields is widened. The best conditions thus determined are applied to several azide-alkyne cycloadditions to widen the scope of the presented methodology. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  5. Anomalous plastic flow of cerium near the isomorphic phase transformations under high hydrostatic pressure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Witczak, Z.; Goncharova, V.A.

    1999-01-01

    Compression tests have been carried out on cerium specimens at room temperature (0.27 T m ) under high hydrostatic pressures up to 1.2 GPa. A strong increase of the yield strength was observed for both isomorphic γ and α phases at pressures approaching the γ ↔ α isomorphic phase transformations. That increase was in good agreement with the theory of dislocations when the dependence of elastic properties and a lattice parameter of cerium on pressure was applied to calculate the effect of pressure on the yield stress controlled by the edge dislocations. An anomalous strong decrease of the yield stress was observed in both γ and α phases in the vicinity of both γ ↔ α phase transformations. That phenomenon was explained as an effect of pressure induced new phase atoms through spreading the cores of edge dislocations. A complete disappearance of work hardening in both γ and α phases was also observed in the wide range of pressures. The influence of hydrostatic pressure on the energy of grain boundaries of both phases was considered to be responsible for that property. The ratio of the grain boundary energy to the Peierls energy is suggested to be a criterion of the work hardening ability of f.c.c. polycrystals

  6. Origin of the pressure-dependent Tc valley in superconducting simple cubic phosphorus

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Xianxin; Jeschke, Harald O.; Di Sante, Domenico; von Rohr, Fabian O.; Cava, Robert J.; Thomale, Ronny

    2018-03-01

    Motivated by recent experiments, we investigate the pressure-dependent electronic structure and electron-phonon (e-ph) coupling for simple cubic phosphorus by performing first-principles calculations within the full potential linearized augmented plane-wave method. As a function of increasing pressure, our calculations show a valley feature in Tc, followed by an eventual decrease for higher pressures. We demonstrate that this Tc valley at low pressures is due to two nearby Lifshitz transitions, as we analyze the band-resolved contributions to the e-ph coupling. Below the first Lifshitz transition, the phonon hardening and shrinking of the γ Fermi surface with s -orbital character results in a decreased Tc with increasing pressure. After the second Lifshitz transition, the appearance of δ Fermi surfaces with 3 d -orbital character generate strong e-ph interband couplings in α δ and β δ channels, and hence lead to an increase of Tc. For higher pressures, the phonon hardening finally dominates, and Tc decreases again. Our study reveals that the intriguing Tc valley discovered in experiment can be attributed to Lifshitz transitions, while the plateau of Tc detected at intermediate pressures appears to be beyond the scope of our analysis. This strongly suggests that aside from e-ph coupling, electronic correlations along with plasmonic contributions may be relevant for simple cubic phosphorus. Our findings hint at the notion that increasing pressure can shift the low-energy orbital weight towards d character, and as such even trigger an enhanced importance of orbital-selective electronic correlations despite an increase of the overall bandwidth.

  7. Proceedings of a U.S. Geological Survey pressure-sensor Workshop, Denver, Colorado, July 28-31, 1992

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilbourn, Sammy L.

    1994-01-01

    The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) conducted a Pressure Sensor Workshop, oriented toward the measurement of stage in surface waters, in Denver, Colorado, July 28-31, 1992. Twenty attendees from the U.S. Geological Survey and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration gave presentations concerning their experiences with the use of pressure sensors in hydrologic investigations. This report is a compilation of the abstracts of the presentations made at the workshop. Workshop participants concluded that each of the sensors evaluated by the U.S. Geological Survey has strengths and weaknesses. Personnel contemplating the use of pressure sensors discussed at this workshop should contact workshop attendees and consult with them about their experiences with those sensors. The attendees preferred to use stilling wells with float-operated water-level sensors as the primary means for monitoring water levels. However, pressure sensor systems were favored as replacements for mercury manometers and as alternatives to stilling wells at sites where stilling wells are not practical or cost effective.

  8. Minimum containment pressure and its effect on ECCS performance of APR-1400

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, In Goo; Bang, Young S.; Kim, Hho Jung

    2004-01-01

    The containment pressure has a strong effect on the late reheat behavior for a large break LOCA, associated with the DVI issue. The downcomer boiling, which occurs during the post-reflood phase, has a negative effect on core cooling for a LBLOCA. Because the downcomer boiling is enhanced as the containment pressure decreases, how to determine containment pressure is important to the evaluation of ECCS performance. In spite of its importance of containment pressure, there are few studies on the containment pressure and the interaction between RCS and containment thermal hydraulics. To have a better knowledge of the effect of containment pressure on APR-1400 ECCS performance, a parametric study for containment pressure has been carried out. Also, the interaction between RCS and containment behavior has been also investigated

  9. Ab Initio Predictions of K, He and Ar Partitioning Between Silicate Melt and Liquid Iron Under High Pressure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiong, Z.; Tsuchiya, T.

    2017-12-01

    Element partitioning is an important property in recording geochemical processes during the core-mantle differentiation. However, experimental measurements of element partitioning coefficients under extreme temperature and pressure condition are still challenging. Theoretical modeling is also not easy, because it requires estimation of high temperature Gibbs free energy, which is not directly accessible by the standard molecular dynamics method. We recently developed an original technique to simulate Gibbs free energy based on the thermodynamics integration method[1]. We apply it to element partitioning of geochemical intriguing trace elements between molten silicate and liquid iron such as potassium, helium and argon as starting examples. Radiogenic potassium in the core can provide energy for Earth's magnetic field, convection in the mantle and outer core[2]. However, its partitioning behavior between silicate and iron remains unclear under high pressure[3,4]. Our calculations suggest that a clear positive temperature dependence of the partitioning coefficient but an insignificant pressure effect. Unlike sulfur and silicon, oxygen dissolved in the metals considerably enhances potassium solubility. Calculated electronic structures reveal alkali-metallic feature of potassium in liquid iron, favoring oxygen with strong electron affinity. Our results suggest that 40K could serve as a potential radiogenic heat source in the outer core if oxygen is the major light element therein.­­ We now further extend our technique to partitioning behaviors of other elements, helium and argon, to get insides into the `helium paradox' and `missing argon' problems. References [1] T. Taniuchi, and T. Tsuchiya, Phys.Rev.B. In press [2] B.A. Buffett, H.E. Huppert, J.R. Lister, and A.W. Woods, Geophys.Res.Lett. 29 (1996) 7989-8006. [3] V.R. Murthy, W. Westrenen, and Y. Fei, Nature. 426 (2003) 163-165. [4] A. Corgne, S.Keshav, Y. Fei, and W.F. McDonough, Earth.Planet.Sci.Lett. 256 (2007

  10. Analysis of blood pressure dynamics in male and female rats using the continuous wavelet transform

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pavlov, A N; Anisimov, A A; Matasova, E G; Semyachkina-Glushkovskaya, O V; Kurths, J

    2009-01-01

    We study gender-related particularities in cardiovascular responses to stress and nitric oxide (NO) deficiency in rats using HR, mean arterial pressure (MAP) and a proposed wavelet-based approach. Blood pressure dynamics is analyzed: (1) under control conditions, (2) during immobilization stress and recovery and (3) during nitric oxide blockade by N G -nitro-L-arginine-methyl ester (L-NAME). We show that cardiovascular sensitivity to stress and NO deficiency depends upon gender. Actually, in females the chronotropic effect of stress is more pronounced, while the pressor effect is weakened compared with males. We conclude that females demonstrate more favorable patterns of cardiovascular responses to stress and more effective NO control of cardiovascular activity than males

  11. Gap bowing in Inx Ga1-x N and Inx Al1-x N under pressure

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gorczyca, I.; Suski, T.; Christensen, Niels Egede

    2009-01-01

    The electronic band structures of InxGa1-xN and InxAl1-xN alloys are calculated by ab-initio methods in a supercell geometry, and the effects of varying the composition and applying external pressure examined. Indium segregation is also simulated, and it is shown that it strongly influences the b...... the band gap and its pressure derivative. Both the band gaps and their pressure coefficients are considerably lower when In atoms are clustered, than when they are uniformly distributed.......The electronic band structures of InxGa1-xN and InxAl1-xN alloys are calculated by ab-initio methods in a supercell geometry, and the effects of varying the composition and applying external pressure examined. Indium segregation is also simulated, and it is shown that it strongly influences...

  12. Effects of intravenous hyperosmotic sodium bicarbonate on arterial and cerebrospinal fluid acid-base status and cardiovascular function in calves with experimentally induced respiratory and strong ion acidosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berchtold, Joachim F; Constable, Peter D; Smith, Geoffrey W; Mathur, Sheerin M; Morin, Dawn E; Tranquilli, William J

    2005-01-01

    The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of hyperosmotic sodium bicarbonate (HSB) administration on arterial and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) acid-base balance and cardiovascular function in calves with experimentally induced respiratory and strong ion (metabolic) acidosis. Ten healthy male Holstein calves (30-47 kg body weight) were instrumented under halothane anesthesia to permit cardiovascular monitoring and collection of blood samples and CSE Respiratory acidosis was induced by allowing the calves to spontaneously ventilate, and strong ion acidosis was subsequently induced by i.v. administration of L-lactic acid. Calves were then randomly assigned to receive either HSB (8.4% NaHCO3; 5 ml/kg over 5 minutes, i.v.; n=5) or no treatment (controls, n=5) and monitored for 1 hour. Mixed respiratory and strong ion acidosis was accompanied by increased heart rate, cardiac index, mean arterial pressure, cardiac contractility (maximal rate of change of left ventricular pressure), and mean pulmonary artery pressure. Rapid administration of HSB immediately corrected the strong ion acidosis, transiently increased arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide (P(CO2)), and expanded the plasma volume. The transient increase in arterial P(CO2) did not alter CSF P(CO2) or induce paradoxical CSF acidosis. Compared to untreated control calves, HSB-treated calves had higher cardiac index and contractility and a faster rate of left ventricular relaxation for 1 hour after treatment, indicating that HSB administration improved myocardial systolic function. We conclude that rapid i.v. administration of HSB provided an effective and safe method for treating strong ion acidosis in normovolemic halothane-anesthetized calves with experimentally induced respiratory and strong ion acidosis. Fear of inducing paradoxical CSF acidosis is not a valid reason for withholding HSB administration in calves with mixed respiratory and strong ion acidosis.

  13. Pressure-induced phenomena in U intermetallics

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Sechovský, V.; Honda, F.; Prokeš, K.; Syshchenko, O.; Andreev, Alexander V.; Kamarád, Jiří

    2003-01-01

    Roč. 34, č. 2 (2003), s. 1377-1386 ISSN 0587-4254. [International Conference on Strongly Correlated Electron Systems (SCES 02). Cracow, 10.07.2002-13.07.2002] R&D Projects: GA ČR GA202/02/0739 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z1010914; CEZ:MSM 113200002 Keywords : pressure effect * intermetallics Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 0.752, year: 2003

  14. Subsurface stratigraphy and uranium--vanadium favorability of the Morrison Formation, Sage Plain Area, southeastern Utah and southwestern Colorado

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Girdley, W.A.; Flook, J.E.; Harris, R.E.

    1975-08-01

    The four members of the Morrison Formation that are recognizable in the area studied are, in ascending order, the Salt Wash, Recapture, Westwater Canyon, and Brushy Basin. The Salt Wash member has the highest uranium favorability of all the Morrison strata in the area studied. An especially favorable area, in which the Salt Wash interval is thick and contains several thick sandstones, is situated on either side of the Utah-Colorado state line between Monticello, Utah, and Dove Creek, Colorado. The upper Morrison strata (Westwater Canyon and Brushy Basin members) have low uranium favorability. The Westwater Canyon member contains adequate sandstones but lacks known uranium deposits in the project area. The Brushy Basin member, although rated as having low potential, nevertheless does possess some attributes that make it worthy of further attention. The Recapture member does not contain sufficient well-developed sandstones or uranium deposits to merit its being classed as favorable for potential uranium-vanadium resources. (LK)

  15. Quantum-chemical studies on the favored and rare tautomers of neutral and redox adenine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raczyńska, Ewa D; Makowski, Mariusz; Zientara-Rytter, Katarzyna; Kolczyńska, Katarzyna; Stępniewski, Tomasz M; Hallmann, Małgorzata

    2013-02-21

    All possible twenty-three prototropic tautomers of neutral and redox adenine (nine amine and fourteen imine forms, including geometric isomerism of the exo ═NH group) were examined in vacuo {DFT(B3LYP)/6-311+G(d,p)}. The NH → NH conversions as well as those usually omitted, NH → CH and CH → CH, were considered. An interesting change of the tautomeric preference occurs when proceeding from neutral to reduced adenine. One-electron reduction favors the nonaromatic amine C8H-N10H tautomer. This tautomeric preference is similar to that (C2H) for reduced imidazole. Water molecules (PCM model) seem to not change this trend. They influence solely the relative energies. The DFT vertical detachment energy in the gas phase is positive for each tautomer, e.g., 0.03 eV for N9H-N10H and 1.84 eV for C8H-N10H. The DFT adiabatic electron affinity for the favored process, neutral N9H-N10H → reduced C8H-N10H (ground states), is equal to 0.18 eV at 0 K (ZPE included). One-electron oxidation does not change the tautomeric preference in the gas phase. The aromatic amine N9H-N10H tautomer is favored for the oxidized molecule similarly as for the neutral one. The DFT adiabatic ionization potential for the favored process, neutral N9H-N10H → oxidized N9H-N10H (ground states), is equal to 8.12 eV at 0 K (ZPE included). Water molecules (PCM model) seem to influence solely the composition of the tautomeric mixture and the relative energies. They change the energies of the oxidation and reduction processes by ca. 2 eV.

  16. A New Insight into Shale-Gas Accumulation Conditions and Favorable Areas of the Xinkailing Formation in the Wuning Area, North-West Jiangxi, China

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shangru Li

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available In north-west Jiangxi, China, most shale-gas exploration has been focused on the Lower Cambrian Hetang and Guanyintang formations, whereas the Upper Ordovician Xinkailing formation shale has been ignored for years due to heavy weathering. This study systematically analyzed gas source conditions, reservoir conditions and gas-bearing ability in order to reveal the shale-gas accumulation conditions of the Xinkailing formation. The results show that the Xinkailing formation is characterized by thick deposition of black shale (10–80 m, high organic content (with total organic carbon between 1.18% and 3.11%, on average greater than 2%, relatively moderate thermal evolution (with vitrinite reflectance between 2.83% and 3.21%, high brittle-mineral content (greater than 40%, abundant nanopores and micro-fractures, very good adsorption ability (adsorption content between 2.12 m3/t and 3.47 m3/t, on average about 2.50 m3/t, and strong sealing ability in the underlying and overlying layers, all of which favor the generation and accumulation of shale gas. The Wuning-Lixi and Jinkou-Zhelin areas of the Xinkailing formation were selected as the most realistic and favorable targets for shale-gas exploration and exploitation. In conclusion, the Wuning area has great potential and can provide a breakthrough in shale gas with further investigation.

  17. Definition and Validation of “Favorable High-Risk Prostate Cancer”: Implications for Personalizing Treatment of Radiation-Managed Patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Muralidhar, Vinayak; Chen, Ming-Hui; Reznor, Gally; Moran, Brian J.; Braccioforte, Michelle H.; Beard, Clair J.; Feng, Felix Y.; Hoffman, Karen E.; Choueiri, Toni K.; Martin, Neil E.; Sweeney, Christopher J.; Trinh, Quoc-Dien; Nguyen, Paul L.

    2015-01-01

    Purpose: To define and validate a classification of favorable high-risk prostate cancer that could be used to personalize therapy, given that consensus guidelines recommend similar treatments for all radiation-managed patients with high-risk disease. Methods and Materials: We studied 3618 patients with cT1-T3aN0M0 high-risk or unfavorable intermediate-risk prostate adenocarcinoma treated with radiation at a single institution between 1997 and 2013. Favorable high-risk was defined as T1c disease with either Gleason 4 + 4 = 8 and prostate-specific antigen 20 ng/mL. Competing risks regression was used to determine differences in the risk of prostate cancer–specific mortality (PCSM) after controlling for baseline factors and treatment. Our results were validated in a cohort of 13,275 patients using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare linked database. Results: Patients with favorable high-risk disease had significantly better PCSM than other men with high-risk disease (adjusted hazard ratio [AHR] 0.42, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.18-0.996, P=.049) and similar PCSM as men with unfavorable intermediate-risk disease (AHR 1.17, 95% CI 0.50-2.75, P=.710). We observed very similar results within the SEER-Medicare cohort (favorable high-risk vs other high-risk: AHR 0.21, 95% CI 0.11-0.41, P<.001; favorable high-risk vs unfavorable intermediate-risk: AHR 0.67, 95% CI 0.33-1.36, P=.268). Conclusions: Patients with favorable high-risk prostate cancer have significantly better PCSM than other patients with high-risk disease and similar PCSM as those with unfavorable intermediate-risk disease, who are typically treated with shorter-course androgen deprivation therapy. This new classification system may allow for personalization of treatment within high-risk disease, such as consideration of shorter-course androgen deprivation therapy for favorable high-risk disease.

  18. Definition and Validation of “Favorable High-Risk Prostate Cancer”: Implications for Personalizing Treatment of Radiation-Managed Patients

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Muralidhar, Vinayak [Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts (United States); Chen, Ming-Hui [Department of Statistics, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut (United States); Reznor, Gally [Center for Surgery and Public Health, Brigham and Women' s Hospital/Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts (United States); Moran, Brian J.; Braccioforte, Michelle H. [Prostate Cancer Foundation of Chicago, Westmont, Illinois (United States); Beard, Clair J. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women' s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts (United States); Feng, Felix Y. [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (United States); Hoffman, Karen E. [Department of Radiation Oncology, M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas (United States); Choueiri, Toni K. [Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women' s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts (United States); Martin, Neil E. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women' s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts (United States); Sweeney, Christopher J. [Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women' s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts (United States); Trinh, Quoc-Dien [Department of Urology, Brigham and Women' s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts (United States); Nguyen, Paul L., E-mail: pnguyen@LROC.harvard.edu [Department of Radiation Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women' s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts (United States)

    2015-11-15

    Purpose: To define and validate a classification of favorable high-risk prostate cancer that could be used to personalize therapy, given that consensus guidelines recommend similar treatments for all radiation-managed patients with high-risk disease. Methods and Materials: We studied 3618 patients with cT1-T3aN0M0 high-risk or unfavorable intermediate-risk prostate adenocarcinoma treated with radiation at a single institution between 1997 and 2013. Favorable high-risk was defined as T1c disease with either Gleason 4 + 4 = 8 and prostate-specific antigen <10 ng/mL or Gleason 6 and prostate-specific antigen >20 ng/mL. Competing risks regression was used to determine differences in the risk of prostate cancer–specific mortality (PCSM) after controlling for baseline factors and treatment. Our results were validated in a cohort of 13,275 patients using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare linked database. Results: Patients with favorable high-risk disease had significantly better PCSM than other men with high-risk disease (adjusted hazard ratio [AHR] 0.42, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.18-0.996, P=.049) and similar PCSM as men with unfavorable intermediate-risk disease (AHR 1.17, 95% CI 0.50-2.75, P=.710). We observed very similar results within the SEER-Medicare cohort (favorable high-risk vs other high-risk: AHR 0.21, 95% CI 0.11-0.41, P<.001; favorable high-risk vs unfavorable intermediate-risk: AHR 0.67, 95% CI 0.33-1.36, P=.268). Conclusions: Patients with favorable high-risk prostate cancer have significantly better PCSM than other patients with high-risk disease and similar PCSM as those with unfavorable intermediate-risk disease, who are typically treated with shorter-course androgen deprivation therapy. This new classification system may allow for personalization of treatment within high-risk disease, such as consideration of shorter-course androgen deprivation therapy for favorable high-risk disease.

  19. Correlation of Noninvasive Blood Pressure and Invasive Intra-arterial Blood Pressure in Patients Treated with Vasoactive Medications in a Neurocritical Care Unit.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saherwala, Ali A; Stutzman, Sonja E; Osman, Mohamed; Kalia, Junaid; Figueroa, Stephen A; Olson, DaiWai M; Aiyagari, Venkatesh

    2018-03-22

    The correlation between noninvasive (oscillometric) blood pressure (NBP) and intra-arterial blood pressure (IAP) in critically ill patients receiving vasoactive medications in a Neurocritical Care Unit has not been systematically studied. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between simultaneously measured NBP and IAP recordings in these patients. Prospective observational study of patients (N = 70) admitted to a neurocritical care unit receiving continuous vasopressor or antihypertensive infusions. Paired NBP/IAP observations along with covariate and demographic data were abstracted via chart audit. Analysis was performed using SAS v9.4. A total of 2177 paired NBP/IAP observations from 70 subjects (49% male, 63% white, mean age 59 years) receiving vasopressors (n = 21) or antihypertensive agents (n = 49) were collected. Paired t test analysis showed significant differences between NBP versus IAP readings: ([systolic blood pressure (SBP): mean = 136 vs. 140 mmHg; p blood pressure (DBP): mean = 70 vs. 68 mmHg, p blood pressure (MAP): mean = 86 vs. 90 mmHg, p blood pressures. Pearson correlation coefficients show strong positive correlations for paired MAP (r = 0.82), SBP (r = 0.84), and DBP (r = 0.73) recordings. An absolute NBP-IAP SBP difference of > 20 mmHg was seen in ~ 20% of observations of nicardipine, ~ 25% of observations of norepinephrine, and ~ 35% of observations of phenylephrine. For MAP, the corresponding numbers were ~ 10, 15, and 25% for nicardipine, norepinephrine, and phenylephrine, respectively. Despite overall strong positive correlations between paired NBP and IAP readings of MAP and SBP, clinically relevant differences in blood pressure are frequent. When treating with vasoactive infusions targeted to a specific BP goal, it is important to keep in mind that NBP and IAP values are not interchangeable.

  20. Effect of pressure on the solution structure and hydrogen bond properties of aqueous N-methylacetamide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sarma, Rahul; Paul, Sandip

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► NMA molecules are associated mostly through their hydrophobic methyl groups. ► High pressure reduces association propensity causing dispersion of these moieties. ► Orientational polarization of vicinal water molecules near O and H atoms of NMA. ► NMA prefers to be a H-bond acceptor rather than a donor in interaction with water. ► Energy of these hydrogen bonds reduces slightly at high pressure. -- Abstract: Effects of high pressure on hydrophobic and hydrogen bonding interactions are investigated by employing molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of aqueous N-methylacetamide (NMA) solutions. Such systems are of interest mainly because high pressure causes protein denaturation and NMA is a computationally effective model to understand the atomic-level picture of pressure-induced structural transitions of protein. Simulations are performed for five different pressure values ranging from 1 atm to 8000 atm. We find that NMA molecules are associated mostly through their hydrophobic methyl groups and high pressure reduces this association propensity, causing dispersion of these moieties. At high pressure, structural void decreases and the packing efficiency of water molecules around NMA molecules increases. Hydrogen bond properties calculations show favorable NMA–NMA hydrogen bonds as compared to those of NMA–water hydrogen bonds and preference of NMA to be a hydrogen bond acceptor rather than a donor in interaction with water.

  1. Investigation of the spatial variability and possible origins of wind-induced air pressure fluctuations responsible for pressure pumping

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohr, Manuel; Laemmel, Thomas; Maier, Martin; Zeeman, Matthias; Longdoz, Bernard; Schindler, Dirk

    2017-04-01

    The exchange of greenhouse gases between the soil and the atmosphere is highly relevant for the climate of the Earth. Recent research suggests that wind-induced air pressure fluctuations can alter the soil gas transport and therefore soil gas efflux significantly. Using a newly developed method, we measured soil gas transport in situ in a well aerated forest soil. Results from these measurements showed that the commonly used soil gas diffusion coefficient is enhanced up to 30% during periods of strong wind-induced air pressure fluctuations. The air pressure fluctuations above the forest floor are only induced at high above-canopy wind speeds (> 5 m s-1) and lie in the frequency range 0.01-0.1 Hz. Moreover, the amplitudes of air pressure fluctuations in this frequency range show a clear quadratic dependence on mean above-canopy wind speed. However, the origin of these wind-induced pressure fluctuations is still unclear. Airflow measurements and high-precision air pressure measurements were conducted at three different vegetation-covered sites (conifer forest, deciduous forest, grassland) to investigate the spatial variability of dominant air pressure fluctuations, their origin and vegetation-dependent characteristics. At the conifer forest site, a vertical profile of air pressure fluctuations was measured and an array consisting of five pressure sensors were installed at the forest floor. At the grassland site, the air pressure measurements were compared with wind observations made by ground-based LIDAR and spatial temperature observations from a fibre-optic sensing network (ScaleX Campaign 2016). Preliminary results show that at all sites the amplitudes of relevant air pressure fluctuations increase with increasing wind speed. Data from the array measurements reveal that there are no time lags between the air pressure signals of different heights, but a time lag existed between the air pressure signals of the sensors distributed laterally on the forest floor

  2. Brachytherapy boost and cancer-specific mortality in favorable high-risk versus other high-risk prostate cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vinayak Muralidhar

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Purpose : Recent retrospective data suggest that brachytherapy (BT boost may confer a cancer-specific survival benefit in radiation-managed high-risk prostate cancer. We sought to determine whether this survival benefit would extend to the recently defined favorable high-risk subgroup of prostate cancer patients (T1c, Gleason 4 + 4 = 8, PSA 20 ng/ml. Material and methods: We identified 45,078 patients in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database with cT1c-T3aN0M0 intermediate- to high-risk prostate cancer diagnosed 2004-2011 treated with external beam radiation therapy (EBRT only or EBRT plus BT. We used multivariable competing risks regression to determine differences in the rate of prostate cancer-specific mortality (PCSM after EBRT + BT or EBRT alone in patients with intermediate-risk, favorable high-risk, or other high-risk disease after adjusting for demographic and clinical factors. Results : EBRT + BT was not associated with an improvement in 5-year PCSM compared to EBRT alone among patients with favorable high-risk disease (1.6% vs. 1.8%; adjusted hazard ratio [AHR]: 0.56; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.21-1.52, p = 0.258, and intermediate-risk disease (0.8% vs. 1.0%, AHR: 0.83, 95% CI: 0.59-1.16, p = 0.270. Others with high-risk disease had significantly lower 5-year PCSM when treated with EBRT + BT compared with EBRT alone (3.9% vs. 5.3%; AHR: 0.73; 95% CI: 0.55-0.95; p = 0.022. Conclusions : Brachytherapy boost is associated with a decreased rate of PCSM in some men with high-risk prostate cancer but not among patients with favorable high-risk disease. Our results suggest that the recently-defined “favorable high-risk” category may be used to personalize therapy for men with high-risk disease.

  3. [Blood pressure and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kiałka, Marta; Milewicz, Tomasz; Klocek, Marek

    2015-01-01

    Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disorder occurring in women of childbearing age. The literature describes the relationship between PCOS and high blood pressure levels and increased risk of arterial hypertension development, which is an important and strong risk factor for adverse cardiovascular events in the future. Among the main causes of hypertension in PCOS women insulin resistance, hyperandrogenism, greater sympathetic nerve activity and concomitance of obesity are stressed. Because PCOS may contribute to earlier development of hypertension, as well as pre-hypertension, therefore it is advisable to monitor blood pressure systematically, to control known risk factors, and to initiate the treatment of hypertension when the disease occur.

  4. Non-take-up of Tax-favored Savings Plans : Are Household Portfolios Optimal?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Alessie, R.J.M.; Hochgürtel, S.; van Soest, A.H.O.

    2001-01-01

    Since the early nineties, the Dutch tax system allows for a tax-favored form of risk free savings through employer-sponsored savings plans (ESSPs).Under some conditions and up to a certain amount, the contributions to this plan are tax-deductible, and the returns as well as the withdrawals are

  5. Final Technical Report on STTR Project DE-FG02-02ER86145 Pressurized RF Cavities for Muon Ionization Cooling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rolland Johnson

    2006-01-01

    This project was to design and build an RF test cell (TC), which could be operated at 800 MHz, filled with high pressure gases including hydrogen, at temperatures down to that of liquid nitrogen, in strong magnetic fields, in a strong radiation environment, and with interchangeable electrodes, in order to examine the use of high-pressure RF cavities for muon beam cooling

  6. Creep of A508/533 Pressure Vessel Steel

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Richard Wright

    2014-08-01

    ABSTRACT Evaluation of potential Reactor Pressure Vessel (RPV) steels has been carried out as part of the pre-conceptual Very High Temperature Reactor (VHTR) design studies. These design studies have generally focused on American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Code status of the steels, temperature limits, and allowable stresses. Initially, three candidate materials were identified by this process: conventional light water reactor (LWR) RPV steels A508 and A533, 2¼Cr-1Mo in the annealed condition, and Grade 91 steel. The low strength of 2¼Cr-1Mo at elevated temperature has eliminated this steel from serious consideration as the VHTR RPV candidate material. Discussions with the very few vendors that can potentially produce large forgings for nuclear pressure vessels indicate a strong preference for conventional LWR steels. This preference is based in part on extensive experience with forging these steels for nuclear components. It is also based on the inability to cast large ingots of the Grade 91 steel due to segregation during ingot solidification, thus restricting the possible mass of forging components and increasing the amount of welding required for completion of the RPV. Grade 91 steel is also prone to weld cracking and must be post-weld heat treated to ensure adequate high-temperature strength. There are also questions about the ability to produce, and very importantly, verify the through thickness properties of thick sections of Grade 91 material. The availability of large components, ease of fabrication, and nuclear service experience with the A508 and A533 steels strongly favor their use in the RPV for the VHTR. Lowering the gas outlet temperature for the VHTR to 750°C from 950 to 1000°C, proposed in early concept studies, further strengthens the justification for this material selection. This steel is allowed in the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code for nuclear service up to 371°C (700°F); certain excursions above that temperature are

  7. Simultaneous effects of hydrostatic pressure and electric field on impurity binding energy and polarizability in coupled InAs/GaAs quantum wires

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tangarife, E.; Duque, C.A.

    2011-01-01

    This work is concerned with the theoretical study of the combined effects of applied electric field and hydrostatic pressure on the binding energy and impurity polarizability of a donor impurity in laterally coupled double InAs/GaAs quantum-well wires. Calculations have been made in the effective mass and parabolic band approximations and using a variational method. The results are reported for different configurations of wire and barriers widths, impurity position, and electric field and hydrostatic pressure strengths. Our results show that for symmetrical structures the binding energy is an even function of the impurity position along the growth direction of the structure. Also, we found that for hydrostatic pressure strength up to 38 kbar, the binding energy increases linearly with hydrostatic pressure, while for larger values of hydrostatic pressure the binding energy has a non-linear behavior. Finally, we found that the hydrostatic pressure can increase the coupling between the two parallel quantum-well wires. -- Research highlights: → Binding energy for donor impurity in coupled wires strongly depends on the confinement potential. → Polarizability for donor impurity in coupled wires strongly depends on the confinement potential. → Binding energy strongly depends on the direction of the applied electric field. → Polarizability strongly depends on the direction of the applied electric field. → The coupling between the two parallel wires increases with the hydrostatic pressure.

  8. Effects of oxygen gas pressure on properties of iron oxide films grown by pulsed laser deposition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guo, Qixin; Shi, Wangzhou; Liu, Feng; Arita, Makoto; Ikoma, Yoshifumi; Saito, Katsuhiko; Tanaka, Tooru; Nishio, Mitsuhiro

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: ► Pulsed laser deposition is a promising technique for growing iron oxide films. ► Crystal structure of the iron oxide films strongly depends on oxygen gas pressure. ► Optimum of the oxygen gas pressure leads single phase magnetite films with high crystal quality. -- Abstract: Iron oxide films were grown on sapphire substrates by pulsed laser deposition at oxygen gas pressures between 1 × 10 −5 and 1 × 10 −1 Pa with a substrate temperature of 600 °C. Atomic force microscope, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray absorption fine structure, and vibrational sample magnetometer analysis revealed that surface morphology and crystal structure of the iron oxide films strongly depend on the oxygen gas pressure during the growth and the optimum oxygen gas pressure range is very narrow around 1 × 10 −3 Pa for obtaining single phase magnetite films with high crystal quality

  9. [Blood pressure lowering therapy for mild hypertensive patients with a history of stroke].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ishikawa, Eiichi; Ibayashi, Setsuro

    2008-08-01

    Hypertension is the primary and one of the major risk factors for stroke. Many hypertensive patients with a history of stroke might have mild to moderate hypertension at the same time. In order to prevent recurrence of cardiovascular diseases including stroke, we should lower their blood pressure levels, carefully and slowly below less than 140/90 mmHg or much lower. Additionally, the patients having any occlusion or stenoses in their carotid and/or intracranial arteries, or even in old-old patients with atherosclerosis, might need further consideration for the cerebral blood flow insufficiency in the course of blood pressure lowering therapy. Although the advantages of inhibitors of renin-angiotensin system are lionized these days (advertisement based medicine: ABM), we should never forget to select more favorable antihypertensive drugs for each patient in case by case (individual based medicine: IBM), to get the definite blood pressure lowering effects without worsening any complications. We also need further gathering of many evidences in a net-work-meta-analysis way, on blood pressure lowering therapy in those hypertensive patients with a history of stroke (evidence based medicine: EBM).

  10. Do pressure ulcer risk assessment scales improve clinical practice?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jan Kottner

    2010-07-01

    Full Text Available Jan Kottner1, Katrin Balzer21Department of Nursing Science, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany; 2Nursing Research Group, Institute for Social Medicine, Universitätsklinikum Schleswig-Holstein, Lübeck, GermanyAbstract: Standardized assessment instruments are deemed important for estimating pressure ulcer risk. Today, more than 40 so-called pressure ulcer risk assessment scales are available but still there is an ongoing debate about their usefulness. From a measurement point of view pressure ulcer (PU risk assessment scales have serious limitations. Empirical evidence supporting the validity of PU risk assessment scale scores is weak and obtained scores contain varying amounts of measurement error. The concept of pressure ulcer risk is strongly related to the general health status and severity of illness. A clinical impact due do the application of these scales could also not be demonstrated. It is questionable whether completion of standardized pressure ulcer risk scales in clinical practice is really needed.Keywords: Braden pressure ulcer, prevention, risk assessment, nursing assessment, predictive value, clinical effectiveness, review

  11. Pressure-temperature stability, Ca2+ binding, and pressure-temperature phase diagram of cod parvalbumin: Gad m 1.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Somkuti, Judit; Bublin, Merima; Breiteneder, Heimo; Smeller, László

    2012-07-31

    Fish allergy is associated with IgE-mediated hypersensitivity reactions to parvalbumins, which are small calcium-binding muscle proteins and represent the major and sole allergens for 95% of fish-allergic patients. We performed Fourier transform infrared and tryptophan fluorescence spectroscopy to explore the pressure-temperature (p-T) phase diagram of cod parvalbumin (Gad m 1) and to elucidate possible new ways of pressure-temperature inactivation of this food allergen. Besides the secondary structure of the protein, the Ca(2+) binding to aspartic and glutamic acid residues was detected. The phase diagram was found to be quite complex, containing partially unfolded and molten globule states. The Ca(2+) ions were essential for the formation of the native structure. A molten globule conformation appears at 50 °C and atmospheric pressure, which converts into an unordered aggregated state at 75 °C. At >200 MPa, only heat unfolding, but no aggregation, was observed. A pressure of 500 MPa leads to a partially unfolded state at 27 °C. The complete pressure unfolding could only be reached at an elevated temperature (40 °C) and pressure (1.14 GPa). A strong correlation was found between Ca(2+) binding and the protein conformation. The partially unfolded state was reversibly refolded. The completely unfolded molecule, however, from which Ca(2+) was released, could not refold. The heat-unfolded protein was trapped either in the aggregated state or in the molten globule state without aggregation at elevated pressures. The heat-treated and the combined heat- and pressure-treated protein samples were tested with sera of allergic patients, but no change in allergenicity was found.

  12. Aquatic pollution may favor the success of the invasive species A. franciscana

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Varó, I.; Redón, S.; Garcia-Roger, E.M.; Amat, F.; Guinot, D.; Serrano, R.; Navarro, J.C.

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • Artemia species display an elevated tolerance to high ranges of chlorpyrifos. • A. franciscana survived better and its fecundity was less affected by chlorpyrifos. • The higher fecundity of A. franciscana is a selective advantage in colonization processes. • Higher survival and biological fitness in A. franciscana indicate out-competitive advantages. - Abstract: The genus Artemia consists of several bisexual and parthenogenetic sibling species. One of them, A. franciscana, originally restricted to the New World, becomes invasive when introduced into ecosystems out of its natural range of distribution. Invasiveness is anthropically favored by the use of cryptobiotic eggs in the aquaculture and pet trade. The mechanisms of out-competition of the autochthonous Artemia by the invader are still poorly understood. Ecological fitness may play a pivotal role, but other underlying biotic and abiotic factors may contribute. Since the presence of toxicants in hypersaline aquatic ecosystems has been documented, our aim here is to study the potential role of an organophosphate pesticide, chlorpyrifos, in a congeneric mechanism of competition between the bisexual A. franciscana (AF), and one of the Old World parthenogenetic siblings, A. parthenogenetica (PD). For this purpose we carried out life table experiments with both species, under different concentrations of the toxicant (0.1, 1 and 5 μg/l), and analyzed the cholinesterase inhibition at different developmental stages. The results evidence that both, AF and PD, showed an elevated tolerance to high ranges of chlorpyrifos, but AF survived better and its fecundity was less affected by the exposure to the pesticide than that of PD. The higher fecundity of AF is a selective advantage in colonization processes leading to its establishment as NIS. Besides, under the potential selective pressure of abiotic factors, such as the presence of toxicants, its higher resistance in terms of survival and biological

  13. Aquatic pollution may favor the success of the invasive species A. franciscana

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Varó, I., E-mail: inma@iats.csic.es [Instituto de Acuicultura Torre de la Sal (IATS-CSIC), Ribera de Cabanes, Castellón 12595 Spain (Spain); Redón, S. [Instituto de Acuicultura Torre de la Sal (IATS-CSIC), Ribera de Cabanes, Castellón 12595 Spain (Spain); Garcia-Roger, E.M. [Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, Burjassot (Spain); Amat, F.; Guinot, D. [Instituto de Acuicultura Torre de la Sal (IATS-CSIC), Ribera de Cabanes, Castellón 12595 Spain (Spain); Serrano, R. [Research Institute for Pesticides and Water (IUPA), Avda. Sos Baynat, s/n. University Jaume I, Castellón 12071 (Spain); Navarro, J.C. [Instituto de Acuicultura Torre de la Sal (IATS-CSIC), Ribera de Cabanes, Castellón 12595 Spain (Spain)

    2015-04-15

    Highlights: • Artemia species display an elevated tolerance to high ranges of chlorpyrifos. • A. franciscana survived better and its fecundity was less affected by chlorpyrifos. • The higher fecundity of A. franciscana is a selective advantage in colonization processes. • Higher survival and biological fitness in A. franciscana indicate out-competitive advantages. - Abstract: The genus Artemia consists of several bisexual and parthenogenetic sibling species. One of them, A. franciscana, originally restricted to the New World, becomes invasive when introduced into ecosystems out of its natural range of distribution. Invasiveness is anthropically favored by the use of cryptobiotic eggs in the aquaculture and pet trade. The mechanisms of out-competition of the autochthonous Artemia by the invader are still poorly understood. Ecological fitness may play a pivotal role, but other underlying biotic and abiotic factors may contribute. Since the presence of toxicants in hypersaline aquatic ecosystems has been documented, our aim here is to study the potential role of an organophosphate pesticide, chlorpyrifos, in a congeneric mechanism of competition between the bisexual A. franciscana (AF), and one of the Old World parthenogenetic siblings, A. parthenogenetica (PD). For this purpose we carried out life table experiments with both species, under different concentrations of the toxicant (0.1, 1 and 5 μg/l), and analyzed the cholinesterase inhibition at different developmental stages. The results evidence that both, AF and PD, showed an elevated tolerance to high ranges of chlorpyrifos, but AF survived better and its fecundity was less affected by the exposure to the pesticide than that of PD. The higher fecundity of AF is a selective advantage in colonization processes leading to its establishment as NIS. Besides, under the potential selective pressure of abiotic factors, such as the presence of toxicants, its higher resistance in terms of survival and biological

  14. Hemodynamic Correlates of Abnormal Aortic Root Dimension in an Adult Population: The Strong Heart Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Simone, Giovanni; Roman, Mary J; De Marco, Marina; Bella, Jonathan N; Izzo, Raffaele; Lee, Elisa T; Devereux, Richard B

    2015-09-28

    We evaluated the relationship of aortic root dimension (ARD) with flow output and both peripheral and central blood pressure, using multivariable equations predicting ideal sex-specific ARD at a given age and body height. We measured echocardiographic diastolic ARD at the sinuses of Valsalva in 3160 adults (aged 42±16 years, 61% women) from the fourth examination of the Strong Heart Study who were free of prevalent coronary heart disease, and we compared measured data with the theoretical predicted value to calculate a z score. Central blood pressure was estimated by applanation tonometry of the radial artery in 2319 participants. ARD z scores were divided into tertiles representing small, normal, and large ARD. Participants with large ARD exhibited greater prevalence of central obesity and higher levels of inflammatory markers and lipids (0.05pressure were progressively greater from small to large ARD (all P<0.0001). Pulse pressure was higher in small ARD (P<0.0001). In multivariable analysis, ARD z score was related positively to stroke volume, either cuff or central diastolic blood pressure, and negatively to pulse pressure. Large ARD was also independently correlated to higher waist circumference and percentages of neutrophils and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (all P<0.01). Aortic root dilatation is associated with high diastolic blood pressure, high stroke volume, central fat distribution, and inflammatory status. In contrast, at a given diastolic blood pressure and stroke volume, aortic root dilatation is associated with lower pulse pressure and systolic blood pressure. © 2015 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley Blackwell.

  15. Changes in permittivity and density of molecular liquids under high pressure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kiselev, Vladimir D; Kornilov, Dmitry A; Konovalov, Alexander I

    2014-04-03

    We collected and analyzed the density and permittivity of 57 nonpolar and dipolar molecular liquids at different temperatures (143 sets) and pressures (555 sets). No equation was found that could accurately predict the change to polar liquid permittivity by the change of its density in the range of the pressures and temperatures tested. Consequently, the influence of high hydrostatic pressure and temperature on liquid permittivity may be a more complicated process compared to density changes. The pressure and temperature coefficients of permittivity can be drastically larger than the pressure and temperature coefficients of density, indicating that pressure and particularly temperature significantly affect the structure of molecular liquids. These changes have less influence on the density change but can strongly affect the permittivity change. The clear relationship between the tangent and secant moduli of the permittivity curvatures under pressure for various molecular liquids at different temperatures was obtained, from which one can calculate the Tait equation coefficients from the experimental values of the pressure influence on the permittivity at ambient pressure.

  16. Preliminary evaluation of the uranium favorability in the Kaiparowits Plateau Region, Garfield and Kane Counties, Utah

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dubyk, W.S.; Young, P.

    1978-05-01

    The basal sandstone of the Chinle Formation (Upper Triassic) and the Salt Wash Member of the Morrison Formation (Upper Jurassic) in the Kaiparowits Plateau, southcentral Utah, were evaluated in terms of uranium potential. Both surface and subsurface data were utilized. Favorability of the basal Chinle sandstone was based on (1) presence of intermediate-size sandstone-filled channels cut into the Moenkopi; (2) presence of carbonaceous material; (3) an adequate source of uranium; and (4) gamma-ray anomalies from test-hole logs. Favorability of the Salt Wash Member of the Morrison Formation was based on (1) sandstone-mudstone ratios that approach equality, and (2) presence of thick sandstone lenses, carbonaceous material, and halos of light-tan to brown limonite staining. Although the basal Chinle sandstone and the Salt Wash Member of the Morrison contain sizable uranium deposits throughout much of the Colorado Plateau, both units lack characteristics that are favorable for significant uranium deposits in the Kaiparowits Plateau

  17. Non-equilibrium plasma chemistry at high pressure and its applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bai Xiyao; Zhang Zhitao; Bai Mindong; Zhu Qiaoying

    2000-01-01

    A review is presented of research and development of gas discharge and non-equilibrium plasma including, new ideas of non-equilibrium plasma at high gas pressure. With special technology, strong electric fields (>400 Td) can be achieved by which electrons are accelerated suddenly, becoming high energy electrons (> 10 eV) at high pressure. On impact with the electrons, the gas molecules dissociate into ions, atomic ions, atoms and free radicals, and new substances or molecules can be synthesized through custom design. Chemical reaction difficult to achieve by conventional method can be realized or accelerated. Non-equilibrium plasma chemistry at high pressure has wide application prospects

  18. Observations and Numerical Modelling of Strong Meteotsunami of 13 June 2013 on the East Coast of the USA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fine, I.; Sepic, J.; Rabinovich, A.; Thomson, R.

    2014-12-01

    A strong "derecho" (rapidly moving lines of convectively induced intense thunderstorms) was generated over the Midwestern United States on 12-13 June 2013 and propagated across the Appalachian Mountains to the Atlantic Ocean. Three hours after the derecho crossed the Atlantic coast, a ~2-m high meteotsunami wave was reported to have hit the New Jersey coast. Significant tsunami-like oscillations, with wave heights of ~0.6 m, were also recorded by a number of tide-gauges located along the eastern seaboard from Nova Scotia to South Carolina, at Bermuda, and by open-ocean DART 44402. These observations triggered the tsunami-alert mode of the DART station. Intense air pressure disturbances (with pressure change of 3-6 hPa in 20 min) and strong winds were observed at a number of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS) stations to be propagating simultaneously with the derecho system, indicating that the pressure disturbances were the primary cause for the sea level oscillations in Chesapeake and Delaware bays. The air pressure disturbance continued to propagate seaward over the continental shelf, thereby generating long waves via Proudman resonance at those areas of the shelf where the propagation speed of the air pressure disturbance matched the long wave speed. Upon reaching the shelf break, the long-waves were partly transmitted (reaching Bermuda 5 hours later) and partly reflected (returning to the east coast of the US and Canada 3 to 6 hours later). A numerical barotropic ocean model forced with idealized air pressure and wind fields was used successfully to simulate the event. The meteotsunami arrival times and maximum wave heights obtained from the model closely match the measured values and confirm initial assumptions regarding the partitioning between transmitted and reflected meteotsunami waves.

  19. Thermodynamic properties of pressurized PH3 superconductor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koka, S.; Rao, G. Venugopal

    2018-05-01

    The paper presents the superconducting thermodynamic functions determined for pressurized phosphorus trihydride (PH3). In particular, free energy difference ΔF, thermodynamic critical field Hc, specific heat etc. have been calculated using analytical expressions. The calculations were performed in the frame work of the strong-coupling formalism. The obtained dimensionless parameters: RΔ ≡ 2Δ(0)/kBTc, RC ≡ ΔC(Tc)/CN(Tc) and RH≡TcCN(Tc)/Hc2(0) are 4.05, 1.96 and 0.156 respectively, which significantly differ from the values arising from the BCS theory of superconductivity. The thermodynamic properties strongly depend on the depairing electron correlations and retardation effects.

  20. <strong>Neuroeconomics and Health Economicsstrong>/>

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Larsen, Torben

    2009-01-01

      Objective: Neuroeconomics integrates economics, psychology and neuroscience. Recently, this line of research is summarized in a neuroeconomic model (NeM) which addresses the rehabilitation of important chronic conditions from a new angle as surveyed in this study. Data and Method: Firstly, Ne......://www.integratedhomecare.eu/ . III. In-depth-relaxation is evidenced as the result of regular practice of medical meditation comprising various practical meditation settings by NGOs whereof some are rooted in the religious tradition while other aim to be post-religious. Medical meditation combines savings on health care costs...... with de-stressing benefits as reduced anxiety, less use of stimulants and a reduction of blood pressure which in all increase life-expectancy. Conclusion: Neuroeconomics helps economists to identify dominant health economic interventions that may be overlooked by traditional discipålines   [i] This part...

  1. $\\mu$SR-Measurements under High Pressure and at Low Temperatures

    CERN Multimedia

    2002-01-01

    High pressure causes changes in the volume available to each atom in a solid and will therefore influence local properties like the electronic charge and spin densities and, in the case of magnetic materials, the spin ordering.\\\\ \\\\ The positive muon is known to be an interesting probe particle for the study of certain problems in magnetism. It has in fact been used for one high pressure experiment earlier in CERN, but the present experiments aim at more systematic studie For this purpose it is necessary to carry out pressure experiments at low temperatures. The new experiments use a helium gas pressure system, which covers the temperature range 10-300 K at pressures up to 14 Kbar.\\\\ \\\\ Experiments are in progress on \\item 1)~~~~Ferromagnetic metals like Fe, Co, Ni where the pressure dependence of the local magnetic field ~~~is studied at 77 K and at room temperature. \\item 2)~~~~Knight shifts in semimetals, where in the case of Sb strong variations with temperature and ~~~pressure are observed. \\end{enumerat...

  2. Low temperature magnetoresistance in La1.32Sr1.68Mn2O7 layered manganite under hydrostatic pressure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kumaresavanji, M.; Fontes, M.B.

    2010-01-01

    The La 1.32 Sr 1.68 Mn 2 O 7 layered manganite system has been studied by the low temperature electrical resistance and magnetoresistance under hydrostatic pressure up to 25 kbar. We have observe both, a Curie temperature (T C ) and a metal-insulator transition (T MI ) at 118 K in the ambient pressure. The applied pressure shifts the T MI to higher temperature values and induces a second metal-insulator transition (T 2 MI ) at 90 K, in the temperature dependence of resistivity measurements. Also, the pressure suppresses the peak resistance abruptly at T C . When an external field of 5 T is applied, we have observed a large negative magnetoresistance of 300% at the transition temperature and a 128% at 4.5 K. However, the increased pressure decreases the magnetoresistance ratio gradually. When the pressure reaches its maximum available value of 25 kbar, the magnetoresistance ratio decreases at a rate of 1.3%/kbar. From our experimental results, the decrease of magnetoresistance ratio with pressure is explained by the pressure induced canted spin state which is not favor for the spin polarized intergrain tunneling in layered manganites.

  3. Ultrahigh pressure superconductivity in molybdenum disulfide

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chi, Zhenhua [Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Hefei (China); Yen, Feihsiang [Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Hefei (China); Peng, Feng [Luoyang Normal Univ., Luoyang (China); Zhu, Jinlong [Univ. of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV (United States); Zhang, Yijin [Univ. of Tokyo, Tokyo (Japan); Chen, Xuliang [Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Hefei (China); Yang, Zhaorong [Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Hefei (China); Nanjing Univ., Nanjing (China); Liu, Xiaodi [Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Hefei (China); Ma, Yaming [Jilin Univ., Changchun (China); Zhao, Yusheng [Univ. of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV (United States); Kagayama, Tomoko [Osaka Univ., Osaka (Japan); Iwasa, Yoshihiro [Univ. of Tokyo, Tokyo (Japan); RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science (CEMS), Wako (Japan)

    2015-03-18

    Superconductivity commonly appears under pressure in charge densit wave (CDW)-bearing transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs)1,2, but ha emerged so far only via either intercalation with electron donors3 or electrostati doping4 in CDW-free TMDs. Theoretical calculations have predicted that th latter should be metallized through bandgap closure under pressure5,6, bu superconductivity remained elusive in pristine 2H-MoS2 upon substantia compression, where a pressure of up to 60 GPa only evidenced the metalli state7,8. Here we report the emergence of superconductivity in pristine 2H-MoS at 90 GPa. The maximum onset transition temperature Tc(onset) of 11.5 K, th highest value among TMDs and nearly constant from 120 up to 200 GPa, is wel above that obtained by chemical doping3 but comparable to that obtained b electrostatic doping4. Tc(onset) is more than an order of magnitude larger tha present theoretical expectations, raising questions on either the curren calculation methodologies or the mechanism of the pressure-induced pairin state. Lastly, our findings strongly suggest further experimental and theoretical effort directed toward the study of the pressure-induced superconductivity in all CDWfre TMDs.

  4. Cusp-core problem and strong gravitational lensing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Nan; Chen Daming

    2009-01-01

    Cosmological numerical simulations of galaxy formation have led to the cuspy density profile of a pure cold dark matter halo toward the center, which is in sharp contradiction with the observations of the rotation curves of cold dark matter-dominated dwarf and low surface brightness disk galaxies, with the latter tending to favor mass profiles with a flat central core. Many efforts have been devoted to resolving this cusp-core problem in recent years, among them, baryon-cold dark matter interactions are considered to be the main physical mechanisms erasing the cold dark matter (CDM) cusp into a flat core in the centers of all CDM halos. Clearly, baryon-cold dark matter interactions are not customized only for CDM-dominated disk galaxies, but for all types, including giant ellipticals. We first fit the most recent high resolution observations of rotation curves with the Burkert profile, then use the constrained core size-halo mass relation to calculate the lensing frequency, and compare the predicted results with strong lensing observations. Unfortunately, it turns out that the core size constrained from rotation curves of disk galaxies cannot be extrapolated to giant ellipticals. We conclude that, in the standard cosmological paradigm, baryon-cold dark matter interactions are not universal mechanisms for galaxy formation, and therefore, they cannot be true solutions to the cusp-core problem.

  5. Infrared spectra of hexamethylbenzene—tetracyanoethylene complexes at high pressures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamada, Haruka; Saheki, Masao

    Infrared spectra of hexamethylbenzene(HMB)—tetracyanoethylene(TCNE), 1:1 and 2:1, complexes were measured under high pressures, 11˜4,000 bar. It was found that the CC stretching (A g) band of TCNE became much stronger at high pressures than at 1 bar and that the intensity increase of this band was especially large for both of the complexes. Based on these facts the strong appearance of the CC band at 1 bar, which is inconsistent with the symmetry consideration derived from X-ray analysis, can be discussed.

  6. Hydraulic pressure pulses with elastic and plastic structural flexibility: test and analysis (LWBR Development Program)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schwirian, R.E.

    1978-03-01

    Pressure pulse tests were conducted with a flexible test section in a test vessel filled with room temperature water. The pressure pulses were generated with a drop hammer and piston pulse generator and were of a sufficient magnitude to cause plastic deformation of the test section. Because of the strong pressure relief effect of the deforming test section, pressure pulse magnitudes were below 265 psig in magnitude and had durations of 50 to 55 msecs. Calculations performed with the FLASH-35 bi-linear hysteresis model of structural deformation show good agreement with experiment. In particular, FLASH 35 adequately predicts the decrease in peak pressure and the increase in pulse duration due to elastic and plastic deformation of the test section. Predictions of flexible member motion are good, but are less satisfactory than the pressure pulse results due to uncertainties in the values of yield point and beyond yield stiffness used to model the various flexible members. Coupled with this is a strong sensitivity of the FLASH 35 predictions to the values of yield point and beyond yield stiffness chosen for the various flexible members. The test data versus calculation comparisons presented here provide preliminary qualification for FLASH 35 calculations of transient hydraulic pressures and pressure differentials in the presence of flexible structural members which deform both elastically and plastically

  7. Relation between structural evolution and effective Ir moments upon applied pressure during synthesis in Ba{sub 3}YIr{sub 2}O{sub 9}

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Stummer, Hannes; Dey, Tusharkanti; Wurmehl, Sabine; Buechner, Bernd [Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research, Dresden (Germany)

    2015-07-01

    The intensively investigated material class of Iridium oxide based materials provides a variety of new and unknown combinations of magnetic properties with interesting novel or exotic ground states. These Iridate compounds often appear in a perovskite type structure or a related derivative which are very favorable for crystal structure modifications under high pressure. High pressure synthesis therefore can be used to tune or change the magnetic properties appearing under normal pressure. The Iridate Ba{sub 3}YIr{sub 2}O{sub 9} crystallizes under ambient pressure synthesis in a hexagonal structure and exhibits magnetic ordering below 4 K. A synthesis pressure of 8 GPa advances the material to form a cubic double perovskite structure which is (meta-)stable at ambient pressure. For this high pressure configuration the magnetic ordering is suppressed. We will present our recent results about the systematic high pressure synthesis and characterization of Ba{sub 3}YIr{sub 2}O{sub 9} samples grown under different growth pressure. The main focus will be on the correlation between structural and magnetic properties depending on the applied pressure during the synthesis process.

  8. Hydrostatic pressure and temperature effects of an exciton-donor complex in quantum dots

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xie Wenfang

    2012-01-01

    Using the matrix diagonalization method and the compact density-matrix approach, we studied the combined effects of hydrostatic pressure and temperature on the electronic and optical properties of an exciton-donor complex in a disc-shaped quantum dot. We have calculated the binding energy and the oscillator strength of the intersubband transition from the ground state into the first excited state as a function of the dot radius. Based on the computed energies and wave functions, the linear, third-order nonlinear and total optical absorption coefficients as well as the refractive index have been examined. We find that the ground state binding energy and the oscillator strength are strongly affected by the quantum dot radius, hydrostatic pressure and temperature. The results also show that the linear, third-order nonlinear and total absorption coefficients and refractive index changes strongly depend on temperature and hydrostatic pressure.

  9. Predictive models for pressure ulcers from intensive care unit electronic health records using Bayesian networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaewprag, Pacharmon; Newton, Cheryl; Vermillion, Brenda; Hyun, Sookyung; Huang, Kun; Machiraju, Raghu

    2017-07-05

    We develop predictive models enabling clinicians to better understand and explore patient clinical data along with risk factors for pressure ulcers in intensive care unit patients from electronic health record data. Identifying accurate risk factors of pressure ulcers is essential to determining appropriate prevention strategies; in this work we examine medication, diagnosis, and traditional Braden pressure ulcer assessment scale measurements as patient features. In order to predict pressure ulcer incidence and better understand the structure of related risk factors, we construct Bayesian networks from patient features. Bayesian network nodes (features) and edges (conditional dependencies) are simplified with statistical network techniques. Upon reviewing a network visualization of our model, our clinician collaborators were able to identify strong relationships between risk factors widely recognized as associated with pressure ulcers. We present a three-stage framework for predictive analysis of patient clinical data: 1) Developing electronic health record feature extraction functions with assistance of clinicians, 2) simplifying features, and 3) building Bayesian network predictive models. We evaluate all combinations of Bayesian network models from different search algorithms, scoring functions, prior structure initializations, and sets of features. From the EHRs of 7,717 ICU patients, we construct Bayesian network predictive models from 86 medication, diagnosis, and Braden scale features. Our model not only identifies known and suspected high PU risk factors, but also substantially increases sensitivity of the prediction - nearly three times higher comparing to logistical regression models - without sacrificing the overall accuracy. We visualize a representative model with which our clinician collaborators identify strong relationships between risk factors widely recognized as associated with pressure ulcers. Given the strong adverse effect of pressure ulcers

  10. Neutral pressure measured by fast ionization gauge in HL-2A

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, M.X.; Yan, L.W.; Hong, W.Y.; Cui, Z.Y.; Pan, Y.D.; Yao, L.H.; Cao, Z.; Yang, Q.W.; Liu, Y.

    2007-01-01

    A fast ionization gauge capable of working in a strong magnetic field and noisy environment is developed for the pressure measurement in the main chamber and the divertor chamber of the HL-2A tokamak. The neutral pressure in the main chamber evidently decreases after in-situ siliconization. Improvement of boundary plasma confinement is observed with SMBI or PI fueling after siliconization. The neutral pressure in the main chamber for divertor configuration is 50% lower than that for limiter one. The pressure in the divertor chamber rises when the strike point moves toward the bottom of the vertical target plates. The maximum pressure compression of is 24. The relative high pressure in the main chamber is contributed primarily by plasma limiter interaction due to the short distance from separatrix to limiter and secondly by neutral flux from the divertor chamber to the main chamber by leaks in HL-2A

  11. Stability analysis of supercritical-pressure light water-cooled reactor in constant pressure operation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Suhwan, JI; Shirahama, H.; Koshizuka, S.; Oka, Y.

    2001-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to evaluate the thermal-hydraulic and the thermal-nuclear coupled stabilities of a supercritical pressure light water-cooled reactor. A stability analysis code at supercritical pressure is developed. Using this code, stabilities of full and partial-power reactor operating at supercritical pressure are investigated by the frequency-domain analysis. Two types of SCRs are analyzed; a supercritical light water reactor (SCLWR) and a supercritical water-cooled fast reactor (SCFR). The same stability criteria as Boiling Water Reactor are applied. The thermal-hydraulic stability of SCLWR and SCFR satisfies the criteria with a reasonable orifice loss coefficient. The decay ratio of the thermal-nuclear coupled stability in SCFR is almost zero because of a small coolant density coefficient of the fast reactor. The evaluated decay ratio of the thermal-nuclear coupled stability is 3,41 ∼ 10 -V at 100% power in SCFR and 0,028 at 100% power in SCLWR. The sensitivity is investigated. It is found that the thermal-hydraulic stability is sensitive to the mass flow rate strongly and the thermal-nuclear coupled stability to the coolant density coefficient. The bottom power peak distribution makes the thermal-nuclear stability worse and the thermal-nuclear stability better. (author)

  12. Slot Antenna Integrated Re-Entrant Resonator Based Wireless Pressure Sensor for High-Temperature Applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Su, Shujing; Lu, Fei; Wu, Guozhu; Wu, Dezhi; Tan, Qiulin; Dong, Helei; Xiong, Jijun

    2017-08-25

    The highly sensitive pressure sensor presented in this paper aims at wireless passive sensing in a high temperature environment by using microwave backscattering technology. The structure of the re-entrant resonator was analyzed and optimized using theoretical calculation, software simulation, and its equivalent lump circuit model was first modified by us. Micro-machining and high-temperature co-fired ceramic (HTCC) process technologies were applied to fabricate the sensor, solving the common problem of cavity sealing during the air pressure loading test. In addition, to prevent the response signal from being immersed in the strong background clutter of the hermetic metal chamber, which makes its detection difficult, we proposed two key techniques to improve the signal to noise ratio: the suppression of strong background clutter and the detection of the weak backscattered signal of the sensor. The pressure sensor demonstrated in this paper works well for gas pressure loading between 40 and 120 kPa in a temperature range of 24 °C to 800 °C. The experimental results show that the sensor resonant frequency lies at 2.1065 GHz, with a maximum pressure sensitivity of 73.125 kHz/kPa.

  13. Favorable Attitudes Towards Serosorting are Associated With Overall Less Frequent Condom Use Among Young Black Men Having Sex Men

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crosby, Richard A.; Mena, Leandro; Geter, Angelica

    2018-01-01

    This study determined whether YBMSM endorsing serosorting are less likely to use condoms. A questionnaire assessed men’s attitudes towards serosorting with a three-item scale; various sexual risk behaviors were measured using a 90-day recall period. Favorable attitudes toward serosorting were associated with a greater likelihood of condomless sex as a top (P<.001) and as a bottom (P<.001), as well as a lower likelihood of using condoms with main partners (P=.003). Findings suggest that YBMSM having favorable attitudes toward serosorting may be more likely to report condomless sex than their counterparts without favorable attitudes. PMID:26433647

  14. Suburothelial Bladder Contraction Detection with Implanted Pressure Sensor.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Steve J A Majerus

    Full Text Available Managing bladder pressure in patients with neurogenic bladders is needed to improve rehabilitation options, avoid upper tract damage, incontinence, and their associated co-morbidities and mortality. Current methods of determining bladder contractions are not amenable to chronic or ambulatory settings. In this study we evaluated detection of bladder contractions using a novel piezoelectric catheter-free pressure sensor placed in a suburothelial bladder location in animals.Wired prototypes of the pressure monitor were implanted into 2 nonsurvival (feline and canine and one 13-day survival (canine animal. Vesical pressures were obtained from the device in both suburothelial and intraluminal locations and simultaneously from a pressure sensing catheter in the bladder. Intravesical pressure was monitored in the survival animal over 10 days from the suburothelial location and necropsy was performed to assess migration and erosion.In the nonsurvival animals, the average correlation between device and reference catheter data was high during both electrically stimulated bladder contractions and manual compressions (r = 0.93±0.03, r = 0.89±0.03. Measured pressures correlated strongly (r = 0.98±0.02 when the device was placed in the bladder lumen. The survival animal initially recorded physiologic data, but later this deteriorated. However, endstage intraluminal device recordings correlated (r = 0.85±0.13 with the pressure catheter. Significant erosion of the implant through the detrusor was found.This study confirms correlation between suburothelial pressure readings and intravesical bladder pressures. Due to device erosion during ambulatory studies, a wireless implant is recommended for clinical rehabilitation applications.

  15. Peer pressure is a double-edged sword in vaccination dynamics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Zhi-Xi; Zhang, Hai-Feng

    2013-10-01

    Whether or not to change behavior depends not only on the personal success of each individual, but also on the success and/or behavior of others. Using this as motivation, we incorporate the impact of peer pressure into a susceptible-vaccinated-infected-recovered (SVIR) epidemiological model, where the propensity to adopt a particular vaccination strategy depends both on individual success as well as on the strategies of neighbors. We show that plugging into the peer pressure is a double-edged sword, which, on the one hand, strongly promotes vaccination when its cost is below a critical value, but, on the other hand, it can also strongly impede it if the critical value is exceeded. We explain this by revealing a facilitated cluster formation process that is induced by the peer pressure. Due to this, the vaccinated individuals are inclined to cluster together and therefore become unable to efficiently inhibit the spread of the infectious disease if the vaccination is costly. If vaccination is cheap, however, they reinforce each other in using it. Our results are robust to variations of the SVIR dynamics on different population structures.

  16. Appeals court reverses verdict favoring drug companies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1995-06-02

    An appeals court reversed a verdict favoring drug companies after the widow of a hemophiliac, whose death was linked to HIV-tainted blood products, sued four pharmaceutical companies to pay damages. The four companies, Alpha Therapeutic Corp., Miles Laboratories Inc., Armour Pharmaceutical Co., and Baxter Travenol Laboratories Inc., provided Factor VIII, a clotting concentrate, to [name removed] [name removed], the plaintiff's husband, from 1972 until his death in 1987. [Name removed]'s wife sued the companies, alleging that the defendants negligently solicited blood plasma from paid donors who had a high risk of having HIV, failed to determine whether any lots of Factor VIII contained plasma from an at-risk donor, failed to warn consumers of possible risks, and failed to heat-treat HIV and other viruses in Factor VIII, despite industry-wide knowledge of the risk of infection. The three-judge panel said the trial judge's decision to avoid ruling on the antigenic stimulation theory, based on insufficient evidence, was improper. In addition, the appeals court said a retrial is necessary because of improper remarks made by Alpha's attorney.

  17. Challenging the Courtesy Bias Interpretation of Favorable Clients' Perceptions of Family Planning Delivery

    Science.gov (United States)

    Len, Federico R.; Lundgren, Rebecka; Huapaya, Ana; Sinai, Irit; Jennings, Victoria

    2007-01-01

    Favorable client perceptions of provider's interpersonal behavior in contraceptive delivery, documented in clinic exit questionnaires, appear to contradict results from qualitative evaluations and are attributed to clients' courtesy bias. In this study, trained simulated clients requested services from Ministry of Health providers in three…

  18. The Mott transition in the strong coupling perturbation theory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sherman, A.

    2015-01-01

    Using the strong coupling diagram technique a self-consistent equation for the electron Green's function is derived for the repulsive Hubbard model. Terms of two lowest orders of the ratio of the bandwidth Δ to the Hubbard repulsion U are taken into account in the irreducible part of the Larkin equation. The obtained equation is shown to retain causality and reduces to Green's function of uncorrelated electrons in the limit U → 0. Calculations were performed for the semi-elliptical initial band. It is shown that the approximation describes the Mott transition, which occurs at Uc =√{ 3 } Δ / 2. This value coincides with that obtained in the Hubbard-III approximation. At half-filling, for 0 self-energy is nonzero at the Fermi level, which indicates that the obtained solution is not a Fermi liquid. At small deviations from half-filling the density of states shifts along the frequency axis without perceptible changes in its shape. For larger deviations the density of states is modified: it is redistributed in favor of the subband, in which the Fermi level is located, and for U >Uc the Mott gap disappears.

  19. Superconducting critical temperature under pressure

    Science.gov (United States)

    González-Pedreros, G. I.; Baquero, R.

    2018-05-01

    The present record on the critical temperature of a superconductor is held by sulfur hydride (approx. 200 K) under very high pressure (approx. 56 GPa.). As a consequence, the dependence of the superconducting critical temperature on pressure became a subject of great interest and a high number of papers on of different aspects of this subject have been published in the scientific literature since. In this paper, we calculate the superconducting critical temperature as a function of pressure, Tc(P), by a simple method. Our method is based on the functional derivative of the critical temperature with the Eliashberg function, δTc(P)/δα2F(ω). We obtain the needed coulomb electron-electron repulsion parameter, μ*(P) at each pressure in a consistent way by fitting it to the corresponding Tc using the linearized Migdal-Eliashberg equation. This method requires as input the knowledge of Tc at the starting pressure only. It applies to superconductors for which the Migdal-Eliashberg equations hold. We study Al and β - Sn two weak-coupling low-Tc superconductors and Nb, the strong coupling element with the highest critical temperature. For Al, our results for Tc(P) show an excellent agreement with the calculations of Profeta et al. which are known to agree well with experiment. For β - Sn and Nb, we found a good agreement with the experimental measurements reported in several works. This method has also been applied successfully to PdH elsewhere. Our method is simple, computationally light and gives very accurate results.

  20. Enhanced pycnonuclear reactions in ultrahigh-pressure metals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ichimaru, Setsuo; Kitamura, Hikaru

    1995-01-01

    By combining the concepts of pycnonuclear reactions at low temperatures and their enhancement due to strong internuclear Coulomb correlations, we predict the possibilities of a novel scheme for fusion in ultrahigh-pressure liquid-metallic hydrogen near the freezing conditions, for the reactions 2 H(p,γ) 3 He, 3 H(d,n) 4 He, and 7 Li(p,α) 4 He. Time evolution is followed for p-d reaction after a pulsed compression with 1 kJ input and the initial conditions of mass density ≅ 20 g/cm 3 , temperature ≅ 1400 K, pressure ≅ 490 Mbar, and radius ≅ 0.017 cm; an energy yield of 33 kJ in 0.03 fs is thus predicted. (author)

  1. Major Deficiencies Preventing Favorable Audit Opinions on the FY 1997 DoD Financial Statements

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Lane, F

    1998-01-01

    The audit objective was to identify and summarize the major deficiencies that prevented favorable audit opinions on the FY 1997 DoD Financial Statements, and to identify the actions taken or under way...

  2. A strong shock tube problem calculated by different numerical schemes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, W.H.; Clancy, S.P.

    1996-01-01

    Calculated results are presented for the solution of a very strong shock tube problem on a coarse mesh using (1) MESA code, (2) UNICORN code, (3) Schulz hydro, and (4) modified TVD scheme. The first two codes are written in Eulerian coordinates, whereas methods (3) and (4) are in Lagrangian coordinates. MESA and UNICORN codes are both of second order and use different monotonic advection method to avoid the Gibbs phenomena. Code (3) uses typical artificial viscosity for inviscid flow, whereas code (4) uses a modified TVD scheme. The test problem is a strong shock tube problem with a pressure ratio of 10 9 and density ratio of 10 3 in an ideal gas. For no mass-matching case, Schulz hydro is better than TVD scheme. In the case of mass-matching, there is no difference between them. MESA and UNICORN results are nearly the same. However, the computed positions such as the contact discontinuity (i.e. the material interface) are not as accurate as the Lagrangian methods. copyright 1996 American Institute of Physics

  3. Effects of pressure and temperature on gate valve unwedging

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Damerell, P.S.; Harrison, D.H.; Hayes, P.W.; Simons, J.W.; Walker, T.A.

    1996-12-01

    The stem thrust required to unwedge a gate valve is influenced by the pressure and temperature when the valve is closed and by the changes in these conditions between closure and opening. {open_quotes}Pressure locking{close_quotes} and {open_quotes}thermal binding{close_quotes} refer to situations where pressure and temperature effects cause the unwedging load to be much higher than normal. A model of these phenomena has been developed. Wedging (closure) is modeled as developing an {open_quotes}interference{close_quotes} between the disk and its seat rings in the valve. The effects of pressure and temperature are analyzed to determine the change in this disk-to-seat {open_quotes}interference{close_quotes}. Flexibilities, of the disk, body, stem and yoke strongly influence the unwedging thrust. Calculations and limited comparisons to data have been performed for a range of valve designs and scenarios. Pressure changes can increase the unwedging load when there is either a uniform pressure decrease, or a situation where the bonnet pressure exceeds the pressures in the adjacent piping. Temperature changes can increase the unwedging load when: (1) valve closure at elevated system temperature produces a delayed stem expansion, (2) a temperature increase after closure produces a bonnet pressure increase, or (3) a temperature change after closure produces an increase in the disk-to-seat {open_quotes}interference{close_quotes} or disk-to-seat friction.

  4. Effects of pressure and temperature on gate valve unwedging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Damerell, P.S.; Harrison, D.H.; Hayes, P.W.; Simons, J.W.; Walker, T.A.

    1996-01-01

    The stem thrust required to unwedge a gate valve is influenced by the pressure and temperature when the valve is closed and by the changes in these conditions between closure and opening. open-quotes Pressure lockingclose quotes and open-quotes thermal bindingclose quotes refer to situations where pressure and temperature effects cause the unwedging load to be much higher than normal. A model of these phenomena has been developed. Wedging (closure) is modeled as developing an open-quotes interferenceclose quotes between the disk and its seat rings in the valve. The effects of pressure and temperature are analyzed to determine the change in this disk-to-seat open-quotes interferenceclose quotes. Flexibilities, of the disk, body, stem and yoke strongly influence the unwedging thrust. Calculations and limited comparisons to data have been performed for a range of valve designs and scenarios. Pressure changes can increase the unwedging load when there is either a uniform pressure decrease, or a situation where the bonnet pressure exceeds the pressures in the adjacent piping. Temperature changes can increase the unwedging load when: (1) valve closure at elevated system temperature produces a delayed stem expansion, (2) a temperature increase after closure produces a bonnet pressure increase, or (3) a temperature change after closure produces an increase in the disk-to-seat open-quotes interferenceclose quotes or disk-to-seat friction

  5. The effect of high pressure on the intracellular trehalose synthase activity of Thermus aquaticus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dong, Yongsheng; Ma, Lei; Duan, Yuanliang

    2016-01-01

    To understand the effect of high pressure on the intracellular trehalose synthase activity, Thermus aquaticus (T. aquaticus) in the logarithmic growth phase was treated with high-pressure air, and its intracellular trehalose synthase (TSase) activity was determined. Our results indicated that pressure is a factor strongly affecting the cell growth. High pressure significantly attenuated the growth rate of T. aquaticus and shortened the duration of stationary phase. However, after 2 h of culture under 1.0 MPa pressure, the activity of intracellular TSase in T. aquaticus reached its maximum value, indicating that pressure can significantly increase the activity of intracellular TSase in T. aquaticus. Thus the present study provides an important guide for the enzymatic production of trehalose.

  6. Impacts on oil recovery from capillary pressure and capillary heterogeneities

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bognoe, Thomas

    2008-07-01

    The main conclusions drawn from this thesis are; 7 scientific papers are published on a broad variety of subjects, and describes in detail the experiments and research treated in this thesis. Scientific research has been performed, investigating the subjects of capillary pressure and capillary heterogeneities from different angles. This thesis discusses the findings in this study and aims to illustrate the benefits of the results obtained for further development of other experiments, and/or even the industrial benefits in field development. The methods for wettability alteration have developed throughout the work. From producing heterogeneous wettability alterations, the methods have improved to giving both radial and lateral uniform wettability alterations, which also remains unaltered throughout the duration of the experimental work. The alteration of wettability is dependent on initial water saturation, flow rate, aging time and crude oil composition. Capillary pressure and relative permeability curves have been measured for core plugs at different wettabilities using conventional centrifuge methods. The trends observed are mostly consistent with theory. The production mechanisms of strongly and moderately water wet chalk has been investigated. At strongly water wet conditions in fractured chalk; the flow is governed by capillary forces, showing strong impact from the fractures. At moderately water wet conditions, the impact of the fractures are absent, and a dispersed water front is observed during the displacement. The oil recovery is about the same, at the two wettabilities. Fracture crossing mechanisms at the same wettability conditions have been mapped. And the observations are consistent with those of the water floods. During strongly water wet displacement, the fracture crossing is occurring once the inlet core has reached endpoint of spontaneous imbibition. At moderately water wet conditions the fracture crossing is less abrupt, and creation of wetting

  7. Modeling beam-front dynamics at low gas pressures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Briggs, R.J.; Yu, S.

    1982-01-01

    The dynamics of space charge neutralization at the front of an intense self-focused electron beam pulse exhibits important differences in different gas pressure regimes. At very low pressures, the beam front is in the so-called ion-focused regime (IFR) where all secondary electrons are expelled from the beam region by the radial electric field without causing significant additional ionization. We estimate the upper pressure boundary of this regime by considering the distance scale length for cascade (avalanche) ionization. Data from the FX-25 diode experiments indicate a critical transition pressure (P/sub c/) that agrees with this estimate and with its scaling among various gas types. Normal mobility-limited treatments (local conductivity models) of the secondary electrons at the beam front are not justified until the gas pressure is 10 to 50 times higher than P/sub c/, due to runaway of these secondary electrons in the strong space-charge electric field at the lower pressures. The main conclusion of this study is that a non-local phase space (Boltzmann) treatment of the secondary electrons is required to accurately describe these different beam front regimes and the transitions between them; such a code model is currently under development

  8. Association between temporal mean arterial pressure and brachial noninvasive blood pressure during shoulder surgery in the beach chair position during general anesthesia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Triplet, Jacob J; Lonetta, Christopher M; Everding, Nathan G; Moor, Molly A; Levy, Jonathan C

    2015-01-01

    Estimation of cerebral perfusion pressure during elective shoulder surgery in the beach chair position is regularly performed by noninvasive brachial blood pressure (NIBP) measurements. The relationship between brachial mean arterial pressure and estimated temporal mean arterial pressure (eTMAP) is not well established and may vary with patient positioning. Establishing a ratio between eTMAP and NIBP at varying positions may provide a more accurate estimation of cerebral perfusion using noninvasive measurements. This prospective study included 57 patients undergoing elective shoulder surgery in the beach chair position. All patients received an interscalene block and general anesthesia. After the induction of general anesthesia, values for eTMAP and NIBP were recorded at 0°, 30°, and 70° of incline. A statistically significant, strong, and direct correlation between NIBP and eTMAP was found at 0° (r = 0.909, P ≤ .001), 30° (r = 0.874, P Shoulder and Elbow Surgery Board of Trustees. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Phosphorus Dimerization in Gallium Phosphide at High Pressure

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lavina, Barbara [High Pressure Science and Engineering Center, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Nevada 89154, United States; Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Nevada 89154, United States; Kim, Eunja [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Nevada 89154, United States; Cynn, Hyunchae [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, United States; Weck, Philippe F. [Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185, United States; Seaborg, Kelly [High Pressure Science and Engineering Center, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Nevada 89154, United States; Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Nevada 89154, United States; Siska, Emily [High Pressure Science and Engineering Center, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Nevada 89154, United States; Meng, Yue [HPCAT, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Argonne, Illinois 60439, United States; Evans, William [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, United States

    2018-02-09

    Using combined experimental and computational approaches, we show that at 43 GPa and 1300 K gallium phosphide adopts the super-Cmcm structure, here indicated with its Pearson notation oS24. First-principles enthalpy calculations demonstrate that this structure is more thermodynamically stable above ~20 GPa than previously proposed polymorphs. Here, in contrast to other polymorphs, the oS24 phase shows a strong bonding differentiation and distorted fivefold coordination geometries of both P atoms. The shortest bond of the phase is a single covalent P–P bond measuring 2.171(11) Å at synthesis pressure. Phosphorus dimerization in GaP sheds light on the nature of the super-Cmcm phase and provides critical new insights into the high-pressure polymorphism of octet semiconductors. Bond directionality and anisotropy explain the relatively low symmetry of this high-pressure phase.

  10. Aerobic training does not alter blood pressure in menopausal women with metabolic syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lima, Aluísio Henrique Rodrigues de Andrade; Couto, Henrique Eduardo; Cardoso, Glêbia Alexa; Toscano, Lidiane Tavares; Silva, Alexandre Sérgio; Mota, Maria Paula Gonçalves

    2012-11-01

    Arterial Hypertension (AH) is an aggravating condition for Metabolic Syndrome (MS), as well as being aggravated by it. Menopause can make hypertension treatment more difficult, as it favors the worsening of MS components. Although there is evidence that exercise training reduces blood pressure, whether menopause and SM affect the exercise-induced benefits is yet to be elucidated. To compare the effects of aerobic training on blood pressure in non-menopausal and menopausal women with MS METHODS: A total of 44 women were recruited and divided into four groups: non-menopausal control (NMC: 39.5 ± 3.6 years, n = 11); menopausal control (MC: 54.9 ± 5.9 years, n = 12), non-menopausal aerobics (NMA: 43.1 ± 6.8 years, n = 11) and menopausal aerobics (MA: 52.1 ± 5 years, n = 10). The exercise groups performed aerobic training for three months, five times a week, at an intensity between 60% and 70% of heart rate reserve. The resting blood pressure and blood pressure response after 60 minutes of exercise were measured before and after the training period. The two-way ANOVA test was used, considering a p value 0.05). Three months of aerobic training improved MS components, but did not alter resting blood pressure or the BP response after an acute exercise session in women with MS.

  11. On the estimation of wall pressure coherence using time-resolved tomographic PIV

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pröbsting, Stefan; Scarano, Fulvio; Bernardini, Matteo; Pirozzoli, Sergio

    2013-07-01

    Three-dimensional time-resolved velocity field measurements are obtained using a high-speed tomographic Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) system on a fully developed flat plate turbulent boundary layer for the estimation of wall pressure fluctuations. The work focuses on the applicability of tomographic PIV to compute the coherence of pressure fluctuations, with attention to the estimation of the stream and spanwise coherence length. The latter is required for estimations of aeroacoustic noise radiation by boundary layers and trailing edge flows, but is also of interest for vibro-structural problems. The pressure field is obtained by solving the Poisson equation for incompressible flows, where the source terms are provided by time-resolved velocity field measurements. Measured 3D velocity data is compared to results obtained from planar PIV, and a Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) at similar Reynolds number. An improved method for the estimation of the material based on a least squares estimator of the velocity derivative along a particle trajectory is proposed and applied. Computed surface pressure fluctuations are further verified by means of simultaneous measurements by a pinhole microphone and compared to the DNS results and a semi-empirical model available from literature. The correlation coefficient for the reconstructed pressure time series with respect to pinhole microphone measurements attains approximately 0.5 for the band-pass filtered signal over the range of frequencies resolved by the velocity field measurements. Scaled power spectra of the pressure at a single point compare favorably to the DNS results and those available from literature. Finally, the coherence of surface pressure fluctuations and the resulting span- and streamwise coherence lengths are estimated and compared to semi-empirical models and DNS results.

  12. Misperceiving Bullshit as Profound Is Associated with Favorable Views of Cruz, Rubio, Trump and Conservatism.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stefan Pfattheicher

    Full Text Available The present research investigates the associations between holding favorable views of potential Democratic or Republican candidates for the US presidency 2016 and seeing profoundness in bullshit statements. In this contribution, bullshit is used as a technical term which is defined as communicative expression that lacks content, logic, or truth from the perspective of natural science. We used the Bullshit Receptivity scale (BSR to measure seeing profoundness in bullshit statements. The BSR scale contains statements that have a correct syntactic structure and seem to be sound and meaningful on first reading but are actually vacuous. Participants (N = 196; obtained via Amazon Mechanical Turk rated the profoundness of bullshit statements (using the BSR and provided favorability ratings of three Democratic (Hillary Clinton, Martin O'Malley, and Bernie Sanders and three Republican candidates for US president (Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, and Donald Trump. Participants also completed a measure of political liberalism/conservatism. Results revealed that favorable views of all three Republican candidates were positively related to judging bullshit statements as profound. The smallest correlation was found for Donald Trump. Although we observe a positive association between bullshit and support for the three Democrat candidates, this relationship is both substantively small and statistically insignificant. The general measure of political liberalism/conservatism was also related to judging bullshit statements as profound in that individuals who were more politically conservative had a higher tendency to see profoundness in bullshit statements. Of note, these results were not due to a general tendency among conservatives to see profoundness in everything: Favorable views of Republican candidates and conservatism were not significantly related to profoundness ratings of mundane statements. In contrast, this was the case for Hillary Clinton and Martin O

  13. Misperceiving Bullshit as Profound Is Associated with Favorable Views of Cruz, Rubio, Trump and Conservatism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pfattheicher, Stefan; Schindler, Simon

    2016-01-01

    The present research investigates the associations between holding favorable views of potential Democratic or Republican candidates for the US presidency 2016 and seeing profoundness in bullshit statements. In this contribution, bullshit is used as a technical term which is defined as communicative expression that lacks content, logic, or truth from the perspective of natural science. We used the Bullshit Receptivity scale (BSR) to measure seeing profoundness in bullshit statements. The BSR scale contains statements that have a correct syntactic structure and seem to be sound and meaningful on first reading but are actually vacuous. Participants (N = 196; obtained via Amazon Mechanical Turk) rated the profoundness of bullshit statements (using the BSR) and provided favorability ratings of three Democratic (Hillary Clinton, Martin O'Malley, and Bernie Sanders) and three Republican candidates for US president (Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, and Donald Trump). Participants also completed a measure of political liberalism/conservatism. Results revealed that favorable views of all three Republican candidates were positively related to judging bullshit statements as profound. The smallest correlation was found for Donald Trump. Although we observe a positive association between bullshit and support for the three Democrat candidates, this relationship is both substantively small and statistically insignificant. The general measure of political liberalism/conservatism was also related to judging bullshit statements as profound in that individuals who were more politically conservative had a higher tendency to see profoundness in bullshit statements. Of note, these results were not due to a general tendency among conservatives to see profoundness in everything: Favorable views of Republican candidates and conservatism were not significantly related to profoundness ratings of mundane statements. In contrast, this was the case for Hillary Clinton and Martin O'Malley. Overall, small

  14. Raman spectra of MgB2 at high pressure and topological electronic transition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Meletov, K.P.; Kulakov, M.P.; Kolesnikov, N.N.; Arvanitidis, J.; Kourouklis, G.A.

    2002-01-01

    Raman spectra of the MgB 2 ceramic samples were measured as a function of pressure up to 32 GPa at room temperature. The spectrum at normal conditions contains a very broad peak at ∼ 590 cm -1 related to the E 2g phonon mode. The frequency of this mode exhibits a strong linear dependence in the pressure region from 5 to 18 GPa, whereas beyond this region the slope of the pressure-induced frequency shift is reduced by about a factor of two. The pressure dependence of the phonon mode up to ∼ 5 GPa exhibits a change in the slope as well as a hysteresis effect in the frequency vs. pressure behavior. These singularities in the E 2g mode behavior under pressure support the suggestion that MgB 2 may undergo a pressure-induced topological electronic transition [ru

  15. How did the Turkish Industry Respond to Increased Competitive Pressures, 1998-2007?

    OpenAIRE

    Gokhan Yilmaz; Rauf Gonenc

    2008-01-01

    This study examines how Turkish manufacturing industry responded to increased competitive pressures that it has faced over the past decade. Pressures arose both from growing trade competition from low-cost countries which have similar trade specialisation patterns to Turkey’s, and from strong trend real currency appreciation that Turkey has experienced during this period. In response, Turkish manufacturers increased their productivity, differentiated products, moderated wage growth and drew o...

  16. Pressure measurements of TO-phonon anharmonicity in isotopic ZnS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tallman, R.E.; Weinstein, B.A. [SUNY at Buffalo, Department of Physics, Buffalo, NY 14260 (United States); Ritter, T.M. [Dept. of Chemistry and Physics, UNC Pembroke, NC 28372 (United States); Cantarero, A. [Dept. of Physics and Institute of Materials Science, University of Valencia (Spain); Serrano, J.; Lauck, R.; Cardona, M. [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Festkoerperforschung, 70569 Stuttgart (Germany)

    2004-03-01

    We have measured the dependence on pressure of the line-widths of the TO and LO Raman phonons of {beta}-ZnS. In order to enhance the phenomena observed, and to eliminate possible effects of isotopic disorder, we have measured a nearly isotopically pure crystal, {sup 68}Zn{sup 32}S. The strongly structured pressure effects observed are interpreted on the basis of anharmonic decay and the corresponding two-phonon density of states. (copyright 2004 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

  17. Computational Fluid Dynamics Analysis of High Injection Pressure Blended Biodiesel

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khalid, Amir; Jaat, Norrizam; Faisal Hushim, Mohd; Manshoor, Bukhari; Zaman, Izzuddin; Sapit, Azwan; Razali, Azahari

    2017-08-01

    Biodiesel have great potential for substitution with petrol fuel for the purpose of achieving clean energy production and emission reduction. Among the methods that can control the combustion properties, controlling of the fuel injection conditions is one of the successful methods. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of high injection pressure of biodiesel blends on spray characteristics using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). Injection pressure was observed at 220 MPa, 250 MPa and 280 MPa. The ambient temperature was kept held at 1050 K and ambient pressure 8 MPa in order to simulate the effect of boost pressure or turbo charger during combustion process. Computational Fluid Dynamics were used to investigate the spray characteristics of biodiesel blends such as spray penetration length, spray angle and mixture formation of fuel-air mixing. The results shows that increases of injection pressure, wider spray angle is produced by biodiesel blends and diesel fuel. The injection pressure strongly affects the mixture formation, characteristics of fuel spray, longer spray penetration length thus promotes the fuel and air mixing.

  18. Effect of pressure fluctuations on Richtmyer-Meshkov coherent structures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhowmick, Aklant K.; Abarzhi, Snezhana

    2016-11-01

    We investigate the formation and evolution of Richtmyer Meshkov bubbles after the passage of a shock wave across a two fluid interface in the presence of pressure fluctuations. The fluids are ideal and incompressible and the pressure fluctuations are scale invariant in space and time, and are modeled by a power law time dependent acceleration field with exponent -2. Solutions indicate sensitivity to pressure fluctuations. In the linear regime, the growth of curvature and bubble velocity is linear. The growth rate is dominated by the initial velocity for weak pressure fluctuations, and by the acceleration term for strong pressure fluctuations. In the non-linear regime, the bubble curvature is constant and the solutions form a one parameter family (parametrized by the bubble curvature). The solutions are shown to be convergent and asymptotically stable. The physical solution (stable fastest growing) is a flat bubble for small pressure fluctuations and a curved bubble for large pressure fluctuations. The velocity field (in the frame of references accounting for the background motion) involves intense motion of the fluids in a vicinity of the interface, effectively no motion of the fluids away from the interfaces, and formation of vortical structures at the interface. The work is supported by the US National Science Foundation.

  19. Decomposition of silicon carbide at high pressures and temperatures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Daviau, Kierstin; Lee, Kanani K. M.

    2017-11-01

    We measure the onset of decomposition of silicon carbide, SiC, to silicon and carbon (e.g., diamond) at high pressures and high temperatures in a laser-heated diamond-anvil cell. We identify decomposition through x-ray diffraction and multiwavelength imaging radiometry coupled with electron microscopy analyses on quenched samples. We find that B3 SiC (also known as 3C or zinc blende SiC) decomposes at high pressures and high temperatures, following a phase boundary with a negative slope. The high-pressure decomposition temperatures measured are considerably lower than those at ambient, with our measurements indicating that SiC begins to decompose at ~ 2000 K at 60 GPa as compared to ~ 2800 K at ambient pressure. Once B3 SiC transitions to the high-pressure B1 (rocksalt) structure, we no longer observe decomposition, despite heating to temperatures in excess of ~ 3200 K. The temperature of decomposition and the nature of the decomposition phase boundary appear to be strongly influenced by the pressure-induced phase transitions to higher-density structures in SiC, silicon, and carbon. The decomposition of SiC at high pressure and temperature has implications for the stability of naturally forming moissanite on Earth and in carbon-rich exoplanets.

  20. Recurrent DGCR8, DROSHA, and SIX Homeodomain Mutations in Favorable Histology Wilms Tumors

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    A.L. Walz (Amy L.); A.H.A.G. Ooms (Ariadne ); S. Gadd (Samantha); D.S. Gerhard (Daniela S.); M.A. Smith (Malcolm A.); J.M. GuidryAuvil (Jamie M.); D. Meerzaman (Daoud); Q.-R. Chen (Qing-Rong); C. Hsu (ChihHao); C. Yan (Chunhua); C. Nguyen (Cu); Y. Hu (Ying); R. Bowlby (Reanne); D. Brooks (Denise); Y. Ma (Yussanne); A.A. Mungall (Andrew J.); R.A. Moore (Richard A.); J. Schein (Jacqueline); M.A. Marra (Marco A.); V. Huff (Vicki); J.S. Dome (Jeffrey); Y.-Y. Chi (Yueh-Yun); C.G. Mullighan (Charles); J. Ma (Jing); D.A. Wheeler (David A.); O.A. Hampton (Oliver A.); N. Jafari (Nadereh); N. Ross (Nicole); J.M. Gastier-Foster (Julie); E.J. Perlman (Elizabeth J.)

    2015-01-01

    textabstractWe report the most common single-nucleotide substitution/deletion mutations in favorable histology Wilms tumors (FHWTs) to occur within SIX1/. 2 (7% of 534 tumors) and microRNA processing genes (miRNAPGs) DGCR8 and DROSHA (15% of 534 tumors). Comprehensive analysis of 77 FHWTs indicates

  1. Initial design for an experimental investigation of strongly coupled plasma behavior in the Atlas facility

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Munson, C.P.; Benage, J.F. Jr.; Taylor, A.J.; Trainor, R.J. Jr.; Wood, B.P.; Wysocki, F.J.

    1999-07-01

    Atlas is a high current ({approximately} 30 MA peak, with a current risetime {approximately} 4.5 {micro}sec), high energy (E{sub stored} = 24 MJ, E{sub load} = 3--6 MJ), pulsed power facility which is being constructed at Los Alamos National Laboratory with a scheduled completion date in the year 2000. When operational, this facility will provide a platform for experiments in high pressure shocks (> 20 Mbar), adiabatic compression ({rho}/{rho}{sub 0} > 5, P > 10 Mbar), high magnetic fields ({approximately} 2,000 T), high strain and strain rates ({var_epsilon} > 200%, d{var_epsilon}/dt {approximately} 10{sup 4} to 10{sup 6} s{sup {minus}1}), hydrodynamic instabilities of materials in turbulent regimes, magnetized target fusion, equation of state, and strongly coupled plasmas. For the strongly coupled plasma experiments, an auxiliary capacitor bank will be used to generate a moderate density (< 0.1 solid), relatively cold ({approximately} 1 eV) plasma by ohmic heating of a conducting material of interest such as titanium. This stargate plasma will be compressed against a central column containing diagnostic instrumentation by a cylindrical conducting liner that is driven radially inward by current from the main Atlas capacitor bank. The plasma is predicted to reach densities of {approximately} 1.1 times solid, achieve ion and electron temperatures of {approximately} 10 eV, and pressures of {approximately} 4--5 Mbar. This is a density/temperature regime which is expected to experience strong coupling, but only partial degeneracy. X-ray radiography is planned for measurements of the material density at discrete times during the experiments; diamond Raman measurements are anticipated for determination of the pressure. In addition, a neutron resonance spectroscopic technique is being evaluated for possible determination of the temperature (through low percentage doping of the titanium with a suitable resonant material). Initial target plasma formation experiments are

  2. Initial design for an experimental investigation of strongly coupled plasma behavior in the Atlas facility

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Munson, C.P.; Benage, J.F. Jr.; Taylor, A.J.; Trainor, R.J. Jr.; Wood, B.P.; Wysocki, F.J.

    1999-01-01

    Atlas is a high current (approximately 30 MA peak, with a current risetime approximately 4.5 microsec), high energy (E stored = 24 MJ, E load = 3--6 MJ), pulsed power facility which is being constructed at Los Alamos National Laboratory with a scheduled completion date in the year 2000. When operational, this facility will provide a platform for experiments in high pressure shocks (> 20 Mbar), adiabatic compression (ρ/ρ 0 > 5, P > 10 Mbar), high magnetic fields (approximately 2,000 T), high strain and strain rates (var e psilon > 200%, dvar e psilon/dt approximately 10 4 to 10 6 s -1 ), hydrodynamic instabilities of materials in turbulent regimes, magnetized target fusion, equation of state, and strongly coupled plasmas. For the strongly coupled plasma experiments, an auxiliary capacitor bank will be used to generate a moderate density (< 0.1 solid), relatively cold (approximately 1 eV) plasma by ohmic heating of a conducting material of interest such as titanium. This stargate plasma will be compressed against a central column containing diagnostic instrumentation by a cylindrical conducting liner that is driven radially inward by current from the main Atlas capacitor bank. The plasma is predicted to reach densities of approximately 1.1 times solid, achieve ion and electron temperatures of approximately 10 eV, and pressures of approximately 4--5 Mbar. This is a density/temperature regime which is expected to experience strong coupling, but only partial degeneracy. X-ray radiography is planned for measurements of the material density at discrete times during the experiments; diamond Raman measurements are anticipated for determination of the pressure. In addition, a neutron resonance spectroscopic technique is being evaluated for possible determination of the temperature (through low percentage doping of the titanium with a suitable resonant material). Initial target plasma formation experiments are being planned on an existing pulsed power facility at LANL and

  3. Identification of yellow luminescence centers in Be-doped GaN through pressure-dependent studies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Teisseyre, Henryk; Lyons, John L.; Kaminska, Agata; Jankowski, Dawid; Jarosz, Dawid; Boćkowski, Michał; Suchocki, Andrzej; Van de Walle, Chris G.

    2017-06-01

    Effective acceptor doping of wide-band-gap semiconductors is still an outstanding problem. Beryllium has been suggested as a shallow acceptor in GaN, but despite sporadic announcements, Be-induced p-type doping has never been practically realized. Be-doped GaN possesses two luminescence bands; one at 3.38 eV and a second near 2.2 eV at an energy close to that of the parasitic yellow luminescence often found in undoped GaN crystals. We have performed high hydrostatic pressure studies of bulk, Be-doped gallium nitride crystals using the diamond anvil cell technique. We observed a splitting of the yellow luminescence line under hydrostatic pressure into two components, one which is strongly dependent on applied pressure and another whose pressure dependence is more modest. Together with hybrid functional calculations, we attribute the strongly-varying component to the beryllium-oxygen complex. The second component of the yellow luminescence possesses very similar pressure behavior to the yellow luminescence observed in undoped samples grown by the same method, behavior which we find consistent with the CN acceptor. At higher pressure, we observe the vanishing of yellow luminescence and a rapid increase in luminescence intensity of the UV line. We explain this as the pressure-induced transformation of the Be-O complex from a highly localized state with large lattice relaxation to a delocalized state with limited lattice relaxation.

  4. Favorable cardio-metabolic outcomes following high carbohydrate intake in accordance with the Daniel Fast: A review of available findings

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Richard Bloomer

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available The Daniel Fast is a biblically inspired dietary program rich in carbohydrate, most closely resembling a vegan diet but with additional restrictions, including the elimination of processed foods, white flour products, preservatives, additives, sweeteners, caffeine, and alcohol. While no specific requirements are placed on the ingestion of specific percentages of macronutrients, the mean daily carbohydrate intake is by default approximately 60%, while protein and fat intake are 15% and 25%, respectively. Despite a relatively high carbohydrate intake, multiple favorable cardio-metabolic effects are noted when following the plan, in as few as three weeks. This includes improvements in HOMA-IR, which may be at least in part due to the lower glycemic load and high dietary fiber content of the foods consumed. Other notable changes include reductions in systemic inflammation, total and LDL-cholesterol, oxidative stress, blood pressure, and body weight/body fat. Short and moderate-term compliance to the program is excellent-better than most dietary programs, perhaps due to the ad libitum nature of this plan. This paper presents an overview of the Daniel Fast, a carbohydrate-rich dietary program, including relevant findings from both human and animal investigations using this dietary model.

  5. Strong-back safety latch

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    DeSantis, G.N.

    1995-01-01

    The calculation decides the integrity of the safety latch that will hold the strong-back to the pump during lifting. The safety latch will be welded to the strong-back and will latch to a 1.5-in. dia cantilever rod welded to the pump baseplate. The static and dynamic analysis shows that the safety latch will hold the strong-back to the pump if the friction clamps fail and the pump become free from the strong-back. Thus, the safety latch will meet the requirements of the Lifting and Rigging Manual for under the hook lifting for static loading; it can withstand shock loads from the strong-back falling 0.25 inch

  6. How light-harvesting semiconductors can alter the bias of reversible electrocatalysts in favor of H2 production and CO2 reduction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bachmeier, Andreas; Wang, Vincent C C; Woolerton, Thomas W; Bell, Sophie; Fontecilla-Camps, Juan C; Can, Mehmet; Ragsdale, Stephen W; Chaudhary, Yatendra S; Armstrong, Fraser A

    2013-10-09

    The most efficient catalysts for solar fuel production should operate close to reversible potentials, yet possess a bias for the fuel-forming direction. Protein film electrochemical studies of Ni-containing carbon monoxide dehydrogenase and [NiFeSe]-hydrogenase, each a reversible electrocatalyst, show that the electronic state of the electrode strongly biases the direction of electrocatalysis of CO2/CO and H(+)/H2 interconversions. Attached to graphite electrodes, these enzymes show high activities for both oxidation and reduction, but there is a marked shift in bias, in favor of CO2 or H(+) reduction, when the respective enzymes are attached instead to n-type semiconductor electrodes constructed from CdS and TiO2 nanoparticles. This catalytic rectification effect can arise for a reversible electrocatalyst attached to a semiconductor electrode if the electrode transforms between semiconductor- and metallic-like behavior across the same narrow potential range (<0.25 V) that the electrocatalytic current switches between oxidation and reduction.

  7. Evidence for photo-induced monoclinic metallic VO2 under high pressure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hsieh, Wen-Pin; Mao, Wendy L.; Trigo, Mariano; Reis, David A.; Andrea Artioli, Gianluca; Malavasi, Lorenzo

    2014-01-01

    We combine ultrafast pump-probe spectroscopy with a diamond-anvil cell to decouple the insulator-metal electronic transition from the lattice symmetry changing structural transition in the archetypal strongly correlated material vanadium dioxide. Coherent phonon spectroscopy enables tracking of the photo-excited phonon vibrational frequencies of the low temperature, monoclinic (M 1 )-insulating phase that transforms into the metallic, tetragonal rutile structured phase at high temperature or via non-thermal photo-excitations. We find that in contrast with ambient pressure experiments where strong photo-excitation promptly induces the electronic transition along with changes in the lattice symmetry, at high pressure, the coherent phonons of the monoclinic (M 1 ) phase are still clearly observed upon the photo-driven phase transition to a metallic state. These results demonstrate the possibility of synthesizing and studying transient phases under extreme conditions

  8. 45 CFR 73.735-503 - Criminal provisions relating to gifts, entertainment, and favors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... insurance, profit-sharing, stock bonus or other employee welfare or benefit plan maintained by a former... 45 Public Welfare 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Criminal provisions relating to gifts, entertainment, and favors. 73.735-503 Section 73.735-503 Public Welfare DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES...

  9. Theoretical and experimental investigations into the filtration of the atmosphere within the containments of pressurized water reactors after serious reactor accidents

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dillmann, H.G.; Pasler, H.

    1981-01-01

    For serious accidents in nuclear power stations equipped with pressurized water reactors and with boundary conditions assumed, a conservative evaluation was made of the condition of the atmosphere within the reactor containment, particularly referring to pressure, temperature, air humidity and activity release. Based on these data the loads were calculated of accident filter systems of different designs as a function of parameters such as the course of releases and the volume flow through the filter systems. A number of experimental results are indicated on the behaviour of iodine sorption materials under extreme conditions including the least favorable temperature, humidity and pressure derived from the calculations above. Reference is made to the targets of future R and D work on aerosol removal

  10. Temperature-independent fiber-Bragg-grating-based atmospheric pressure sensor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Zhiguo; Shen, Chunyan; Li, Luming

    2018-03-01

    Atmospheric pressure is an important way to achieve a high degree of measurement for modern aircrafts, moreover, it is also an indispensable parameter in the meteorological telemetry system. With the development of society, people are increasingly concerned about the weather. Accurate and convenient atmospheric pressure parameters can provide strong support for meteorological analysis. However, electronic atmospheric pressure sensors currently in application suffer from several shortcomings. After an analysis and discussion, we propose an innovative structural design, in which a vacuum membrane box and a temperature-independent strain sensor based on an equal strength cantilever beam structure and fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors are used. We provide experimental verification of that the atmospheric pressure sensor device has the characteristics of a simple structure, lack of an external power supply, automatic temperature compensation, and high sensitivity. The sensor system has good sensitivity, which can be up to 100 nm/MPa, and repeatability. In addition, the device exhibits desired hysteresis.

  11. Phase Field Theory and Analysis of Pressure-Shear Induced Amorphization and Failure in Boron Carbide Ceramic

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    John D. Clayton

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available A nonlinear continuum phase field theory is developed to describe amorphization of crystalline elastic solids under shear and/or pressure loading. An order parameter describes the local degree of crystallinity. Elastic coefficients can depend on the order parameter, inelastic volume change may accompany the transition from crystal to amorphous phase, and transitional regions parallel to bands of amorphous material are penalized by interfacial surface energy. Analytical and simple numerical solutions are obtained for an idealized isotropic version of the general theory, for an element of material subjected to compressive and/or shear loading. Solutions compare favorably with experimental evidence and atomic simulations of amorphization in boron carbide, demonstrating the tendency for structural collapse and strength loss with increasing shear deformation and superposed pressure.

  12. Is the area under blood pressure curve the best parameter to evaluate 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring data?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nobre, Fernando; Mion, Décio

    2005-10-01

    Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) provides relevant data about blood pressure over a 24-h period. The analysis of parameters to determine the blood pressure profile from these data is of great importance. To calculate areas under systolic and diastolic blood pressure curves (SBP-AUC/DBP-AUC) and compare with systolic and diastolic blood pressure load (SBPL/DBPL) and 24-h systolic and diastolic blood pressure (24-h SBP/24-h DBP) in order to determine which provides the best correlation with left ventricular mass index (LVMI). ABPM measurements (1143 individuals) were analyzed to obtain 24-h SBP/24-h DBP, SBPL/DBPL, and SBP-AUC/ DBP-AUC, using Spacelabs (90207) and CardioSistemas devices. Left ventricular mass was determined using an echocardiograph HP Sonos 5500 and LVMI was calculated. The correlations between all possible pairs within the group 24-h SBP/SBPL/SBP-AUC and 24-h DBP/DBPL/DBP-AUC were high and statistically significant. The correlations between 24-h SBP/24-h DBP and SBP-AUC/DBP-AUC with SBPL/DBPL close to 100%, were lower than those mentioned above. The correlations of the parameters obtained by ABPM with LVMI were also high and statistically significant, except for blood pressure load between 90 and 100%, and for 24-h SBP of 135 mmHg or less and SBPL higher than 50%. SBPL/DBPL and SBP-AUC/DBP-AUC can be used for the evaluation of ABPM data owing to the strong correlation with 24-h SBP/24-h DBP and with LVMI, except when SBPL is close to 100% or 24-h SBP is below 135 mmHg but SBPL is above 50%. SBP-AUC/DBP-AUC, however, are a better alternative because they do not have the limitations of blood pressure load or even of 24-h blood pressure present.

  13. Pressure-dependent shallow donor binding energy in InGaN/GaN square QWWs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ghazi, Haddou El; Jorio, Anouar; Zorkani, Izeddine

    2013-01-01

    Using a variational approach, we perform a theoretical study of hydrostatic pressure effect on the ground-state of axial hydrogenic shallow-donor impurity binding energy in InGaN/GaN square quantum well wire (SQWWs) as a function of the side length within the effective-mass scheme and finite potential barrier. The pressure dependence of wire length, effective mass, dielectric constant and potential barrier are taken into account. Numerical results show that: (i) the binding energy is strongly affected by the wire length and the external applied pressure and (ii) its maximum moves to the narrow wire in particular for height pressure.

  14. Experimental observation of strong coupling effects on the dispersion of dust acoustic waves in a plasma

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bandyopadhyay, P. [Institute for Plasma Research, Bhat, Gandhinagar 382428 (India)], E-mail: pintu@ipr.res.in; Prasad, G.; Sen, A.; Kaw, P.K. [Institute for Plasma Research, Bhat, Gandhinagar 382428 (India)

    2007-09-03

    The dispersion properties of low frequency dust acoustic waves in the strong coupling regime are investigated experimentally in an argon plasma embedded with a mixture of kaolin and MnO{sub 2} dust particles. The neutral pressure is varied over a wide range to change the collisional properties of the dusty plasma. In the low collisional regime the turnover of the dispersion curve at higher wave numbers and the resultant region of {partial_derivative}{omega}/{partial_derivative}k<0 are identified as signatures of dust-dust correlations. In the high collisional regime dust neutral collisions produce a similar effect and prevent an unambiguous identification of strong coupling effects.

  15. Experimental observation of strong coupling effects on the dispersion of dust acoustic waves in a plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bandyopadhyay, P.; Prasad, G.; Sen, A.; Kaw, P.K.

    2007-01-01

    The dispersion properties of low frequency dust acoustic waves in the strong coupling regime are investigated experimentally in an argon plasma embedded with a mixture of kaolin and MnO 2 dust particles. The neutral pressure is varied over a wide range to change the collisional properties of the dusty plasma. In the low collisional regime the turnover of the dispersion curve at higher wave numbers and the resultant region of ∂ω/∂k<0 are identified as signatures of dust-dust correlations. In the high collisional regime dust neutral collisions produce a similar effect and prevent an unambiguous identification of strong coupling effects

  16. Experimental observation of strong coupling effects on the dispersion of dust acoustic waves in a plasma

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bandyopadhyay, P.; Prasad, G.; Sen, A.; Kaw, P. K.

    2007-09-01

    The dispersion properties of low frequency dust acoustic waves in the strong coupling regime are investigated experimentally in an argon plasma embedded with a mixture of kaolin and MnO2 dust particles. The neutral pressure is varied over a wide range to change the collisional properties of the dusty plasma. In the low collisional regime the turnover of the dispersion curve at higher wave numbers and the resultant region of ∂ω/∂k<0 are identified as signatures of dust dust correlations. In the high collisional regime dust neutral collisions produce a similar effect and prevent an unambiguous identification of strong coupling effects.

  17. Soluble and immobilized catalase. Effect of pressure and inhibition on kinetics and deactivation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vasudevan, P T; Thakur, D S

    1994-12-01

    This article examines the effect of pressure on the steady-state kinetics and long-term deactivation of the enzyme catalase supported on porous alumina. The reaction studied is the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide. The results of studies carried out in a continuous stirred-tank reactor under isothermal conditions are presented and compared with results obtained for soluble catalase. For soluble catalase, it is found that in the range of pressures studied, the oxygen flow rate increases with increase in pressure up to a certain value and then decreases. Hydrogen peroxide concentration appears to have a strong influence on pressure effects. With immobilized catalase, the pressure effects are not as prominent. Fluorescent microscopy studies of the immobilized enzyme suggest that this is probably because of pore diffusional limitations.

  18. The influence of defects on the transport properties of AgSbPb18Te20 prepared at high pressure and high temperature

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Yi; Zhu Pinwen; Jiao Hujun; Chen Haiyong; Ma Yanming; Niu Yingli; Li Yingai; Zhang Lijun; Zhang Tiechen; Gao Chunxiao; Zou Guangtian

    2007-01-01

    We synthesized polycrystal AgSbPb 18 Te 20 by using the method of high pressure and high temperature, and found that the defects produced by high pressure and high temperature caused the changes of transport properties. X-ray diffraction patterns showed that the cell parameters did not change obviously with synthesis at high pressure, apart from a small fluctuation. The electrical resistivity first increased, and then decreased to one quarter of the original value, as the synthesis pressure changed from low to high. The Seebeck coefficient decreased with the increase of synthesis pressure, and then changed from positive to negative. High pressure and high temperature could cause AgSbPb 18 Te 20 to change from a p-type to n-type semiconductor, increase the carrier concentration at maximum by two orders of magnitude, and shift the infrared absorption edge to a higher energy range. All of these phenomena were regarded as showing that high pressure and high temperature favored the formation of certain defects which could change the band structure and thereby change the transport properties

  19. Preliminary study of favorability for uranium of the Sangre de Cristo Formation in the Las Vegas basin, northeastern New Mexico

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    May, R.T.; Strand, J.R.; Reid, B.E.; Phillips, W.R.

    1977-12-01

    Uranium favorability of the Sangre de Cristo Formation (Pennsylvanian-Permian) in the Las Vegas basin has been evaluated. The Las Vegas basin project area, located in Colfax, Mora, and San Miguel Counties, New Mexico, comprises about 3,489 sq mi. The formation contains sedimentologic and stratigraphic characteristics that are considered favorable for uranium deposition. Field investigations consisted of section measuring, rock sampling, and ground radiometric reconnaissance. North-south and east-west cross sections of the basin were prepared from well logs and measured sections. Petrographic, chemical, and spectrographic analyses were conducted on selected samples. Stratigraphic and sedimentologic information were used to determine depositional environments. The most favorable potential host rocks include red to pink, coarse-grained, poorly sorted, feldspathic to arkosic lenticular sandstones with stacked sandstone thicknesses of more than 20 ft and sandstone-to-shale ratios between 1:1 and 2:1. The sandstone is interbedded with mudstone and contains carbonaceous debris and anomalous concentrations of uranium locally. Areas of maximum favorability are found in a braided-stream, alluvial-plain depositional environment in the north-central part of the Las Vegas basin. There, carbonaceous material is well preserved, probably due to rapid subsidence and burial. Furthermore, uranium favorability is highest in the lower half of the formation because carbonaceous wood and plant fragments, as well as known uranium deposits, are concentrated in this zone. Piedmont deposits in the north and east, and meander-belt, alluvial-plain deposits in the south, are not considered favorable because of the paucity of uranium deposits and a minimum of carbonaceous material

  20. Generation and maintenance of low effective pressures due to fluid flow in fractured rocks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garagash, D.; Brantut, N.; Schubnel, A.; Bhat, H. S.

    2017-12-01

    The pore fluid pressure is expected to increase with increasing depth in the crust, primarily due to gravity forces. Because direct measurements are impossible beyond a few kilometers depths, the pore pressure gradient is often assumed to be linear (e.g., hydrostatic). However, a number of processes can severely modify the fluid pressure distribution in the crust. Here, we investigate the effect of fluid flow coupled to nonlinear permeability-effective pressure relationship. We performed a set of laboratory fluid flow experiments on thermally cracked Westerly granite at confining pressures up to 200 MPa and pore fluid pressures up to 120 MPa. Fluid flow was generated by imposing very strong pore pressure differences, up to 120 MPa, between the ends of the sample. The vertical fluid pressure distribution inside the sample was inferred by a set of 8 radial strain gauges, and an array of 10 P- and S-wave transducers. When the effective stress is kept near zero at one end of the sample and maintained high at the other end, the steady-state pore pressure profile is nonlinear. The effective stress, as inferred from the strain gauge array, remains close to zero through 2/3 of the sample, and increases sharply near the drained end of the sample. The ultrasonic data are used to build a vertical P- and S-wave velocity structure. The wave velocity profiles are consistent with a nonlinear relationship between wave velocity and effective pressure, as expected in thermally cracked granite. Taken together, our experimental data confirm the theoretical prediction that near zero effective stress can be generated through significant sections of rocks as a response to an imposed fluid flow. This has strong implications for the state of stress of the Earth's crust, especially around major continental transform faults that act as conduits for deep volatiles.

  1. Exchange Market Pressure on the Croatian Kuna

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Srđan Tatomir

    2009-06-01

    Full Text Available Currency crises exert strong pressure on currencies often causing costly economic adjustment. A measure of exchange market pressure (EMP gauges the severity of such tensions. Measuring EMP is important for monetary authorities that manage exchange rates. It is also relevant in academic research that studies currency crises. A precise EMP measure is therefore important and this paper reexamines the measurement of EMP on the Croatian kuna. It improves it by considering intervention data and thresholds that account for the EMP distribution. It also tests the robustness of weights. A discussion of the results demonstrates a modest improvement over the previous measure and concludes that the new EMP on the Croatian kuna should be used in future research.

  2. Pressure-dependent refractive indices of gases by THz time-domain spectroscopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sang, Bark Hyeon; Jeon, Tea-In

    2016-12-12

    Noncontact terahertz time-domain spectroscopy was employed to measure pressure-dependent refractive indices of gases such as helium (He), argon (Ar), krypton (Kr), oxygen (O2), nitrogen (N2), methane (CH4), and carbon dioxide (CO2). The refractive indices of these gases scaled linearly with pressure, for pressures in the 55-3,750 torr range. At the highest pressure, the refractive indices ((n-1) x 106) of He and CO2 were 170 and 2,390, respectively. The refractive index of CO2 was 14.1-fold higher than that of He, owing to the stronger polarizability of CO2. Although the studied gases differed in terms of their molecular structure, their refractive indices were strongly determined by polarizability. The measured refractive indices agreed well with the theoretical calculations.

  3. Electrical resistivity and thermopower of ErCo3 under hydrostatic pressure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nakama, T; Niki, H; Nakamura, D; Takaesu, Y; Hedo, M; Yagasaki, K; Uchima, K; Gratz, E; Burkov, A T

    2009-01-01

    The magnetic state of the Co 3d-electron subsystem of RCo 3 compounds (R=rare-earth elements) with the rhombohedral PuNi 3 -type structure strongly depends on external parameters. In order to clarify the effect of pressure on the magnetic state of the itinerant Co 3d-electrons, we have measured the electrical resistivity and thermopower at temperatures from 2 K to 300 K under hydrostatic pressures up to 2 GPa. Both, ρ and S show anomalies at critical temperature of metamagnetic transition T m . With increasing pressure T m , determined from the temperature-dependent resistivity and thermopower, decreases and apparently vanishes at P ∼ 0.7 GPa. The electrical resistivity and thermopower at low temperatures show abrupt changes at P ∼ 0.7 GPa, indicating a pressure-induced phase transition.

  4. Spectral element modelling of seismic wave propagation in visco-elastoplastic media including excess-pore pressure development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oral, Elif; Gélis, Céline; Bonilla, Luis Fabián; Delavaud, Elise

    2017-12-01

    Numerical modelling of seismic wave propagation, considering soil nonlinearity, has become a major topic in seismic hazard studies when strong shaking is involved under particular soil conditions. Indeed, when strong ground motion propagates in saturated soils, pore pressure is another important parameter to take into account when successive phases of contractive and dilatant soil behaviour are expected. Here, we model 1-D seismic wave propagation in linear and nonlinear media using the spectral element numerical method. The study uses a three-component (3C) nonlinear rheology and includes pore-pressure excess. The 1-D-3C model is used to study the 1987 Superstition Hills earthquake (ML 6.6), which was recorded at the Wildlife Refuge Liquefaction Array, USA. The data of this event present strong soil nonlinearity involving pore-pressure effects. The ground motion is numerically modelled for different assumptions on soil rheology and input motion (1C versus 3C), using the recorded borehole signals as input motion. The computed acceleration-time histories show low-frequency amplification and strong high-frequency damping due to the development of pore pressure in one of the soil layers. Furthermore, the soil is found to be more nonlinear and more dilatant under triaxial loading compared to the classical 1C analysis, and significant differences in surface displacements are observed between the 1C and 3C approaches. This study contributes to identify and understand the dominant phenomena occurring in superficial layers, depending on local soil properties and input motions, conditions relevant for site-specific studies.

  5. PPOOLEX experiments on dynamic loading with pressure feedback

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Puustinen, M.; Laine, J.; Raesaenen, A.

    2011-01-01

    This report summarizes the results of the dynamic loading experiments (DYN series) carried out with the scaled down, two compartment PPOOLEX test facility designed and constructed at LUT. Steam was blown into the dry well compartment and from there through the DN200 vertical blowdown pipe to the condensation pool filled with sub-cooled water. The main purpose of the experiments was to study dynamic loads caused by different condensation modes. Particularly, the effect of counterpressure on loads due to pressure oscillations induced by chugging was of interest. Before the experiments the condensation pool was filled with isothermal water so that the blowdown pipe outlet was submerged by 1.03-1.11 m. The initial temperature of the pool water varied from 11 deg. C to 63 deg. C, the steam flow rate from 290 g/s to 1220 g/s and the temperature of incoming steam from 132 deg. C to 182 deg. C. Non-condensables were pushed from the dry well into the gas space of the wet well with a short discharge of steam before the recorded period of the experiments. As a result of this procedure, the system pressure was at an elevated level in the beginning of the actual experiments. An increased counterpressure was used in the last experiment of the series. The diminishing effect of increased system pressure on chugging intensity and on measured loads is evident from the results of the last experiment. The highest pressure pulses both inside the blowdown pipe and in the condensation pool were about half of those measured with a lower system pressure but otherwise with similar test parameters. The experiments on dynamic loading gave expected results. The loads experienced by pool structures depended strongly on the steam mass flow rate, pool water temperature and system pressure. The DYN experiments indicated that chugging and condensation within the blowdown pipe cause significant dynamic loads in case of strongly sub-cooled pool water. The level of pool water temperature is decisive

  6. PPOOLEX experiments on dynamic loading with pressure feedback

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Puustinen, M.; Laine, J.; Raesaenen, A. (Lappeenranta Univ. of Technology, Nuclear Safety Research Unit (Finland))

    2011-01-15

    This report summarizes the results of the dynamic loading experiments (DYN series) carried out with the scaled down, two compartment PPOOLEX test facility designed and constructed at LUT. Steam was blown into the dry well compartment and from there through the DN200 vertical blowdown pipe to the condensation pool filled with sub-cooled water. The main purpose of the experiments was to study dynamic loads caused by different condensation modes. Particularly, the effect of counterpressure on loads due to pressure oscillations induced by chugging was of interest. Before the experiments the condensation pool was filled with isothermal water so that the blowdown pipe outlet was submerged by 1.03-1.11 m. The initial temperature of the pool water varied from 11 deg. C to 63 deg. C, the steam flow rate from 290 g/s to 1220 g/s and the temperature of incoming steam from 132 deg. C to 182 deg. C. Non-condensables were pushed from the dry well into the gas space of the wet well with a short discharge of steam before the recorded period of the experiments. As a result of this procedure, the system pressure was at an elevated level in the beginning of the actual experiments. An increased counterpressure was used in the last experiment of the series. The diminishing effect of increased system pressure on chugging intensity and on measured loads is evident from the results of the last experiment. The highest pressure pulses both inside the blowdown pipe and in the condensation pool were about half of those measured with a lower system pressure but otherwise with similar test parameters. The experiments on dynamic loading gave expected results. The loads experienced by pool structures depended strongly on the steam mass flow rate, pool water temperature and system pressure. The DYN experiments indicated that chugging and condensation within the blowdown pipe cause significant dynamic loads in case of strongly sub-cooled pool water. The level of pool water temperature is decisive

  7. Perceived unfairness at work, social and personal resources, and resting blood pressure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ford, Michael T

    2014-02-01

    By drawing from theoretical perspectives suggesting that unfair conditions threaten fundamental psychological needs, perceived unfairness at work was proposed and tested as a predictor of resting blood pressure. As part of the Midlife Development in the United States Biomarkers project, participants completed questionnaires measuring perceived unfairness, self-esteem and coworker support. Resting blood pressure readings were also recorded as part of a larger physical examination. Results indicate that perceived unfairness at work was associated with higher resting diastolic and systolic blood pressure. Perceived unfairness was most strongly related to diastolic and systolic blood pressure among women with low levels of coworker support. Contrary to predictions, self-esteem did not moderate the association between perceived unfairness and blood pressure. These results suggest that high blood pressure may be a mechanism linking unfairness to negative health outcomes and point to coworker support as a moderator of the perceived unfairness-blood pressure relationship among women. Further research is needed exploring the mediating mechanisms linking unfair treatment at work to blood pressure and health. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  8. Non-linear pressure/temperature-dependence of high pressure thermal inactivation of proteolytic Clostridium botulinum type B in foods.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maximilian B Maier

    Full Text Available The effect of high pressure thermal (HPT processing on the inactivation of spores of proteolytic type B Clostridium botulinum TMW 2.357 in four differently composed low-acid foods (green peas with ham, steamed sole, vegetable soup, braised veal was studied in an industrially feasible pressure range and temperatures between 100 and 120°C. Inactivation curves exhibited rapid inactivation during compression and decompression followed by strong tailing effects. The highest inactivation (approx. 6-log cycle reduction was obtained in braised veal at 600 MPa and 110°C after 300 s pressure-holding time. In general, inactivation curves exhibited similar negative exponential shapes, but maximum achievable inactivation levels were lower in foods with higher fat contents. At high treatment temperatures, spore inactivation was more effective at lower pressure levels (300 vs. 600 MPa, which indicates a non-linear pressure/temperature-dependence of the HPT spore inactivation efficiency. A comparison of spore inactivation levels achievable using HPT treatments versus a conventional heat sterilization treatment (121.1°C, 3 min illustrates the potential of combining high pressures and temperatures to replace conventional retorting with the possibility to reduce the process temperature or shorten the processing time. Finally, experiments using varying spore inoculation levels suggested the presence of a resistant fraction comprising approximately 0.01% of a spore population as reason for the pronounced tailing effects in survivor curves. The loss of the high resistance properties upon cultivation indicates that those differences develop during sporulation and are not linked to permanent modifications at the genetic level.

  9. Goddard rattler-jamming mechanism for quantifying pressure dependence of elastic moduli of grain packs

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pride, Steven R.; Berryman, James G.

    2009-01-05

    An analysis is presented to show how it is possible for unconsolidated granular packings to obey overall non-Hertzian pressure dependence due to the imperfect and random spatial arrangements of the grains in these packs. With imperfect arrangement, some gaps that remain between grains can be closed by strains applied to the grain packing. As these gaps are closed, former rattler grains become jammed and new stress-bearing contacts are created that increase the elastic stiffness of the packing. By allowing for such a mechanism, detailed analytical expressions are obtained for increases in bulk modulus of a random packing of grains with increasing stress and strain. Only isotropic stress and strain are considered in this analysis. The model is shown to give a favorable fit to laboratory data on variations in bulk modulus due to variations in applied pressure for bead packs.

  10. Radiation therapy for chest wall recurrence of breast cancer after mastectomy in a favorable subgroup of patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hsi, R. Alex; Antell, Andrew; Schultz, Delray J.; Solin, Lawrence J.

    1998-01-01

    Purpose: Long-term outcome after radiation therapy for local-regional recurrence of breast cancer after mastectomy is generally poor. This study was performed to evaluate the long-term outcome for a potentially favorable subgroup of patients with chest wall recurrence. Methods and Materials: Of 71 patients with an isolated local-regional recurrence of breast cancer after mastectomy, 18 were identified who met the following favorable selection criteria: 1) a disease-free interval after mastectomy of 2 years or more, 2) an isolated chest wall recurrence, and 3) tumor size < 3 cm or complete excision of the recurrent disease. All 18 patients were treated with local-regional irradiation between 1967 and 1988. Radiotherapy (RT) was delivered to the chest wall to a median total dose of 60 Gy (range 30-66 Gy). Four patients received adjuvant chemotherapy and six patients received adjuvant hormonal therapy. Results: With a median follow-up of 8.4 years, nine of 18 patients were alive and free of disease. The 10-year actuarial overall and cause-specific survivals were 72% and 77%, respectively. The 10-year actuarial relapse-free survival and local control were 42% and 86%, respectively. Conclusion: Treatment for a local-regional recurrence of breast cancer after mastectomy in a favorable subgroup of patients results in a high rate of long-term survival as well as excellent local control. Aggressive treatment is warranted in this favorable subgroup of patients. 1998 Elsevier Science Inc

  11. Structural distortion and electronic properties of NiO under high pressure: an ab initio GGA+U study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Weibing; Hu Yulin; Han Keli; Tang Biyu

    2006-01-01

    The structural distortion and electronic properties of NiO under high pressure are investigated by means of first-principles calculations within the density functional theory (DFT) in the generalized gradient approximation (GGA). The strong electronic correlations are also taken into account in the form of GGA+U. Recent experiments implied that previous local density approximation (LDA) calculations incorrectly predicted structural distortion under high pressure, especially above 60 GPa. The present results show that even GGA calculations do not give a proper description of structural distortion under high pressure, although much improved structural and bulk properties are obtained. When strong correlations are included, overall agreement of the structural distortions of NiO under high pressure is obtained. The lattice constants a and c as well as the axial ratio c/a are in good agreement with experiment over the entire experimental pressure range. The successful prediction of the structural distortion of GGA+U can be attributed to the reasonable description of nearest-neighbour magnetic exchange interactions. In addition, we also analyse the density of states under different pressures. Present results indicate that, with increasing pressure, the bandwidth increases and the bandgap transits from being a mixture of charge-transfer and Mott-Hubbard type towards solely Mott-Hubbard type

  12. Experimental Spectroscopic Studies of Carbon Monoxide (CO) Fluorescence at High Temperatures and Pressures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carrivain, Olivier; Orain, Mikael; Dorval, Nelly; Morin, Celine; Legros, Guillaume

    2017-10-01

    Two-photon excitation laser-induced fluorescence of carbon monoxide (CO-LIF) is investigated experimentally in order to determine the applicability of this technique for imaging CO concentration in aeronautical combustors. Experiments are carried out in a high temperature, high-pressure test cell, and in a laminar premixed CH 4 /air flame. Influence of temperature and pressure on CO-LIF spectra intensity and shape is reported. The experimental results show that as pressure increases, the CO-LIF excitation spectrum becomes asymmetric. Additionally, the spectrum strongly shifts to the red with a quadratic dependence of the collisional shift upon pressure, which is different from the classical behavior where the collisional shift is proportional to pressure. Moreover, pressure line broadening cannot be reproduced by a Lorenztian profile in the temperature range investigated here (300-1750 K) and, therefore, an alternative line shape is suggested.

  13. Energy exchange in strongly coupled plasmas with electron drift

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Akbari-Moghanjoughi, M.; Ghorbanalilu, M.

    2015-01-01

    In this paper, the generalized viscoelastic collisional quantum hydrodynamic model is employed in order to investigate the linear dielectric response of a quantum plasma in the presence of strong electron-beam plasma interactions. The generalized Chandrasekhar's relativistic degeneracy pressure together with the electron-exchange and Coulomb interaction effects are taken into account in order to extend current research to a wide range of plasma number density relevant to big planetary cores and astrophysical compact objects. The previously calculated shear viscosity and the electron-ion collision frequencies are used for strongly coupled ion fluid. The effect of the electron-beam velocity on complex linear dielectric function is found to be profound. This effect is clearly interpreted in terms of the wave-particle interactions and their energy-exchange according to the sign of the imaginary dielectric function, which is closely related to the wave attenuation coefficient in plasmas. Such kinetic effect is also shown to be in close connection with the stopping power of a charged-particle beam in a quantum plasma. The effect of many independent plasma parameters, such as the ion charge-state, electron beam-velocity, and relativistic degeneracy, is shown to be significant on the growing/damping of plasma instability or energy loss/gain of the electron-beam

  14. Mass optimization of a small pressure vessel using metal/FRP (fiber reinforced polymers) hybrid structures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nisar, J.A.; Abdullah, A.N.; Iqbal, N.

    2004-01-01

    In hybrid pressure vessels, composite (Fiber) is wound over a metallic liner (Steel/Aluminum) in hoop direction. In this concept of hybrid pressure vessel structure, metallic liner takes all the axial loads and fiber reinforced polymers (FRP/sub s/) takes load in circumferential (Hoop) direction. Hybrid structures combine the relatively high shear stiffness and ductility of metal alloy with high specific stiffness, strength and fatigue properties of FRP/sub s/. The relatively simple methods for producing hybrid structures circumvent the need for the complex and expensive equipment that is used for advanced composites processing. This paper presents an efficient way of designing a hybrid pressure vessel where prime concern is weight reduction over an equivalent aluminum structure and investigates various methodologies regarding combinations of metals and FRP/sub s/ for optimization of a given pressure vessel. For this purpose we adopted two different methods of simulation one is computer simulation using ANSYS and other is experimental verification by hydrostatic testing of manufactured pressure vessel. Two different pressure vessels one with aluminum liner and other with steel liner were fabricated. Kevlar 49/epoxy was wrapped around the liners in hoop direction. Both the pressure vessels were put into hydrostatic test. Strains were measured during the test and then converted into corresponding stresses. Results of hydrostatic test were quite in favor of the ANSYS results. In this way we have successfully designed, manufactured and tested the Hybrid pressure vessel saving almost 40% weight in case of aluminum liner and 43.6% in case of steel liner. (author)

  15. Pressure effects on magnetism in the uranium and neptunium monopnictides

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Braithwaite, D.; Demuer, A.; Ichas, V.; Rebizant, J.; Spirlet, J.C.; Zwirner, S.; Vogt, O.

    1998-01-01

    The magnetic properties of the cubic NaCl uranium and neptunium monopnictides (UX, NpX; X=N, P, As, Sb, Bi) have been widely studied at ambient pressure. Properties ranging from itinerant to localized magnetism, and a variety of ordered magnetic structures have been observed. In particular the profusion of non-collinear double-k or triple-k structures is a consequence of strongly anisotropic exchange interactions. The application of pressure is a clean way of continuously varying the lattice parameter, and the exchange interactions, from one compound to another. A number of studies have been performed using different high pressure techniques. Some of the effects of pressure can be understood in a simple picture of a continuous variation of the lattice parameter, but some highly anomalous effects are also found which are discussed in relation to the possible nature of the magnetic interactions. (orig.)

  16. Geophysics Under Pressure: Large-Volume Presses Versus the Diamond-Anvil Cell

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hazen, R. M.

    2002-05-01

    Prior to 1970, the legacy of Harvard physicist Percy Bridgman dominated high-pressure geophysics. Massive presses with large-volume devices, including piston-cylinder, opposed-anvil, and multi-anvil configurations, were widely used in both science and industry to achieve a range of crustal and upper mantle temperatures and pressures. George Kennedy of UCLA was a particularly influential advocate of large-volume apparatus for geophysical research prior to his death in 1980. The high-pressure scene began to change in 1959 with the invention of the diamond-anvil cell, which was designed simultaneously and independently by John Jamieson at the University of Chicago and Alvin Van Valkenburg at the National Bureau of Standards in Washington, DC. The compact, inexpensive diamond cell achieved record static pressures and had the advantage of optical access to the high-pressure environment. Nevertheless, members of the geophysical community, who favored the substantial sample volumes, geothermally relevant temperature range, and satisfying bulk of large-volume presses, initially viewed the diamond cell with indifference or even contempt. Several factors led to a gradual shift in emphasis from large-volume presses to diamond-anvil cells in geophysical research during the 1960s and 1970s. These factors include (1) their relatively low cost at time of fiscal restraint, (2) Alvin Van Valkenburg's new position as a Program Director at the National Science Foundation in 1964 (when George Kennedy's proposal for a Nation High-Pressure Laboratory was rejected), (3) the development of lasers and micro-analytical spectroscopic techniques suitable for analyzing samples in a diamond cell, and (4) the attainment of record pressures (e.g., 100 GPa in 1975 by Mao and Bell at the Geophysical Laboratory). Today, a more balanced collaborative approach has been adopted by the geophysics and mineral physics community. Many high-pressure laboratories operate a new generation of less expensive

  17. Heavy quark energy loss far from equilibrium in a strongly coupled collision

    CERN Document Server

    Chesler, Paul M; Rajagopal, Krishna

    2013-01-01

    We compute and study the drag force acting on a heavy quark propagating through the matter produced in the collision of two sheets of energy in a strongly coupled gauge theory that can be analyzed holographically. Although this matter is initially far from equilibrium, we find that the equilibrium expression for heavy quark energy loss in a homogeneous strongly coupled plasma with the same instantaneous energy density or pressure as that at the location of the quark describes many qualitative features of our results. One interesting exception is that there is a time delay after the initial collision before the heavy quark energy loss becomes significant. At later times, once a liquid plasma described by viscous hydrodynamics has formed, expressions based upon assuming instantaneous homogeneity and equilibrium provide a semi-quantitative description of our results - as long as the rapidity of the heavy quark is not too large. For a heavy quark with large rapidity, the gradients in the velocity of the hydrodyna...

  18. Parent-Pressure

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Helle Strandgaard

    2016-01-01

    of parents as co-consumers prevailed despite radical changes in views on children’s media consumption. In particular, I examine the shared inter-Scandinavian socio-cultural contexts that structured the changing professional and political groups’ pressure on parents to perform according to their norms......In this article, I examine change and continuity in conceptions of parental agency in public debates about children’s media consumption in Scandinavia, 1945-1975. During this period, public debates about the various kinds of media products children consumed were dominated by different groups....... However, a strong continuity in the debates was the negative influence parents were seen as having on children’s media consumption due to their lack of insight and interest in the topic. Drawing upon recent works on children’s media, consumption and enculturation, I analyse why the negative description...

  19. Size and pressure effects on glass transition temperature of poly (methyl methacrylate) thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lang, X.Y.; Zhang, G.H.; Lian, J.S.; Jiang, Q.

    2006-01-01

    A simple and unified model, without any adjustable parameter, is developed for size and pressure effects on glass transition temperatures of nanopolymers. The model is based on a model for size dependent glass transition temperature of nanopolymer glasses under ambient pressure, and a pressure-dependent function of the root of mean-square displacement of atom vibration. It is found that the size- and pressure-dependent glass transition temperatures of free-standing films or supported films having weak interaction with substrates decreases with decreasing of pressure and size. However, the glass transition temperature of supported films having strong interaction with substrates increases with the increase of pressure and the decrease of size. The predicted results correspond with available experimental evidences for atactic-Poly (methyl methacrylate) thin films under hydrostatic pressure or under the pressure induced by supercritical fluid CO 2 . In addition, the predicted glass transition temperature of isotactic-Poly (methyl methacrylate) thin films under ambient pressure is consistent with available experimental evidences

  20. Responses of aquatic macrophytes to anthropogenic pressures: comparison between macrophyte metrics and indices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Camargo, Julio A

    2018-02-26

    Macrophyte responses to anthropogenic pressures in two rivers of Central Spain were assessed to check if simple metrics can exhibit a greater discriminatory and explanatory power than complex indices at small spatial scales. Field surveys were undertaken during the summer of 2014 (Duraton River) and the spring of 2015 (Tajuña River). Aquatic macrophytes were sampled using a sampling square (45 × 45 cm). In the middle Duraton River, macrophytes responded positively to the presence of a hydropower dam and a small weir, with Myriophyllum spicatum and Potamogeton pectinatus being relatively favored. Index of Macrophytes (IM) was better than Macroscopic Aquatic Vegetation Index (MAVI) and Fluvial Macrophyte Index (FMI) in detecting these responses, showing positive and significant correlations with total coverage, species richness, and species diversity. In the upper Tajuña River, macrophytes responded both negatively and positively to the occurrence of a trout farm effluent and a small weir, with Leptodictyum riparium and Veronica anagallis-aquatica being relatively favored. Although IM, MAVI, and FMI detected both negative and positive responses, correlations of IM with total coverage, species richness, and species diversity were higher. Species evenness was not sensitive enough to detect either positive or negative responses of aquatic macrophytes along the study areas. Overall, traditional and simple metrics (species composition, total coverage, species richness, species diversity) exhibited a greater discriminatory and explanatory power than more recent and complex indices (IM, MAVI, FMI) when assessing responses of aquatic macrophytes to anthropogenic pressures at impacted specific sites.

  1. Investigation of holder pressure and size effects in micro deep drawing of rectangular work pieces driven by piezoelectric actuator.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aminzahed, Iman; Mashhadi, Mahmoud Mosavi; Sereshk, Mohammad Reza Vaziri

    2017-02-01

    Micro forming is a manufacturing process to fabricate micro parts with high quality and a cost effective manner. Deep drawing could be a favorable method for production of complicated parts in macro and micro sizes. In this paper piezoelectric actuator is used as a novel approach in the field of micro manufacturing. Also, in current work, investigations are conducted with four rectangular punches and blanks with various thicknesses. Blank holder pressure effects on thickness distributions, punch force, and springback are studied. According to the results of this work, increasing of blank holder pressure in scaled deep drawing, in contrast to thickness of drawn part, leads to decrease in the punch forces and springback. Furthermore, it is shown that in micro deep drawing, the effects of holder pressure on mentioned parameters can be ignored. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Effects of Concord grape juice on ambulatory blood pressure in prehypertension and stage 1 hypertension.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dohadwala, Mustali M; Hamburg, Naomi M; Holbrook, Monika; Kim, Brian H; Duess, Mai-Ann; Levit, Aaron; Titas, Megan; Chung, William B; Vincent, Felix B; Caiano, Tara L; Frame, Alissa A; Keaney, John F; Vita, Joseph A

    2010-11-01

    Consumption of flavonoid-containing foods may be useful for the management of hypertension. We investigated whether 100% Concord grape juice lowers blood pressure in patients with prehypertension and stage 1 hypertension. We conducted a double-blind crossover study to compare the effects of grape juice (7 mL · kg⁻¹ · d⁻¹) and matched placebo beverage on 24-h ambulatory blood pressure, stress-induced changes in blood pressure, and biochemical profile. Participants consumed each beverage for 8 wk with a 4-wk rest period between beverages. They ceased consumption of grapes and other flavonoid-containing beverages throughout the study. We enrolled 64 otherwise healthy patients taking no antihypertensive medications (31% women, 42% black, age 43 ± 12 y). Baseline mean (± SD) cuff blood pressure was 138 ± 7 (systolic)/82 ± 7 (diastolic) mm Hg. No effects on the primary endpoint of 24-h mean systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, or stress-induced changes in blood pressure were observed. A secondary endpoint was nocturnal dip in systolic pressure. At baseline, nocturnal pressure was 8.3 ± 7.1% lower at night than during daytime. The mean nocturnal dip increased 1.4 percentage points after grape juice and decreased 2.3 percentage points after placebo (P = 0.005). Fasting blood glucose was 91 ± 10 mg/dL at baseline for the entire cohort. Glucose decreased 2 mg/dL after consumption of grape juice and increased 1 mg/dL after consuming the placebo (P = 0.03). We observed no effect of grape juice on ambulatory blood pressure in this cohort of relatively healthy individuals with modestly elevated blood pressure. Secondary analyses suggested favorable effects on nocturnal dip and glucose homeostasis that may merit further investigation. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00302809.

  3. First-principles study of strong correlation effects in pyrochlore iridates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shinaoka, Hiroshi [Department of Physics, Saitama University (Japan); Hoshino, Shintaro [Department of Basic Science, The University of Tokyo (Japan); Troyer, Matthias [Theoretische Physik, ETH Zuerich (Switzerland); Werner, Philipp [Department of Physics, University of Fribourg (Switzerland)

    2016-07-01

    The pyrochlore iridates A{sub 2}Ir{sub 2}O{sub 7} (A=Pr, Nd, Y, etc.) are an ideal system to study fascinating phenomena induced by strong electron correlations and spin-orbit coupling. In this talk, we study strong correlation effects in the prototype compound Y{sub 2}Ir{sub 2}O{sub 7} using the local density approximation and dynamical mean-field theory (LDA+DMFT). We map out the phase diagram in the space of temperature, onsite Coulomb repulsion U, and filling. Consistent with experiments, we find that an all-in/all-out ordered insulating phase is stable for realistic values of U. We reveal the importance of the hybridization between j{sub eff} = 1/2 and j{sub eff} = 3/2 states under the Coulomb interaction and trigonal crystal field. We demonstrate a substantial band narrowing in the paramagnetic metallic phase and non-Fermi liquid behavior in the electron/hole doped system originating from long-lived quasi-spin moments induced by nearly flat bands. We further compare our results with recent experimental results of Eu{sub 2}Ir{sub 2}O{sub 7} under hydrostatic pressure.

  4. COMPARISON OF HIGH-DEFINITION OSCILLOMETRIC AND DIRECT ARTERIAL BLOOD PRESSURE MEASUREMENT IN ANESTHETIZED CHEETAHS (ACINONYX JUBATUS).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sant Cassia, Emma V; Boswood, Adrian; Tordiffe, Adrian S W

    2015-09-01

    Blood pressure measurement reveals important insights into the health of conscious and anesthetized individuals. This is of particular interest in cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus), which in captivity are known to suffer from chronic diseases that may be associated with hypertension and which often require immobilization for transport or veterinary treatment. Invasive testing methods are considered the gold standard but are not practical in many settings. Consequently, it is important to evaluate the use of noninvasive methods in this species. Measurements for systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial pressure obtained using high-definition oscillometry (HDO) at the coccygeal artery were compared to simultaneous direct measurements obtained via catheterization of the femoral or dorsal pedal artery in eight anesthetized captive cheetahs during nine anesthetic events. Overall, HDO and direct measurements agreed most closely for mean arterial pressure, and the poorest agreement was observed for systolic pressure. There was a tendency for low diastolic pressures to be underestimated and for high diastolic pressures to be overestimated. Across all three parameters, HDO measurements from the tail overestimated directly measured pressures in the femoral artery and underestimated those in the dorsal pedal artery. HDO agreed most closely with directly measured dorsal pedal pressures. Mean arterial pressure showed the greatest precision (standard deviation of 10.2 mm Hg) and lowest bias (-1.2 mm Hg), with 75.9% of readings within 10 mm Hg of the direct dorsal pedal pressure. Agreement with systolic pressure was hindered by a high bias (-10.4 mm Hg), but if a correction factor of +10 mm Hg was applied to all systolic measurements, agreement was improved and 65.7% of readings were within 10 mm Hg of the direct pressure. When compared to criteria defined by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine for validation of blood pressure devices, results were favorable, but a

  5. Pressure Measurement Techniques for Abdominal Hypertension: Conclusions from an Experimental Model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chopra, Sascha Santosh; Wolf, Stefan; Rohde, Veit; Freimann, Florian Baptist

    2015-01-01

    Introduction. Intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) measurement is an indispensable tool for the diagnosis of abdominal hypertension. Different techniques have been described in the literature and applied in the clinical setting. Methods. A porcine model was created to simulate an abdominal compartment syndrome ranging from baseline IAP to 30 mmHg. Three different measurement techniques were applied, comprising telemetric piezoresistive probes at two different sites (epigastric and pelvic) for direct pressure measurement and intragastric and intravesical probes for indirect measurement. Results. The mean difference between the invasive IAP measurements using telemetric pressure probes and the IVP measurements was -0.58 mmHg. The bias between the invasive IAP measurements and the IGP measurements was 3.8 mmHg. Compared to the realistic results of the intraperitoneal and intravesical measurements, the intragastric data showed a strong tendency towards decreased values. The hydrostatic character of the IAP was eliminated at high-pressure levels. Conclusion. We conclude that intragastric pressure measurement is potentially hazardous and might lead to inaccurately low intra-abdominal pressure values. This may result in missed diagnosis of elevated abdominal pressure or even ACS. The intravesical measurements showed the most accurate values during baseline pressure and both high-pressure plateaus.

  6. Strong Langmuir turbulence

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Goldman, M.V.

    1984-01-01

    After a brief discussion of beam-excited Langmuir turbulence in the solar wind, we explain the criteria for wave-particle, three-wave and strong turbulence interactions. We then present the results of a numerical integration of the Zakharov equations, which describe the strong turbulence saturation of a weak (low-density) high energy, bump-on-tail beam instability. (author)

  7. Pressure dependence of excited-state charge-carrier dynamics in organolead tribromide perovskites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, X. C.; Han, J. H.; Zhao, H. F.; Yan, H. C.; Shi, Y.; Jin, M. X.; Liu, C. L.; Ding, D. J.

    2018-05-01

    Excited-state charge-carrier dynamics governs the performance of organometal trihalide perovskites (OTPs) and is strongly influenced by the crystal structure. Characterizing the excited-state charge-carrier dynamics in OTPs under high pressure is imperative for providing crucial insights into structure-property relations. Here, we conduct in situ high-pressure femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy experiments to study the excited-state carrier dynamics of CH3NH3PbBr3 (MAPbBr3) under hydrostatic pressure. The results indicate that compression is an effective approach to modulate the carrier dynamics of MAPbBr3. Across each pressure-induced phase, carrier relaxation, phonon scattering, and Auger recombination present different pressure-dependent properties under compression. Responsiveness is attributed to the pressure-induced variation in the lattice structure, which also changes the electronic band structure. Specifically, simultaneous prolongation of carrier relaxation and Auger recombination is achieved in the ambient phase, which is very valuable for excess energy harvesting. Our discussion provides clues for optimizing the photovoltaic performance of OTPs.

  8. Strong Motion Earthquake Data Values of Digitized Strong-Motion Accelerograms, 1933-1994

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Strong Motion Earthquake Data Values of Digitized Strong-Motion Accelerograms is a database of over 15,000 digitized and processed accelerograph records from...

  9. Pressure buffering by the tympanic membrane. In vivo measurements of middle ear pressure fluctuations during elevator motion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Padurariu, Simona; de Greef, Daniël; Jacobsen, Henrik; Nlandu Kamavuako, Ernest; Dirckx, Joris J; Gaihede, Michael

    2016-10-01

    The tympanic membrane (TM) represents a pressure buffer, which contributes to the overall pressure regulation of the middle ear (ME). This buffer capacity is based on its viscoelastic properties combined with those of the attached ossicular chain, muscles and ligaments. The current work presents a set of in vivo recordings of the ME pressure variations normally occurring in common life: elevator motion. This is defined as a situation of smooth ambient pressure increase or decrease on a limited range and at a low rate of pressure change. Based on these recordings, the purpose was a quantitative analysis of the TM buffer capacity including the TM compliance. The pressure changes in seven normal adult ME's with intact TM's were continuously recorded directly inside the ME cavity during four different elevator trips using a high precision instrument. The TM buffer capacity was determined by the ratio between the changes in ME and the ambient pressure. Further, the ME volumes were calculated by Boyle's Law from pressure recordings during inflation-deflation tests; subsequently the TM compliance could also be calculated. Finally, the correlation between the ME volume and buffer function was determined. Twenty-one elevator trips could be used for the analysis. The overall mean TM pressure buffering capacity was 23.3% (SEM = 3.4), whereas the mean overall compliance was 28.9 × 10 -3  μL/Pa (SEM = 4.8). A strong negative linear correlation was found between the TM buffer capacity and the ME volumes (R 2  = 0.92). These results were in fair agreement with the literature obtained in clinical as well as temporal bone experiments, and they provide an in vivo reference for the normal ME function as well as for ME modeling. The TM buffer capacity was found more efficient in smaller mastoids. Possible clinical implications are discussed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Investigation on the Nonlinear Control System of High-Pressure Common Rail (HPCR) System in a Diesel Engine

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cai, Le; Mao, Xiaobing; Ma, Zhexuan

    2018-02-01

    This study first constructed the nonlinear mathematical model of the high-pressure common rail (HPCR) system in the diesel engine. Then, the nonlinear state transformation was performed using the flow’s calculation and the standard state space equation was acquired. Based on sliding-mode variable structure control (SMVSC) theory, a sliding-mode controller for nonlinear systems was designed for achieving the control of common rail pressure and the diesel engine’s rotational speed. Finally, on the simulation platform of MATLAB, the designed nonlinear HPCR system was simulated. The simulation results demonstrate that sliding-mode variable structure control algorithm shows favorable control performances and overcome the shortcomings of traditional PID control in overshoot, parameter adjustment, system precision, adjustment time and ascending time.

  11. Urbanization Increases Pathogen Pressure on Feral and Managed Honey Bees.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elsa Youngsteadt

    Full Text Available Given the role of infectious disease in global pollinator decline, there is a need to understand factors that shape pathogen susceptibility and transmission in bees. Here we ask how urbanization affects the immune response and pathogen load of feral and managed colonies of honey bees (Apis mellifera Linnaeus, the predominant economically important pollinator worldwide. Using quantitative real-time PCR, we measured expression of 4 immune genes and relative abundance of 10 honey bee pathogens. We also measured worker survival in a laboratory bioassay. We found that pathogen pressure on honey bees increased with urbanization and management, and the probability of worker survival declined 3-fold along our urbanization gradient. The effect of management on pathogens appears to be mediated by immunity, with feral bees expressing immune genes at nearly twice the levels of managed bees following an immune challenge. The effect of urbanization, however, was not linked with immunity; instead, urbanization may favor viability and transmission of some disease agents. Feral colonies, with lower disease burdens and stronger immune responses, may illuminate ways to improve honey bee management. The previously unexamined effects of urbanization on honey-bee disease are concerning, suggesting that urban areas may favor problematic diseases of pollinators.

  12. Urbanization Increases Pathogen Pressure on Feral and Managed Honey Bees.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Youngsteadt, Elsa; Appler, R Holden; López-Uribe, Margarita M; Tarpy, David R; Frank, Steven D

    2015-01-01

    Given the role of infectious disease in global pollinator decline, there is a need to understand factors that shape pathogen susceptibility and transmission in bees. Here we ask how urbanization affects the immune response and pathogen load of feral and managed colonies of honey bees (Apis mellifera Linnaeus), the predominant economically important pollinator worldwide. Using quantitative real-time PCR, we measured expression of 4 immune genes and relative abundance of 10 honey bee pathogens. We also measured worker survival in a laboratory bioassay. We found that pathogen pressure on honey bees increased with urbanization and management, and the probability of worker survival declined 3-fold along our urbanization gradient. The effect of management on pathogens appears to be mediated by immunity, with feral bees expressing immune genes at nearly twice the levels of managed bees following an immune challenge. The effect of urbanization, however, was not linked with immunity; instead, urbanization may favor viability and transmission of some disease agents. Feral colonies, with lower disease burdens and stronger immune responses, may illuminate ways to improve honey bee management. The previously unexamined effects of urbanization on honey-bee disease are concerning, suggesting that urban areas may favor problematic diseases of pollinators.

  13. Dependency of blood pressure upon cardiac filling in patients with severe postural hypotension

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mehlsen, J; Haedersdal, C; Stokholm, K H

    1994-01-01

    by vasoconstriction. The reduction in cardiac output resulted from reductions in left ventricular end-diastolic volumes with unchanged left ventricular ejection fractions and only moderate increments in heart rate. The study was demonstrated that blood pressure is strongly dependent upon cardiac filling in severe......Autonomic denervation of the vascular bed results theoretically in a stronger dependency of blood pressure upon intravascular volume, and the study described aimed at an investigation of the relation between cardiac filling and arterial blood pressure in patients with severe postural hypotension....... Seven patients were studied during head-up tilt at three different tilt angles using intra-arterial blood pressure recordings and estimates of left ventricular volumes by radioisotope ventriculography. Blood pressure fell dramatically during head-up tilt due to reductions in cardiac output unopposed...

  14. Dependency of blood pressure upon cardiac filling in patients with severe postural hypotension

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mehlsen, J; Haedersdal, C; Stokholm, K H

    1994-01-01

    Autonomic denervation of the vascular bed results theoretically in a stronger dependency of blood pressure upon intravascular volume, and the study described aimed at an investigation of the relation between cardiac filling and arterial blood pressure in patients with severe postural hypotension....... Seven patients were studied during head-up tilt at three different tilt angles using intra-arterial blood pressure recordings and estimates of left ventricular volumes by radioisotope ventriculography. Blood pressure fell dramatically during head-up tilt due to reductions in cardiac output unopposed...... by vasoconstriction. The reduction in cardiac output resulted from reductions in left ventricular end-diastolic volumes with unchanged left ventricular ejection fractions and only moderate increments in heart rate. The study was demonstrated that blood pressure is strongly dependent upon cardiac filling in severe...

  15. The evaluation of daily living activities, pressure sores and risk factors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aydın, Gökçen; Mucuk, Salime

    2015-01-01

    This study was conducted to assess daily living activities, pressure sores and risk factors. This was a descriptive study. The study was conducted at a rehabilitation center with 188 individuals participating in the study. Data were collected with a questionnaire form, Activities of Daily Living Scale (ADLS), Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale (IADLS) and Braden Risk Assessment Scale (BRAS). Among the participants, 48.9% were dependent according to activities of daily living and 71.8% were dependent on instrumental activities of daily living. It was noted that 4.8% had pressure sores and 38.8% were at high risk. A strong and positive correlation was found among ADLS, IADLS, and BRAS scores (p pressure sores (p pressure sores. Individuals who are treated at rehabilitation centers should be periodically assessed in terms of risk. Pressure sore development can be prevented with appropriate nursing interventions. To reduce the risk of developing pressure sores, nurses should describe the individual's degree of dependency according to ADLS and IADLS and initiate preventive nursing care. © 2014 Association of Rehabilitation Nurses.

  16. The Mott transition in the strong coupling perturbation theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sherman, A.

    2015-01-01

    Using the strong coupling diagram technique a self-consistent equation for the electron Green's function is derived for the repulsive Hubbard model. Terms of two lowest orders of the ratio of the bandwidth Δ to the Hubbard repulsion U are taken into account in the irreducible part of the Larkin equation. The obtained equation is shown to retain causality and reduces to Green's function of uncorrelated electrons in the limit U→0. Calculations were performed for the semi-elliptical initial band. It is shown that the approximation describes the Mott transition, which occurs at U c =√(3)Δ/2. This value coincides with that obtained in the Hubbard-III approximation. At half-filling, for 0favor of the subband, in which the Fermi level is located, and for U>U c the Mott gap disappears

  17. Use of ambulatory blood pressure measurement in the definition of resistant hypertension: a review of the evidence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Persu, Alexandre; O'Brien, Eoin; Verdecchia, Paolo

    2014-11-01

    Resistant hypertension as defined by the European Society of Hypertension and American Heart Association is a blood pressure that remains uncontrolled despite concomitant intake of at least three antihypertensive drugs (one of them preferably being a diuretic) at full doses. This definition is still based on office rather than out-of-office blood pressure measurement. In this review we propose a new, stricter definition of resistant hypertension based on ambulatory blood pressure measurement. The main arguments in favor of this are: (1) in patients with resistant hypertension, ambulatory blood pressure is an independent predictor of cardiovascular morbidity whereas, after adjustment for conventional risk factors, conventional blood pressure has little added value; (2) white-coat resistant hypertension (uncontrolled office with normal ambulatory blood pressure) is frequent (30-40% of patients with apparently resistant hypertension) carrying a prognosis similar to that of controlled hypertension, and intensification of blood pressure lowering treatment, or the use of nondrug treatment strategies such as renal denervation or carotid baroreceptor stimulation, is not justified; (3) masked resistant hypertension (controlled office with elevated ambulatory blood pressure) is frequent (approximately one-third of patients with controlled office blood pressure on triple antihypertensive therapy) and associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events; in such patients, treatment intensification should be considered; (4) the current definition of resistant hypertension (office blood pressure ⩾ 140/90 mm Hg on triple antihypertensive therapy) allows a substantial proportion of patients with spurious or white-coat resistant hypertension to undergo renal denervation in the absence of proven long-term benefits.

  18. On the permanent hip-stabilizing effect of atmospheric pressure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prietzel, Torsten; Hammer, Niels; Schleifenbaum, Stefan; Kaßebaum, Eric; Farag, Mohamed; von Salis-Soglio, Georg

    2014-08-22

    Hip joint dislocations related to total hip arthroplasty (THA) are a common complication especially in the early postoperative course. The surgical approach, the alignment of the prosthetic components, the range of motion and the muscle tone are known factors influencing the risk of dislocation. A further factor that is discussed until today is atmospheric pressure which is not taken into account in the present THA concepts. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of atmospheric pressure on hip joint stability. Five joint models (Ø 28-44 mm), consisting of THA components were hermetically sealed with a rubber capsule, filled with a defined amount of fluid and exposed to varying ambient pressure. Displacement and pressure sensors were used to record the extent of dislocation related to intraarticular and ambient pressure. In 200 experiments spontaneous dislocations of the different sized joint models were reliably observed once the ambient pressure was lower than 6.0 kPa. Increasing the ambient pressure above 6.0 kPa immediately and persistently reduced the joint models until the ambient pressure was lowered again. Displacement always exceeded half the diameter of the joint model and was independent of gravity effects. This experimental study gives strong evidence that the hip joint is permanently stabilized by atmospheric pressure, confirming the theories of Weber and Weber (1836). On basis of these findings the use of larger prosthetic heads, capsular repair and the deployment of an intracapsular Redon drain are proposed to substantially decrease the risk of dislocation after THA. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Noninvasive biomarkers in normal pressure hydrocephalus: evidence for the role of neuroimaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tarnaris, Andrew; Kitchen, Neil D; Watkins, Laurence D

    2009-05-01

    Normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) represents a treatable form of dementia. Recent estimates of the incidence of this condition are in the region of 5% of patients with dementia. The symptoms of NPH can vary among individuals and may be confused with those of patients with multi-infarct dementia, dementia of the Alzheimer type, or even Parkinson disease. Traditionally the diagnosis of NPH could only be confirmed postoperatively by a favorable outcome to surgical diversion of CSF. The object of this literature review was to examine the role of structural and functional imaging in providing biomarkers of favorable surgical outcome. A Medline search was undertaken for the years 1980-2006, using the following terms: normal pressure hydrocephalus, adult hydrocephalus, chronic hydrocephalus, imaging, neuroimaging, imaging studies, outcomes, surgical outcomes, prognosis, prognostic value, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy. The query revealed 16 studies that correlated imaging with surgical outcomes offering accuracy results. Three studies fulfilled the statistical criteria of a biomarker. A dementia Alzheimer-type pattern on SPECT in patients with idiopathic NPH, the presence of CSF flow void on MR imaging, and the N-acetylaspartate/choline ratio in patients with the secondary form are able to predict surgical outcomes with high accuracy. There is at present Level A evidence for using MR spectroscopy in patients with secondary NPH, and Level B evidence for using SPECT and phase-contrast MR imaging to select patients with idiopathic NPH for shunt placement. The studies, however, need to be repeated by other groups. The current work should act as a platform to design further studies with larger sample sizes.

  20. Instability waves and transition in adverse-pressure-gradient boundary layers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bose, Rikhi; Zaki, Tamer A.; Durbin, Paul A.

    2018-05-01

    Transition to turbulence in incompressible adverse-pressure-gradient (APG) boundary layers is investigated by direct numerical simulations. Purely two-dimensional instability waves develop on the inflectional base velocity profile. When the boundary layer is perturbed by isotropic turbulence from the free stream, streamwise elongated streaks form and may interact with the instability waves. Subsequent mechanisms that trigger transition depend on the intensity of the free-stream disturbances. All evidence from the present simulations suggest that the growth rate of instability waves is sufficiently high to couple with the streaks. Under very low levels of free-stream turbulence (˜0.1 % ), transition onset is highly sensitive to the inlet disturbance spectrum and is accelerated if the spectrum contains frequency-wave-number combinations that are commensurate with the instability waves. Transition onset and completion in this regime is characterized by formation and breakdown of Λ vortices, but they are more sporadic than in natural transition. Beneath free-stream turbulence with higher intensity (1-2 % ), bypass transition mechanisms are dominant, but instability waves are still the most dominant disturbances in wall-normal and spanwise perturbation spectra. Most of the breakdowns were by disturbances with critical layers close to the wall, corresponding to inner modes. On the other hand, the propensity of an outer mode to occur increases with the free-stream turbulence level. Higher intensity free-stream disturbances induce strong streaks that favorably distort the boundary layer and suppress the growth of instability waves. But the upward displacement of high amplitude streaks brings them to the outer edge of the boundary layer and exposes them to ambient turbulence. Consequently, high-amplitude streaks exhibit an outer-mode secondary instability.

  1. Lithofacies paleogeography and favorable gas exploration zones of Qixia and Maokou Fms in the Sichuan Basin

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jingao Zhou

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available In the Sichuan Basin, the Middle Permian marine carbonate rocks are important natural gas pay zones with immense exploration potential, but the facies belts and distribution situations of layered dolomite reservoirs are not clear, which hinders the progress in natural gas exploration. In view of the sedimentary background of the Sichuan Basin, field outcrop section, drilling data and seismic data were comprehensively analyzed with the favorable reservoir intervals in the framework of sequence stratigraphy as the key research units. Research results about its lithofacies paleogeography were obtained as follows. First, a gentle slope SW high and NE low was presented during the sedimentation of the Qixia Fm in the Middle Permian. In the Maokou Fm of the Middle Permian, however, a series of the N–W trending intra-platform rifts were developed in this setting, and eventually a paleogeographic pattern of NE-dipping alternative uplift and depression was evolved. Second, in the Qixia Fm, the transgressive tract was in an open platform environment and the highstand system tract evolved into a rimmed platform. And the platform margin beach in the area of Jiange–Ya'an is the favorable reservoir facies belt. And third, in the Maokou Fm, the transgressive tract was in the carbonate shelf environment and the highstand system tract evolved into a rimmed platform. And the platform margin reef flat in the area of Jiange–Ya'an and the syneclise margin beach in the area of Yanting–Guang'an are favorable reservoir facies belts. It is concluded that the two grain beach facies belts in the areas of Jiange–Ya'an and Yanting–Guang'an were the favorable zones for the large-scale development of Middle Permian layered dolomite reservoirs and they are the main target of subsequent natural gas exploration.

  2. Pressure-induced spin and charge transport in La1.25Sr1.75Mn2O7 single crystal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mydeen, K.; Arumugam, S.; Prabhakaran, D.; Yu, R.C.; Jin, C.Q.

    2009-01-01

    We investigated the effect of uniaxial and hydrostatic pressure on resistivity and ac-magnetic susceptibility of two-dimensional layered manganite, La 1.25 Sr 1.75 Mn 2 O 7 (LSMO125) to investigate the lattice effect on magnetic and electronic properties. Asymmetric role of uniaxial pressure, || and -perpendicular to c-axis on the spin flop and charge transport has been revealed while comparing hydrostatic pressure. Uniaxial pressure along c-axis increases metal-insulator transition temperature (T MI ) and ferromagnetic ordering temperature (T C ), whereas it decreases the resistivity along ab-plane (ρ ab ). In contrast to pressure along c-axis, T MI and T C decrease, whereas the resistivity along c-axis (ρ c ) increases with pressure || to ab-plane. ρ c /ρ ab is quite large, increasing with pressure and shows a peak at around T MI . Uniaxial pressure behaviour is strongly related to the Mn-O-Mn linkage between MnO 2 layers and the spin reorientation from the apical axis to the basal plane and vice versa with pressure. Both ρ ab and ρ c decrease whereas T MI and T C increases under hydrostatic pressure. Influence of spin and charge on magnetic and electrical properties under hydrostatic pressure are explained by pressure-induced cant between the MnO 2 bilayers and variation in bond lengths. The different pressure driving rates of T MI while measuring ρ ab and ρ c confirms that there is a strong competition between the in and out plane components under hydrostatic pressure

  3. Evidence for photo-induced monoclinic metallic VO{sub 2} under high pressure

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hsieh, Wen-Pin, E-mail: wphsieh@stanford.edu; Mao, Wendy L. [Stanford Institute for Materials and Energy Sciences, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025 (United States); Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305 (United States); Trigo, Mariano [Stanford Institute for Materials and Energy Sciences, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025 (United States); Stanford PULSE Institute, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025 (United States); Reis, David A. [Stanford Institute for Materials and Energy Sciences, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025 (United States); Stanford PULSE Institute, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025 (United States); Department of Photon Science and Applied Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305 (United States); Andrea Artioli, Gianluca; Malavasi, Lorenzo [Dipartimento di Chimica, Sezione di Chimica Fisica, INSTM (UdR Pavia), Università di Pavia, Viale Taramelli 16, 27100 Pavia (Italy)

    2014-01-13

    We combine ultrafast pump-probe spectroscopy with a diamond-anvil cell to decouple the insulator-metal electronic transition from the lattice symmetry changing structural transition in the archetypal strongly correlated material vanadium dioxide. Coherent phonon spectroscopy enables tracking of the photo-excited phonon vibrational frequencies of the low temperature, monoclinic (M{sub 1})-insulating phase that transforms into the metallic, tetragonal rutile structured phase at high temperature or via non-thermal photo-excitations. We find that in contrast with ambient pressure experiments where strong photo-excitation promptly induces the electronic transition along with changes in the lattice symmetry, at high pressure, the coherent phonons of the monoclinic (M{sub 1}) phase are still clearly observed upon the photo-driven phase transition to a metallic state. These results demonstrate the possibility of synthesizing and studying transient phases under extreme conditions.

  4. High pressure multiple shock response of aluminum

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lawrence, R.J.; Asay, J.R.

    1977-01-01

    It is well known that both dynamic yield strength and rate-dependent material response exert direct influence on the development of surface and interface instabilities under conditions of strong shock loading. A detailed understanding of these phenomena is therefore an important aspect of the analysis of dynamic inertial confinement techniques which are being used in such applications as the generation of controlled thermonuclear fusion. In these types of applications the surfaces and interfaces under consideration can be subjected to cyclic loading characterized by shock pressures on the order of 100 GPa or more. It thus becomes important to understand how rate effects and material strength differ from the values observed in the low pressure regime where they are usually measured, as well as how they are altered by the loading history

  5. Dynamic tire pressure sensor for measuring ground vibration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Qi; McDaniel, James Gregory; Wang, Ming L

    2012-11-07

    This work presents a convenient and non-contact acoustic sensing approach for measuring ground vibration. This approach, which uses an instantaneous dynamic tire pressure sensor (DTPS), possesses the capability to replace the accelerometer or directional microphone currently being used for inspecting pavement conditions. By measuring dynamic pressure changes inside the tire, ground vibration can be amplified and isolated from environmental noise. In this work, verifications of the DTPS concept of sensing inside the tire have been carried out. In addition, comparisons between a DTPS, ground-mounted accelerometer, and directional microphone are made. A data analysis algorithm has been developed and optimized to reconstruct ground acceleration from DTPS data. Numerical and experimental studies of this DTPS reveal a strong potential for measuring ground vibration caused by a moving vehicle. A calibration of transfer function between dynamic tire pressure change and ground acceleration may be needed for different tire system or for more accurate application.

  6. Self-sustained carbon monoxide oxidation oscillations on size-selected platinum nanoparticles at atmospheric pressure

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Robert; Andersen, Thomas; Nierhoff, Anders Ulrik Fregerslev

    2013-01-01

    High-quality mass spectrometry data of the oscillatory behavior of CO oxidation on SiO2 supported Pt-nanoparticles at atmospheric pressure have been acquired as a function of pressure, coverage, gas composition and nanoparticle size. The oscillations are self-sustained for several days at constant......, temperature, pressure and CO/O2 ratio. The frequency of the oscillations is very well defined and increases over time. The oscillation frequency is furthermore strongly temperature dependent with increasing temperature resulting in increasing frequency. A plausible mechanism for the oscillations is proposed...

  7. Evolutionary inference across eukaryotes identifies specific pressures favoring mitochondrial gene retention

    OpenAIRE

    Williams, Ben; Johnston, Iain

    2016-01-01

    Since their endosymbiotic origin, mitochondria have lost most of their genes. Although many selective mechanisms underlying the evolution of mitochondrial genomes have been proposed, a data-driven exploration of these hypotheses is lacking, and a quantitatively supported consensus remains absent. We developed HyperTraPS, a methodology coupling stochastic modelling with Bayesian inference, to identify the ordering of evolutionary events and suggest their causes. Using 2015 complete mitochondri...

  8. Composite Overwrap Pressure Vessels: Mechanics and Stress Rupture Lifting Philosophy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thesken, John C.; Murthy, Pappu L. N.; Phoenix, S. L.

    2009-01-01

    The NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) has been conducting an independent technical assessment to address safety concerns related to the known stress rupture failure mode of filament wound pressure vessels in use on Shuttle and the International Space Station. The Shuttle s Kevlar-49 (DuPont) fiber overwrapped tanks are of particular concern due to their long usage and the poorly understood stress rupture process in Kevlar-49 filaments. Existing long term data show that the rupture process is a function of stress, temperature and time. However due to the presence of load sharing liners and the complex manufacturing procedures, the state of actual fiber stress in flight hardware and test articles is not clearly known. Indeed nonconservative life predictions have been made where stress rupture data and lifing procedures have ignored the contribution of the liner in favor of applied pressure as the controlling load parameter. With the aid of analytical and finite element results, this paper examines the fundamental mechanical response of composite overwrapped pressure vessels including the influence of elastic plastic liners and degraded/creeping overwrap properties. Graphical methods are presented describing the non-linear relationship of applied pressure to Kevlar-49 fiber stress/strain during manufacturing, operations and burst loadings. These are applied to experimental measurements made on a variety of vessel systems to demonstrate the correct calibration of fiber stress as a function of pressure. Applying this analysis to the actual qualification burst data for Shuttle flight hardware revealed that the nominal fiber stress at burst was in some cases 23 percent lower than what had previously been used to predict stress rupture life. These results motivate a detailed discussion of the appropriate stress rupture lifing philosophy for COPVs including the correct transference of stress rupture life data between dissimilar vessels and test articles.

  9. Composite Overwrap Pressure Vessels: Mechanics and Stress Rupture Lifing Philosophy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thesken, John C.; Murthy, Pappu L. N.; Phoenix, Leigh

    2007-01-01

    The NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) has been conducting an independent technical assessment to address safety concerns related to the known stress rupture failure mode of filament wound pressure vessels in use on Shuttle and the International Space Station. The Shuttle's Kevlar-49 fiber overwrapped tanks are of particular concern due to their long usage and the poorly understood stress rupture process in Kevlar-49 filaments. Existing long term data show that the rupture process is a function of stress, temperature and time. However due to the presence of load sharing liners and the complex manufacturing procedures, the state of actual fiber stress in flight hardware and test articles is not clearly known. Indeed non-conservative life predictions have been made where stress rupture data and lifing procedures have ignored the contribution of the liner in favor of applied pressure as the controlling load parameter. With the aid of analytical and finite element results, this paper examines the fundamental mechanical response of composite overwrapped pressure vessels including the influence of elastic-plastic liners and degraded/creeping overwrap properties. Graphical methods are presented describing the non-linear relationship of applied pressure to Kevlar-49 fiber stress/strain during manufacturing, operations and burst loadings. These are applied to experimental measurements made on a variety of vessel systems to demonstrate the correct calibration of fiber stress as a function of pressure. Applying this analysis to the actual qualification burst data for Shuttle flight hardware revealed that the nominal fiber stress at burst was in some cases 23% lower than what had previously been used to predict stress rupture life. These results motivate a detailed discussion of the appropriate stress rupture lifing philosophy for COPVs including the correct transference of stress rupture life data between dissimilar vessels and test articles.

  10. Iterative solutions of nonlinear equations with strongly accretive or strongly pseudocontractive maps

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chidume, C.E.

    1994-03-01

    Let E be a real q-uniformly smooth Banach space. Suppose T is a strongly pseudo-contractive map with open domain D(T) in E. Suppose further that T has a fixed point in D(T). Under various continuity assumptions on T it is proved that each of the Mann iteration process or the Ishikawa iteration method converges strongly to the unique fixed point of T. Related results deal with iterative solutions of nonlinear operator equations involving strongly accretive maps. Explicit error estimates are also provided. (author). 38 refs

  11. Preliminary study of the uranium favorability of Malheur County, Oregon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Erikson, E.H.

    1977-11-01

    A reconnaissance study of middle and upper Tertiary volcaniclastic sedimentary and silicic volcanic rocks in Malheur County, Oregon, indicates that, based upon the data available: (1) it is unlikely that sandstone-type uranium deposits exist in sedimentary rocks of north-central Malheur County; and (2) favorable uranium environments are more likely to exist in and adjacent to uraniferous silicic eruptive centers and plugs. Some rhyolites in the northern part of the county contain marginally anomalous uranium abundances (6 to 8 +- 2 ppM U 3 O 8 ), compared with similar rocks in southeastern Oregon. Available uranium from these rocks, as determined by nitric-acid leaching, approaches 50 to 75 percent of the total chemical U 3 O 8 present. One Pliocene rhyolite vitrophyre sample from Duck Butte in western Malheur County contains 9 +- 2 ppM U 3 O 8 . The uranium contents of these rhyolites approach those found in silicic plugs spatially related to uranium deposits in the Lakeview district, Oregon (Erikson and Curry, 1977). It is possible that undiscovered epithermal and (or) supergene uranium deposits may exist in favorable wall rocks subjacent to uraniferous silicic eruptive centers (Duck Butte), calderas (McDermitt caldera to the south and others identified in western Owyhee County, Idaho), and silicic plugs (as in the Lakeview district). With the exception of one small uranium anomaly found in unconsolidated sands in the Grassy Mountain Formation, the sedimentary rocks observed in the study area did not possess abnormal radioactivity or exhibit evidence of uranium mobility and enrichment. Carbonaceous trash is uncommon in these rocks. Gently dipping sandstone members of the Deer Butte Formation (upper Miocene) and local channel sands in the Grassy Mountain Formation (Pliocene) may have once been the most permeable rocks in the Tertiary section; but, there is no evidence to suggest that they were conduits for uranium-bearing solutions

  12. Interaction of Energetic Particles with Discontinuities Upstream of Strong Shocks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Malkov, Mikhail; Diamond, Patrick

    2008-11-01

    Acceleration of particles in strong astrophysical shocks is known to be accompanied and promoted by a number of instabilities which are driven by the particles themselves. One of them is an acoustic (also known as Drury's) instability driven by the pressure gradient of accelerated particles upstream. The generated sound waves naturally steepen into shocks thus forming a shocktrain. Similar magnetoacoustic or Alfven type structures may be driven by pick-up ions, for example. We consider the solutions of kinetic equation for accelerated particles within the shocktrain. The accelerated particles are assumed to be coupled to the flow by an intensive pitch-angle scattering on the self-generated Alfven waves. The implications for acceleration and confinement of cosmic rays in this shock environment will be discussed.

  13. Calculation of cooling tower plumes for high pressure wintry situations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gassmann, F.; Tinguely, M.; Haschke, D.

    1982-12-01

    The diffusion of the plumes of the projected nuclear power plants at Kaiseraugst and Schwoerstadt, during high pressure wintry conditions, has been examined using a mathematical model to simulate the plumes. For these calculations, microaerological measurements were made in the proximity of Kaiseraugst and Schwoerstadt. These give a typical image of the weather during high pressure wintry conditions, which is normally associated with an inversion, sometimes strong, at a low height. Dry cooling towers with natural draught, which offer an alternative solution to the wet cooling towers proposed for Kasieraugst, are examined equally. (Auth./G.T.H.)

  14. Condensation phenomena in BWR-pressure suppression containments under LOCA conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aust, E.; McCauley, E.W.; Niemann, H.R.

    1983-01-01

    Experimental studies on condensation phenomena in pressure suppression systems (PSS) have shown, that chugging produces the major dynamic loads in a PSS. Time correlation of digital and visual data have produced understanding of the essential physics of this phenomenon: chugging events are characterized by pipe outside and pipe inside condensation. Pipe outside condensation is smooth, sometimes accompanied by vent pipe acoustic frequency. Pipe inside condensation is ring-like and induces a strong pressure pulse with ringdown frequency. The steam ring is caused by the retreating steam front in the pipe exit, which acts as a BORDA-mouth. (orig.) [de

  15. Investigation of iron spin crossover pressure in Fe-bearing MgO using hybrid functional

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheng, Ya; Wang, Xianlong; Zhang, Jie; Yang, Kaishuai; Zhang, Chuanguo; Zeng, Zhi; Lin, Haiqin

    2018-04-01

    Pressure-induced spin crossover behaviors of Fe-bearing MgO were widely investigated by using an LDA  +  U functional for describing the strongly correlated Fe–O bonding. Moreover, the simulated spin crossover pressures depend on the applied U values, which are sensitive to environments and parameters. In this work, the spin crossover pressures of (Mg1‑x ,Fe x )O are investigated by using the hybrid functional with a uniform parameter. Our results indicate that the spin crossover pressures increase with increasing iron concentration. For example, the spin crossover pressure of (Mg0.03125,Fe0.96875)O and FeO was 56 GPa and 127 GPa, respectively. The calculated crossover pressures agreed well with the experimental observations. Therefore, the hybrid functional should be an effective method for describing the pressure-induced spin crossover behaviors in transition metal oxides.

  16. Inspection technology for high pressure pipes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Jae H.; Lee, Jae C.; Eum, Heung S.; Choi, Yu R.; Moon, Soon S.; Jang, Jong H

    2000-02-01

    Various kinds of defects are likely to be occurred in the welds of high pressure pipes in nuclear power plants. Considering the recent accident of Zuruga nuclear power plant in Japan, reasonable policy is strongly requested for the high pressure pipe integrity. In this study, we developed the technologies to inspect pipe welds automatically. After development of scanning robot prototype in the first research year, we developed and implemented the algorithm of automatic tracking of the scanning robot along the weld line of the pipes. We use laser slit beam on weld area and capture the image using digital camera. Through processing of the captures image, we finally determine the weld line automatically. In addition, we investigated a new technology on micro systems for developing micro scanning robotic inspection of the pipe welds. The technology developed in this study is being transferred to the industry. (author)

  17. Cocoa, blood pressure, and vascular function.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sudano, Isabella; Flammer, Andreas J; Roas, Susanne; Enseleit, Frank; Ruschitzka, Frank; Corti, Roberto; Noll, Georg

    2012-08-01

    The consumption of a high amount of fruits and vegetables was found to be associated with a lower risk of coronary heart disease and stroke. Epidemiologically, a similar relationship has been found with cocoa, a naturally polyphenol-rich food. Obviously, double blind randomized studies are difficult to perform with cocoa and chocolate, respectively. However, intervention studies strongly suggest that cocoa has several beneficial effects on cardiovascular health, including the lowering of blood pressure, the improvement of vascular function and glucose metabolism, and the reduction of platelet aggregation and adhesion. Several potential mechanisms through which cocoa might exert its positive effects have been proposed, among them activation of nitric oxide synthase, increased bioavailability of nitric oxide as well as antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. It is the aim of this review to summarize the findings of cocoa and chocolate on blood pressure and vascular function.

  18. Dopamine receptor D3 expressed on CD4+ T cells favors neurodegeneration of dopaminergic neurons during Parkinson's disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    González, Hugo; Contreras, Francisco; Prado, Carolina; Elgueta, Daniela; Franz, Dafne; Bernales, Sebastián; Pacheco, Rodrigo

    2013-05-15

    Emerging evidence has demonstrated that CD4(+) T cells infiltrate into the substantia nigra (SN) in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients and in animal models of PD. SN-infiltrated CD4(+) T cells bearing inflammatory phenotypes promote microglial activation and strongly contribute to neurodegeneration of dopaminergic neurons. Importantly, altered expression of dopamine receptor D3 (D3R) in PBLs from PD patients has been correlated with disease severity. Moreover, pharmacological evidence has suggested that D3R is involved in IFN-γ production by human CD4(+) T cells. In this study, we examined the role of D3R expressed on CD4(+) T cells in neurodegeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the SN using a mouse model of PD. Our results show that D3R-deficient mice are strongly protected against loss of dopaminergic neurons and microglial activation during 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-induced PD. Notably, D3R-deficient mice become susceptible to MPTP-induced neurodegeneration and microglial activation upon transfer of wild-type (WT) CD4(+) T cells. Furthermore, RAG1 knockout mice, which are devoid of T cells and are resistant to MPTP-induced neurodegeneration, become susceptible to MPTP-induced loss of dopaminergic neurons when reconstituted with WT CD4(+) T cells but not when transferred with D3R-deficient CD4(+) T cells. In agreement, experiments analyzing activation and differentiation of CD4(+) T cells revealed that D3R favors both T cell activation and acquisition of the Th1 inflammatory phenotype. These findings indicate that D3R expressed on CD4(+) T cells plays a fundamental role in the physiopathology of MPTP-induced PD in a mouse model.

  19. Prediction of pressure drop and CCFL breakdown in countercurrent two-phase flow

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ostrogorsky, A.G.; Gay, R.R.; Lahey, R.T. Jr.

    1983-01-01

    A steady-state analytical has been developed to predict channel pressure drop as a function of inlet vapor flow rate and applied heat flux during conditions of countercurrent two-phase flow. The interfacial constitutive relations utilized are flow surface dependent and allow for the existence of either smooth or way liquid films. A computer code was developed to solve the analytical model. Predictions of Δp versus vapor flow rate were found to agree favorably with experimental data from adiabatic, air/water systems. In addition, the model was used to predict countercurrent flow conditions in heated channels characteristic of a BWR/4 nuclear reactor fuel assembly

  20. Pressure-induced localisation of the hydrogen-bond network in KOH-VI

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hermann, Andreas, E-mail: a.hermann@ed.ac.uk; Nelmes, Richard J.; Loveday, John S. [Centre for Science at Extreme Conditions and SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3JZ (United Kingdom); Guthrie, Malcolm [Centre for Science at Extreme Conditions and SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3JZ (United Kingdom); European Spallation Source AB, P.O. Box 176, SE-22100 Lund (Sweden)

    2015-12-28

    Using a combination of ab initio crystal structure prediction and neutron diffraction techniques, we have solved the full structure of KOH-VI at 7 GPa. Rather than being orthorhombic and proton-ordered as had previously be proposed, we find that this high-pressure phase of potassium hydroxide is tetragonal (space group I4/mmm) and proton disordered. It has an unusual hydrogen bond topology, where the hydroxyl groups form isolated hydrogen-bonded square planar (OH){sub 4} units. This structure is stable above 6.5 GPa and, despite being macroscopically proton-disordered, local ice rules enforce microscopic order of the hydrogen bonds. We suggest the use of this novel type of structure to study concerted proton tunneling in the solid state, while the topology of the hydrogen bond network could conceivably be exploited in data storage applications based solely on the manipulations of hydrogen bonds. The unusual localisation of the hydrogen bond network under applied pressure is found to be favored by a more compact packing of the constituents in a distorted cesium chloride structure.

  1. Urbanized landscapes favored by fig-eating birds increase invasive but not native juvenile strangler fig abundance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caughlin, Trevor; Wheeler, Jessica H; Jankowski, Jill; Lichstein, Jeremy W

    2012-07-01

    Propagule pressure can determine the success or failure of invasive plant range expansion. Range expansion takes place at large spatial scales, often encompassing many types of land cover, yet the effect of landscape context on propagule pressure remains largely unknown. Many studies have reported a positive correlation between invasive plant abundance and human land use; increased propagule pressure in these landscapes may be responsible for this correlation. We tested the hypothesis that increased rates of seed dispersal by fig-eating birds, which are more common in urban habitats, result in an increase in invasive strangler fig abundance in landscapes dominated by human land use. We quantified abundance of an invasive species (Ficus microcarpa) and a native species (F. aurea) of strangler fig in plots spanning the entire range of human land use in South Florida, USA, from urban parking lots to native forest. We then compared models that predicted juvenile fig abundance based on distance to adult fig seed sources and fig-eating bird habitat quality with models that lacked one or both of these terms. The best model for juvenile invasive fig abundance included both distance to adult and fig-eating bird habitat terms, suggesting that landscape effects on invasive fig abundance are mediated by seed-dispersing birds. In contrast, the best model for juvenile native fig abundance included only presence/absence of adults, suggesting that distance from individual adult trees may have less effect on seed limitation for a native species compared to an invasive species undergoing range expansion. However, models for both species included significant effects of adult seed sources, implying that juvenile abundance is limited by seed arrival. This result was corroborated by a seed addition experiment that indicated that both native and invasive strangler figs were strongly seed limited. Understanding how landscape context affects the mechanisms of plant invasion may lead to

  2. Correlates of Perceived Favorability of Online Courses for Quantitative versus Qualitative Undergraduate Business Majors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blau, Gary; Pred, Robert; Drennan, Rob B., Jr.; Kapanjie, Darin

    2016-01-01

    An online survey tested the association among background, technological, and course-related variables with perceived favorability of online courses for two independent samples of fall 2015 and spring 2016 business undergraduates taking at least one online or hybrid course. Results showed that perceived learning was a consistent positive correlate…

  3. Wind Tunnel Tests for Wind Pressure Distribution on Gable Roof Buildings

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-01-01

    Gable roof buildings are widely used in industrial buildings. Based on wind tunnel tests with rigid models, wind pressure distributions on gable roof buildings with different aspect ratios were measured simultaneously. Some characteristics of the measured wind pressure field on the surfaces of the models were analyzed, including mean wind pressure, fluctuating wind pressure, peak negative wind pressure, and characteristics of proper orthogonal decomposition results of the measured wind pressure field. The results show that extremely high local suctions often occur in the leading edges of longitudinal wall and windward roof, roof corner, and roof ridge which are the severe damaged locations under strong wind. The aspect ratio of building has a certain effect on the mean wind pressure coefficients, and the effect relates to wind attack angle. Compared with experimental results, the region division of roof corner and roof ridge from AIJ2004 is more reasonable than those from CECS102:2002 and MBMA2006.The contributions of the first several eigenvectors to the overall wind pressure distributions become much bigger. The investigation can offer some basic understanding for estimating wind load distribution on gable roof buildings and facilitate wind-resistant design of cladding components and their connections considering wind load path. PMID:24082851

  4. Effects of Favorable Alleles for Water-Soluble Carbohydrates at Grain Filling on Grain Weight under Drought and Heat Stresses in Wheat

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chang, Xiaoping; Li, Runzhi; Jing, Ruilian

    2014-01-01

    Drought, heat and other abiotic stresses during grain filling can result in reductions in grain weight. Conserved water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC) at early grain filling play an important role in partial compensation of reduced carbon supply. A diverse population of 262 historical winter wheat accessions was used in the present study. There were significant correlations between 1000-grain weight (TGW) and four types of WSC, viz. (1) total WSC at the mid-grain filling stage (14 days after flowering) produced by leaves and non-leaf organs; (2) WSC contributed by current leaf assimilation during the mid-grain filling; (3) WSC in non-leaf organs at the mid-grain filling, excluding the current leaf assimilation; and (4) WSC used for respiration and remobilization during the mid-grain filling. Association and favorable allele analyses of 209 genome-wide SSR markers and the four types of WSC were conducted using a mixed linear model. Seven novel favorable WSC alleles exhibited positive individual contributions to TGW, which were verified under 16 environments. Dosage effects of pyramided favorable WSC alleles and significantly linear correlations between the number of favorable WSC alleles and TGW were observed. Our results suggested that pyramiding more favorable WSC alleles was effective for improving both WSC and grain weight in future wheat breeding programs. PMID:25036550

  5. Characteristic densities of low- and high-pressure liquid SnI4

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fuchizaki, Kazuhiro; Hamaya, Nozomu; Katayama, Yoshinori

    2013-01-01

    An in situ synchrotron x-ray absorption measurement was carried out to estimate the density of liquid SnI 4 . The characteristic densities of the low- and high-pressure liquids were found to be 4.6-4.7 and 4.9-5.0 g/cm 3 , respectively, and their region is separated at around 1.7 GPa. The difference in density, although a slight amount of 0.3-0.4 g/cm 3 , strongly suggests the existence of a weak but discontinuous phase transition at that pressure between the two liquid regions. (author)

  6. Solvation pressure as real pressure: I. Ethanol and starch under negative pressure

    CERN Document Server

    Uden, N W A V; Faux, D A; Tanczos, A C; Howlin, B; Dunstan, D J

    2003-01-01

    The reality of the solvation pressure generated by the cohesive energy density of liquids is demonstrated by three methods. Firstly, the Raman spectrum of ethanol as a function of cohesive energy density (solvation pressure) in ethanol-water and ethanol-chloroform mixtures is compared with the Raman spectrum of pure ethanol under external hydrostatic pressure and the solvation pressure and hydrostatic pressure are found to be equivalent for some transitions. Secondly, the bond lengths of ethanol are calculated by molecular dynamics modelling for liquid ethanol under pressure and for ethanol vapour. The difference in bond lengths between vapour and liquid are found to be equivalent to the solvation pressure for the C-H sub 3 , C-H sub 2 and O-H bond lengths, with discrepancies for the C-C and C-O bond lengths. Thirdly, the pressure-induced gelation of potato starch is measured in pure water and in mixtures of water and ethanol. The phase transition pressure varies in accordance with the change in solvation pre...

  7. Nestin predicts a favorable prognosis in early ampullary adenocarcinoma and functions as a promoter of metastasis in advanced cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shan, Yan-Shen; Chen, Yi-Ling; Lai, Ming-Derg; Hsu, Hui-Ping

    2015-01-01

    Nestin exhibits stemness characteristics and is overexpressed in several types of cancers. Downstream signaling of nestin [cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (CDK5) and Ras-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate 1 (Rac1)] functions in cancer to modulate cellular behaviors. We studied the function of nestin in ampullary adenocarcinoma. Immunohistochemistry (IHC), reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, and cDNA microarray of nestin in ampullary adenocarcinoma was compared with normal duodenum. CDK5 and Rac1 were assessed by western blotting. We hypothesized that nestin/CDK5/Rac1 signaling behaves different in early and advanced cancer. We found that the presence of nestin mRNA was increased in the early stages of cancer (T2N0 or T3N0) and advanced cancer with lymph node metastasis (T4N1). A total of 102 patients were enrolled in the IHC staining. Weak nestin expression was correlated with favorable characteristics of cancer, decreased incidence of local recurrence and lower risk of recurrence within 12 months after surgery. Patients with weak nestin expression had the most favorable recurrence‑free survival rates. Patients with mild to strong nestin expression exhibited an advanced behavior of cancer and increased possibility of cancer recurrence. The reciprocal expression of nestin and RAC1 were explored using a cDNA microarray analysis in the early stages of ampullary adenocarcinoma. Increased level of CDK5 with simultaneously decreased expression of Rac1 was detected by western blotting of ampullary adenocarcinoma in patients without cancer recurrence. The activation of multiple oncogenic pathways, combined with the stemness characteristics of nestin, formed a complex network in advanced ampullary adenocarcinoma. Our study demonstrated that nestin performs a dual role in ampullary adenocarcinoma. Appropriate amount of nestin enhances CDK5 function to suppress Rac1 and excessive nestin/CDK5 participates in multiple oncogenic pathways to promote cancer invasiveness

  8. Strong intrinsic motivation

    OpenAIRE

    Dessi, Roberta; Rustichini, Aldo

    2015-01-01

    A large literature in psychology, and more recently in economics, has argued that monetary rewards can reduce intrinsic motivation. We investigate whether the negative impact persists when intrinsic motivation is strong, and test this hypothesis experimentally focusing on the motivation to undertake interesting and challenging tasks, informative about individual ability. We find that this type of task can generate strong intrinsic motivation, that is impervious to the effect of monetary incen...

  9. Prevalence of inter-arm blood pressure difference among clinical out-patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharma, Balkishan; Ramawat, Pramila

    2016-04-01

    An increased inter-arm blood pressure difference is an easily determined physical finding, may use as an indicator of cardio vascular event and other sever diseases. Authors evaluated 477 patients to determine the prevalence and significance of inter-arm blood pressure difference. 477 routine outdoor patients selected to observe the inter-arm blood pressure difference. Age, height, weight, body mass index, history of disease and blood pressure recorded. The prevalence of ≥10 mmHg systolic inter-arm blood pressure difference was 5.0% was more as compared to 3.8% had diastolic inter-arm blood pressure difference. The prevalence of systolic and diastolic inter-arm difference between 6 to 10 mmHg was 31.4% and 27.9% respectively. Mean systolic inter-arm blood pressure difference was significantly higher among those patients had a multisystem disorder (10.57±0.98 mmHg) and followed by patients with cardiovascular disease (10.22±0.67 mmHg) as compared to healthy patients (2.71±0.96 mmHg). Various diseases highly influenced the increase in blood pressure irrespective of systolic or diastolic was confirmed strongly significant (pdifferent inter arm blood pressure difference levels. This study supports the view of inter-arm blood pressure difference as an alarming stage of increased disease risk that incorporated to investigate potential problems at an early diagnostic stage. A significant mean difference between left and right arm blood pressure recorded for many diseases.

  10. Effect of edaravone on favorable outcome in patients with acute cerebral large vessel occlusion: subanalysis of RESCUE-Japan Registry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miyaji, Yuki; Yoshimura, Shinichi; Sakai, Nobuyuki; Yamagami, Hiroshi; Egashira, Yusuke; Shirakawa, Manabu; Uchida, Kazutaka; Kageyama, Hirohito; Tomogane, Yusuke

    2015-01-01

    The data of the nationwide prospective registry of acute cerebral large vessel occlusion (LVO; RESCUE-Japan Registry) were analyzed to know the effect of edaravone, a free radical scavenger, on clinical outcome at 90 days after onset. In this registry, patients with acute cerebral LVO admitted within 24 h after onset were prospectively registered. The effect of various factors including endovascular treatment (EVT), intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (IV rt-PA), and other medication including edaravone on favorable outcome (modified Rankin scale 0-1) was analyzed. Of the 1,454 registered patients, 1,442 patients (99.2%) had the information of edaravone were analyzed. In total, edaravone group had more patients with favorable outcome compared to non-edaravone group (22.9% vs. 13.8%, p = 0.0006). Edaravone increased favorable outcome in patients treated with IV rt-PA (29.4% vs. 11.1%, p = 0.0107), but not with EVT (21.2% vs. 13.9%, p = 0.309). Logistic regression analysis revealed that higher National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score on admission [odds ratio (OR) 0.875, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.858-0.894] and advanced age (OR 0.963, 95%CI 0.952-0.975) were significantly related to unfavorable outcome. In contrast, IV rt-PA (OR 2.489, 95%CI 1.867-3.319), EVT (OR 1.375, 95%CI 1.013-1.865), and edaravone (OR 1.483, 95%CI 1.027-2.143) were significantly associated with favorable outcome. This analysis indicated that IV rt-PA, EVT, and edaravone were effective to obtain favorable outcome in patients with acute LVO. Combination IV rt-PA with edaravone was more effective.

  11. Calcium Sensitive Fluorescent Dyes Fluo-4 and Fura Red under Pressure: Behaviour of Fluorescence and Buffer Properties under Hydrostatic Pressures up to 200 MPa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schneidereit, D; Vass, H; Reischl, B; Allen, R J; Friedrich, O

    2016-01-01

    The fluorescent Ca2+ sensitive dyes Fura Red (ratiometric) and Fluo-4 (non-ratiometric) are widely utilized for the optical assessment of Ca2+ fluctuations in vitro as well as in situ. The fluorescent behavior of these dyes is strongly depends on temperature, pH, ionic strength and pressure. It is crucial to understand the response of these dyes to pressure when applying calcium imaging technologies in the field of high pressure bioscience. Therefore, we use an optically accessible pressure vessel to pressurize physiological Ca2+-buffered solutions at different fixed concentrations of free Ca2+ (1 nM to 25.6 μM) and a specified dye concentration (12 μM) to pressures of 200 MPa, and record dye fluorescence intensity. Our results show that Fluo-4 fluorescence intensity is reduced by 31% per 100 MPa, the intensity of Fura Red is reduced by 10% per 100 MPa. The mean reaction volume for the dissociation of calcium from the dye molecules [Formula: see text] is determined to -17.8 ml mol-1 for Fluo-4 and -21.3 ml mol-1 for Fura Red. Additionally, a model is presented that is used to correct for pressure-dependent changes in pH and binding affinity of Ca2+ to EGTA, as well as to determine the influence of these changes on dye fluorescence.

  12. Calcium Sensitive Fluorescent Dyes Fluo-4 and Fura Red under Pressure: Behaviour of Fluorescence and Buffer Properties under Hydrostatic Pressures up to 200 MPa

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vass, H.; Reischl, B.; Allen, R. J.; Friedrich, O.

    2016-01-01

    The fluorescent Ca2+ sensitive dyes Fura Red (ratiometric) and Fluo-4 (non-ratiometric) are widely utilized for the optical assessment of Ca2+ fluctuations in vitro as well as in situ. The fluorescent behavior of these dyes is strongly depends on temperature, pH, ionic strength and pressure. It is crucial to understand the response of these dyes to pressure when applying calcium imaging technologies in the field of high pressure bioscience. Therefore, we use an optically accessible pressure vessel to pressurize physiological Ca2+-buffered solutions at different fixed concentrations of free Ca2+ (1 nM to 25.6 μM) and a specified dye concentration (12 μM) to pressures of 200 MPa, and record dye fluorescence intensity. Our results show that Fluo-4 fluorescence intensity is reduced by 31% per 100 MPa, the intensity of Fura Red is reduced by 10% per 100 MPa. The mean reaction volume for the dissociation of calcium from the dye molecules Δdv¯ is determined to -17.8 ml mol-1 for Fluo-4 and -21.3 ml mol-1 for Fura Red. Additionally, a model is presented that is used to correct for pressure-dependent changes in pH and binding affinity of Ca2+ to EGTA, as well as to determine the influence of these changes on dye fluorescence. PMID:27764134

  13. Acoustical and optical radiation pressure and the development of single beam acoustical tweezers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thomas, Jean-Louis; Marchiano, Régis; Baresch, Diego

    2017-01-01

    Studies on radiation pressure in acoustics and optics have enriched one another and have a long common history. Acoustic radiation pressure is used for metrology, levitation, particle trapping and actuation. However, the dexterity and selectivity of single-beam optical tweezers are still to be matched with acoustical devices. Optical tweezers can trap, move and position micron size particles, biological samples or even atoms with subnanometer accuracy in three dimensions. One limitation of optical tweezers is the weak force that can be applied without thermal damage due to optical absorption. Acoustical tweezers overcome this limitation since the radiation pressure scales as the field intensity divided by the speed of propagation of the wave. However, the feasibility of single beam acoustical tweezers was demonstrated only recently. In this paper, we propose a historical review of the strong similarities but also the specificities of acoustical and optical radiation pressures, from the expression of the force to the development of single-beam acoustical tweezers. - Highlights: • Studies on radiation pressure in acoustics and optics have enriched one another and have a long common history. • Acoustic radiation pressure is used for metrology, levitation, particle trapping and actuation. • However, the dexterity and selectivity of single-beam optical tweezers are still to be matched with acoustical devices. • Optical tweezers can trap, move and positioned micron size particles with subnanometer accuracy in three dimensions. • One limitation of optical tweezers is the weak force that can be applied without thermal damage due to optical absorption. • Acoustical tweezers overcome this limitation since the force scales as the field intensity divided by its propagation speed. • However, the feasibility of single beam acoustical tweezers was demonstrated only recently. • We propose a review of the strong similarities but also the specificities of acoustical

  14. Nonlinear Dynamics and Strong Cavity Cooling of Levitated Nanoparticles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fonseca, P Z G; Aranas, E B; Millen, J; Monteiro, T S; Barker, P F

    2016-10-21

    Optomechanical systems explore and exploit the coupling between light and the mechanical motion of macroscopic matter. A nonlinear coupling offers rich new physics, in both quantum and classical regimes. We investigate a dynamic, as opposed to the usually studied static, nonlinear optomechanical system, comprising a nanosphere levitated in a hybrid electro-optical trap. The cavity offers readout of both linear-in-position and quadratic-in-position (nonlinear) light-matter coupling, while simultaneously cooling the nanosphere, for indefinite periods of time and in high vacuum. We observe the cooling dynamics via both linear and nonlinear coupling. As the background gas pressure was lowered, we observed a greater than 1000-fold reduction in temperature before temperatures fell below readout sensitivity in the present setup. This Letter opens the way to strongly coupled quantum dynamics between a cavity and a nanoparticle largely decoupled from its environment.

  15. Nonlinear Dynamics and Strong Cavity Cooling of Levitated Nanoparticles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fonseca, P. Z. G.; Aranas, E. B.; Millen, J.; Monteiro, T. S.; Barker, P. F.

    2016-10-01

    Optomechanical systems explore and exploit the coupling between light and the mechanical motion of macroscopic matter. A nonlinear coupling offers rich new physics, in both quantum and classical regimes. We investigate a dynamic, as opposed to the usually studied static, nonlinear optomechanical system, comprising a nanosphere levitated in a hybrid electro-optical trap. The cavity offers readout of both linear-in-position and quadratic-in-position (nonlinear) light-matter coupling, while simultaneously cooling the nanosphere, for indefinite periods of time and in high vacuum. We observe the cooling dynamics via both linear and nonlinear coupling. As the background gas pressure was lowered, we observed a greater than 1000-fold reduction in temperature before temperatures fell below readout sensitivity in the present setup. This Letter opens the way to strongly coupled quantum dynamics between a cavity and a nanoparticle largely decoupled from its environment.

  16. Does Spontaneous Favorability to Power (vs. Universalism) Values Predict Spontaneous Prejudice and Discrimination?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Souchon, Nicolas; Maio, Gregory R; Hanel, Paul H P; Bardin, Brigitte

    2017-10-01

    We conducted five studies testing whether an implicit measure of favorability toward power over universalism values predicts spontaneous prejudice and discrimination. Studies 1 (N = 192) and 2 (N = 86) examined correlations between spontaneous favorability toward power (vs. universalism) values, achievement (vs. benevolence) values, and a spontaneous measure of prejudice toward ethnic minorities. Study 3 (N = 159) tested whether conditioning participants to associate power values with positive adjectives and universalism values with negative adjectives (or inversely) affects spontaneous prejudice. Study 4 (N = 95) tested whether decision bias toward female handball players could be predicted by spontaneous attitude toward power (vs. universalism) values. Study 5 (N = 123) examined correlations between spontaneous attitude toward power (vs. universalism) values, spontaneous importance toward power (vs. universalism) values, and spontaneous prejudice toward Black African people. Spontaneous positivity toward power (vs. universalism) values was associated with spontaneous negativity toward minorities and predicted gender bias in a decision task, whereas the explicit measures did not. These results indicate that the implicit assessment of evaluative responses attached to human values helps to model value-attitude-behavior relations. © 2016 The Authors. Journal of Personality Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  17. Effects of Concord grape juice on ambulatory blood pressure in prehypertension and stage 1 hypertension123

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dohadwala, Mustali M; Hamburg, Naomi M; Holbrook, Monika; Kim, Brian H; Duess, Mai-Ann; Levit, Aaron; Titas, Megan; Chung, William B; Vincent, Felix B; Caiano, Tara L; Frame, Alissa A; Keaney, John F

    2010-01-01

    Background: Consumption of flavonoid-containing foods may be useful for the management of hypertension. Objective: We investigated whether 100% Concord grape juice lowers blood pressure in patients with prehypertension and stage 1 hypertension. Design: We conducted a double-blind crossover study to compare the effects of grape juice (7 mL · kg−1 · d−1) and matched placebo beverage on 24-h ambulatory blood pressure, stress-induced changes in blood pressure, and biochemical profile. Participants consumed each beverage for 8 wk with a 4-wk rest period between beverages. They ceased consumption of grapes and other flavonoid-containing beverages throughout the study. Results: We enrolled 64 otherwise healthy patients taking no antihypertensive medications (31% women, 42% black, age 43 ± 12 y). Baseline mean (±SD) cuff blood pressure was 138 ± 7 (systolic)/82 ± 7 (diastolic) mm Hg. No effects on the primary endpoint of 24-h mean systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, or stress-induced changes in blood pressure were observed. A secondary endpoint was nocturnal dip in systolic pressure. At baseline, nocturnal pressure was 8.3 ± 7.1% lower at night than during daytime. The mean nocturnal dip increased 1.4 percentage points after grape juice and decreased 2.3 percentage points after placebo (P = 0.005). Fasting blood glucose was 91 ± 10 mg/dL at baseline for the entire cohort. Glucose decreased 2 mg/dL after consumption of grape juice and increased 1 mg/dL after consuming the placebo (P = 0.03). Conclusions: We observed no effect of grape juice on ambulatory blood pressure in this cohort of relatively healthy individuals with modestly elevated blood pressure. Secondary analyses suggested favorable effects on nocturnal dip and glucose homeostasis that may merit further investigation. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00302809. PMID:20844075

  18. Fabrication of an Implantable Micro-pressure Sensor to Measure Deviation Within the Cochlea

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leonardo Perez

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available The Cochlear Implant is broadly worn by people with deep hearing damage. This device makes up an electrode array to electrically stimulate the auditory nerves. When the electrode is implanted into the inner ear by surgery, the scala tympani is ill-treated due to the strong pressure applied on the internal ear structures. To minimize this intra-cochlear trauma, it is proposed to fabricate a micro pressure-sensor and built it in the electrode array, in such a way that the pressure applied by the electrode is measured. This work selected the MEMS SU-8 Fabry-Perot interferometer-based pressure sensor. This paper describes the sensor fabrication process carried out, and explains how to integrate this sensor with the electrode array.

  19. Charge Exchange Reaction in Dopant-Assisted Atmospheric Pressure Chemical Ionization and Atmospheric Pressure Photoionization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vaikkinen, Anu; Kauppila, Tiina J; Kostiainen, Risto

    2016-08-01

    The efficiencies of charge exchange reaction in dopant-assisted atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (DA-APCI) and dopant-assisted atmospheric pressure photoionization (DA-APPI) mass spectrometry (MS) were compared by flow injection analysis. Fourteen individual compounds and a commercial mixture of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were chosen as model analytes to cover a wide range of polarities, gas-phase ionization energies, and proton affinities. Chlorobenzene was used as the dopant, and methanol/water (80/20) as the solvent. In both techniques, analytes formed the same ions (radical cations, protonated molecules, and/or fragments). However, in DA-APCI, the relative efficiency of charge exchange versus proton transfer was lower than in DA-APPI. This is suggested to be because in DA-APCI both dopant and solvent clusters can be ionized, and the formed reagent ions can react with the analytes via competing charge exchange and proton transfer reactions. In DA-APPI, on the other hand, the main reagents are dopant-derived radical cations, which favor ionization of analytes via charge exchange. The efficiency of charge exchange in both DA-APPI and DA-APCI was shown to depend heavily on the solvent flow rate, with best efficiency seen at lowest flow rates studied (0.05 and 0.1 mL/min). Both DA-APCI and DA-APPI showed the radical cation of chlorobenzene at 0.05-0.1 mL/min flow rate, but at increasing flow rate, the abundance of chlorobenzene M(+.) decreased and reagent ion populations deriving from different gas-phase chemistry were recorded. The formation of these reagent ions explains the decreasing ionization efficiency and the differences in charge exchange between the techniques. Graphical Abstract ᅟ.

  20. Segregation and Clustering Effects on Complex Boron Redistribution in Strongly Doped Polycrystalline-Silicon Layers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abadli, S.; Mansour, F.

    2011-01-01

    This work deals with the investigation of the complex phenomenon of boron (B) transient enhanced diffusion (TED) in strongly implanted silicon (Si) layers. It concerns the instantaneous influences of the strong B concentrations, the Si layers crystallization, the clustering and the B trapping/segregation during thermal post-implantation annealing. We have used Si thin layers obtained from disilane (Si2H6) by low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) and then B implanted with a dose of 4 x 1015 atoms/cm2 at an energy of 15 keV. To avoid long redistributions, thermal annealing was carried out at relatively low-temperatures (700, 750 and 800 'deg'C) for various short-times ranging between 1 and 30 minutes. To investigate the experimental secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) doping profiles, a redistribution model well adapted to the particular structure of Si-LPCVD layers and to the effects of strong-concentrations has been established. The good adjustment of the simulated profiles with the experimental SIMS profiles allowed a fundamental understanding about the instantaneous physical phenomena giving and disturbing the TED process in strongly doped Si-LPCVD layers. It was found that boron TED is strongly affected by the simultaneous complex kinetics of clustering, crystallization, trapping and segregation during annealing. The fast formation of small Si-B clusters enhances the B diffusivity whereas the evolution of the clusters and segregation reduce this enhancement. (author)